Noted for its exfoliating bark and showy fall color, award-winning Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple) is a small spreading deciduous tree that is highly desirable. The chestnut-brown bark of both its trunk and branches constantly peels into thin, tight curls, revealing brighter cinnamon-red wood beneath. Even the youngest stems contribute to this pleasing peeling bark effect. Equally attractive is the foliage of three-lobed leaves, typical of most Acers. Dark green above, but frosty blue-green underneath in spring and summer, the delicately textured leaves turn brilliant red and orange in the fall before shedding for the winter.

Noted for its showy scarlet bark and fall color, award-winning Acer palmatum 'Eddisbury' (Coral-Bark Maple) is a large deciduous shrub or small tree of great interest. The delicate 5-lobed leaves open bronze-green, mature to fresh green in summer, and turn golden-yellow and crimson in fall before they shed to the ground. As they fall, they expose the bright, red bark on young twigs and branches, adding a much-needed splash of color to the winter landscape. Vigorous, this maple tree features an upright habit that broadens with age and makes an outstanding four-season tree that is enjoyed by all gardeners as it graces the landscape.

Noted for its showy coral bark and fall color, award-winning Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku' (Coral-Bark Maple) is a large deciduous shrub or small tree that is highly desirable. In the fall, the delicate 5-lobed leaves which open pinkish-yellow, and mature to light green in summer, turn soft yellow in fall before they shed to the ground. As they fall, they expose the bright, coral-red bark on young twigs and branches, adding a much-needed splash of color to the winter landscape. Slow-growing, this maple tree features an upright, vase-shaped habit and makes an outstanding four-season tree that is enjoyed by all gardeners as it graces the landscape.

Noted for its ravishing exfoliating bark and showy fall color, award-winning Acer triflorum (Three-Flowered Maple) is a small deciduous tree that is a real treasure in the landscape. The light ash-brown bark on both its trunk and branches peels in vertical strips, revealing pale copper-brown wood beneath. Equally attractive is the foliage of trifoliate leaves. Green above, but gray-green underneath in spring and summer, it turns brilliant red and orange in the fall before shedding for the winter. Densely branched with an upright, roundish habit, this slow-growing maple tree is an outstanding four-season tree.

Award-winning Betula 'Fascination' is a very rewarding birch, noted for its attractive gleaming orange copper bark, which peels off to reveal another layer of pink and cream bark. As the tree matures, the bark quickly changes to bright white and contrasts nicely with the tree canopy. Vigorous and fast-growing, this medium-sized deciduous tree features a pyramidal habit with stiffly ascending branches. It bears large, dark green leaves, which turn bright yellow in fall before they shed for the winter. In spring, tiny yellowish-brown male flowers appear in drooping catkins, 4 in. long (10 cm). Providing interest year-round, this birch tree deserves a prominent spot in the landscape where its natural beauty can be enjoyed day after day.

Gracefully elegant, Betula 'White Satin' or 'Madison' is a remarkable birch noted for its beautiful satin-white bark. Vigorous and fast-growing, this medium-sized cultivar forms a dense, deciduous, multi-stemmed tree with a uniform, upright pyramidal habit. The foliage of leathery, diamond-shaped, bright green leaves deepens to dark green as the season progresses before turning golden-yellow in fall. Easy to grow, 'White Satin' enjoys an excellent resistance to birch borer.

Award-winning Betula albosinensis 'Red Panda' features a most attractive coppery-pink bark with subtle shades of caramel and honey, and abundant white lenticels (bumpy lines). The eye-catching bark provides a very nice contrast with the summer canopy of oval, tapering, dark green leaves, 3 in. long (7 cm). The foliage turns golden-yellow in fall before shedding for the winter. In spring, tiny yellowish-brown male flowers appear in drooping catkins. Vigorous, this medium-sized deciduous tree has a conical, upright, lightly spreading, bushy habit and is best grown as a specimen in a large lawn, where its glowing peeling bark can be admired in winter.

