Transplant Trees and Shrubs Now— Part I

By C. Rae Hozer, Cumberland County Master Gardener

Tennessee’s Upper Cumberland Region usually has its first fall frost in October. October 10 is typical for the Crossville area, but the exact date varies a bit from year to year. While above-ground woody landscape plant structures may be hurt by cold air, roots continue growing. Soil acts as an insulating blanket. Studies have shown autumn planting of trees and shrubs gives an advantage over springtime installation. Horticulture experts at the University of Tennessee say October and November are best for transplanting most ornamental trees and shrubs. Exception: Plant bare root stock in late winter or early spring (before April 1).

Once you know conditions at your site and have considered plant characteristics you want and those you don’t, the next step is to see what plants are available for sale and buy them. Common names for plants may vary by locality. To avoid getting the wrong one, be sure to use the scientific name when drawing up a landscape plan and when making your purchase.

Proper care of woody transplants starts with the ride home from the garden center or nursery. Don’t leave your vehicle sitting in a hot parking lot  while you shop for other things. Cover with a tarp during transport. Left exposed to sun and wind in the back of your pickup or in an open trunk, the new purchase may suffer sun scorch, windburn, broken branches, or dried out foliage and twig tips. Don’t turn what was a healthy specimen at the cash register into a risky transplant by the time you get home. Once on your property, place out of direct sunlight and  keep the root ball moist, if not setting the plant in the ground that same day.

Here is a list of trees (large & small trees/shrubs) that appeal to me. All should be hardy in our part of the state. Most create a wildlife-friendly environment with features which attract birds, butterflies or animals. (Wildlife notes proceeded by “W-”.) Some trees on this very subjective list were discovered while researching Plateau Gardening articles. I’ve heard about others at garden talks. Hubert P. Conlon, UT Extension Ornamental Horticulture Area Specialist is the main source for named varieties. (If given a chance to attend one of his “New Age Plants –Not your Grandma’s Trees and Shrubs” presentations, don’t miss it!) The CD ‘Favorite Plants for the Plateau’ produced by Cumberland County Master Gardeners and available at the Crossville UT Extension office ($10) was another reference resource.

Tree and Shrub list format: Each entry has the common name followed by scientific name in parentheses, information on size (height x spread) and plant characteristics.

1. Mountain camellia (Stewartia ovata), (15’-20’), hardiness zones 5-8, native plant, growth range limited to low and middle elevations of Great Smoky Mountains and the
Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, camellia  blooms in early to mid-summer. A rare treasure.

2. Fringe tree or flowering ash (Chionanthus virginicus), (12’-20’X12’-20’), hardiness zones  3-9, native plant, panicles of fragrant white flowers in May, W– Fall blue fruit attracts birds.

4. Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Tamukeyama’), (5’-7’), hardiness zones 5-9, red lace-leaf, pm shade.

5. Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), (25’-30’ in wild, often smaller when cultivated), hardiness zones 6-9a, native plant, not for very dry sites, large red flower panicles at branch tips in late March early April, W– Flowers attract hummingbirds during spring migration.

Plateau Gardening is written by Master Gardeners for those tending home landscapes and gardens in Tennessee’s Upper Cumberland Region. Contact UT Extension Cumberland County, P.O. Box 483, Crossville, TN 38557, (phone 931-484-6743) for quick answers to specific questions, free publications, or to learn about becoming a Master Gardener. Email comments or yard and garden inquiries to Master Gardener Rae, mgardenerrae@frontiernet.net.