The Wyoming Plant Company -- Landscape plants for Wyoming's climate

Small Trees and Large Shrubs

All of the good attributes of medium sized trees apply to these also, only for even tighter spots and with more windbreak potential because shrubs carry foliage to the ground in most cases.

Seven Son Flower   New! Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides)

Plant Select® 2008 Also called Northern Crepe Myrtle, this fast growing large lush looking shrub or small tree from China blooms from August into September in seven-tiered fragrant panicles of creamy white flowers. The show isn’t over as rosy-red clustered sepals that remain after petal drop in contrast to the dark green leaves that persist late into fall. For winter interest after leaf drop, the exfoliating bark reveals a light brown under bark. This unusual member of the honeysuckle family is upright spreading and multi-stemmed in habit. Culture is full sun to partial shade in sandy or loamy soil with reports of adaptability to heavier soils. Moderate soil moisture requirements indicate a need for a setting much like a watered lawn or garden. Height at maturity will be 12-20’ and Width will be 8-15’. Zones 4-9 (recommend below 7,000’)
Height: 12 - 20’ Width: 8-15’ Shape: Upright spreading
Zone 4-9 + Full sun
Size: 1 Quart HMSS-S Cost: $7.50


Russian Hawthorne   Maidenhair Tree (Ginko biloba)

Great Plants® 2005 Tree of the Year Ginko has been described as a living fossil with light green fan shaped leaves on slender branches. It makes an incredibly beautiful bonsai. For those without the inclination to select, prune and train, just watching a baby Ginko grow in a pot would be fun. Pot culture also maximizes the opportunity for success in Ginko growing. The trees are virtually pest-free and not picky about soil type but they are at risk of breaking dormancy if extended periods of Chinook conditions occur in midwinter. A potted dormant deciduous tree may be placed in the space least likely to get warm (avoid reflected sun near buildings) for winter and if a warm spell happens the tree may be laid down and mulched and tarped to avoid taking a hit from a rapid temperature swing back to arctic cold. This is the species used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a modern supplement. Plant in sun and provide with moderate regular water.
Zone 4 Full sun
Size: 1 Quart GBMT-T Cost: $5.75


Russian Hawthorne   Russian Hawthorn (Crataegus ambigua)

All that have bought this accent tree loved its unique growth habit -looking rugged and windswept when young. This Hawthorn would do well anywhere in Wyoming. It’s an attractive broad -headed tree, with small 3/8” thorns. Leaves are deeply lobed and medium green in summer. Numerous white flowers emerge in the spring and by late September the whole tree begins to glow as the abundant cherry like fruit ripens. They decorate the branches like ornaments for 2- 3 weeks and make a great bird attractant! This one wants full sun. This tree has done well at the Cheyenne Experiment Station for over 70 years!
Height: 15 - 20’ Width: 18 - 22’ Shape: Broad rounded
Zone 3 Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon CARH-T Cost: $57
Size: 15 Gallon Cost: $161


Gambel Oak   Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelli)

One of our personal favorites, this native performs at its best in central Wyoming! Can be considered a small tree/large shrub with the ability to withstand just about anything Mother Nature can conjure - wind, drought, sun, and difficult soils. Consider planting them in multiples - much like an Aspen grove or for a windbreak. Excellent choice for wildlife (Especially squirrels and turkeys!) because of the acorns it produces. Glossy green leaves turn yellow to an occasional orange or red in autumn.
Height: 15 - 30’ Width: 12 - 20’ Shape: Open irregular
Zone 3 Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon Cost: $54
Size: 10 Gallon Cost: $135


Green Chokecherry   Canada Red Chokecherry & Yellow-fruited Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana melancarpa 'Canada Red' and P.v. 'Yellow Fruited')

Shrub form Fragrant white flowers in pendulous racemes appear in spring, followed by fruit you and the birds will fight over (homemade jelly!) Both the statewide native green leafed form and the maroon leafed Canada Red grow in some very rugged conditions! The yellow fruited is the same except that it was found growing outside Sheridan and gives the appearance of a bright second bloom in late July and August. (Birds aren’t as tuned in to seek out that color to eat.) Either is an excellent choice for a screen or windbreak because of fast growth. Both forms sucker so planting in an area that allows for new plants to spring up only adds to the screening effect!
Height 15 – 25’ Width 15 – 20’ shape: Broad Oval
Zone 2 Full sun to part shade
Size: 1 Gallon Green-T or Yellow-T Cost: $13
Size: 5 Gallon Cost: $38


