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I live in Hudson, Ohio. I've originally from Orange County, CA and have lived here going on three years. I'm still getting used to the pros and cons of gardening here versus in Cali - pros being, it rains here pretty regularly, cons being - pretty much everything else! I do like it here, though.
Here are a few trees I like that I think I could grow here, but was looking for some input from people who have done it:
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Yoshino flowering cherry (like the ones in DC)
Southern Magnolia (I've read a few people who say they've done it up here!)
Will these grow here in Northeast Ohio? Any special tips or suggestions if I were to try?
Crue,
The red bud and cherry are fine where you are, but instead of getting a southern
magnolia, go get yourself a NATIVE Sweetbay magnolia instead.
I have Sweetbay, it is beautiful, it won't be evergreen where you live, but it will
grow the leaves again in the spring. The flowers are beautiful too. The leaves have silver
on the undersides, and when it is windy, they "flap" and you see the silver.
Very nice tree.
Google it.
I feel that you should be able to grow all three of those in the greater Cleveland area, just be sure that if you do decide to try a Southern Magnolia, to go for the most cold hardy cultivar you can get your hands on, we have edith bogues and brackens brown beauties growing here in indianapolis and indianapolis is in about the same hardiness zone as Cleveland (6a), but i think that indianapolis may be just a tad bit colder and prone to extreme arctic cold outbreaks during winter so if people are successfully growing cold hardy varieties of Southern Magnolia in indianapolis, then they should grow just as well if not a bit better in Cleveland.
Redbuds, Cherry, and Magnolias do well here. Past few years have been late blooming after long cold winters. Although I'm near the coast I am a bit north of you in latitude.
I just wish there were more older Cherry trees around. (Mmmmm, firewood!)
One thing I'll say is, if you get a young one, Protect it for the winter until it's old enough.
Here's a comparison picture I'm keeping up with each year. (except 2013 I forgot)
Top left April 10, 2012. (Weeping Cherry in Pink)
Top right last yr April 19th.
Bottom left April 16th this year
Hi there. I grew Cherry and Redbud successfully in NE Ohio (zone 5), but am not aware of a Magnolia doing well there. As someone else mentioned, there may be a northern magnolia that will do well. Contact the local Extension Service.
There are a few near where I grew up that are over 60 years old and still flower. As a child walking to and from elementary school we'd play with the 'fuzzy buds' in season, as they were often good for practical jokes.
The others should grow but it's more important to have your site / soil tested to make sure. We tried Redbud's in suburban lot on north side of house but it never took well. May have been poor specimen from nursery. They tend to do better as a fringe tree on a sited planting of multiple trees and not free standing (from my observance).
Redbud grows like a weed here in NE KS and it has in fact escaped cultivation in the forested areas. Some of ours on the property were huge but they tend toward brittleness and many were storm damaged. They will need proper pruning to look their best. We also have cold hardy cultivars of southern magnolia growing here. In town there are a few giant specimens. Most have been planted in the past 15 years. Flowering cherry also does fine here. We are in zone 6a.
Redbud grows like a weed here in NE KS and it has in fact escaped cultivation in the forested areas. Some of ours on the property were huge but they tend toward brittleness and many were storm damaged. They will need proper pruning to look their best. We also have cold hardy cultivars of southern magnolia growing here. In town there are a few giant specimens. Most have been planted in the past 15 years. Flowering cherry also does fine here. We are in zone 6a.
Northern Douglas County is actually zone 5b by Lawrence airport since it is by the river. Most years low temperatures will get to -10F or lower.
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