Maybe you have wondered where the tree you planted in your garden last year was grown, or how long it took to become the 8′ adolescent sitting in that newly created bed. You may have purchased it from a local nursery or had a contractor install it, but it probably wasn’t grown around here. While there certainly are nurseries around New England and New York that grow trees in the ground, most of our trees are grown in parts of the country that have longer growing seasons and that allow plants to mature more quickly. And, if you have ever seen heavy, orange clay soil in the root ball of your tree, then it may have come from a place like Orange, Virginia, where one of my oldest friends (well over 40 years) owns a 600 acre tree nursery. Ironically, Orange is named for William IV, Prince of Orange and not the pervasive, orange clay soil that gets everywhere.
I had a chance last week to catch up with Dan Gregg, founder of Grelen Nursery.
Dan started Grelen Nursery 30 years ago on his family’s farm in Orange, VA by planting some Weeping Japanese Maples behind a shed, and now he has one of the largest nurseries in the state. It is one of the most stunning, bucolic settings in a wide valley with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the soil is this amazing burnt-orange, nutrient-rich clay that is perfect for growing plants. Unfortunately, that orange becomes a present color on your boots, clothing, car, house, dog and anything else that comes in contact. I believe Dan’s success comes largely from his passion for his plants, the energy he provides, and the fact that he is never content or complacent. He has built an amazing team with a long-term business partner, his wife and dedicated employees. I know Dan will read this so I had to say some nice things!
A quick aside, I have enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with Dan over the years at the nursery staining fences, planting trees, bush-hogging, tagging plants, nearly driving tractors into fenceposts, and attempting to wrangle wayward calves. If you ever find yourself in central, historic Virginia, you must spend a day visiting the nursery, hiking or biking its trails and enjoying lunch at The Market at Grelen. Close by are several wineries and the historic homes of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Make a couple nights of it in one of the lovely towns nearby (Barboursville, Gordonsville, Orange) with great old inns and restaurants or stay in Charlottesville a short drive away.
While most trees are started from stock or seed, Grelen doesn’t propagate trees from the beginning as they prefer to purchase and plant 4-6′ bare-root whips. This is just as it sounds, a thin, single stem with no branching and a bundle of loose roots at the base that they purchase in large quantities from specialty wholesale growers and plant in the early Spring. There is a whole other business for nurseries that propagate and grow this early plant material, who then sell to nurseries like Grelen to grow into mature trees in the ground.
After being planted at Grelen, the trees will then spend a number of seasons growing in this rich Virginia soil before being dug up and sold. They require supplemental water for two years, fertilizer, pruning, weed management and possibly insect management. Dan can plant a thin 5′ Red Maple(Acer rubrum) whip in the Spring and sell it as a 2″ caliper(diameter of trunk 4.5′ above the ground), well-branched, 8′ tree in the following year, but not all trees grow that quickly. Many of the ornamentals and special trees take more years to mature, and large specimens, for which he is known, can take a decade or more. These trees will require proper care and formative pruning to turn into beautiful specimen trees. The advantage of Virginia is the great soil and longer growing season allow him to sell trees more quickly than if they were grown further north.
The tree you just planted in your garden this Fall may have been born in California or Oregon at a propagation nursery, moved to Virginia as a toddler (whip) to spend its formative years at a place like Grelen, uprooted and shipped off to a New England nursery as a teenager for the summer, and then brought to lay down its roots in your garden. Well-traveled for a tree!
Being in Virginia, one of the largest Genus of plants that Dan grows is the Dogwood (Cornus). While everyone loves dogwoods, there are so many from which to choose. Dan grows the classic native (Cornus florida) cultivars like Cherokee Princess and Cloud Nine, and he is also growing some of the newer disease resistant (Anthracnose and Powdery Mildew) varieties of Cornus florida like Appalachian Snow, Appalachian Spring, Appalachian Mist and Appalachian Blush. Along with the Korean (kousa), Cornelian Cherry (mas), Pagoda(alternifolia), and Giant(controversa), Grelen grows most varieties you will find in your nursery and some that you won’t.
