Evergreen Gardenworks
2010
Descriptive Catalog

Prunus (Cherries, Plums, Almond, Apricot) S\M\-30ø\Ls\B Evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. A huge genus of well known and often used plants. Nearly all Prunus prefer full sun, well drained loose soils and moist but not wet soil in summer. Nearly all are cold hardy to -30F. When a Prunus species does not conform to this description it will be mentioned. We are interested in the flowering and ornamental species that make excellent landscape plants as well as bonsai. To simplify matters, and to make comparisons, we have grouped the Prunus species into Flowering Cherries, Flowering Plums, and Flowering Apricot followed by the other species that do not fit into these groups. In order to do this we must forego alphabetical order for Prunus.

All of our Prunus are cutting grown except for Prunus mume seedlings. Cutting grown plants means that you get plants that are ready to flower the spring following their arrival. It also eliminates the ugly grafts prevalent for Prunus species. Lastly, small cutting grown plants provide you with 'true to name' cultivars at very low prices. 

Prunus is a traditional genus for bonsai. The early spring flowers on naked stems have been cherished in Asia for centuries. Most people try to make bonsai from plants that are too small. A few species will make mame bonsai such as P. subhirtella X 'Hally Jolivette', but most are suitable only for larger bonsai, which will require years of growing out and multiple trunk chops to obtain taper and movement. Most Prunus tend to grow with cylindrical trunks with little or no taper. Cutting back the trunk repeatedly over a number of years is needed to correct this.

Prunus almost universally suffer from winter and spring fungal diseases and should be treated like fruiting trees. A fixed copper dormant spray several times a winter will protect most species. Most are also subject to late spring freeze damage.

FLOWERING CHERRY
Cold hardy to -30ø, but due to severe dieback better suited to areas that only reach -10ø. Prune only to shape plants, be careful to choose species that will not outgrow their site. Pruning to control size in the landscape is an endless battle and will diminish the number of blooms. Flowering Cherries are notorious for forming bad graft unions that become unsightly with age and are also sources for infection and insect infestation. To avoid this, our plants are cutting grown whenever possible. Smaller leaf types make excellent bonsai. Weeping forms such as  'Pendula' make beautiful cascade bonsai. In bonsai situations many will rebloom in the fall as a result of summer pruning. The spectacular flowers of the larger leaf forms make them tempting for bonsai, but they will only be suitable for larger (3 to 4 foot) bonsai.

7575 Prunus campanulata x incisa 'Okame'-10ø 25 feet x 20 feet upright vigorous tree. Dark green foliage, single pink flowers in early spring. Purple, red and orange fall color. The small flowers and twiggy branching of this cultivar make it very desirable for bonsai. It also has smooth deep purple 'cherry bark'. This cultivar is quite disease resistant. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8

7590 Prunus incisa 'Midori' (Fuji Cherry, Mame-zakura) Small shrubby tree, almost prostrate, somewhat smaller than the species. Gray bark, small 2 inch leaves, single pink flowers in early spring, followed by small purple black cherries. The very twiggy branching and slow growth of this Cherry makes it excellent material for bonsai. This cultivar is quite disease resistant.
Available again in 2011  

7600 Prunus serrulata 'Beni Hoshi' (Pink Star) 20 feet x 20 feet with long arching branches to form an umbrella shape. Multitudes of single pink flowers with twisted petals hang below the branches, blooms mid-season. Vigorous and fast growing. The leaves are about 3 inches but will reduce somewhat in bonsai culture, still they should be used for larger bonsai. This cultivar suffers from fungal diseases in cold wet spring weather and must be sprayed. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8

7650 Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis' 25 foot x 25 foot open branching shrubby tree with a flattened crown. Small pale pink to white double flowers in spring and again in the fall, although not as profuse in autumn. Some flowers may appear during warm winter spells. The small leaves and fine branching make this an excellent choice for flowering bonsai. Little or no fruit.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $10 

FLOWERING PLUM
The description above for Flowering Cherry also applies to Flowering Plums with the additional precaution that fruits can be a problem and that plums in general are even faster growing and more likely to outgrow their site if not chosen carefully. Plums should be treated in winter with dormant sprays and pruned 'inside out', that is they should not be headed back which will only encourage their bad habit of forming crossing branches in the center of the tree. These crossing branches should be pruned out to open the center of the tree and create a canopy of foliage on the outer branches. For bonsai, most are only suitable for larger bonsai. In areas of cold wet spring weather, do not prune until warmer, drier weather after the first leaves have hardened off to avoid fungal diseases entering pruning cuts.

