Part One Of Trees And Shrubs - The Letter C

• Calceolaria - Pocketbook Flower - this family contains over 300 species. The family is native to North and South America, as well as Mexico and points further south. This specie will do well in zones eight through eleven in the United States. One of the most popular varieties of the Calceolaria family is the slipper flower. This is a great cut flower used by many florists today. This specie loves a cool and shady environment, with well drained and moist soil. The shrub can be propagated from seeds or cuttings in the late spring or summertime. The flowers form in clusters of yellow, orange, and many have red or purple markings on a part each cluster. A favorite variety that is native to Chile is Calceolaria integrifolia. This spreading bush can mature six feet tall, and produces vibrant yellow flowers from late spring into the fall season.
• Callandra - Powderpuff - There are over 200 species native to North and South America. A few varieties are also native in India, Africa and Madagascar. The Powderpuff is a gorgeous hardy shrub that loves full sun and well drained soil. This family does well in zones nine through twelve. The red flowers resemble that of Mimosa, but are soft in nature with their long and slender petals. The unique leaves create a tropical look in many style gardens. This shrub will do great in a unique part of your garden. In the tropics section, there is a page on the Bougainvillea, Ti Plant and Powderpuff. You can see the beautiful flowers as a butterfly perches on the shrub. In the summer, these shrubs need to be on a good watering schedule to make sure the root systems don't dry out in the heat and humidity.







• Calicarpa - Beauty Berry - there are over 140 species of this family. Native to east Asia and North America, different Beauty Berries do well in zones six through ten in the United States. Species can either be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, or small trees. One of the highlights of some varieties are the tiny cluster of pink or purple flowers that bloom in the summer. The cooler temperatures in the fall allows these species to produce shiny red to purple colored berries. The Beauty Berry loves full sun and many good nutrients in the soil. Propagation can be done from cutting a part of the tips.

• Calistemon - Bottlebrush - Even though there are only twenty five species in this family, the Bottlebrush is a stunning looking shrub and native to Australia. The dominant color of the spike flowers are red. Other varieties have flowers in pink and white. The standard zones in the United States are nine through twelve, but the Calistemon can also grow in part of zones seven and eight, and even some cooler climates. The Bottlebrush can tolerate some frost conditions, and loves full sun. The Bottlebrush will also adapt to poor soil conditions. This is a great accent shrub, and you can propagate from seeds or tip cuttings.
• Calitris - Cypress Pine - this family is also native mainly in Australia and a few in New Caledonia. The Cupressus or true Cypress is very similar and native in the northern hemisphere. The Calitris is known for its dazzling look as lawn specimens as well as hedges and even backdrops. The Cypress pine can take full sun and well drained light soil. You can keep this tree pruned and can be propagated from seeds or cuttings. The columellaris is one of the largest varieties and will mature up to 70 feet tall. The cones on the trees create a wonderful look along with other evergreen plant specimens.
• Camellias - The Camellias are native to North America, Europe, China, Korea, and Japan. These warm weather specimens will do well in zones seven through ten in the United States. One of the most popular fall and winter species with many different varieties. The beautiful array colored flowers peak once the temperatures cool down in the autumn. In the gallery of plants section, there is much more information on two popular varieties, the Japonica and the Sasanqua Camellia. There are over 300 delightful species and look wonderful in natural settings, as well as throughout many different gardens.
• Caragana - Pea Shrub - There are about 80 species and native to part of eastern Asia, Europe, and North America. The pea shrub grows well in zones three through nine in the United States. They are a unique looking shrub that has tiny leaves and tiny yellow and orange tone flowers. The Pea Shrubs thrive in cold winters and hot and dry summers, but due to the nature of their root systems, this shrub will adapt to a variety of locations. Their trunks are long and very narrow and make an interesting specimen or group of specimens in a natural setting.
• Carya - Hickory - There are twenty species of the Hickory family and native to Asia and North America. They are considered medium to large trees and are noted for their edible nuts as well as the wood used for hard wood floors and furniture. Male and female flowers appear on different parts of the tree and blossom in the late spring. The Hickory has large green leaves that arrive in the warming of spring, and in the fall, the leaves transforms into magnificent colors of yellow, orange and a rich gold tone. They love well drained and fertile soil and can take cold winters. A beautiful specimen in a front or backyard.
• Castanea - Chinquapin Chestnut - This variety of Chestnut is mostly native to North America, and thrives in zones five through nine. It is considered a deciduous cool climate tree, and loves full sun and but can take partial shade. The Chestnut also has edible nuts. Spring reveals the male flowers that dominant a good part of the tree. The female flowers are less noticeable, but the female flowers develop into the nuts. These species can be propagated from seeds. Another variety is the Castanea sativa - or Spanish Chestnut. They are native to the Mediterranean regions. The Castanospermum or Morton Bay Chestnut, is a variety that is native to Australia.
• Catalpa - Indian Bean - this genus has eleven species of deciduous trees that are native to East Asia and North America. They will grow well in zones four through ten in the United States. The Indian Bean tree can be planted in a sunny location, but also needs some shelter from strong winds. This family will grow in well drained and moist soil. The flowers are white and bell-shaped, and the fruit that appears on the tree has tiny seeds within. This is a great canopy tree. The southern Catalpa is popular from Florida west to the Mississippi River. The Northern Catalpa enriches the environments of the states of the central Mississippi area. The states of Arkansas and Indiana have many of the Northern Catalpa trees.

These ten species represent just a small part of the volume of variety of plants available today. I hope that each of these specimens along with the other trees and shrubs in the list of plants, will give you some new knowledge on the abundance of beauty that surrounds so many geographic locations.