Grain Amaranth. It gets tall & decorative and its very sturdy. I'd grow it if I had the space. There are many colors. Here is a link that might be useful: http://search.aol.com/aol/imageDetails?s_it=imageDetails&q=grain+amaranth+seed+southwest&img=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.shopify.com%2Fs%2Ffiles%2F1%2F0157%2F0808%2Fproducts%2FMayo_Grain_Amaranth_large.jpg%3Fv%3D1395265917&v_t=nscpsearch&host=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.nativeseeds.org%2Fcollections%2Famaranth&width=181&height=135&thumbUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcTilOKzW_2k5YOmDigK3eKqDXHT1yLfQqjD9dgWDjF0z1JyVJAJn_VV-Ma2Sw%3Acdn.shopify.com%2Fs%2Ffiles%2F1%2F0157%2F0808%2Fproducts%2FMayo_Grain_Amaranth_large.jpg%253Fv%253D1395265917&b=image%3Fs_it%3DimageResultsBack%26v_t%3Dnscpsearch%26q%3Dgrain%2Bamaranth%2Bseed%2Bsouthwest%26oreq%3D99f088a5331942dd812c1ac4c13f5d74&imgHeight=360&imgWidth=480&imgTitle=Mayo+Grain&imgSize=131732&hostName=shop.nativeseeds.org

Thank you. It's helpful. Perhaps I did not ask the right question for the first time. What I was trying to ask was if any of the shrubs (except the Amsonia, which I learned now is not a shrub at all. We will eliminate it. Since burning bush is invasive, we eliminate it too) I mentioned above are deciduous shrubs that behave like Forsythia flowering in winter when leafless? So...... they are not just gray stumps and branches in winter time but actually bearing something.

GGG -- great idea! I've googled Loropetalum Little Pixie and don't get anything. I was looking for growth habit and other details. Can you fill me in? And does anyone know where to get some Little Pixies? I didn't see any at my Pike yesterday. Bev -- I got some snaps 3 years ago and thought they would just last through the fall, but when I thought I should rip them out, they were perking up and then they bloomed again early spring. The Pike guy said they were probably reseeds, but it was happening on the original plants. I have gotten some volunteers, too, so they do re-seed. I'll let you all know if they continue to live this year. They're in containers in a shelterd area, so maybe that's why they've hung on. I smelled something fabulous yesterday at the nursery and it turned out to be stock. I've never grown that before, but it's beautiful and the right size. Would that be a good choice for an overwintering annual here?

I'm fairly certain it is against the law to dig up any plant on property which is not your own. However, would you be prosecuted? Maybe, Maybe not. If I saw someone digging up a tree on our acreage, I know I would not be happy about it. But, you know, if they asked permission ahead of time, I'd probably be OK with it, as long as the tree they wanted was a common one, and not a one-of-a-kind type. One thing to consider, though, is that the chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia) is a suckering plant. You may plant only one, but over time that plant will send up suckers and form a good-sized thicket. Eventually you'll have a very large thicket. If you don't want a thicket, you will have to work hard to prevent that thicket from forming. Finally, I think that the Oklahoma State Forestry department offers tree seedlings at reasonable prices for wildlife and conservation plantings. You might try contacting them. Every year I see their ads/order forms in our local newspaper. I think they offer several of the wild/native plums. It might be too late for this year, though.