• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Harlequins Gardens

Harlequins Gardens

Boulder's specialist in well-adapted plants

We Are Open Tuesday – Sunday, 9 – 5 for the season

Gift Memberships & Gift Certificates  – available online!
See our seasonal hours and address, below.

Read our latest e-newsletter!

  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Staff
    • Display Gardens
    • Why the Name “Harlequin’s” Gardens?
    • Sustainability
    • Policy on Pesticides Including Neonicotinoids
    • Careers
  • What We Offer
    • Products
    • Plants
    • Retail Plant Pre-Ordering is Closed for the 2025 Season!
    • Gift Certificates
    • Membership
  • Plants
    • Annuals
    • Bulbs
    • Fruits
    • Groundcovers
    • Herbs
    • Natives
    • Ornamental Grasses
    • Perennials
      • Plants for Pollinators List
    • Roses
    • Vegetables
      • Tomato Starts
      • Pepper Starts
      • Other Vegetable Starts
      • Fall Vegetable Starts
      • Garlic
    • Xeriscape
  • Resources
    • Mikl’s Articles
    • Plant and Cultivation Information
    • Newsletters
    • Links
  • Garden Tours
  • Events
  • Classes
  • Blog
  • Wholesale
    • Who Qualifies
    • Wholesale Terms and Conditions
    • Wholesale Pricing & Sizes
    • Wholesale Log In
  • Contact
Home | Blog | Trees

Trees

Save 30 – 50% On Great Trees!

July 1, 2025

This is your best chance for big savings on healthy, highly desirable, container-grown trees that are very successful in our challenging Colorado conditions! We grew these healthy ‘seconds’ ourselves since they were little babies, in our own soil formulas and without any chemicals, in #5 (5-gallon) pots and larger. The only difference between these and their full-price counterparts is that the sale plants are a little shorter or slightly less full.
Choose from the following valuable plants:

Washington Lustre Hawthorn – on sale $65

Tatarian Maple – on sale $50

Swedish Columnar Aspen – on sale $55[Read More]

What to Plant Now for Fall Garden Color!

August 20, 2024

The end of summer doesn’t mean the end to color in the garden, on the contrary, you can plan and plant now for a vibrant wave of color, and habitat for our insects and birds, that continues all the way to frost!  From native and water-wise perennials, to trees (including fruit trees), shrubs and grasses, the selection is nearly endless.

Our Fall sale is a great opportunity to extend color and interest well into autumn.

[Read More]

Some Very Special Trees Available Now!

July 30, 2024

Wavyleaf Oak, courtesy Colorado Springs Utilities

We don’t want you to miss the opportunity to buy these exceptional trees, which are very hard to find, and when you can find them, they are in short supply.

Wavy Leaf Oak (Quercus x undulata)
These small, xeric, native oak trees are natural hybrids between native Gambel Oak and the less common evergreen Turbinella Oak.They were propagated from seed collected by the late, remarkable explorer of native plants, Alan Taylor in SE Colorado, NE New Mexico and the Oklahoma panhandle.[Read More]

“Dirty Dozen” Pears and a Better Alternative

July 23, 2024

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an annual ‘Dirty Dozen’ report on toxic residue on non-organic produce, and in the 2024 report PEARS are called out as among the most dangerous to eat. 95% of pears had pesticide residues, and more than 6 of 10 non-organic pears tested by the Department of Agriculture have traces of five or more pesticides, a dramatic jump from earlier tests. 

At Harlequin’s Gardens we grow plants naturally, without pesticides [Read More]

Fire-Wise Landscaping

June 25, 2024

Fire-wise landscaping should focus on creating a ‘defensible space’ around your home. In “Firewise Plant Materials,” a fact-sheet for the CO Cooperative Extension, F. C. Dennis defines this: “Defensible space is the area between a structure and an oncoming wildfire where nearby vegetation has been modified to reduce a wildfire’s intensity,” and therefore, reduces risk to property.

These modifications could be accomplished by: increasing moisture content, choosing the most fire-resistant plants, spacing plants in smaller, disconnected groups, and proper maintenance and clean-up.

Some specific suggestions:[Read More]

Great Selection of Dwarf Native Conifers

June 4, 2024

We finally got a chance to bring out our excellent and unique selection of Native Conifers! Most of them are special dwarf forms that can easily fit in a home garden. These accent plants can give structure and winter interest to elevate your garden design in all seasons.

What’s special about our dwarf conifers? First of all, most of them are Colorado and regional (CO, UT, NM) native species. This makes them easy to grow in Colorado gardens.

