If it was up to me, Norway maples (along with all other non-native seeding trees) would be banned. I'll never understand the fascination with these brown leaved monstrosities, they're like the Lada of the tree world. Red maples (Acer rubrum) are superior in every way (growth habit, spring colour, summer colour, fall colour, less dense, they're native etc.) I shouldn't be so hard on the layman when most nursery workers have no clue what they're talking about. Unless you fully understand growth habit, growth rate, cultural requirements, and ultimate height and spread, chances are you'll choose the wrong tree. Do your homework.

Looks like you had a nice holiday!

I've had both of these in my yard, and I like them both, but all in all, I'd definitely go with 'Winter King.' Like a lot of serviceberries, 'Autumn Brilliance' is a nice little tree or large shrub, but its appeal is mostly subtle at best. The flowers are okay, but they last about fifteen minutes in the spring and are overshadowed by all the other showier plants that are flowering in March-April here in the South. The fruits can be attractive (and tasty), but once again, they don't last long at all. The fall color is very nice (hence the name), but is frankly no match for lots of the other small trees one can grow around here (maples, pistaches, sourwood, stewartias, crapemyrtles, persimmons, dogwoods, sassafras, etc., etc., etc.). And while it's an appropriate plant for a naturalizing situation, I've had a hard time developing it into a plant of any particular character or elegance. Worst of all, in my yard, 'Autumn Brilliance' was frequently severely disfigured by a variety of fungal infections, including its foliage, fruits, and branches, leading it to often fail to live up to its potential. 'Winter King' hawthorn, on the other hand, is an unheralded star. With just a little pruning, it has made an outstanding small specimen tree for me in my gardens both here in the South in Zone 7 and back when I used to live in the Midwest in Zone 5. In both places it was a consistently spectacular flowerer, with its show coming in April-May here, when there's less competition from other flowering trees. It's really a gorgeous tree year-round, too, with lustrous foliage, good fall color (although still not as spectacular in my neighborhood as some of those listed above), and lovely crops of scarlet fruits that the birds leave alone long enough to make a long-lasting dormant season display. It's been a real winner. I've heard of other people fighting disease problems on it here in the South, but I've never seen a blemish on mine. And its most unheralded attribute is the great warm, glistening, gray-silver color of its bark, particularly evident on a crisp, sunny winter day. Very nice. Overall, I would actually recommend both plants, but in most situations if you had to pick one, I would go with 'Winter King.' The serviceberry would be a better choice if you need a tree that can tolerate more shade, or if the thorns on the Crataegus woulid pose a problem, or if wildlife value is a top priority (it's tough to beat as a bird magnet), or if your space specifically needs something subtle and understated. Otherwise, go with the 'Winter King.' At least if you can find it at a nursery. Good luck!

OK, we have a change. February is no longer available, December is. New Line - up as of 12-23 January - DEBBYA * February - CEDARNEST March - DEBBIE_SW_OK April - MONIPSYCH May - EARTHLYDELIGHTS June - SGUANZON * July - GALLIUM * August - ANDREA81 * September - HUMMINGBIRDDAISY * October - GGWRN * November - SNYDER * December - available If ther eis a * by your name, that means I have received your questionnaire. Get those back to me as soon as you can so I can start sending them out to the rest of the group. This swap is scheduled to start January of 2007. So happy to have you all! Tina