Tree - The American Yellowwood. This tree can become

a substitute for the dogwood in your landscape as it

provides spectacular, fragrant summer blooms, brilliant yellow

fall color and interesting pale gray bark. It is native to the

southeast and can be found growing in the wild in Georgia.

Although sometimes slow to come into bloom the tree

bears wisteria-like clusters of white flowers up to 16 inches

long and six inches wide that look like "cluster of white

rain," says Dr. Michael Dirr, professor of horticulture at the

University of Georgia. It's spectacular in full bloom and

will become an accent plant in the landscape. Added benefits

are the tree's high tolerance to insect and disease and it's

ability to adapt to a range of sites. The tree will grow in full

sun to partial shade and prefers well drained soils. It adapts

to high-ph soils in the wild, but also adapts to acid soils

common in the Georgia Piedmont.

The Georgia Gold Medal Winners from previous

years which have become mainstays in Fayette County gardens

are as follows: Gold Lantana, Purple Wave Petunias,

New Wonder Blue Fan Flower, Bath's Pink Dianthus,

Blue Anise Sage, Homestead Purple Verbena, The Pink

Chinese Loropetalum, The Annabelle Hydrangea, the Trident

Maple and Yoshino Japanese Cedar and many others. Look

for these plants in your local nursery as they have proven

their ease of growth and adaptability to all levels of

gardening skills.

<!--##############