Their specialty is growing larger specimens that they plant themselves or sell to contractors and nurseries, and it is impressive to see some of the large, mature trees that they nurture for many seasons. Dan has established great relationships with Architects and Designers in the region who specify his material. Large 10″ caliper specimens of shade trees like Oak and Maple may be 30′ high by 30′ wide, 10 years old, and have a rootball that is up to 110″ wide. That is a root ball over 9′ wide, and they are so big that he can only put two on a trailer driven by a semi truck. A 6″ caliper Dogwood may be 15′ high by 15′ wide and 10 years old. A slower growing 6″ caliper Stewartia may be 20′ high by 7′ wide and 15+ years old.
If you are ever interested in buying a larger tree, it important to make sure the nursery and contractor are providing guarantees and that the rootballs are dug to the proper nursery standards. Dan prides himself on guaranteeing his plants as he and his staff take great care in growing and properly digging his materials.
The price you pay for plants is often a reflection of how easy they are to grow and how quickly they will mature. This explains why a Red Maple, Flowering Cherry, Heritage Birch or Dogwood are relatively inexpensive, as they are easier to propagate and grow quickly. Trees like Stewartia, Parrotia, Sourwood, Silverbell, Gingko, and Katsura to name a few are slower growing and present some greater challenges as well as being in lower supply and more expensive.
Grelen grows a number of trees that don’t do too well in our colder winters like evergreen Magnolias, Crepe Myrtle, some Evergreen Hollies, but Dan does grow some special trees that you need to search for at your local nursery and are worth investigating:
- Parrotia persica (Persian Ironwood) – Zones 5-8 – Medium sized and beautifully structured tree with stunning patchwork bark with age for sun to light shade. Early crimson flowers that are often missed with leaves that emerge reddish-purple and evolve to green. Often many colors on leaves during year. Brilliant orange, red and yellow color in fall. Part of Witchhazel family and you will see similarities with the leaves. I have seen these locally at special nurseries in recent years but haven’t planted one in a while.
- Halesia caroliniana or tetraptera (Carolina Silverbells) – Zones 4-8 – Medium sized understory woodland tree from Appalachians with early hanging white flowers. Nice early yellow fall color and an interesting bark with age. If you have some space this is a wonderful woodland tree with Rhododendrons, Mountain Laurel and Azaleas. These are available at a few nurseries but are considered old-fashioned. I see a number of them in older gardens and find them an invaluable part of the Spring garden..
- Stewartia pseudocamellia, koreana and monadelpha – Zones 5-8 (some variability by species) – In my, and many others, opinion, this is the king of ornamental trees. Each species varies but in maturity they will reach 20’+ and have wonderful structure and form, beautiful camellia-like flowers in summer, stunning exfoliating bark, some of the best orange/red fall color, and great winter interest. This Genus is worthy of your best location. Always on my short list to plant if the location and condition is right.
- Japanese Maple(Acer palmatum) – Zones 5-8 (some variability by cultivar) – The architectural specimens of the garden come in all sizes, colors and forms. Following are some of Dan’s favorites that he grows. Emperor 1 is a superior development from the Bloodgood cultivar that holds its color better in summer with great upright form and beautiful fall color. Fireglow holds red color well with brighter fall color. Osakazuki is medium tree with large green leaves with bright red samaras(seeds), brilliant fall color. Arakawa is a medium sized tree with a rough corky bark that develops with maturity and bright orange/red fall color. Villa Taranto is a medium sized upright tree with deeply dissected smooth leaves with orange/yellow fall color. Japanese Maples are always a consideration with a cultivar for any situation. I managed a large estate that had several woodland areas that we kept as a monoculture of Japanese Maples. As individual specimens they are great, but in varied groupings they are stunning.
Some other favorites of his are the Trident Maple (Acer buergerianum) that stays green late into the season, the Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonica), and he has always been a fan of the Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) with the delicate blush and white flowers and gentle fragrance celebrated at Cherry festivals around the world.
The other advantage of growing in Virginia is the season never stops as the ground rarely freezes. He is digging trees all winter, though he said the clay was a little waterlogged this week with all the rain and it can be tricky for equipment. As it gets closer to February and March he will be digging trees to be shipped all across the eastern U.S.
When your local nursery comes to life in early March with shipments of deciduous trees, often the first items to arrive at nurseries in New England, you will know that people like Dan and his staff have been working all winter to provide us with beauty and new plant life in the Spring.
Barking Dog Gardens - Gardening in New England 