Woody Ornamentals

Whether it's for a freshly cut bouquet, a dried decorative display, or for forcing indoors, woody ornamentals provide endless possibilities with their flowering branches and interesting berries, seedpods, or foliage.

When choosing woody plants for cutting, look for varieties that are long lasting, especially those with a long vase life for bouquets. Some of these long-lasting beauties include forsythia, hydrangea, pussy willow, and flowering dogwood. Forsythia bushes are probably one of the most popular of the woody ornamentals, bearing brilliant yellow blooms, which hug its long branches in early spring. The hydrangea is another one exceptional cutting plant with its attractive foliage, especially in fall, and showy summer flowers in shades of blue, pink, and white. Many of us are familiar with the lovely silvery-furred buds, called catkins, of the pussy willow. This woody ornamental makes a great filler for bouquets, both fresh and dried. And then there's the flowering dogwood with its pink or white spring blossoms giving way to extraordinary red berries in late summer.

You should also look for species of woody ornamentals that are suitable to your particular area. Native species or those with similar growing requirements are adapted to your region's conditions, making them hardier and less susceptible to stress, pests, disease, or other afflictions. Native plants will also require less maintenance, which is always a plus. You should cut flowering woody ornamentals when the buds are tight or just as they are beginning to open. As with any other cutting, make the cut at an angle. If you're collecting specimens for their berries or seedpods, you'll have to wait until flowering has ceased and the berries are in full force. Seedpods are normally taken after they have dried and turned color in fall. Cuttings for dried arrangements should be taken as any other but allowed to dry, upside down, in a dark area until ready for use. Woody ornamentals that are well suited for dried arrangements include hydrangea, pussy willow, dogwood, and shrubby St. Johnswort. The shrubby variety of St. Johnswort produces exceptional bright yellow flowers throughout summer. These flowers can be enjoyed even longer by cutting and drying them for year-round appeal indoors.

Many woody ornamentals can be forced indoors in winter for early color displays. Typically, these cuttings are done in mid to late February as buds begin to form. Commonly forced woody ornamentals include forsythia, flowering quince, and flowering crabapple. The bright yellow blooms of forsythia are a welcome sight early in the season, especially after a dark, dull winter. Flowering quince is often valued not only for its beautiful, satiny flowers (in shades of scarlet, pink, or white) but also for its interesting thorny branches.

Many other types of woody ornamentals make lovely additions for flower bouquets. Try fragrant varieties like witch hazel, lilac, magnolia, rose, and viburnum. The deciduous witch hazel shrub/tree produces intoxicating yellow flowers in spring. Nothing quite beats the highly fragrant lavender flowers of the old-fashioned lilac. There are even yellow and white varieties available with the same outstanding aromas for further interest. Magnolias offer large evergreen leaves with intensely fragrant white blooms. Who could leave out another old-fashioned favorite, the rose? The heirloom varieties provide more fragrance than any other, though all of them look great in bouquets. With its sweet-smelling salmon-pink or purple blooms, viburnum is always a must have in bouquets and just as welcome in the landscape too. This woody ornamental also provide stunning fall foliage.

Weigela and spirea are also quite popular for their interesting flowering capabilities. Weigelas produce pink, rose, or white blossoms on arching stems, which look amazing in freshly cut bouquets. Spirea bushes not only have beautiful rosy-pink flower clusters but they also have interesting blue-green foliage. Other woody ornamentals with exceptional foliage include boxwood, St. Johnswort, and heavenly bamboo. Foliage is oftentimes used as fillers for bouquets and other arrangements. Boxwood provides long-lasting color with its evergreen foliage. Besides its attractive summer blooms, St. Johnswort also has interesting bluish-green foliage. Heavenly bamboo may not be your typical bamboo, but it is reminiscent of this plant, producing straight, non-branching foliage and huge clusters of red berries, which are also favorable for displays.

Other woody ornamentals notable for their interesting berries include holly, winterberry, and beautyberry. The spiky-thorned evergreen leaves and bright red berries of holly are commonly seen in decorative displays during the holidays. Winterberry is another favorite with tiny, bright-red fruits. The beautyberry shrub produces eye-catching metallic-looking, violet-purple berries on arching stems.