Betula albosinensis var. septentrionalis is an exquisite Chinese red birch with a most attractive peeling bark, a lovely mix of coppery-pink and cinnamon-brown with translucent golden edges. The effect is most spectacular when backlit by the setting sun. The oval leaves emerge emerald green in spring, and mature to unusual sea green in summer, before turning a beautiful, pale yellow in fall. In spring, tiny yellowish-brown male flowers appear in slender catkins. Vigorous, this medium-sized deciduous tree has an open, conical habit. Provide plenty of space to fully enjoy the beautiful trunk and the graceful and delicate branching.

Award-winning Betula ermanii 'Grayswood Hill' is a particularly desirable birch with peeling, luminescent creamy-white bark tinted orange with pinkish lenticels (bumpy lines). Vigorous and fast-growing, this medium-sized deciduous tree has an open, slender habit and bears oval, glossy, rich green leaves, 4 in. long (10 cm), which turn a wonderful butter-yellow in fall before they shed for the winter. In spring, tiny yellowish-brown male flowers appear in drooping catkins. Providing interest year-round, this birch tree is particularly appealing in the fall and winter with its golden canopy and stunning velvety creamy-white bark. It may take five years for the bark to color well.

Betula nigra 'Heritage' is a beautiful river birch prized for its incredible peeling bark. Salmon-cream to brownish at first, it exfoliates to reveal a creamy-white inner bark that can almost rival the European white birches. Vigorous and fast-growing, this medium-sized deciduous tree has a large, pyramidal, upright habit. The foliage of diamond-shaped, serrated bright green leaves deepens to dark green as the season progresses, before turning pale yellow in fall. It can be grown as either a single trunk or a multi-stemmed tree. Perfect for wet soils, 'Heritage' can tolerate locations with drier soils and is extremely resistant to bronze birch borer and leaf spot diseases.

Betula papyrifera, commonly called paper birch or canoe birch, is a robust, fast-growing landscaping tree with a most attractive gleaming white bark, which peels off in papery strips to reveal an orange-brown bark underneath. Growing with an oval rounded habit, mature trees develop black markings on the white bark. The ovate, irregularly toothed, dark green leaves turn bright yellow in fall. Exceptionally hardy, paper birch performs best in cool northern climates where root zones are often covered with snow in the winter and does poorly in heat and humid areas.

Award-winning Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Doorenbos' features attractive, crisp white bark on trunk and branches, even on young specimens. Luminescent, the bark peels off to reveal pale orange hues before turning bright white. It contrasts very nicely with the summer canopy of ovate, glossy, dark green leaves. The foliage turns golden-yellow in fall before shedding for the winter. In spring, tiny yellowish-brown male flowers appear in conspicuous catkins, 6 in. long (15 cm). Vigorous and fast-growing, this medium-sized deciduous tree has an oval crown with gracefully ascending branches. It can be grown as a single-stemmed tree and makes a beautiful multi-stemmed specimen. Highly popular, this birch is much loved for its graceful appearance, particularly in winter.

Award-winning Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Grayswood Ghost' features one of the whitest bark of all birches. Luminescent, its "ghostly white," smooth bark provides a lovely contrast with its dense summer canopy of large, very glossy, rich green leaves, 5 in. long (12 cm). The foliage often turns bright yellow in fall before shedding for the winter. In early spring, tiny yellowish-brown male flowers appear in conspicuous catkins. Vigorous, this medium-sized deciduous tree has a conical crown and is best grown as a specimen, where its stark white bark can be admired. The white bark develops fully when the tree is around 8 years old.

Betula utilis var. jacquemontii (Himalayan Birch), prized for its brilliant and exceptionally white bark, is a lovely addition to the landscape. While young trees have a rich brown bark, it quickly changes to gleaming snow-white as the tree matures. Vigorous and fast-growing, this medium-sized deciduous tree has an open pyramidal habit with graceful and delicate branching. It bears alternately arranged, ovate, dark green leaves, which turn bright yellow in fall. Not surprisingly, this is one of the most popular birch trees. Exceptionally hardy, it performs best in cool northern climates and does poorly in the heat and humid areas.

