Landscaping & Plant Care Guide

We at Pace Landscaping install many different kinds of perennials, shrubs, trees and vines for our clients, and we know that it can take some research to care for them.

Here's a resource guide for some of the plants we use in our landscaping installations. If you have more questions, feel free to contact us.

Table of Contents (Click to go to topic)

• Perennials
• Broadleaf Evergreens
• Conifers
• Deciduous Trees & Shrubs
• Ornamental Grasses
• Vines

Perennials

Bigleaf Ragwort - Ligularia Bushy, shade perennial. Attractive dark green foliage with purple veining, leaf underside, and stems. Large leaves. Blooms mid to late summer, yellow-orange, daisy like flowers. Remove old foliage in spring, using bypass pruners to cut off the old stems.
Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia A showy and durable perennial with dark green foliage. Yellow daisy like flower with black cone from July through September. Prune after flowering.
Bleeding Hearts - Dicentra Graceful, soft green foliage. Prefers shade. Foliage usually goes dormant no later than mid-summer.
Bugleweed - Ajuga Slow invasive prostrate groundcover with attractive vertical spikes of flowers in late spring, and semi-evergreen foliage for year-round interest. Flowering stalks may be removed or entire patch may be cutback after bloom to enhance the foliage effect through summer.
Coral Bells - Heuchera Showy foliage, semi-evergreen perennial with a radiating tight clump of green, purple, or marbled foliage. Diminutive fine-textured flowers on thin stalks rising high above the foliage. Reblooming encouraged by dead-heading.
Coreopsis - Coreopsis Verticillata Perennial that has cut-leaf foliage and a relatively long bloom period in summer. Rebloom if deadheaded.
Cranesbill - Hardy Geranium Bushy herbaceous perennial that can be used alone or as a ground cover and has rounded, light green leaves with curvy edges. Rebloom if deadheaded.
Daylily - Hemerocallis Perennial effectively used along borders, wide edgings, or in mass plantings. Commonly planted in sunny sites but also used in partially shaded areas, noted for showy summer-blooming, trumpet-shaped flowers with many colors to choose from. Remove dead, previous year's foliage in early spring prior to new growth.
Dianthus - Dianthus Gratianopolitianus Low growing blue-green foliage often used as groundcover. Rebloom if deadheaded.
Dwarf Goatsbeard - Aruncus Aethusifolius Mounding dark green foliage. Flowers are cream colored 12" tall spikes in early summer.
False Spirea - Astilbe Herbaceuos perennial with dark green compound leaves and fluffy flower spikes. Remove debris from previous year's growth in early spring, before new growth emerges.
Hardy Lily - Lilium Hardy lilies emerge from bulbs and have a single long stem with pairs or clusters of leaves emerging along its length. Depending upon variety chosen, may need staking. Require only minimal care.
Hosta Bold-textured foliage perennial for partial sun to full shade conditions, also having moderately attractive flowers on long stalks in summer. Division in early autumn or early spring.
Lungwort - Pulmonaria Perennial with excellent blue and pink flowers and speckled silvery-green foliage, best sited in partial shade to full shade. Remove older leaves to encourage plant to rejuvenate during the heat of the summer.
Myrtle - vinca Evergreen groundcover for sun or shade with lavender-blue flowers in May. A light mulch will retain soil moisture and reduce the invasion of weeds until established.
Pachysandra - Pachysandra Terminalis Glossy evergreen groundcover for shady areas. A light mulch will retain soil moisture and reduce the invasion of weeds.
Peony - Paeonia Hardy herbaceous perennial that boast large flowers in early summer. Cut down and remove leaves after frost dieback. Natural sugars in the flowers will attract ants so not recommended for foundation plantings.
Purple Coneflower - Echinacea Perennial for sunny to partially shady sites, with a distinctive array of summer-blooming pink-lavender or white-cream flowers. Many new varieties available now with color choices of yellows, peaches, oranges and hot pinks. Rebloom if deadheaded.
Salvia - Salvia Nemerosa Perennial for sunny areas in the front of the garden. Spikes of lovely purple flowers. Rebloom if deadheaded.
Sedum - Sedum Spectabile Sturdy upright perennial flower with long fleshy green leaves. Flowers in late-August through September. After the first killing frost, cut stems back to an inch or two above soil line. Divide plants every 3 to 4 years as new growth begins in the spring, lifting plants and dividing them into clumps.
Shasta Daisy - Leucanthemum Summer white floral display above lush dark green foliage, with an overall upright to rounded habit. Does best in full sun. Periodically deadhead to remove unsightly spent flowers and to promote further flowering.
Silver Mound - Artemisia Silver-foliage, fine-textured, mounding perennial that serves as an excellent edging plant. Splitting can be prevented or delayed by shearing the foliage back halfway in July, before flowering begins.