Second, most are selections made by the late, great plantsman Jerry Morris, who devoted his career to searching out the dwarf forms of conifers in our forests.

[Read More]

Water-Wise Trees and Shrubs for Sunny Locations

April 30, 2024

XERISCAPE   TREES AND SHRUBS  for  SUN

Harlequin’s Gardens    303-939-9403  www.harlequinsgardens.com

 

Note: plants listed in bold are native to our region

TREES

Acer ginnala / Amur maple

Acer ginnala ‘Compacta’ / Dwf. Amur Maple

Acer grandidentatum / Bigtooth Maple

Acer negundo / Boxelder

Acer negundo ‘Sensation’ / ‘Sensation’ Boxelder, male selection

Acer tataricum ‘Hot Wings’ / Hot Wings Tatarian Maple

Aesculus glabra / Ohio Buckeye

Amelanchier utahensis / Utah Serviceberry

Catalpa speciosa / Western Catalpa

Celtis occidentalis / Western Hackberry

Celtis reticulata / Netleaf Hackberry

Crataegus ambigua / Russian Hawthorn

Crataegus crus-galli / Cockspur Hawthorn

Crataegus mollis / Downy Hawthorn

Crataegus monogyna / Singleseed Hawthorn

Crataegus phaenopyrum / Washington Hawthorn

Cupressus arizonica / Arizona Cypress

Gleditsia triacanthos inermis / Honeylocust

Gymnocladus dioica / Kentucky Coffeetree

Juniperus monosperma / One-seed Juniper

Juniperus scopulorum & selections / Rocky Mt. Juniper

Koelreuteria paniculata / Goldenrain Tree

Malus species / Flowering Crabapple selections

Morus alba / White Mulberry

Pinus aristata / Bristlecone Pine

Pinus cembroides edulis / Pinyon Pine

Pinus contorta v. latifolia / Lodgepole Pine

Pinus flexilis / Limber Pine

Pinus ponderosa / Ponderosa Pine

Prunus americana / American Wild Plum

Prunus padus / Mayday Tree, Bird Cherry

Prunus virginiana / Native Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana ‘Shubert’ / Canada Red Chokecherry

Prunus x virginiana ‘Sucker Punch’ / Non-suckering Chokecherry

Pseudotsuga menziesii v. glauca / Rocky Mt. Douglas Fir

Ptelea trifoliata / Wafer Ash, Hop Tree

Pyrus ussuriensis / Ussurian Pear

Quercus bicolor / Swamp White Oak

Quercus gambelii / Gambel Oak

Quercus macrocarpa / Bur Oak

Quercus muehlenbergii / Chinkapin Oak

Quercus undulata / Rocky Mt. Scrub Oak

Robinia neomexicana / New Mexico Locust

SHRUBS

Agave parryi ssp. neomexicana

Amelanchier alnifolia / Saskatoon Serviceberry

Amelanchier aln. ‘Regent’ / Regent Serviceberry

Amelanchier canadensis / Shadblow Serviceberry

Amelanchier laevis / Allegheny Serviceberry

Amorpha canescens / Great Plains Leadplant

Amorpha nana / Dwarf Leadplant

Artemisia cana / Silver Sagebrush

Artemisia filifolia / Sand Sagebrush

Artemisia tridentata / Tall Western Sagebrush

Artemisia versicolor (canescens) / Seafoam Sage

Atriplex canescens / Four Wing Saltbush

Atriplex confertifolia / Spiny Saltbush

Buddleia alternifolia ‘Argentea” / Silver Butterfly Bush

Buddleia dav. nanhoensis cultivars / Compact Butterfly Bush

Buddleia davidii cultivars / Butterfly Bush

Caragana arborescens / Siberian Peashrub

Caragana pygmaea / Pygmy Peashrub

Caryopteris x clandonensis cultivars / Blue Mist Spirea

Ceanothus fendleri / Mountain Lilac

Ceratoides lantana / Winterfat

Cercocarpus brevifolius / Little-flowered Mt. Mahogany

Cercocarpus intricatus / Littleleaf Mountain Mahogany

Cercocarpus ledifolius / Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany

Cercocarpus montanus / Common Mountain Mahogany

Chamaebatieria millefolium / Fernbush

Chrysothamnus n. ssp. graveolens / Tall Grn. Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus naus. ssp. albicaulis / Tall Blue Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus naus. ssp. nauseosus / Dwf. Blue Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus / Dwf. Grn. Rabbitbrush

Cotinus coggygria / Smoke Tree

Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ / Royal Purple Smoke Tree

Cotinus x ‘Grace / ‘Grace’ Smoketree

Cotoneaster divaricatus / Spreading Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster lucidus / Peking Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster multiflora / Big-flowered Cotoneaster

