You should tell us where you are gardening (city, state, gardening zone) and advice will be better targeted. I have always been willing to excise chunks of my Aesculus parviflora and send them off to folks unable to procure them any other way. Probably too late in the spring this year, with bud break well underway. I wasn't part of this original thread, but had I been, I would have posted on what Bottlebrush Buckeye can do. I started off with a bunch (9? 10?) 2 gallon pots, installed in 1992 around the inside of a circular gravel drive They've grown together wonderfully, melding with the other plantings nearby. We've had some of the oldest trunks die off, but the layering and additional stems have provided a continuous surface of foliage and blooms, and propagules from the exuberant outward attempts to consume the driveway. It is also really easy to grow from the copious seed that can be set if you keep your plants reasonably moist through droughty periods in summer. September is harvest time here at the Valley. I don't think you can plant too many of these. Landscapes are built for editing - which can also translate into sharing - so if you perceive you've over-consumed, remove some or give them away. Planting too little is also easily overcome by addition - which is what I expect the original landscape design was attempting to avoid.

Mimidi - I planted Japanese Honeysuckle, and now have the old-fashioned yellow honeysuckle (it's a very old "tree" and was here when I moved in), and Honeysuckle sempervirens 'Leo' just recently planted. Most of the hummers and the clearwing moths use the older honeysuckle, however. Probably because it has been there for eons and they go where they are accustomed to going. I keep looking for eggs and cats on the JH, but so far have not found any on it - just the old honeysuckle. All my plants kind of went into "stall" mode after the cold spell we had. I'm waiting for them to take off again. My achillea is about to burst into heavy bloom, as is the lavendar. I just love that old lavendar. It starts blooming in late spring and blooms until late, late fall. It has proven to be the best butterfly nectar plant I've had so far. The butterflies will pass up the cosmos and zinnias to get to the lavendar. Especially the Buckeyes! Such a reliable nectar plant for all the butterflies that I see in my yard! My aster tartaricus is suckering this year, so it is a fast spreader. The butts loved it last year, too, but it blooms so darned late. I'm hoping the lantana 'Miss Huff' and the Salvia 'Black and Blue' get going before long. The hibiscus should grow really fast; my last one did. I have to dig up the coniclinum (they changed the name from eupatorium to coniclinum last year I believe--nomenclature at work again) coelistinum, or Gregg's mistflwer and move them to the front yard. I notice a few of the cosmos and zinnias coming up now. I Planted some marigold seeds, but haven't seen any sight of them yet, nor have I seen any cleome serrulata yet. The clover is blooming, and a lot of butterflies use it for nectaring. They also use my itea virginica 'Little Henry', which is budded out now and ready to open. I'm always thinking to myself - do I have enough?????? Guess we'll just have to see. I did get an amsonia tabaenermonica (?), but it is a young plant, and may not bloom well until next year. It is supposed to be a spring bloomer. I need to get out and apply the chicken manure, and my Espoma garden fertilizer (I've used it now for about 3 or 4 years, and really like it). Except for the nitrogen, it is organic. The chicken manure will do for nitrogen, altho it has PK in it as well. Mimi - I got the Ironweed from Mail Order Natives in case you're interested, but they may sell it somewhere close to you. Here, they sell very few natives in the city nurseries. Susan

@Ken- one plant can indeed turn into that. Great plant, if one has the room. ==>>> yes i understand that.. and also.. sometimes arbs plant in 3s.. to get a bigger presentation ... faster ... hence the question .. the dormant pic.. sure looks like one plant ... wonder what they will do about the road it is trying to take over.. lol .. ken

using a latin name.. might be cleaner ... but this is how i look at future potential... as well as how some have been pruned/maintained... to certain shapes ... one thing that strikes me.. is how many are in the lawn .... and the space they take ......ken https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bottlebrush+buckeyes&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images