This is a low branching vase shaped shrub which lends a lacy, fern
like fine texture
to the landscape with its linear leaves that have a very undulating
margin. This
is a standout amongst buckthorns and quite resilient to our conditions.
It has attractive red summer berries thatturn black as they mature – a
real bird
attractant. Removing the lower branches turns this plant into an
outstanding
small multi-stemmed thornless specimen. This buckthorn can be
an excellent replacement for Japanese Maples which can’t handle our
conditions.
Best use is as an accent or specimen plant. It has yellow autumn color.
It grows to a height of 10 – 12 feet and has a width of 6 – 10 feet
with a broad upright shape. It is Zone 3 and grows best in full sun to
partial shade.
Bigtooth
Maple (Acer granidentatum)
This is an outstanding Wyoming native, considered a small tree or
large shrub, with
five-lobed dark green leaves turning shades of yellow, orange, or red in
the
fall. The seed source for these trees come from the sunny dry slopes of
the
Hoback in Teton County. Ecologists believe that this maple and the Sugar
Maple
of the N.E. US are essentially the same tree but developed separately as
the ice
ages came and went. This maple tolerates drought and poor soils. It
grows to a height of 25 - 30 feet with a width of 20 - 25 feet. Its
shape is broad rounded. It is Zone 3 and likes full sun to partial
shade.
