What’s in Bloom

As the last full month of fall draws to a close, our deciduous trees are almost completely bare and we are working to prepare the garden beds for winter by cutting back perennials and cleaning up the fallen leaves. Take advantage of these beautiful days by getting outside to admire the changing landscape.

Ginkgo Biloba
The Ginkgo trees in Chinatown are putting on one of the final, spectacular shows of fall color over the coming days. Ginkgo biloba, also known as the Maidenhair Tree, is a deciduous tree native to Eastern China. The Ginkgo’s leaves are fan-shaped and bright green in the spring and summer, finally turning to a brilliant gold before they drop. Ginkgo biloba is well-known for its medicinal uses in memory enhancement, but among horticulturists and botanists it may be more famous for its interesting reproductive habits and odorous female fruit.

Gingko Biloba

‘Henry’s Garnet’ Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’)
In the Fort Point Channel Parks there is still life and color springing forth out of the gardens. Many of our roses and hydrangeas are continuing to bloom for just a bit longer, and there are still splashes of fall color. The foliage of the ‘Henry’s Garnet’ Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’) has turned a deep shade of burgundy. This cultivar of Virginia Sweetspire bears especially long cascades of raceme-flowers, adapts well to sunny and partially-shaded environments, and holds onto its beautiful fall foliage for an unusually long time.

‘Henry’s Garnet’ Virginia Sweetspire

‘Red Sprite’ Winterberry (Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’)
Our Winterberry Hollies began to fruit weeks ago, but now that they are shedding their leaves the bright red berries may be more noticeable clinging to the bare branches. ‘Red Sprite’ Winterberry (Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’) is a native cultivar that is compact and rounded, with large berries in the fall and winter months. The ‘Red Sprite’ winterberries can be seen fruiting throughout our Wharf District Parks

‘Red Sprite’ Winterberry