Cowania mexicana (Purshia stansburyana)  / Cliffrose

Cytissus purgans ‘Spanish Gold’ / Andora Broom

Cytissus scoparius ‘Moonlight’ / Moonlight Broom

Ephedra americana / American Ephedra

Ephedra viridis / Mormon Tea

Fallugia paradoxa / Apache Plume

Forestiera neomexicana / New Mexico Privet

Genista lydia / Lydian Broom, Dwarf Broom

Genista tinctoria / Woadwaxen

Hesperaloe parviflora / Red Yucca

Hippophae rhamnoides / Sea Buckthorn

Holodiscus dumosus / Rock Spirea

Ligustrum vulgare ‘Cheyenne’ / ‘Cheyenne’ Privet

Ligustrum vulgare ‘Lodense’ / Lodense Privet

Lonicera k. v. floribunda ‘Blue Velvet’ / Blue Velvet Honeysuckle

Lonicera syringantha v. wolfii / Tiny Trumpet Honeysuckle

Lonicera tatarica selections / Shrub Honeysuckle

Mahonia aqu. Compactum / Compact Oregon Grapeholly

Mahonia aquifolium / Oregon Grapeholly

Mahonia fremontii / Fremont’s Mahonia

Mahonia haematocarpa / Desert Holly

Opuntia species / Cholla Cactus

Perovskia atriplicifolia / Russian Sage

Philadelphus lewisii / Lewis Mockorange

Physocarpus opulifolius cultivars / Ninebark

Juniperus communus/Common Juniper selections

Prunus besseyi / Western Sandcherry

Prunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’ / Pawnee Buttes Sandcherry

Prunus besseyi ‘Boulder Weeping’ / Boulder Weeping Sandcherry

Prunus tenella / Dwarf Russian Almond

Purshia tridentata / Antelope Bitterbrush

Pyracantha coccinea / Firethorn

Rhamnus smithii / Smith’s Buckthorn

Rhus aromatica / Fragrant Sumac

Rhus glabra / Smooth Sumac

Rhus glabra v. cismontana / Rocky Mt. Sumac

Rhus trilobata / Threeleaf Sumac

Rhus typhina / Staghorn Sumac

Rhus typhina laciniata / Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac

Ribes aureum / Native Golden Currant

Ribes cereum / Wax Currant

Ribes odoratum / Golden Currant

Robinia neomexicana / New Mexico Locust

Rosa ‘Alba Maxima’

Rosa ‘Alba semi-plena’

Rosa ‘Alba Suaveolens’

Rosa ‘Felicite Parmentier’

Rosa ‘Fruhlingsgold’

Rosa ‘Golden Wings’

Rosa ‘Harison’s Yellow

Rosa ‘Henry Kelsey’

Rosa ‘John Cabot’

Rosa ‘John Davis’

Rosa ‘Konigen von Danemark’

Rosa ‘Lawrence Johnston’

Rosa ‘Maiden’s Blush’

Rosa “Banshee”

Rosa arvensis

Rosa ‘Complicata’

Rosa eglanteria / Sweetbriar

Rosa foet. Persiana / Persian Yellow Rose

Rosa foetida bicolor / Austrian Copper Rose

Rosa glauca (rubrifolia) / Redleaf Rose

Rosa hugonis / Father Hugo’s Rose

Rosa woodsii / Wood’s Rose

Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Arp’ / Arp Rosemary

Shepherdia argentea / Silver Buffaloberry

Robinia neomexicana / New Mexico Locust

Spiraea ‘Cheyenne Snowmound’

Spiraea jap. ‘Goldflame’ / Goldflame Spirea

Syringa patula ‘Miss Kim’ / Miss Kim Dwf. Korean Lilac

Syringa prestoniae cultivars / Canadian Lilacs

Syringa vulgaris cultivars / Common Lilacs

Yucca baccata / Banana Yucca

Yucca filamentosa / Adam’s Needle

Yucca glauca / Native Soapweed, Narrowleaf Yucca

Yucca harrimanii / Harriman’s Dwf. Yucca

Big Sale on some Great Trees!

June 25, 2024

Japanese Tree Lilac, courtesy Morton Arboretum

While supplies last (some in very short supply)! All are container-grown so they have complete root systems, ready to adapt to and grow in your garden right away!

