With its small pink flowers, this tree is one of the first brilliantly colored signs of spring in Michigan. The eastern redbud is a haven for pollinators and ideal for planting in yards. Commonly seen ...

When you plant pretty trees with pink and white flowers in your backyard, the spring air fills with their sweet scent and lovely flowers. It’s like getting the best of both a backyard tree and a ...

Spring blossoms of our largest plants - woody trees - are small and inconspicuous. Trees flower early - before leaves emerge. While showy wildflowers on the forest floor rely on specialized insect ...

Shortly after Christmas, during intervals of mild weather, the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) perfumes the air with a sweet scent of almond. This small deciduous tree explodes with color in ...

Q: “I’m not sure if it’s because the weather has been so warm, or if this is normal timing, but what is this pink-flowering tree? It’s one of the first to bloom I’ve noticed.” What is this ...

A small lovely tree grows outside — close, almost touching my office window. It affords me privacy and keeps me company whilst I write at the desk inside, below it. For a long time, the tree was dense ...

Tom Oder is a writer, editor, and communication expert who specializes in sustainability and the environment with a sweet spot for urban agriculture. The Japanese camellia is an evergreen shrub that ...

Summer has faded and gone. Autumn’s bright foliage does compensate, somewhat, for the dearth of flowers, but a few of my trees and shrubs (and several perennials) bloom in October, and I treasure them ...