Bigtooth Maple   Tartarian Maple Hot Wings™ (Acer tataricum ‘GarAnn’)

Plant Select® 2007 Consistent, breath-taking scarlet red samaras (seeds) appear in summer giving the tree the appearance of being in bloom! Outstanding autumn color as the leaf color migrates from orange-red on the outside to yellow in the middle of the tree. Tolerates a wide range of soils and is drought tolerant to boot! One of our growers developed this tree and has since patented it and soon it will be available around the nation. Be the first to grow this specimen tree!
Height: 20-25’ Width: 18-20’ Shape: Broad Irregular
Zone 3 + Full Sun
Size: 5 Gallon TMHW-T Cost: $85.50
Size: 10 Gallon TMHW-T Cost: $92.00
Size: 15 Gallon TMHW-T Cost: $188.00


  New! Yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolia)

This variety is a sibling to the Plant Select® 2007! Popcorn Shrub, another name for this small shrubby May-blooming ornamental tree that bears extremely showy elongate clusters of white flowers with yellow eyes that turn maroon. The resulting leathery seed pods persist to provide winter interest. Dark green foliage is pinnately compound resembling that on Mountain Ash. Tolerance of alkalinity and moderate drought tolerance in clay, loam or sand is a welcome attribute! Place this one in semi-protected spots without reflected heat in winter and enjoy the show that usually begins in a 3’ tall plant!
Height: 15’-25’ Width: 15’-20’ Shape: Broadly Upright
Zone 5 Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon XSPS-S Cost: $57


 

Columnar Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula ‘Columnaris’)

As the name suggests, its ‘columnar’ and an excellent choice for a dense hedge or privacy screen in tight places! (think about those neighbors you want to screen-out!) Surprisingly rugged for our conditions, this handsome shrub with glossy green  foliage and in late summer purple fruit and yellow autumn leaf color is even thornless.  Great windbreak and screen potential!

Height: 8-12’ Width: 3-4’ Shape: Upright
Zone 3 Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon CBRC-S Cost: $12
Size: 5 Gallon Cost: $38



Fernleaf Buckthorn   Fernleaf Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula ‘Asplenifolia')

A low branching vase shaped shrub which lends a lacy, fern like fine texture to the landscape with its linear leaves that have a very undulating margin! This is a standout amongst buckthorns and quite resilient to our conditions! Attractive red summer berries turn black as they mature – a real bird attractant! Removing the lower branches turns this plant into an outstanding small multi-stemmed thornless specimen. Several customers saw this buckthorn as an excellent replacement for Japanese Maples which can’t handle our conditions. Best use is as an accent or specimen plant. Yellow autumn color.
Height: 10 – 12’ width 6’ – 10’ Shape: Broad Upright
Zone 3 Full sun to part shade
Size: 5 Gallon FBRA-S Cost: $40.50


New Mexico Olive   New Mexico Olive (Foresteria neo-mexicana)

If you like the look of Aspens but just can’t get them to survive, we recommend this as an alternative. “Limbing up” to expose the smooth whitish-blond trunks gives an Aspen-like look. We like it for its own look and high desert-edge heritage. It really performs under hot, dry and windy conditions! Yellow flowers (on female trees) precede leaves in the spring followed by small dark blue fruit in August - a real treat for birds. The leaves are small, light green ovals and wind tolerant. In the six years we’ve been growing this species we’ve seen no deer damage. An excellent choice for a windbreak.
Height: 8 -15’ Width: 8-10’ Shape: Broad upright
Zone 4 Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon FNMO-S Cost: $12
Size: 5 Gallon Cost: $35


Wavy Leaf Oak   Wavy Leaf Oak (Quercus undulata)

A unique shrub/tree that is found in the plateau country of the southern Rocky Montains. A true xeric plant that has thick leathery, blue-green leaves that have wavy margins- a real conversation piece! Our oak friends tell us that there are seven ancestors in this natural hybrid. The Cheyenne Experiment Station has one that is doing very well after some 70 years. This one is a character of the windswept west—it decides which way it will grow, upright like a tree or outward like a shrub! These oaks have become such pets for their people that each gets named when planted!
Height: 10-15’ Width: 10-15’ Shape: Irregular rounded
Zone 4 Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon QUWL-T Cost: $54
Size: 10 Gallon Cost: $135