Japanese Tree Lilac, 5 gallon @ $60 (was $140)
Compact, water-wise patio/accent tree, very showy large ivory flower clusters, cherry-like bark, cold-hardy to Zone 3

 

Snowdance Tree Lilac, courtesy FirstEditions

Snowdance Tree Lilac, 15 gallon @ $80 (was $140)[Read More]

A Spring Bounty of Choice Trees

April 16, 2024

Bald Cypress, courtesy Marilyn Kircus

Take advantage of our new stock of very choice container-grown trees, just being brought out for sale! (like the Bald Cypress pictured here). We have grown these hardy, Colorado-adapted trees organically at Harlequin’s Gardens from bare-root stock, and they are potted in large containers – from 5 to 15 gallon pots. They are in our own nutrient-rich, special potting mix with mycorrhizae. They will make an impact in your landscape quickly.

[Read More]

Patio Trees

August 22, 2023

Purple Smokebush

MIKL’s ‘MACRO BONSAI’ PATIO TREES FOR YOURSELF!

Every so often, one of the trees or shrubs we’ve grown or received from a grower displays interesting twists, bends, curves or dwarfing that suggest the character of Bonsai specimens, but much bigger. Mikl has been collecting and cultivating these ‘Macro Bonsai’ for quite a few years. We have some available for sale right now.

[Read More]

Dead or Alive?

May 30, 2023

Lace Bark Pine

by Mikl Brawner

As we enter June, most of our trees and shrubs have leafed out, but not all. Some have leaves only three quarters of the way up, and many broad-leafed evergreens are mostly brown. Should we cut them back or replace them? Let’s not, just yet.

[Read More]

Fruit Trees for Your Yard

August 1, 2023

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is NOW.” While this ancient Chinese proverb still rings true, fruit trees can begin to bear at a pretty young age, bringing satisfaction much sooner than a tree planted for shade or major presence in the landscape. We carry a wide selection of fruit trees proven to thrive and produce here in Colorado and taste great,  and the apples, pears, cherries and plums on the list in the link below are in stock right now so that you can plant your own for years of enjoyment. (We don’t have peaches out at the moment – ask when you come in).

[Read More]

Trees for a Changing Climate and a Resilient Urban Forest

May 23, 2023

Serviceberry

by Mikl Brawner

If you look at old photos of Colorado Front Range cities, you won’t see many trees. And if you look up native trees of Colorado, you will find a lot of mountain-growing conifers and just a few deciduous trees that grow natively along streams. And yet the quality of life for us humans depends on trees. 

[Read More]

Bur Oak, the ‘Smart Tree’

July 26, 2022

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) is a majestic, slow-growing tree reaching 60 to 70’ in height and spread, and is typically very long-lived (think 200, 300+ years!). It’s the sort of tree you plant for the benefit of the generations to come. Many oak species don’t thrive in Colorado’s alkaline soils, but Bur Oak is a happy exception. It is also drought-tolerant once established, even in dry clay, and can handle city conditions quite well. Bur Oak’s strong wood and strong, almost right-angled branch connections resist breakage in wind and snow. [Read More]

Supporting our Colorado Trees

March 8, 2022

So they can support us!

Last Friday Denver Botanic Gardens hosted a day-long conference on Tree Diversity. This timely subject arises because of the importance of trees to the livability of our cities and suburbs and the degree to which the effects of Climate Change have already begun to affect our urban forest. Trees help cool everything from our gardens and patios and parking lots to our cities and our planet. With stresses like sudden, dramatic temperature changes, drought, and severe windstorms, plus the devastation wrought by the Emerald Ash Borer to our millions of Ash trees, it’s time to re-evaluate the limited palette of trees we’ve been planting for many decades, and investigate new, more resilient possibilities.  [Read More]

Beautiful Autumn Colors

October 26, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are all enjoying and appreciating the exceptional fall colors this year. The yellows are especially rich, and the reds are especially vivid. What is going on when the green leaves turn colors and why are the colors so spectacular this year?

We know that the green color of the leaves comes from the pigment chlorophyll that makes it possible for plants to capture energy from sunlight and use it to make the sugars that feed the whole planet. When the long days of summer get shorter and shorter, highlighted by the fall equinox this year on September 22, the plants get less and less sunlight and less and less energy to make chlorophyll. When leaves contain less chlorophyll, other pigments become more dominant.  [Read More]

Woody Plant Die-back and Pruning

June 8, 2021

October 2020 went from record high temperatures in the 80s to record lows, 19 degrees by October 25. May 2021 also made some shocking temperature changes. These rapid and dramatic changes can cause woody plants to die back, lose branches or die completely.

Mikl has been waiting and waiting before pruning this spring, because sometimes our woody plants can leaf out very late. Here is a way to tell when to prune:  [Read More]

TREES – 2022 Newsletter

March 24, 2022

The TREES we sell are smaller than ball & burlap trees that are dug in the field, leaving at least 75% of their roots in the ground. Ours are grown in a container so they have a complete root system and begin growing immediately and are not stressed. Here is a sample of some of our selection.