Broadleaf Evergreens

Boxwood - Buxus Slow-growing, fine-textured, dense evergreen shrub or hedge. Can be sheared into a formal hedge, shrub, or topiary.
Euonymus - Euonymus Fortunei Small broadleaf evergreen shrub with many variegated cultivars. Shearing in early spring, prune leaders.
Gold Thread False Cypress - Chamaecyparis Brilliant gold foliage with drooping branches.
Holly - Ilex Meserveae Cold-hardy broadleaf evergreen shrub with both attractive winter fruits and waxy foliage. Can be sheared into various shapes.
Inkberry - Ilex Glabra The evergreen foliage and black berries are the main ornamental traits. The plant is quite tolerant of pruning. Provide shaded sites in northern growing areas. When pruning, narrow the top of the plant slightly so that light will reach the base of the plant.
Pieris Japonica Upright to spreading ornamental shrub, noted for its emerging bronzed foliage, dark shiny evergreen mature foliage, showy floral buds that mature in late summer and are attractive in autumn and winter, and showy white (or pink) inflorescences that bloom in early spring. Prune in spring after flowering. Deadhead annually.
Rhododendron Small to medium-sized shrubs that flower prolifically in spring, but are slow-growing. Require acidic, organic, moist, and well-drained soils in shady situations. Prune in late spring or early summer (variety specific), after flowering. Prune one year's growth immediately after flowering to maintain size; remove only dead or diseased branches and deadhead; cut back hard to renovate, leaving balanced framework of old wood.

Conifers

Arborvitae - Thuja Evergreen shrub, having cultivars that are narrow pyramidal, columnar, or globed in shape. Responds well to continuous shearing.
Austrian Pine - Pinus Nigra Bold-textured, long-needled, and dark green pine tree. Remove the unwanted candles 1/2 inch above the new growth and shape the tree by removing those you don't want, leaving those you do for the shape.
Birds Nest Spruce - Picea Abies 'Nidiforms' A miniature spreading shrub with a depression in the center of the shrub. Prune new tips after they emerge in spring.
Blue Moffat Juniper A narrow, symmetrical upright juniper of intense blue color. Prune new growth to maintain shape.
Canadian Hemlock - Tsuga Canadensis Graceful, fine-textured, shade-tolerant evergreen tree that performs best in cool and moist northern climates. Prune in spring and summer, if needed. Withstands heavy pruning and shearing.
Colorado Blue Spruce - Picea Pungens Stately pyramidal evergreen tree that serves as a bold focal point in the landscape, especially with the numerous silvery-blue, blue-green, or sky-blue foliaged cultivars. Prune if you wish to promote denser foliage. Prune off half of the fresh growth on each candle.
Dwarf Alberta Spruce - Picea Glauca 'Conica' Small to medium-sized, slow-growing pyramidal evergreen shrub that often serves as a focal point in landscapes. Best time to prune a spruce is in May and June.
Juniper - Juniperus A very common evergreen woody plant for various groundcover, spreading shrub, or upright shrub usages. Maintain shape or eliminate undergrowth of groundcover types by thinning during the growing season. Do not cut into old wood because new growth will not occur.
Mugo Pine - Pinus Mugo Spreading, slow-growing evergreen shrub with ascending branches and relatively short needles. Shear newly emergent growth (candles) back halfway.
Siberian Cypress - Microbiota Fine-textured evergreen woody groundcover that tolerates partial shade. Prune anytime November through April.
Taxus Yew - Taxus Media A tough, drought-tolerant evergreen shrub with flat-needled shiny foliage, often spreading and used as a formal or informal hedge, especially at entranceways and foundations and very common in landscapes. Smaller size can be maintained with trimming.

