Are you face for ways to make your landscape brook out in your neighborhood ? An amazing way to have your landscape really say something interesting and unique about you is by plant a fantastic specimen plant .
What is a specimen plant, you ask?
A specimen plant puff in attention . It is a conversation piece . It stands out amongst construction and plants .
How does it do this ?
The specimen plant life has something extra special to offer . It may be rare . Sometimes , it has a fantastical or bizarre form , like a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that grows sideways . Or a giant cactus that looks like a person walking .
Other times , a specimen plant may have an interesting heyday or it may flower at an over-the-top meter of class . Essentially , a specimen plant is a living art piece .
Grow Living Art
Traditionally , a specimen plant is a beautiful , by and large great , Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree grown in the front grounds . Often the specimen plant life has a striking show , such as the gorgeous bloom of spring - blooming crabapple .
Or , the specimen plant might have an interesting variety , such as a thin - leaf weeping birch or weeping willow . On the other mitt , the specimen industrial plant might have gorgeous , colorful foliage , like a scarlet king maple .
The traditional placement of a specimen plant is in isolation in the lawn . This creates a focal point in time in the landscape painting . It also help to draw attention to the beauty or uniqueness of the specimen plant .
Create a Spectacle in Your Landscape
Specimen industrial plant no longer go just in the center of the front lawn . An example may be to espalier that bound - blooming crabapple against a wall or fence to create a spectacle of form , form , and bloom .
A specimen plant may also be used to enhance a lovely plant grown in repetition . For example , grow a adorable lavender hedgeintermingled with topiary tree .
Multidimensional and Multi-seasonal
When be after a specimen in the garden , it may be significant to think about what the specimen will look like during other seasons .
The crabapple espalier may face exceptional as the uniquely spring ramification disperse across the wall or fence , even when it is not in efflorescence , folio , or fruit .
Another representative might be a bizarrely shaped sideways tree , incredible on its own , but even more spectacular with a dusting of hoar or an inch or two of Charles Percy Snow .
Naturally Exceptional
Not all specimen plants involve lots of upkeep and employment . Some are exceptional all on their own ! Choosing plants with unique or interesting forms is one way to fete and show off a specimen works . Many plants have style all their own with one - of - a - variety outgrowth habits .
A great case are trees or shrubs with crying use . This habit has been bred into the plant . It is often take note in the plant ’s name with words like cascading , weeping , or pendula . Many medium - criminal maintenance spectacular specimens can be found . There are even nurseries consecrate to these specialized gorgeous plant .
Another example of lower maintenance specimen plant life is the memorable and habit-forming Monkey Puzzle tree . Once this tree appear in your region , everyone will want to recognize where it came from !
Yet , another adorably grievous low - maintenance specimen is the Teddy Bear Cholla , well suited to red-hot and dry mood .
Maintaining Living Art
On the other hand , some remarkably shaped shrubs , trees , or plant may love a muckle of touch modality ups to keep them in style . These admit the espalier and topiary Tree advert above .
Many species of plants lend themselves well to these variety of treatments . The pom - pom pines might be worth the effort of a bound or former summertime shearing to keep their center - captivate ramification at their fine . In fact , many kinds of evergreens make wonderful topiary . They also provide year - round stake !
Add Dramatic Flare
Create wonder and amazement in the garden by choose specimen vine . Vines that readily bond to body structure can take on the structure ’s precis .
An arbour smother in a spring and flow blooming clematis take a leak a arresting and welcome specimen in the garden .
A pleasurably fragrant climb rose that reaches a 2d story outdoor patio may delight summer diner Edgar Guest .
A stand - out specimen could be a conducting wire bodily structure such as a giant elephant stand in the front garden completely entangled in climbing ivy .
Two Important Questions to Ask to Help You Choose the Best Specimen Plant
1. Where will the specimen plant make the largest impact?
Once you have it away the where , it is much easy to opt the in force specimen plant . Is it full sunlight or shade ? What are the growing condition and zone of the area ?
The possible success of the specimen plant will be much higher if it is well suitable to the climate and conditions it will live and be admired in .
2. How much time and effort do you have to devote to this specimen plant?
Are you a striving master nurseryman who really wants to show off their material ? A perfectly trimmed flowery box hedge besiege your flawlessly pruned plant sculptures might be in your wheelhouse .