7690 Prunus blireiana 15 feet x 15 feet and round headed. One of the few Purpleleaf Plums to have double flowers. Clouds of pink fragrant flowers in early spring with little or no fruits. Deep purple new foliage that turns a deep bronze green in summer. Excellent for larger bonsai. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $10

7700 Prunus 'Krauter Vesuvius' (Purple Leaf Plum) All the purple leaf plums require full sun to maintain the deepest purple color. 18 feet x 12 feet. This is a nice small plum with the deepest purple foliage on upright growth. Single pink flowers in early spring. Little or no fruit. Excellent for bonsai.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $10 

FLOWERING APRICOT
Prunus has been popular in China and Japan for over a thousand years and is now becoming very popular in the U.S. It is the longest lived of the flowering fruit species. It flowers very early in the season, January in mild areas and Feb-March in colder areas. The flowers may be single or double, either pink, white, or red (depending on the cultivar)and are fragrant with spicy cinnamon scent. The flowers are borne along the length of new green stem growth which can reach 6 feet or more in a single season. The tree will form a multitude of apricot-like fruits that are edible, but quite sour. The leaves are a glossy deep green. To Keep the tree from being ungainly it should be pruned similar to peach. That is, half of the new stems should be removed each season leaving a 6 inch stub and the remaining half of the stems should be reduced to the 6 inch stub the following season. Sort of a rotation of new growth as is practiced in roses. This pruning may take place while the tree is in bloom and the branches brought into the house. The tree will ultimately reach 20 feet and will eventually develop an ancient rugged character. Grafts are problematic, our plants are seedlings. Seedlings bloom when about five to seven years old. A traditional bonsai tree. You should plan on growing out mume for large trunks; they do not make very good small bonsai. Fortunately they grow very quickly. You can obtain a four to six inch trunk in as many years if you plant them in the ground. For more information on obtaining large trunks for bonsai see the article on Developing Large Trunks for Bonsai.

Growing mume is problematic for many people including us. We will probably discontinue all mume in the future. The basic problem is that they are very susceptible to spring freezes. Their early flowering means that they are active very early in the spring. Any hard freeze after flowering begins induces small freeze damage cracks along the branches that are invaded by spring fungal diseases. Often these diseases are fatal to the tree, but if not fatal, large branches can be lost. Mume will perform best in areas that are mild in winter, and that once warm, stay warm without spring frost danger. Dry weather in spring also helps with the control of fungal diseases. Some disease control is possible with fungicides, especially fixed copper, but repeated applications will be necessary.

7740 Prunus mume [seedlings] These seedlings should have some interesting flowers, but we don't know the source of the seed. The flowers may be pink or white. They will take three to five years to flower from their current size. This is a very economical way of obtaining excellent bonsai stock at low cost. These are nice large field grown plants. A FEW SPECIMEN PLANTS AVAILABLE EVENTUALLY

Punica granatum (Flowering Pomegranate)S\M\D\10ø\Ls\B Deciduous shrubs or small trees from Asia. Full size Pomegranates will reach 10-15 feet and older plants can spread as far as 20 feet by long arching multiple trunks. It will be a multi-stemmed shrub unless a single trunk is selected and the suckers are pruned out. In any case, the number of trunks should be selected and maintained to develop a high canopy and open base which will accentuate the graceful arching habit. The flowers of all our large types are fully double (except 'Omi'), some as large as 4 inches. The colors are pure white, pale yellow, pink, red orange, red and two colored. Flowering period is from June-August except for the dwarf types that are nearly perpetually in bloom (and fruit). Most of the double flowering types do not fruit readily, which will be indicated for each variety. Small stem dieback will occur at 10ø but established plants will surely survive. At 0ø there is the risk of killing the entire plant. Younger plants, potted plants, and the dwarf types will need more protection (keep above about 20F). Pomegranates are very salt tolerant and heat tolerant.

