Hibiscus Syriacus
We have a couple of trees in our yard, and every year we get asked the same questions; What kind of trees are they? What do you do to keep them in good shape? Both of these trees were planted by the previous owner. I don't know exactly where they got them, but I have seen them at the Weston Nurseries, Inc. in Hopkinson, Mass.
Here are some notes about these trees in case you have them in your yard and wondering about them:
Hibiscus Syriacus Plant
This is the tree we have in the front yard, it's called a Hibiscus Syriacus Plant (Purple)
- The flowers on the tree starts blooming just before Memorial Day weekend, and will continue to bloom until just before the first frost.
- The tree gets a "flat top" trim every year, otherwise it will get out of control.
- After trimming the tree, I usually have to find all the cut branches as they tend to get stuck between other branches.
- The flowers are purple and leaves quiet a mess on the lawn in the middle of the summer.
- We never had any birds try to nest in this tree.
- We have successfully put Christmas lights in the tree, but had to shut them off because we had too many outside lights.
- In the Fall, I usually trim off all the dead dry flowers off the tree. If I don't do this, they will still appear on the tree in the summer. The tree will just look strange with both live and dry dead flowers.
Kousa Dogwood
This is the tree we have in the back yard, it's call a Kousa Dogwood
- Some people confuse this tree with the "Rose of Sharon"
- This tree blooms very nice flowers in the spring and then has little red berry like fruit.
- In some countries the fruit is used to made for wine. (This might be fun to try someday!)
- The tree branches have grown a lot over the years, this year I plan on cutting more back to help it grow better.
- Some birds have tried to make a nest but they never can find a stable spot.