09/09/2026
Three Garden Treats
1. & 2. If you have visited the Scott Arboretum & Gardens recently, youâre sure to have seen the giant drift of bright yellow flowers in the Harry Wood Garden. These, of course, are the Rudbeckia âAmerican Gold Rushâ, or black-eyed Susan. This plant is a herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family, and the parent species is a common member of many a sunny home garden. Black-eyed susans are as hardy as they are pretty, and boast distinctive blooms with daisy-like yellow flowers that usually feature a dark brown or black âeyeâ of florets.
3. & 4. Just on the edge of the Dean Bond Rose Garden lies a small flowering tree with beautiful mottled brown bark. This is Stewartia sinensis, or Chinese stewartia, a member of the Theaceae family. This plant can be found as a small tree or large multi-stemmed shrub, and is native to central and southeast China. Within the garden, Stewartia sinensis is usually selected for its ornamental value, as the bark is particularly eye-catching. Paper-like strips feature a variety of reds and browns, leaving a lighter brown to sand colored trunk underneath. Given its mature size, branching habits, and woody nature, this plant is usually favored for an accent in a home or pollinator garden, or a stand-alone in your yard.
5. & 6. Last this week, but certainly not least, is Euscaphis japonica, commonly known as the Korean sweetheart tree (and recently going as Staphylea japonica). This hardy perennial shrub/small tree is pretty rare to have in cultivation. Currently in its own genus within the bladdernut family, taxonomists are considering reclassifying it as a member of the specific bladdernut genus Staphylea. Visually, the Korean sweetheart tree has irregular, open-form branching, with striking white-striped brown bark. The big draw of this plant, besides the bark, are its heart-shaped seed capsules â hence the âsweetheartâ title! They turn an intense hot pink to red color in the fall and pop open to reveal shiny black seeds within.
Text and image credit: K. Lytle