They thrive under desert conditions and are very drought resistant, although the fruit will suffer. They need full sun and prefer well drained soil, but will grow in almost any soil that does not stay too wet in summer.

Excellent plants for bonsai, forming thick tapered and sometimes twisted trunks. Full sized Pomegranate should only be used for larger bonsai (2-4 feet) to keep the flowers and fruit in proportion. This means growing them out for several years to develop sufficient trunk size. The dwarf types are suitable for small and very small bonsai, where their flowers and small fruit will be quite striking. Bonsai plants should be protected from temperatures below about 26F. They can be grown indoors in winter under bright lights, but it is not recommended. They do much better if given a dormant period in winter, even if it is a brief one in the fall before being moved indoors. All of our Pomegranates are cutting grown and ready to flower.

FULL SIZE POMEGRANATE
Most of these plants were originally imported from Japan and are very rare in this country. We are one of the very few nurseries propagating these cultivars.

7820 Punica granatum 'Hiza Kuro' Red ruffled double flowered with very little orange cast. Closest to a pure red. Huge flowers sometimes to four inches. Japan. Few or no fruit.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $8 

7825 Punica granatum 'Judai Zakuro' A good solid red orange double flowered cultivar forming no fruit. This one and 'Hiza Kuro' have the most saturated flower color of any Punica we have seen. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8

7830 Punica granatum 'Omi' Single orange red flowers with very prominent yellow anthers. Sets lots of delicious edible full size fruit. This is one the very best for larger bonsai because its flowers do not overwhelm the plant and fruit is assured. The sight of four inch pomegranates hanging form a bonsai is truly spectacular. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8

7835 Punica granatum 'Sarasa Shibori' Variegated ruffled double. Paler orange red with creamy variegation on the outer edge of the petals. Japan. Few or no fruit. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8 Available April 2010

7840 Punica granatum 'Shirobotan' Pure white double flowers. Japan. Few or no fruit, but when it does set fruit, the pulp is also white rather than the normal purple. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8

7845 Punica granatum 'Toyosho' Salmon pink double flowers. Japan. Usually will set some smaller fruit, about two or three inches in diameter. The flowers are also somewhat smaller, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches making it suitable for intermediate sized bonsai. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8

7850 Punica granatum 'Twisted Trunk' Red single flowers, few fruits. This plant reputedly forms a twisted trunk with great age, probably beginning in 15-20 years. The bark on the young plants is also a bit unusual, it is much rougher than other cultivars, covered with almost warty bumps. It also produces some wicked thorns.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $8 Available April 2010  

7875 Punica granatum 'Wonderful' Large single orange red flowers with prominent yellow anthers. Sets very large delicious edible fruit. The is the commercial cultivar found in most food stores. Skin is reddish marroon and the flesh is deep purple. The fruit is sweet without as much acid as older edible cultivars.
2 3/4 INCH POTS Available agin in 2011

DWARF AND SEMI-DWARF POMEGRANATE
We have discontinued Punica granatum 'Nana'because of the confusion over the name. Many plants sold are actually seedlings of dwarf plants that are quite variable, some of them even nearly full size. We now only offer named cultivars that are cutting grown so that you may be assured of the plant's characteristics.

