HEADING NORTH

AS WINTERS TREND WARMER, NORTHERN GARDENERS CAN TURN TO THESE PROMISING SOUTHERN NATIVES

- Jared Barnes

MAGNOLIA

How far north of its native habitat a plant will survive is one of the most fascinating questions for searchers of new plant material." So wrote Elizabeth Lawrence, famed North Carolina gardener and the author of A Southern Garden (1942), among other books.

We still wrestle with this question today. Many of my colleagues farther north are looking "down yonder" to see what species can be added to their planting repertoire—because the South is home to wonderful native plants that deserve wider use. I know of recent botanical expeditions through east Texas, the Ozarks, the Gulf Coast, the panhandle of Florida and more. And with a warming world that sees more erratic weather, we need tough, dependable selections to use in our gardens and landscapes.

Fortunately, some southern plants are quite hardy and they can succeed in colder gardens. Here are some of my favorite species that are native to the Southeast—the region running roughly from eastern Texas (where I live) up through Kentucky, over toward Maryland and then down to Florida—and that have the potential to be used farther north.

TREES

One of the most iconic southern trees is the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora; typically USDA Zones 7–9). While these broadleaf evergreens can defoliate or even die farther north, some selections tolerate colder temperatures. ‘Edith Bogue’ (Zones 6–9) is considered one of the most cold-tolerant selections based on lab tests of -17°F. Visiting Cincinnati a few years ago, I saw at Spring Grove Cemetery M. g. ‘Spring Grove #16’ that survived at least –22°F in the landscape, hinting at the potential of this species.

Another Southeast-native magnolia that deserves wider use farther north is Ashe’s magnolia (