RUSSIAN HAWTHORN
Very tough and xeric, grows 15’ high and wide, white flowers and red berries, loves Colorado conditions!

ROCKY MT. MAPLE
Native to our foothills, likes to grow in the protection of other trees, red fall color, 10’-15’.

GAMBEL OAK and WAVYLEAF OAK
Both natives that grow 10’-15’, with little water and poor soil, support birds.

HACKBERRY
Good shade tree to replace an ash, a fast-growing hardwood, the most drought tolerant shade tree.

WHITE MULBERRY
The hardiest mulberry, 25-30’ tall and wide, very xeric, white fruit is tasty and does not stain. Brings Western Tanagers, Orioles to your garden!

GOLDEN RAIN TREE
25′ xeric tree with golden flowers in July, orange lantern-like pods, orange fall color, seeds abundantly.

CHOKECHERRY
Native, suckering tree to 15′-25′ with white flowers, edible fruit; great for birds and butterflies.

SUCKER PUNCH CHOKECHERRY
Leaves start green then turn red all season, non-suckering, white flowers, berries.

SILVER BUFFALOBERRY (Shepherdia)
10′ native small tree with edible red fruit on female plants,, silver leaves, very xeric, few thorns.

MAYDAY TREE (Prunus padus)
20′-30′ with clusters of white flowers, then bird fruit, fast screen.

WESTERN CATALPA
40′-50′ with vertical habit, fragrant orchid-like flowers, huge heart-shaped leaves, 12″ beans, xeric and special.

ARIZONA CYPRESS
20′-30′ hardy evergreen, blue foliage is fragrant, not scratchy, quite fast growing, bird favorite.

 

Plus, Honeylocust, Crab Apples, Silver Maple, Bur Oak, Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn, Aspen, Ptelea, Kentucky Coffee Tree, Ohio Buckeye, Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry, Hot Wings Maple, Alder, Native Birch, Bigtooth Maple, and More!

 

We have to suck carbon out of the atmosphere naturally — by planting trillions of trees…

– Senior Climate Scientist Brenda Ekwurzel

Fruit for Colorado

March 24, 2022

One of our specialties is fruiting plants that are adapted to Colorado conditions. All the apples we carry are resistant to fireblight and good tasting. And the cherries we sell are all proven successful in Colorado. Our grapes are the hardiest of any you will find, delicious fresh, in juice and a few are good for wine. And we have productive & good tasting currants, gooseberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries including: [Read More]

It’s Okay to Prune Now

June 30, 2020

Important techniques

All spring we have been advising you not to prune out branches without leaves yet. After last October’s flash freeze and this March’s freeze of the new leaves, it was important to give shrubs, trees and roses time for a second set of leaves to come out before removing wood. By now we should be seeing new green leaves forming if the wood is still alive.

So now we can prune away any branches that are not leafing out. Do cut back to a leafed-out branch or sprout; don’t leave a stub. Some evergreens may still be looking very brown. Look closely to see if tiny leaves are forming amongst the brown ones. Use a broom or gloved-hand to brush away dead needles. If you start removing branches from a conifer it may never look good again, so if you see any green, give it a chance. [Read More]

Shrub and Tree Recovery Fertilizers and Mineral Supplements

April 28, 2020

AGE OLD ORGANICS DRY BLENDS

Grow Formula: 8-4-1.  a naturally based, high nitrogen blend of nutrients, including 1% calcium, which are slowly converted by soil microbes into plant available forms. Grow Formula is an excellent nutrient addition to potting mixes or soils and can be used as a top dressing on existing gardens and lawns.

[Read More]

Pruning Woody Plants in the Spring

May 12, 2020

Don’t be in a hurry to prune dead branches on woody plants this spring! Last fall we had warm weather followed by a fast-deep freeze, and this spring we had an 11-degree freeze after some leaves were out. Some branches and some whole shrubs may have died, but most will put out new leaves. So, it is best to wait another couple of weeks before pruning.

To know for sure if a branch is dead, try the old fingernail test: scratch a little bark on a smaller branch; if the wood under the bark is green, the branch is alive, if brown, it is dead. Also, wrinkled bark shows it is dead.[Read More]

Support Tree and Shrub Recovery

April 28, 2020

The ancient proverb “March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers” could be revised for Colorado as “March and April heavy snow, freezing temps, and strong winds bring forth May flowers”!  And this year was no exception.  Two recent cold snaps with temperatures reaching lows of 3 degrees F in our neighborhood, snows up to 36” in the foothills, and winds that will bring down any weak tree branches, wreaked havoc and impacted flower and fruit productivity.  So now it’s time to help support our shrubs and trees to recover.