Or perhaps you want a thoughtfully planted gorgeous brightly colored tree that thrives with just a bounce or fall line up .
On the other hand , a down - maintenance desert loving plant may be just what you call for . Similarly , there ’s no shame in putting in a stunning landscape feature such as a near zero - maintenance unique feature stone or statue . It will always be well treated and have everything it take .
Daring to be Different? Don’t Overdo It!
The exciting humanity of dramatic plant forms , foliage , and flowers is enticing , believe me ! Just be measured not to overdo it . Just like the overdramatic , demanding child , an overdone or crowded landscape can become too busy . Too many focal points are difficult to take hold the desired aid .
12 Best Specimen Plants To Bring Focus & Attention
Trees With Weeping Form
1. Weeping Larch(Larix decidua ‘pendula’)
Weeping larch tree makes a terrific focal point . It also provided yr - rung interest group with vivid prosperous foliage in downfall , unparalleled form in wintertime , and smart green feathery growth spring and summer .
2. Weeping Norway Spruce(Picea abies ‘pendula’)
The grandaddy of weeping evergreen plant , cry Norway spruce is always a conversation piece .
3. Weeping Birch (Betula pendula)
The whimsical tears birch rod stand out , even amongst the most splashy of plants . fervidness xanthous in fall , bright green springiness and summer , with papery white bark that entertain its own for winter interest .
Outstanding Unique Specimen Trees and Shrubs
4. Smoke Bush(Cotinus coggygria)
Outstanding purple , pink smokey plume take out the eye and capture tending .
5. Magnolia(Magnolia sp.)
The definition of typical , Magnolias stand out in any gang ! An obsession - bring on genus of plant life . Do you have an area in your garden worthy of this glorious specimen works ?
6. Burning Bush(Euonymus alatus)
This gorgeous specimen plant make an integral spectacle of itself as a celebration at the end of summertime . If spill is your pet time of twelvemonth , burn bush certainly return you something to look forrad to . There is only no comparison to its bright ruby leaf and relaxation of care .
Trees and Shrubs Perfect for Sculpting and Shaping
7. Boxwood(Buxus sp.)
There is only no bound to the creations you may sculpt with this famously formal works . From alone physique to outre manifestations of your creative muse , boxwood may be the specimen works that will advance your garden to the next level .
8. Arborvitae(Thuja sp.)
Yes , the much loved and often overused arborvitae . Planted en masse in suburb for decades .
For those who love that boxwood depend but need something evergreen ( even in the Frederick North ! ) , arborvitae can be almost as fun and inspiring . Plus , you might already have a gravid found hedgerow to prune . Play with it to make it a specimen in its own rightfulness !
Quick tip : * Do n’t trim too deep . Arborvitae grows green from greenish .
9. Yew(Taxus baccata)
The Yew is synonymous with topiary artistic production throughout the public . Yew makes a wonderful specimen planting as it can be shaped and prune . It also has class - round pastime with its bright red-faced berries , and lovely evergreen plant needle - like leafage .
Excellent Vines to Grow as Specimens
10. Clematis(Clematis sp.)
Stunning and center catching , clematis varieties make incredible specimen .
There are three main case of the big - bloom vines , those that bloom in leaping , those that bloom repeatedly , and those that bloom in summer and fall .
An addictive genus of plants , clematis scramble and climb over structures and bloom in a flamboyant regalia of colors .
11. Climbing Rose(Rosa)
For rosaceous partizan , climb rosebush bring it all to the table ! The variety of climbing rosiness is extensive . Also , they grow to olympian heights .
The usefulness of these spectacular climb plants is certainly not limited to their power to create an inspiring focal point in the garden .
12. Ivy(Hedera)
Often call up of as a background plant , or as a solid ground cover , produce ivy to brood interesting forms and frames give up it to be on this list of the best specimen flora .
Once established to breed the intend form , body structure , or physique , ivy draws the eye . It creates a conversation piece . It also may be easier and less labor intensive to create that dramatic plant carving of your dreams !
Final Thoughts
Bring focus and interestingness to the landscape in a large number of way . Be the standout conversation starter in your region with a subsist graphics works specimen .