  Ivory Silk Lilac Tree (Syringa reticuata ’Ivory Silk’ )

Most people don’t know that lilacs come in tree form and this one is spectacular! It blooms in June - after bloom killing frosts - with fragrant, upright panicles of creamy white flowers. Another great feature is that the bark is glossy red to cinnamon brown and exfoliates as the tree ages making for a winter presence in the landscape. Place this one where people gather!
Height: 15-20 Width: 10 –15’ Shape: Compact rounded
Zone 2 Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon SRIS-T Cost: $48
Size: 10 Gallon Cost: $89


Tip on formal hedge pruning: Whether you choose Curl Leaf Mountain Mahogany, Cheyenne Privet or another species for a formal hedge, you must prune so that the base of the plant is wider than the top if you want the plant to carry foliage to the ground and not become leafless and twiggy in its lower parts.  The sun must reach all parts of the side of the hedge to keep it in active foliar growth.        





Wind is such a constant factor in Wyoming. Whether you live in town or the country windbreak plantings can offer you a sanctuary from its draining effect. Regardless of the size of your yard we can help you create your sheltered outdoor living area. In town, this may mean clustered plantings of trees and shrubs whereas a country property has space for traditional layered rows. Consider these species for the job: Utah Serviceberry, Wichita Blue and Cologreen Juniper, Gambel Oak, Russian Hawthorn, New Mexico Olive, Cheyenne Privet, Columnar Buckthorn, and don’t forget the chokecherries!
If trees and shrubs are in your future, consider dormant planting in March and April. There is less heat and water stress associated with planting then for you and your trees! When ever possible we will work with you to secure your woody’s for early spring delivery. When ordering please indicate on the order form you want to plant early.































“Lilacs could very likely be the first plants brought into the High Plains by early settlers. We say this not because they have been mentioned in the literature, but because we see them growing beside long abandoned homesteads. The sturdiness and beauty that inspired the early settlers to bring them west are still good qualities that encourage us to use them today. Even small children can recognize lilacs, responding to their unmistakable blooms and fragrance.”


—Amy Zabloudil
editor of the Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery Descriptive Guide
Silver Buffaloberry   Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea)

Native tree-like shrub with silvery foliage and thorny branch tips. Yellow flowers in spring are followed by orange-red berries for jelly or birds on female plants. Must have a male plant to pollinate. Outstanding as an accent shrub where slivery foliage is desired, in a windbreak or as wildlife cover and food.
Height: 10’-15’ Width: 10’-12’ Shape: Rounded
Zone 2 Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon SASB-S Cost: $12
Size: 5 Gallon Cost: $35


Chinese Lilac   Saugeana Chinese Lilac (Syringa x chinensis ‘Saugeana’)

If you like profuse blooming, fragrant purple lilacs – look no further! But it doesn’t stop there –this one is considered to be one of the best lilacs for hedge or screen planting because it holds its foliage downs to the ground and grows so quickly! The leaves are smaller than on most lilacs and we think more decorative and the flower clusters are more open and airy.
Height: 8-10’ Width: 7 - 9’ Shape Broad oval
Zone 4 Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon SCSC-S Cost: $12.50
Size: 5 Gallon Cost: $33.50


  Cheyenne Lilac (Syringa x ‘Cheyenne’)

Another great survivor from the Cheyenne Experiment Station! This lilac blooms in profusion in June (like prestoniae lilacs, frosts won’t get these blooms!) with fragrant deep pink to red color ( what a treat for the senses!). The leaves are small and decorative like microphylla lilacs. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time this plant has been offered to gardening public!
Height: 10-15’ Width: 10-12’ Shape: upright
Zone 2 + Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon SCCL-S1 Cost: $13.45
(Supply Limited)
Size: 5 Gallon SCCL-S5 Cost: $39.50


Beauty of Moscow Lilac   Beauty of Moscow Lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Beauty of Moscow’)

This lilac was developed in 1943 in tribute to the city of Moscow and today it still is one of the most striking lilacs on the market! It blooms in late may and exhibits an array of small pink buds that open into large white double flowers with a star-like appearance. This stunning combination of pink and white synonymously creates a beautiful bouquet effect. As the flower matures, its exceptional fragrance becomes strikingly stronger. Each year our customers huddle around these lilacs taking turns inhaling — and it’s not illegal!
Height: 10-12’ Width: 8-10’ Shape: Upright
Zone 3 Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon BMSV-S Cost: $42