The most influential factor in this process is soil biology, which is activated by warmth in the soil. [Read More]

Quaking Aspens

April 4, 2019

Leave them to the Mountains OR Plant them at Home?

Populus tremuloides or Quaking Aspen is not only one of the best-known native trees here in Colorado, but it is said to be the most widely distributed tree of North America. Its narrow, roughly pyramidal form is commonly 25’-30’ tall and 15’-20’ wide, although it can get much larger. The leaves are shiny, dark green above and light gray-green beneath which makes the tree shimmer in the breezes. Also its whitish trunk adds to its attractive architecture. Then in the fall the leaves can turn a rich golden yellow which look glorious on the tree and lovely on the ground. It has a suckering habit which inclines it to clumps and which has put aspen in the running for the world’s largest being.[Read More]

Bigtooth Maple

April 4, 2019

Bigtooth Maple, Acer grandidentatum, is native to the far southwest corner of Colorado in a place known as Sleeping Ute Mountain. It is common in canyons, northfacing slopes and along mountain streams in Utah, Wyoming and west Texas from 5000′ to 8000′. Although most often listed as a separate species, Bigtooth Maple is sometimes called Western Sugar Maple, therefore, a subspecies of Acer saccharum. Its other names are Canyon Maple and Wasatch Maple.[Read More]

Bur Oak

April 4, 2019

BUR OAK—QUERCUS MACROCARPA-MOSSY CUP OAK

One of the most successful oaks for Colorado is the Bur Oak. It is adaptable to our clay soils and tolerates our alkaline conditions better than most oaks. In harsh, droughty areas this tree can be a low shrub, but on rich, river-bottom land can get 170’ high and 6’-7’ in diameter; but most often grows 50’-70’ high. The trunk is often thick and short with deeply furrowed bark, and the stout branches often extend almost straight out making the tree as broad as tall. The leaves are deeply lobed only in the bottom half and these lobes are rounded not pointed as with many other oaks. The acorns are distinctive in that there is a mossy fringe around the cap. The overall effect can be quite grand and sculptural, sometimes like a Chinese painting. The short taproot is surrounded by a massive root system which is strongly competitive. This is why old specimens often are standing alone.[Read More]

Catalpa

April 4, 2019

Western (Northern) Catalpa- Catalpa speciosa

It is surprising that a tree that looks so different from the other Colorado-adapted trees, is so successful. What stands out immediately are the huge leaves which can be 3”x 6” or even 6” x “12” and are heart-shaped. And in June, this large shade tree blooms exquisite, ruffled, bell-like, white, fragrant flowers with yellow and purplish coloration .And in the fall the passerby might be surprised to see the long thin pods 10”- 18” long.[Read More]

Champion Trees Show More Possibilities

April 4, 2019

Growing trees in Colorado, especially big shade trees, can be very challenging. Few of the specimens in our community “forests” are native to Colorado, and areas where big trees are abundant are often so different from our conditions that those trees do not adapt well here. Some of the difficulties trees face here are: alkaline soils, nutrient-poor and shallow soils, low humidity, hot and drying winter sun, strong winds, untimely wet snows in spring and fall, rapidly changing temperatures, and low rainfall. Add to these the confining root zones in which many trees are growing in urban environments, and it is easy to understand why our trees are often stressed, subject to borer and fungus problems, broken and short-lived.[Read More]

Kentucky Coffee Tree – Gymnocladus dioica

April 4, 2019

This member of the pea family (Fabaceae) can get 50’-60’ high and 30’-40’ wide, though most that I’ve seen in Colorado are under 45’. Nearly everybody thinks of this tree as interesting or picturesque.The branching is more open than most trees and the bark is gray to dark brown, rough and deeply ridged even on small branches. The leaves are  bluish-green and somewhat tropical-looking being double compound, each one 18”-24” long and forked with small leaflets alternating on the stem. Fall color is yellow. As the species name implies, this tree is dioecious, having the male and female flowers on separate trees. The flowers are greenish-white, supposedly fragrant and not conspicuous. On the female trees, tough, leathery seed pods follow that are 4”-6” long and 1 1/4”-2” wide. These hang on after the leaves fall and into the winter.[Read More]

Hackberry

April 4, 2019

Common Hackberry  (Celtis occidentalis)