Deciduous Trees & Shrubs

Bradford Pear - Pyrus Calleryana Ornamental tree grown for its pyramidal, symmetrical growth habit that rapidly establishes in the landscape. Its glossy dense dark green foliage ripples in the breeze. Good but very late fall color, best recognized for its white dense showy flowers in the spring. Prune in winter or early spring.
Butterfly Bush - Buddlea Davidii Profuse summer-flowering shrub whose fragrant flowers attract many butterflies and hummingbirds. Prune annually removing the dead wood.
Cotoneaster - Cotoneaster Apiculata Low shrub or tall woody groundcover noted for its arching branches and spreading habit, small glossy foliage, and red fruits. Mulch thoroughly underneath shrub to prevent weeds from arising from beneath.
Crimson Pygmy Barberry - Berberis Thunbergii Atropurpurea Spiny small shrub, of very fine texture and very urban tolerant, with a wide selection of foliage color varieties. Tolerant of shearing.
Dwarf Burning Bush - Euonymus Alatus Compactus Compact growing deciduous shrub with brilliant red foliage in fall. Tolerates shearing and responds well to rejuvenation pruning in early spring.
Flowering Crabapple - Malus Spectacular spring floral display, various growth habits and sizes, and autumn/winter fruit. Best pruned from autumn to early spring before active growth begins.
Forsythia Deciduous shrub with an abundance of golden-yellow flowers in early spring. Tolerates heavy pruning.
Golden Vicary Privet - Ligustrum Hedge or specimen shrub with brilliant gold deciduous foliag. Amenable to shearing.
Honeylocust - Gleditsia Triacanthos Inermis An urban-tolerant tree, excellent for its filtered summer shade and majestic winter silhouette coupled with its bold texture. Prune after fully leafed out.
Hydrangea - Hydrangea Macrophylla Rounded shrub with huge leaves and ball shaped flowers. Prune as soon as the flowers have faded.
Japanese Bloodgood Maple - Acer Palmatum Focal point, specimen, foundation, entranceway, or raised planter small tree with beautiful red foliage. Prune Japanese maples in late fall or winter, while they are dormant, removing any dead or damaged branches. They adapt well to pruning and are easily thinned and sculpted to accentuate their graceful shape. You may prune further to control the size, or create a shape to suit your landscape needs.
Kousa Dogwood - Cornus Kousa Multi-season small tree, noted for its early summer long-lasting flowers, autumn fruits, good summer foliage and occasional fall color. May be pruned in early spring, but keep pruning to a minimum as wounds heal slowly.
Lilac - Syringa Vulgaris A medium to large hardy shrub with stout, spreading branches developing a somewhat oval to irregularly rounded crown. Showy, fragrant flowers. Prune after flowering.
Ninebark - Physocarpus Opulifolius Deciduous shrub with white spring flowers, red fruits and exfoliating bark. Cultivars are available with foliage ranging from dark purple to red to gold. Prune to shape in late spring or early summer, after it flowers. Ninebark is known for its peeling bark, and this trait is most noticeable on the oldest stems.
Norway Maple - Acer Platanoides Norway maple is a deciduous tree that grows 40-60 feet tall. Prune to remove dead, dying and diseased limbs.
Paper Birch - Betula Papyrifera Medium-sized deciduous tree. White bark, flaking in fine horizontal strips, and often with small black marks and scars. Do not prune during the growing season and especially not in spring as this is when the Bronze Birch Borer is active.
Pin Oak - Quercus Palustris Symmetrical shade tree that can tolerate dry or wet sites, with characteristic downswept lower branches and ascending upper branches. Prune in winter or early spring.