Sensation Lilac   Sensation Lilac (S. vulgaris ‘Sensation’)

This may be the common species of lilac but there is nothing common about the purple florets that are tipped in white— the only picotee lilac we are aware of in any species! This one is shorter and more upright in habit than “common purple” but just as healthy and hardy!
Height: 8’-10’ Width: 8’-12’ Shape: Upright
Zone 3 - Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon SVSL-S Cost: $42.50


Blue Velvet Honeysuckle   Blue Velvet Honeysuckle (Lonicera korolkowi var. floribunda)

This is an outstanding find from the Cheyenne Experiment Station! This is by far the best large honeysuckle on the market, yet rarely used. Drought and poor soils have little effect on this shrub. This is simply one of the best shrubs we’ve seen for use in windbreaks or as a stand alone specimen! This 1999 Plant Select winner has pale pink flowers, which bloom in profusion in early summer. You won’t see witches’ broom or aphids on this one! We have yet to see a deer or rabbit eat this plant!
Height: 7 - 9’ Width: 7 - 11’ Shape: Upright
Zone 3 + Full sun
Size: 5 Gallon LKBV-S Cost: $38


Curl Leaf Mountain Mahogany   Curl Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cerocarpus ledifolius)

This drought tolerant Wyoming native is found throughout the foothill country of the Bighorns. This shrub has an upright habit with dark green, leathery leaves with edges that curl under — giving it its name! Most winters the leaves stay green adding interest through out the year. In autumn, attractive, curled, fuzzy seed tails arise adding yet another reason to add this to your western landscape. Very long lived, in fact we believe that some near the ‘Hole in the Wall’ Country are over 2,000 years old! Consider using this for a western formal hedge. As a native plant it is regularly “pruned” by deer without detrimental effect. It will be a while before it needs shearing but when it gets to your chosen size it will tolerate it well.
Height: 8-20’ Width: 6-10’ Shape: Open spreading
Zone 4 Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon CLCL-S Cost: $12.50
Size: 5 Gallon Cost: $37.00


Utah Serviceberry   Utah Serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis)

We’ve found these plants doing quite well in the desert country of southern Wyoming where wind and the elements are as severe as anyplace and they looked dynamite! This is a very dense shrub from head to toe and an excellent choice as a windbreak specimen. In late spring it will be blanketed with white flowers. The edible fruit ripens to bluish – black and is cherished by our avian friends. The leaves have a wooly gray- green appearance, quite pleasing. Truly, be the first to experience what this plant can do in your landscape! Golden yellow autumn color
Height: 6 – 12’ Width: 6- 8’ Shape: Rounded
Zone 4 Full sun
Size: 1 Gallon AUUS-S Cost: $13
Size: 5 Gallon AUUS-S Cost: $38



The greatest plant story of Wyoming! The USDA Experimental Station in Cheyenne was established in 1928, just a few years before the Dust Bowl drought of the 1930’s. The mission was to research dry land conditions and aid horticulture development in the Rocky Mountain West. Over the next 46 years the Station field-tested thousands of fruits and vegetables as well as ornamental trees and shrubs. Eventually, the research needs of the USDA changed and horticulture research ended in 1974. The test fields were abandoned. The water turned off.

After twenty years of neglect, interest in the facility was renewed. Nurseries began to search for new plants that were hardy in the West’s difficult soils and climate. Of the some 800 species of plants that had been growing in 1974, 250 species survived after years of total neglect. Many of these trees and shrubs have now been propagated and made available in the commercial trade.

The Wyoming Plant Company is proud to offer several of these plants, not only as beautiful ornamentals but also as true Wyoming survivors– and we applaud the men and women who traveled the globe in those early years to bring us such gems!

Rain Gauge

Throughout this site, the following are used as guidelines for watering established plants:

These plants need regular watering somewhat like a bluegrass lawn so that they never dry to depth in the root system during the active growing season and need occasional winter watering to prevent root dessication and resultant plant death.

  These plants are adapted to intermittent deep watering with soil drying to a depth of a few inches between waterings. Watering frequency may be every couple of weeks during the active growing season and maybe only one winter watering for optimal care.

  These truly xeric plants can live with our 12 inches of natural precipitation and only need a winter watering during a multi-year drought but they will thrive with a monthly watering. Overwatering will kill some of these.