Dr. Jim Klett, CSU professor, department of horticulture and landscape architecture, believes these six plants shown to be successful in Colorado CSU trials should be used more in landscapes. Horticulture and forestry students help maintain the test sites with support from Colorado Horticulture Research and Education Foundation (CHREF), J. Frank Schmidt Charitable Trust, Bailey Nurseries, Inc., Colorado Agriculture Experiment Station and numerous local and national nurseries. Visit these woody plants in person in Fort Collins or see more in the May/June issue of Colorado Green magazine.

Acer saccharum ‘Barret Cole’ – Apollo Sugar Maple - Obtained from J. Frank Schmidt and Son Co. in 2014

This clone of sugar maple has a narrower columnar growth habit maturing to about 25 feet tall and about 10 feet wide. Foliage is dark green in the summer with impressive yellow-orange to red color in fall. Flowers are not important.

Acer saccharum ‘JFS – Caddo 2’ PP 23361 – Flashfire Maple - Obtained from J. Frank Schmidt and Son Co. in 2010

Rosa Baillim – Easy Elegance® Chi™ Rose - Obtained from Bailey Nurseries in 2018

This rose has stunning red flowers through the entire summer but best flush in June. Flowers are large, floribunda type heads with red showy double petals. Growth habit is rounded and spreading, maturing to about 3 to 4 feet in height and width. The foliage is a dark green and was disease resistant in trials.

Rosa ‘Bai farce’ PP 15752 – Easy Elegance® Funny Face™ Rose - Obtained from Bailey Nurseries in 2018

This rose matures to about 2 to 3 feet in height and about 3 to 5 feet in width with an overall growth habit that is upright to rounded. It has prolific pink and white flowers with peak blooming in June but maintains some blooms all season. Foliage is a dark green.

Viburnum burejaeticum ‘P0175’ - MiniMan™ Dwarf Manchurian Viburnum - Obtained from Plant Select® Introduction in 2015

This viburnum has an impressive, round uniform growth habit maturing to about 4 feet in height and width. Foliage is medium green in color with shades of maroon in the fall. It has white flowers in early to mid-May followed by bright red fruits maturing to blue-black in the fall.

Viburnum x ‘Emerald triumph’ – Emerald Triumph Viburnum - Obtained from Bailey Nurseries in 1992

This viburnum matures to about 6 to 8 feet in both height and width with a rounded compact growth habit. Foliage is dark green and semi-evergreen, which turns dark red in the fall. White flowers appear late April to May followed by bright red fruit, maturing to blue-black. In 2021 trials, it looked good in dry shade where some other viburnums failed.