Potentilla - Potentilla Fruticosa Deciduous shrub that does best in full sun and will flower all summer if trimmed in late June or July. Prune after flowering to keep plant shaped, neat and compact.
Purpleleaf Sandcherry - Prunus Cistena Deciduous shrub with purple foliage and pinkish-white flowers in May. Prune hard after flowering.
Rose of Sharon - Hibiscus Syriacus A shrub with large showy flowers (in single or double flowering form, with solid colors or bi-colors) that blooms all summer long and has a distinctive vase-shaped growth habit. Prune in late winter or early spring.
Serviceberry - Amelanchier Four-season plant of great ornamental value for spring flowers, summer fruits and autumn fall foliage color. Train and prune the trunks and branches so they will not touch each other.
Spirea - Spiraea Japonica Compact small shrub that has multi-season appeal. Trim lightly after flowering for rebloom. Shape in summer or fall if needed.
Star Magnolia - Magnolia Stellata Upright large shrub or small tree with layered branches that create a mounding effect with age. White showy spring flowers. Bracts that emerge before the foliage. Prune after blooming.
Sweetspire - Itea Tough shrub with fragrant white mid-summer inflorescences that have a narrow bottlebrush appearance. Tolerates both sun and shade. Prune to maintain desired form for summer flowering. Flowers on old wood. Cut back alternate branches to avoid a year with no blooms.
Weigela Small deciduous shrub that grows best in a sunny location with moist soil. The flowers are long and are trumpet-shaped. Prune after flowering.
Variegated Redtwig Dogwood - Cornus Alba Colorful decidous shrub with green & white foliage and red stems. Great winter interest with red twigs Performs best when regularly thinned.
Viburnum - Viburnum Tomentosum Deciduous shrub with elegant beauty, flowering in late spring early summer. Some varieties known for their intense fragrance.
Virginia summersweet - Clethra Summer-flowering shrub that readily naturalizes in the border or makes a good foundation shrub and is excellent for wet sites in partial shade. Prune in early spring, as flowering occurs on new wood.
Weeping Cherry - Prunus 'Snowfountain' A slow-growing ornamental tree, the branches of the weeping cherry cascade right down to the ground. Continue to prune as the tree grows. Remove any water sprouts or suckers.
Weeping Mulberry - Moris Alba 'Pendula' The mulberry develops an extremely dense, round-topped crown prune branch. Prune your mulberry tree to shape it as it gets bigger.

Ornamental Grass

Feather Reed Grass - Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' Upright ornamental grass growing 3-5 feet with green foliage and bronze plums in the summer. Prune back to 4 feet above the crown in spring.
Fountain Grass - Pennisetum Compact ornamental grass with narrow arching foliage and attractive bristly beige plums in late summer and fall. Flowers often referred as bunny tails. Shear the dead foliage in spring.
Maiden Grass - Miscanthus 'Adagio' Upright to arching ornamental grass, growing 2 feet with dwarf silvery foliage. Shear the dead foliage away in spring as new growth begins to appear.

Vines

Clematis Herbaceous and deciduous twining vines covered with flowers June-September. Prune hard late in autumn or late winter. Most Clematis flower on new growth; however, a few species or cultivars flower exclusively on old wood or previous years growth.
English Ivy - Hedera Semi-woody evergreen groundcover or evergreen vine. Mulch at transplanting to prevent weed establishment.
Wisteria Architecturally useful, showy woody vine that is cherished for its extremely fragrant, pendulous spring blossoms that are often blue-purple in color. Plants generally don't bloom until five years of age. Prune back hard every year, either after frost or in late winter/early spring.