Zabby - don't give me any ideas. ;-) Actually, if I didn't have a roof over the balcony, I'd probably have some sort of tree like that. But alas, many trees do best with some sort of overhead sun. victrola - sorry to hear about the sand cherry. I have had my share of winter or spring casualties this year - mostly due to overwatering in a time when overcast, cool, and/or rainy seems to be the trend for this year. I always see those sand cherries for sale at a number of places here every year but manage to resist. I know there are other red-foliaged shrubs, including those having red new growth (a few of which that I have - pieris "Valley Rose", "Wine and Roses" weigela, leucothoe "Girard's Rainbow"), but I'm not sure how they would do in a desert climate... However, there is something that should do well and that's one of the red-leafed ficus elasticas that they sell so much of over here. Particularly the one that WP mentioned. I know you're looking for leaves that aren't "too large" but a good ole ficus would still be cool. :-P A smaller guy might include that ubiquitous sweet potato vine "Blackie".

Thank you Peren.all. You're right!!! NOW I remember. It was labeled Cimicifuga Atropurpurea. It's been driving me crazy the past few days because I am such a stickler for remembering my plants names and it kept escaping me! Thank you!

I think I know part of what was previously seen and what’s going on here. I noticed an orange round object this morning on a pine tree which I thought was a bird but it never flew away. Anyway, I took some pictures. Before this blossom the branch had a tubular deformity like a bulge. I’m not sure, but the bulge could have been caused by insect in a prior year. This blossom occurred after three days of rain to include lighting and rain last night. This pine tree is also in a lower part of the yard where it get a good share of the water.

See if it succumbs to needlecast diseases. If it does-Austrian pine, if not red pine, lol. I kid. Both species are potential hosts for a variety of pathogens. but red pine, of which the state of Minnesota has nine billion, two hundred eighty four million, nine thousand, two hundred and sixty four at last count, is far and away the more well-adapted species there, with Austrian pine now being on the 'not worth planting' list, IMO. +oM