Why would anybody be interested in a tree that is just the common variety? In this case, we Coloradoans can be very interested because “common” means it will grow just about anywhere. In our harsh country that provides a good living for people planting and replanting and pruning and re-pruning trees, the Common Hackberry is somewhat of a relief. It will grow to 7000’. Our 25 below zero winters do not bother it as it is hardy to zone 2, which helps a lot in adjusting to our sudden warm-to-cold swings. It is also not picky about soils, tolerating both acidic and our usual alkaline conditions; rocky is fine, heavy clay is OK; it really likes rich, moist, but grows right along in poor, dry, windy, polluted cities. [Read More]

How to Plant a Tree

April 4, 2019

Planting a tree puts us in touch with one of the most essential parts of a tree that is often overlooked—the roots. When a seed germinates, the first part to develop is the root. The seed has stored nutrients, but if the plant is to live, it must immediately make a relationship with the nourishment of the earth. Then it can make the sprout that pushes into the sunlight to start photosynthesizing. So the first matter of importance in planting a tree is to honor its roots—their condition, their future environment and their nourishment.[Read More]

Interview with Alex Shigo

April 4, 2019

Alex Shigo is a world-renowned authority in arboriculture, the science of trees. His delving curiosity and sharp scientific analyses carried him beneath the bark into a realm previously little understood. He worked 26 years for the US Forest Service investigating decay in trees, and through the process of dissecting over 15,000 trees with a chainsaw, he has uncovered much valuable information about tree structures and tree systems that have revolutionized the practice of tree care. As he puts it in the preface to his book Tree Pruning, “A major problem throughout the history of tree pruning has been the scant attention given to pruning as it affects the health of trees, while great attention has been given to pruning as it affects the desires of man.” Even though he is busy writing, giving workshops and talks and doing consulting, he agreed to answer some pressing questions for The Colorado Gardener.[Read More]

Mountain Ash

April 4, 2019

European Mt. Ash (Sorbus aucuparia)

This is surely one of my favorite ornamental trees for the front range which can be used up to 8000’.It is an upright oval tree spreading with age 25’-30’ tall aned 15’-25’ wide. If cared for, it will be attractive throughout the season. The bark is a shiny, orangy-brown. The serrated, compound leaves are dark green and in the fall turn yellow and reddish-gold. The clusters of flowers are white, blooming in spring with a peculiar fragrance that some people appreciate more when they’re gone. Clusters of red-orange berry-like fruit follow which color the tree through the fall, accenting the orangy leaf colors. These fruits are greatly loved by the birds and are in fact edible for people. They are known as Rowan berries and are used in Europe in making a brandy. In ancient times the Rowan tree, also know as the Quickbeam, was greatly revered by the Druids and used against lightning and witches’charms. The berries were considered extremely valuable having the “sustaining value of nine meals”, healing the wounded and giving a man the strength of ten men. I had to try this, of course, and found I couldn’t eat even 10 berries. Later I learned they need to “blet” or shelf-ripened. The birds do spread these around, and Mt. Ash seedlings are not uncommon.[Read More]

Pinyon Pine – Pinus edulis (Pinus cembroides edulis)

April 4, 2019

The Pinyon Pine has several advantages over other evergreen trees in a Colorado landscape. For one thing, its size doesn’t consume so much horizontal space. Compare the modest mature Pinyon at 10’-15’ in diameter with Austrian or Ponderosa at 25’-35’ diameter or Blue Spruce at 30’-40’ diameter. A few of these “average” sized evergreens look innocent when freshly planted, but who hasn’t seen them blocking sidewalks and doorways, tearing off gutters and shading solar collectors and windows in the winter? The Pinyon with its gently rounded top only gets 12’-20’ high, which suffices for many screening needs and still leaves the view. If it isn’t crowded, it stays branched to the ground with dense foliage of short, medium green to gray-green needles, two to a bundle. The cones are small 1 1/2”-2” long, brown to reddish-brown, which open to a rosette form and in the wild yield Pinyon “nuts”. These seeds are good-tasting and oily, with a piney flavor much appreciated by birds, animals and humans. They are also nutritious, being higher in protein and carbohydrates than pecans, but lower in fat. For some reason , these “nuts” are unlikely to develop in small urban plantings.[Read More]

Redbud

April 4, 2019

One of the most beautiful ornamental trees is the Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis. It is a native of the eastern and southern U.S. and has “naturalized” in older Boulder neighborhoods. It’s most distinctive feature is its reddish purple buds  followed by intense purplish-pink pea-like flowers in late April before the leaves come out. This wondrous and heart-warming display is greatly appreciated so early in spring but cannot be counted on if winters are too harsh.