Native to China, Heptacodium miconioides (Seven Son Flower) is a unique plant with year-round interest. This large, fountain-shaped, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub features clusters of fragrant, creamy-white flowers at the branch tips over a long bloom season from late summer to early fall. The blooms appear in whorls, with each whorl containing 7 small flowers (hence the common name of Seven-Son Flower). They are a great source of nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds in the fall and are followed by even showier crops of purplish-red fruits crowned by eye-catching rose calyces which last into late fall. The large, heart-shaped leaves are shiny green and deeply veined. Heptacodium miconioides remains attractive in winter when strips of pale bark peel away to reveal dark brown inner bark. No serious insect or disease problems

Compact and easy to grow, Hypericum kalmianum (Kalm St. John's Wort) is a small semi-evergreen shrub with showy, golden yellow flowers blooming for about 6 weeks in mid to late summer. They are borne in flat clusters of 3-7 flowers, at the tips of upright branching stems. Each cup-shaped flower presents 5 petals surrounding a prominent tuft of golden stamens. Rich in nectar, they are a favorite of butterflies, bumblebees, or other pollinators and are excellent for cutting. The foliage of linear dark blue-green leaves provides a lovely backdrop for the bright golden blossoms.

An outstanding four-season small tree, Parrotia persica 'Vanessa' (Persian Ironwood) is rich with many exceptional attributes. More upright and columnar than the species, its branches arch gracefully outward towards the tip. They bear a canopy of oval-shaped, lustrous leaves that emerge bronze and burgundy, mature to darker green in summer, and turn spectacular shades of bronze, crimson, orange, and brilliant gold in fall, before shedding to the ground. Equally exquisite is the flaky gray bark, which becomes a real showstopper in winter. Finally, small, spidery, red flowers, resembling those of Witch Hazel (Hamamelis), are produced on bare stems in late winter and early spring, adding further interest.

Charming in all seasons, Prunus sargentii (Sargent's Cherry) is a small, deciduous tree with many ornamental qualities. In spring, clusters of lovely, pink to deep pink, single flowers, 1.4 in. wide (4 cm), appear before the leaves unfold. They are followed by a profusion of sour purple-black cherries which ripen in early summer and attract hungry birds. Reddish tinged as they emerge in spring, the serrate, ovate leaves mature to glossy dark green in summer, forming a dense canopy casting shade below. In fall, they turn various shades of orange, bronze, and red before dropping. Sargent's Cherry sports a lustrous, almost polished-looking, mahogany-colored bark with prominent horizontal lenticels (bumpy lines). A graceful ornamental tree with an upright-spreading to rounded habit, which exhibits greater staying power than most Prunus.

Noted for its multiseason interest and spectacular mahogany bark, Prunus serrula (Tibetan Cherry) features a most attractive, high-gloss, coppery-brown bark, heavily banded with large, dull lenticels (bumpy lines). Shining like silk, the bark adds a welcomed splash of color to the winter garden. This round-headed small deciduous tree sports an airy canopy of narrow, willow-like, dark green leaves, 4 in. long (10 cm). The foliage turns golden-yellow in fall before shedding for the winter. As the foliage emerges in spring, an abundance of tiny white flowers appear in small clusters, before giving way to red berries in fall. Slow-growing, Prunus serrula is best grown as a specimen on a large lawn, where its glowing peeling bark can be admired in winter.

Noted for its attractive exfoliating bark, fall color and delicate blooms, award-winning Stewartia pseudocamellia (Japanese Stewartia) is a small deciduous tree with multiseason interest. Delicate, cup-shaped, white flowers, 2.5 in. wide (6 cm), adorned with showy orange-yellow anthers appear in early summer in the leaf axils. Resembling camellias, they open in succession for a long-lasting display. The foliage of ovate, dark green leaves in summer turns brilliant shades of red, orange, and burgundy in fall. The shedding of leaves exposes the flaky, multicolored bark that peels in strips of gray, orange, and reddish brown, adding winter interest. Slow-growing, Japanese Stewartia features an elegant pyramidal habit and is one of the glories of the garden.