Don't Give Up on Me!

The song entitled “Don’t Give Up On Me” is a suitable theme song for several perennials, shrubs and trees which thrive in our Southeastern Wisconsin area. While shrubs and trees like forsythia and magnolia herald the arrival of spring with a flush of colorful blooms, many other genus and species remain dormant, exhibiting NO signs of life in early spring. 

Often the crispy, crinkly foliage has persisted through winter, as shown on this photo of smokebush (genus Cotinus) during April.  It is not dead—just dormant.  Late-emerging plants often surprise gardeners when their buds begin to push much later than other plantings.  A few examples of late-emerging plants: 

Blazing Star, Gayfeather  (genus Liatris)  flowering perennial
Butterflybush (genus Buddleia)  marginally hardy perennial in Zones 4,5
Bluestar (genus Amsonia)  flowering perennial
Buttonbush (genus Cephalanthus)  flowering shrub
Bottlebrush Buckeye (genus Aesculus)   flowering shrub
Smokebush (genus Cotinus) flowering shrub
White Fringetree (genus Chionanthus)   small flowering tree (15’ -20’)

Various ornamental grasses (Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Fountain Grass and others) are often latecomers in exhibiting spring growth.  Don’t give up—give them additional time before digging and transporting to your compost pile!

Trees in the genus Quercus are typically late to emerge, so while you are inspecting for signs of new growth on your oak trees, your oaks are whispering, “Don’t give up on me!”

M. Lynn Schmid,   Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture