Dove Tree or Davidia - Wherever dependably hardy (a specimen at Arnold Arboretum, Boston, blooms periodically), an exotic tree, with big white bracts amidst heart-shaped leaves in springtime. Involves specialized attention, but is worthy of the effort.

Franklinia or Gordonia - Like the dove tree, also necessitating special care. Single, camellia-like, cream-white flowers bloom in late summertime and keep going until frost. Foliage is colorful in autumn. Barely holding up through winters around Boston, this is dependably hardy from New York City southwards.

Fringe Tree - Large shrub or small tree, with downlike, white blooms coming out with unfolding foliage in later springtime. Displays strikingly against evergreens.

Ginkgo - Among the finest, very sturdy and slow growing displaying an intriguing form. Also known as maidenhair tree, it transplants well. An upright variant, the Sentry Gingko, will impart accent.

Golden-Chain Tree or Laburnum - Small ornamental tree with pendulous, wisteria-like, golden flowers in springtime. It will draw in a great deal of attention in a large-scale plant box.

Golden-Rain Tree or Koelreuteria - One of few yellow-flowering trees for the North. Compound leaves are highlighted by erect panicles in midsummer, succeeded by pods that modify through many colors. Golden rain stands firm against drought.

Hawthorns - Numerous varieties, with splashy red, pink, or white flowers in springtime. Spectacular is the English hawthorn, including the red Paul's Scarlet and Arnold hawthorn displaying white flower bundles. Washington thorn features gleaming red berries in autumn.

Hollies - Pyramidal broad-leaved evergreens with bountiful foliage and bright red berries. American holly is hardier than English, however both have varieties with varicolored leaves and yellow or orange berries.

Japanese Maple - All stand firm with ceremonial pruning. Japanese Red Maple. Delicate, with sectioned dark leaves and a crosswise habit. Varieties feature deep-cut green leaves (Acer palmatum dissectum) or purple foliage (A. p. atropurpureum). Often grown in containers along the West Coast.

Japanese Snowbell or Styrax - Small-scale and fanning out, with myriads of elegant white bells in early summertime dangling from below the horizontal limbs.

Japanese Tree Lilac - The last of the lilacs to blossom, with prominent, aromatic, cream-white tresses in early summertime. Really hardy and slow growing, it can be cultivated with a single or numerous trunks.

Magnolias - Numerous varieties displaying splashy flowers. Soonest to blossom is the star magnolia in white or pink. If springtime freeze threatens, relocate to protection during nighttime. Next to bloom is the standard saucer magnolia in white, pink, rose, or purple. These have an intriguing habit and soft gray bark. Sweet bay magnolia brings forth perfumed, cream-white flowers during a time period of weeks during the summertime. Attractive dark green leaves are whitish beneath.

Moraine Locust - Newly presented variety, with thin compound leaves and an exposed, elegant habit. Fast growing, and pest-free displaying neither thorns nor untidy seed pods. Sunburst locust, a different form, is notable because of its golden-yellow points.

Mountain Ash - Splashiest is the European displaying a relaxed habit and white blossoms in springtime succeeded by full-bodied bunches of orange-red fruits. Fast-growing plants provide filtered shade.

Oriental Flowering Cherries - Small trees, with single or double, pink, rose, or white flowers in spring. Unusual is the weeping cherry, displaying really early pink blossoms. Variety Kwanzan, a slender, upright grower, features prominent double blooms resembling roses.

Pines - Choice hinges on climate and individual preference. The red, pitch, Scotch, Austrian, and Japanese black pines are seacoast specimens, however all pines adapt comfortably to container culture if maintained damp and not unattended in wintertime. They behave best in sunlight and can be clipped or shorn.

Poplars - Fast-growing, weak-wooded trees, easy to be replaced since they're readily available at moderate prices. The lithesome Lombardy poplar can be planted for accent or a hedge. All well-fixed for the container garden.

Redbud or Judas Tree - Small, with rose-pink blossoms in close bundles and heart-shaped leaves. The eastern common redbud is the sturdiest, however in more moderate climates the Chinese redbud is every bit as lovely.

Russian Olive - Admired for silvery leaves and the malposed trunk and limbs it grows. Extremely hardy and robust, suitable for the seashore as it withstands wind and salty spray.

Silverbell or Halesia - Erect tree displaying petite bells in white or pink at dogwood and tulip time. Situate wherever it can be viewed closely.

Scholar Tree or Sophora - A member of the pea family, with compound leaves and cream-white blossoms in midsummer. Endures dust and soot of metropolises.

Sourwood or Oxydendrum - Small summer-flowering tree, with pendulous clusters of modest, aromatic flowers and glossy leaves that become scarlet in fall. In containers, specimens may well be furnished with the acrid soil they require.

Beverly Clarke manages a network of green living websites including GreenWindsofChange, TheGreenhousePrimer and GreenOutsideIn