7855 Punica granatum 'Emperor' This little plant was brought from Japan by Don Herzog of the Miniature Plant Kingdom and is perhaps the finest dwarf pomegranate available today. It grows very slowly into a very twiggy flattened dome about 3 feet x 4 feet and has good red orange single flowers followed by the most beautiful deep mahogany-purple skinned 1 1/2 inch plus fruits. It appears to be quite cold hardy, tests so far show that it will survive to 18ø with little damage and will probably survive to 10ø with the minimal protection of Reemay or other spun row cover. Excellent for bonsai. Because it is so slow growing, our two to four year old 2 3/4 inch pot plants will be quite small. Waiting List

7860 Punica granatum 'Evergreen's Red Dwarf' This is a seedling selection introduced by our nursery that is a very vigorous upright semi-dwarf to about five feet. It has single orange red flowers and the same deep purple fruits as 'Emperor' except that they are larger, up to 2 inches. We especially like this plant for bonsai because it forms a large trunk quite quickly due to its rapid growth but it retains the twigginess, flowers and fruit of the dwarf types. It is not quite as free flowering as the smaller dwarf types, and has small thorns. Our mother plant is over ten years old and has a 3 inch trunk at the base.
2 3/4 INCH POTS Available again in 2011

7870 Punica granatum 'Lone Pine' This is a seedling selection introduced by Lone Pine Nursery of Sebastopol California. It is a vigorous semi upright semi-dwarf to about four feet and spreading. It has single orange red flowers and the same deep purple fruits as 'Emperor' except that they are larger, up to 1 1/2 inches. It is not quite as vigorous as 'Evergreen's Red Dwarf'. It is quite free flowering, and sets fruit easily.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $8 Available April 2010

7880 Pyracantha coccinea'Fiery Cascade' (Firethorn) -10°F\S\M\Ls\B Evergreen shrub to about 8 feet. Orange berries turning red. This is a nice smaller leafed Pyracantha that will make small to medium size bonsai.
FOUR INCH POTS $12 Available June 2010

7885 Pyracantha fortuneana'Mohave' (Firethorn) -10°F\S\M\Ls\B Evergreen shrub to about 12 feet x 12 feet. This is one of the cold hardiest Pyracantha. It has very flexible branches making it useful for espalier or cascade bonsai. The berries color up early in the fall and last through the winter. They are the darkest red berry of all Pyracantha.
FOUR INCH POTS $12 Available June 2010 

7900 Pyrus 'Kawakami' (Evergreen Pear) S\M\15°F\Ls\B Evergreen (partially deciduous in coldest areas) shrub or small tree. Drooping branchlets, shiny medium green leaves, clouds of creamy white flowers in late winter or early spring, just after mume. Sometimes forms small hard inedible green fruit. Without training it becomes large sprawling shrub. It is better used as a small tree by staking it up and selecting a single trunk. Quickly forms rough bark consisting of irregular oblong shaped plates which is quite attractive (see second photo). A quite tough little plant surviving adverse conditions of sun, little water, poor soil, but can only tolerate temperatures to 15F. It is also one of the few pears resistant to Fireblight. This plant has been overlooked for bonsai but would seem to have great potential. It is easily top and root pruned. The leaves do reduce somewhat and it develops characteristic bark fairly quickly. Cuttings 2 3/4 INCH POTS $10

7930 Pyrus calleryana? Gremel's Pear  S\M\15°F\Ls\B There's a funny story behind this dwarf Asian Pear. Jim Gremel purchased some'Toringo' crab seedlings from Lawyer Nursery about a dozen years ago. He field grow these and they became a dense thorny thicket, flowering after about eight years old. Strangely, the small round 1/2 inch fruits never seemed to turn red. In any case, they made some really handsome trunks and he eventually dug them up and sold them as specimen'Toringo'  crabs. And I bought one from him. The more we looked at these 'crabs', the less sure we were that they were really Malus sp. Eventually it dawned on us that the reason the 'apples' didn't turn red was because they were pears! Jim offered everyone their money back, but no one took him up on it, we all love our little Gremel Pears. I helped him track down the probable species as either P. calleryana, or P. ussuriensis. But neither of these species really fits these wonderful little dwarf pears. The full size leaves are about 1 1/2 to 2 inches, but they dwarf nicely to about 1 inch. The plants are strong growing, but leaves and internodes reduce nicely when they are constrained. Fairly cold hardy and disease resistant. The little round pears turn a greenish yellow when ripe and are a perfect size for shohin or slightly larger bonsai.  Our plants are all cutting grown from our single tree, and are capable of flowering and fruiting immediately, although typically it takes a few years of growing out before they bear.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $10

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