Q We live in Bella Vista and have lost several dogwood trees due to insects or worms getting under the bark. The bark falls off and leaves a bare spot in the trunk, and the tree dies. What can be done to prevent this on our healthy trees?

A It sounds like dogwood borers. They typically don’t attack a healthy tree, but go after trees that have been stressed - and we have had plenty of stressful weather the past two years. The best defense against borers is a good offense - keep the trees healthy with regular water when dry.

Dogwoods do best in morning sun and afternoon shade. They are shallow-rooted trees, which do not handle dry conditions well.

Mulch, water and remove damaged branches.

Q When is the proper time to prune nandinas?

Last year we must have trimmed them at the wrong time, since we didn’t have our beautiful red berries at Christmas as we usually do.

A Nandinas do not have to be pruned every year unless they have really gotten overgrown. They produce multiple stems or canes instead of a single trunk. If they need to be reduced in size, thin by removing up to one-third of the older canes at the soil line as they begin growth in the spring. This will keep your plants’ foliage full and still allow the other two-thirds of the canes to bloom and set fruit. Some gardeners are trying to prevent their nandinas from setting fruit to stop them from escaping into the wild, but I do like the red berries in the winter landscape.

Q Can you identify this shrub for me? It has leaves shaped somewhat like a holly and is beautiful and green while everything else is gray and dull.

A The plant in question is a mahonia, commonly called Oregon grape holly. It has clusters of yellow flowers now, followed by light blue fruit.

It is a great old-fashioned shade plant. A newer, softer foliaged variety is “Soft Caress.” QI will be planting street trees around my house this fall. The ideal tree, to me, would be one of moderate height, good shade, that produces pretty blooms in the spring, is heat tolerant, produces edible nuts or fruit in the fall for man or birds, has pretty fall foliage and will not crush sidewalks and curbs. Any suggestions?

A That is a pretty full list of requirements. There are several showy crabapples with nice spring blooms, showy edible fruits (man and birds) and decent fall color. Oriental persimmons have showy, edible, large fruits in the fall, and of course redbuds come in purple or white flowering forms with showy flowers and inedible seedpods. Redbuds are very drought-tolerant, though. Serviceberry has pretty white flowers in the spring and edible,small fruits in the fall, but grows wider than taller, so it might not work. It is a tough native. Another native is the fringe tree, Chionanthus virginicus. This is not a great shade tree, but showy in the spring with small fruits. For some other “street trees” without showy spring flowers, consider Chinese pistache, with outstanding fall foliage, and the male ginkgo, with street appeal and great yellow fall color.

Janet Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Write to her at 2301 S. University Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72204 or e-mail her at

[email protected]

HomeStyle, Pages 35 on 03/09/2013