This time of year finds me thinking about planting projects. As the signs of the coming spring are here in earnest, it’s also a good time to consider the plants that will provide you with those first hints of spring’s approach, and include some of these in your yard. What plants are catching your eye right now?
Red maples have certainly been bursting on the scene lately. Volunteer Tom Heim observed that while he was building our beautiful new deck and front ramp at the Visitor Center, a nearby tree had popped out its blossoms virtually overnight.
As we stood looking at the tree Tom was talking about, I remarked that the maple blooms are really just as pretty as any other spring flowering tree such as a crabapple or flowering cherry.
However, they are usually held high up in the canopy of this tree, so we don’t see them. First, the flowers of red maple appear, but its long period of appearing “red” in the spring is due to the fact that this tree also has red fruit, called a samara.
Red maple samaras are composed of an enclosed fruit with a “wing”, and occur in pairs.
In the early spring, the samaras are an important food for wildlife foraging at a time when not many choices of food are available. Next time you see a red maple tree, look closely. Is it red because it has flowers, or fruit?
Not all red maples bloom at the same time. You might see one or two cloaked in their full scarlet glory, while others have no color at all. In addition to being one of the first trees to bloom in spring, red maple is also very easy to grow because it is widely adaptable to many environments, wet and dry sites, and both shady and sunny areas. It is a true “chameleon” in the landscape!
Another native early spring bloomer is the evergreen Carolina yellow jessamine vine. You have probably seen this plant scrambling up the trunks of pine trees. Sometimes jessamine can get really unruly, sprawling over large areas of vegetation.
On a drive down our coastal interstate roadsides, you can spot these extensive areas of yellow flowers. Although the vine may appear voracious and not like anything you would ever want to put in your garden, it is actually a common native plant sold in garden centers because of the attractive blooms.
Carolina jessamine blooms are much better appreciated close up rather than rambling over the tops of tall shrubs.
I remember how a friend’s grandmother had trained this vine up a lamp post and kept it neatly trimmed.
It was a beautiful and very manageable golden waterfall to walk past on the way to her front door.
Another friend used this vine to climb a pergola he had built in his backyard to shade his hammock. In the hot summers, the jessamine provided dense and very practical shade for those resting below in the hammock.
We have always sold out of jessamine vine when we have carried it at our plant sales. It often comes with a small trellis in the pot, and the profuse bloom makes it quite attractive. The seeds of this vine are spread by birds, and if you will learn how to identify these small seedlings sprouting up in the leaf litter, you can then transplant them to places you would like to have them in your yard. It is another very easy plant to grow.
A program on “Controlling Wild Hogs” will be held at the Arboretum on Saturday, March 19 at 1:00 p.m.with Pearl River County Extension Agent Dr. Eddie Smith. Feral hogs are an invasive species spreading at an alarming rate, presenting serious issues for property owners. The program is free to members and $5 for non-members.
The Crosby Arboretum Foundation Art Show will take place on April 2 and 3. Prizes will be given in four categories, including painting and photography; three-dimensional art, and heritage crafts. Grades 7 -12 are encouraged to participate in the youth division. For more information, see the entry form atwww.crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu. Call the Arboretum office at (601) 799-2311 to sign up for programs.
The Arboretum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and located in Picayune, off I-59 Exit 4, at 370 Ridge Road (south of Walmart and adjacent to I-59).

This time of year finds me thinking about planting projects. As the signs of the coming spring are here in earnest, it’s also a good time to consider the plants that will provide you with those first hints of spring’s approach, and include some of these in your yard. What plants are catching your eye right now?
Red maples have certainly been bursting on the scene lately. Volunteer Tom Heim observed that while he was building our beautiful new deck and front ramp at the Visitor Center, a nearby tree had popped out its blossoms virtually overnight.
As we stood looking at the tree Tom was talking about, I remarked that the maple blooms are really just as pretty as any other spring flowering tree such as a crabapple or flowering cherry.
However, they are usually held high up in the canopy of this tree, so we don’t see them. First, the flowers of red maple appear, but its long period of appearing “red” in the spring is due to the fact that this tree also has red fruit, called a samara.
Red maple samaras are composed of an enclosed fruit with a “wing”, and occur in pairs.
In the early spring, the samaras are an important food for wildlife foraging at a time when not many choices of food are available. Next time you see a red maple tree, look closely. Is it red because it has flowers, or fruit?
Not all red maples bloom at the same time. You might see one or two cloaked in their full scarlet glory, while others have no color at all. In addition to being one of the first trees to bloom in spring, red maple is also very easy to grow because it is widely adaptable to many environments, wet and dry sites, and both shady and sunny areas. It is a true “chameleon” in the landscape!
Another native early spring bloomer is the evergreen Carolina yellow jessamine vine. You have probably seen this plant scrambling up the trunks of pine trees. Sometimes jessamine can get really unruly, sprawling over large areas of vegetation.
On a drive down our coastal interstate roadsides, you can spot these extensive areas of yellow flowers. Although the vine may appear voracious and not like anything you would ever want to put in your garden, it is actually a common native plant sold in garden centers because of the attractive blooms.
Carolina jessamine blooms are much better appreciated close up rather than rambling over the tops of tall shrubs.
I remember how a friend’s grandmother had trained this vine up a lamp post and kept it neatly trimmed.
It was a beautiful and very manageable golden waterfall to walk past on the way to her front door.
Another friend used this vine to climb a pergola he had built in his backyard to shade his hammock. In the hot summers, the jessamine provided dense and very practical shade for those resting below in the hammock.
We have always sold out of jessamine vine when we have carried it at our plant sales. It often comes with a small trellis in the pot, and the profuse bloom makes it quite attractive. The seeds of this vine are spread by birds, and if you will learn how to identify these small seedlings sprouting up in the leaf litter, you can then transplant them to places you would like to have them in your yard. It is another very easy plant to grow.
A program on “Controlling Wild Hogs” will be held at the Arboretum on Saturday, March 19 at 1:00 p.m.with Pearl River County Extension Agent Dr. Eddie Smith. Feral hogs are an invasive species spreading at an alarming rate, presenting serious issues for property owners. The program is free to members and $5 for non-members.
The Crosby Arboretum Foundation Art Show will take place on April 2 and 3. Prizes will be given in four categories, including painting and photography; three-dimensional art, and heritage crafts. Grades 7 -12 are encouraged to participate in the youth division. For more information, see the entry form atwww.crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu. Call the Arboretum office at (601) 799-2311 to sign up for programs.
The Arboretum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and located in Picayune, off I-59 Exit 4, at 370 Ridge Road (south of Walmart and adjacent to I-59).

By Patricia R. Drackett, Director, and Assistant Extension Professor of Landscape Architecture
The Crosby Arboretum, Mississippi State University Extension Service