It is a smaller tree 20’-25’ high and wide with attractive bark and heart-shaped leaves which are shiny and purplish when young. Fall color is yellow. It is said to be hardy  to zone 4 and we have many fine specimens in Boulder.[Read More]

Small Trees for Eastern or Northern Exposures

April 4, 2019

Shade trees 40’-60’ high and wide are great on the south and west sides of our houses and offices. They reduce temperatures and reduce cooling costs in the warm months, but they are not always appropriate. We don’t want dense shade where we grow most xeriscapes, rock gardens, herb gardens, most natives and many perennials. In addition, there is no need for big shade trees on the north side, and the morning sun is usually welcome on the east side of our houses and workplaces. And many plants prosper in morning sun and afternoon shade. It is also significant that a 20’ tree costs far less to have pruned than a 40’ tree. So it seems to me we should be growing small trees under 30’ tall on the east and north sides of our buildings.[Read More]

Stressed Trees: How to prune and care for them

April 4, 2019

Trees have it hard in Colorado. If it’s not the shallow and lean topsoil, it’s the low rainfall and low humidity, or it’s the heavy wet late spring or early fall snows, or like last November, it’s the dramatic temperature changes. After a warm and beautiful fall without a killing frost until November 11, we experienced a 77 degree drop in temperature between November 10 and November 12. This was one of the three largest temperature drops ever recorded in the Denver area, the other two were in December 2013 and January 2014.[Read More]

Supporting Trees in Colorado

April 4, 2019

Trees do a lot for us humans, so we shouldn’t forget to give them some support. When I look at the treeless ten acre lot next to our nursery, or when I see an old photo of the CU campus with bare land around Old Main, I remember why we can’t take trees for granted in Colorado. Trees really have it hard here, but there are things we can do to help them survive and thrive.[Read More]

Tree Roots 1: The hidden support system

April 4, 2019

The roots are the hidden support system of our giant plants, the trees. They anchor their woody trunks to the ground, store food and bring in water, nutrients and oxygen. In this article I will discuss what is going on down there. In the next issue I will discuss more practical applications of this understanding.  

Far less is known about tree roots than about the trunk, branches and leaves. This is understandable since the roots are hidden from our view, and once you dig them up, they are no longer what they were. We are awed by the massive trees swaying over our houses and streets, but usually we give little thought to what is going on under the surface. However, when spring thawing is followed by powerful winds and we see an 80’ spruce toppled over with its roots in the air, which are only 9” deep; that gets us thinking.[Read More]

Tree Roots 2: The hidden support system part II

April 4, 2019

What would we do without trees? What structures could we invent and construct that would hang over our houses and offices, providing shade and cooler temperatures? Such a structure would have to hold up under 80 mph winds and heavy wet snows, and would have to retract in the winter to let in light. Trees provide these values and much more, giving off oxygen, providing housing for birds, and protection for understory plants. Thus it is very important to take good care of our trees, and the most fundamental level of that care must be directed to the roots.[Read More]

Pruning Article for Boulder Home and Garden

March 13, 2019

For many people, pruning is the maintenance job they most fear and dread. And it is good to be wary, because a tree that is badly pruned can dominate a landscape with its ugliness for years, can be more prone to breakage and disease, and can have a much shorter life.

Tree and shrub pruning have four basic aspects: the practical or aesthetic interests of the owners, the biology of how trees “heal”, the physics of what makes a branch strong or weak, and the art of how to create beautiful forms.[Read More]

sidebar

Blog Sidebar

Sign-up for E-Newsletters!

Sign-up for our weekly e-newsletters to receive empowering gardening tips, ecological insights, and to keep up on happenings at Harlequin’s Gardens — such as flash sales and “just in” plants. We never share customer’s addresses!

We do not ship plants!

Our plants are for sale ONLY at our Boulder location. We DO NOT ship plants or any other products.  Come visit us!

Hours by Season

SUMMER HOURS
Tuesday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

 

Footer

Contact Us

303-939-9403 (Retail)
staff@harlequinsgardens.com

4795 North 26th St
Boulder, CO 80301

Sign-up for E-Newsletters!

Sign-up for our weekly e-newsletters to receive empowering gardening tips, ecological insights, and to keep up on happenings at Harlequin’s Gardens — such as flash sales and “just in” plants. We never share customer’s addresses!

Map

Our Hours

Seasonally, MARCH to OCTOBER.
MARCH HOURS:
Thursday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

APRIL-OCTOBER HOURS:
Tuesday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

JANUARY - FEBRUARY HOURS
Thursday-Saturday, 10AM-4PM

Mondays, CLOSED

The plants we grow are organically grown. All the plants we sell are free of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides.