NDSU Woody Plant Improvement Program

08/18/2026

Check out this cool event!!! Schedule in comments…

08/15/2026

Wow, Cucumbertree Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata) — a seriously tough magnolia!

This is one of the hardiest magnolias around (Zones 3–4), and it’s performing amazingly at the NDSU Research Arboretum! Not a hint of winter dieback, and it’s showing no leaf scorch despite extreme drought conditions.

Even cooler: the leaves give this tree a tropical look! Even cooler than that: these sibling trees are showing different leaf forms—one has regular leaves, while the other has beautifully wavy leaves They’re still too young to flower, but we are excited to see what they do as they mature.

Cucumbertree Magnolia is a fantastic tree to consider for a large yard or even a boulevard. They can get up to 50’ but have a very strong central leader (trunk) similar to American linden cultivars. This tree is hardy, unique, and built for tough northern conditions!

Maybe a new introduction by our program in the future??? Perfect for adding diversity into our urban canopy.

08/15/2026

Sad news…this will affect non-native pines especially Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris) which is planted in many landscapes across North Dakota.

A new threat to North Dakota's conifers has been confirmed this week: pine wilt disease. This discovery will have a great impact on our state's windbreaks and community forest resources, as non-native species of pine (like Scotch pine) are a commonly used tree in these settings.

While investigating mortality in Scotch pine trees, our Forest Health staff tentatively identified pine wilt disease in Ransom County at Sheyenne River State Forest and in Sargent County near Forman, ND. The finding was confirmed on August 11, 2026, by the South Dakota State University plant pathology lab.

To learn more about this disease and how it could affect your trees, visit https://bit.ly/NDPineWilt

08/06/2026

Working at a research arboretum isn’t always about research. Sometimes you have to fix your fence. We replaced 50+ fence posts. Thanks to all of the research teams that use the NDSU Horticulture Research Farm!

07/29/2026

NDSU Woody Plant Improvement Program Receives USPTO Trademark for Cosmic Flare® Sugar Maple

FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State University Woody Plant Improvement Program, under the direction of Dr. Todd West, is pleased to announce that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officially registered the trademark Cosmic Flare® on June 30, 2026, for a new sugar maple (Acer saccharum’CosDak’) introduction.

Cosmic Flare® is an outstanding shade tree that serves as an excellent alternative to Greenspire® littleleaf linden, offering a similarly strong, uniform form with the added benefit of exceptional fall color. This selection represents another milestone in NDSU's commitment to developing superior woody plants for the nursery and landscape industries.

The development of Cosmic Flare® was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the McIntire-Stennis Capacity Grant (ND06216) and the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. This support has been instrumental in advancing long-term research focused on developing resilient, high-quality landscape trees for northern climates.

The Cosmic Flare® trademark is managed by the NDSU Research Foundation, which oversees the protection and commercialization of intellectual property developed at North Dakota State University.

The NDSU Woody Plant Improvement Program continues to develop and evaluate innovative woody plant selections that improve landscape performance, enhance environmental resilience, and support the nursery industry through research, breeding, and technology transfer.

07/27/2026

Dutch Elm Disease: Know the Signs and Plant for the Future

Dutch elm disease (DED) has changed the landscape of communities across North America, but knowing what to look for can help protect valuable trees.

One of the earliest and easiest signs to spot is “flagging”—when a single branch or section of the tree suddenly develops wilted, yellowing, or brown leaves while the rest of the canopy remains green (Figure 1). This is often the first visible symptom of infection and is commonly seen in early to mid summer. If you see this, contact your city forester or certified arborist for confirmation and treatment plan.

The disease is caused by a fungus that blocks the tree’s water-conducting tissues. It is commonly spread by elm bark beetles, which carry fungal spores from infected trees to healthy ones. The beetles reproduce beneath the bark, where their larvae create characteristic feeding tunnels, or galleries, that further damage the tree (Figure 2).

Fortunately, planting Dutch elm disease-tolerant elms is helping restore this iconic tree to our landscapes.

Prairie Expedition® American elm is an excellent choice for boulevards, parks, and other large public spaces. It combines the classic vase-shaped form of the American elm with strong tolerance to Dutch elm disease.

For homeowners, Northern Empress® Japanese elm is an outstanding option. It is well suited for streets and parks but is especially attractive as a landscape tree for residential yards. It is nearly seedless, eliminating the nuisance of messy seeds and unwanted seedlings. Unlike many fast-growing elms, it has a moderate growth rate, making it easier to manage while still establishing well. As an added bonus, its foliage develops attractive burgundy fall color (Figure 3) providing seasonal interest long after summer has ended.

Choosing disease-tolerant elm species and cultivars, allows us to once again enjoy the beauty, shade, and environmental benefits of these remarkable trees while reducing the risk of losing them to Dutch elm disease.

07/01/2026

NDSU Woody Plant Improvement Program Expands Shrub Evaluation Trials Across North Dakota

The NDSU Woody Plant Improvement Program is conducting an extensive shrub evaluation trial to identify woody shrub species and cultivars that are well adapted to North Dakota’s diverse growing conditions. The trial is designed to determine which native and non-native shrubs demonstrate the best winter hardiness, landscape performance, ornamental quality, and long-term adaptability for use throughout the state.

Plant evaluations are being conducted at two research locations representing different climatic regions of North Dakota: the NDSU Research Arboretum near Absaraka (USDA Hardiness Zone 4) and the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Langdon Research Extension Center near Langdon (USDA Hardiness Zone 3). Evaluating plants at multiple sites allows researchers to compare performance across varying environmental conditions and identify selections with broad adaptability.

The trial includes a diverse collection of shrub genera, including Physocarpus (ninebark), Potentilla (shrub cinquefoil), Diervilla (bush honeysuckle), Syringa (lilac), Spiraea (spirea), and Cornus (dogwood), with additional genera continuing to be added as the program expands. Both commercially available cultivars and promising new selections are being evaluated for characteristics such as winter survival, growth habit, flowering, foliage quality, pest and disease resistance, and overall landscape performance.

These long-term evaluations support the NDSU Woody Plant Improvement Program’s mission of increasing woody plant diversity while identifying and developing superior landscape plants capable of thriving in the challenging climates of the Northern Great Plains. Information generated from these trials will provide valuable guidance to homeowners, landscape professionals, nurseries, and the green industry when selecting dependable shrubs for North Dakota landscapes.

Pictures include:
Kodiak® Orange Diervilla (Diervilla x splendens 'G2X88544' - excellent foliage color)
Lemon Meringue™ Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa 'Bailmeringue' - excellent flowering capacity)
Amber Jubilee™ Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Jefam' - outstanding foliage color)
Straight Talk® Privet (Ligustrum vulgare ‘Swift’ - not hardy, showing winter dieback, not recommended for ND)

06/24/2026

A Bold Native Shade Tree Deserving More Attention

Native to North America, Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) is a pollinator-friendly tree that brings dramatic beauty and exceptional toughness to the landscape. This fast-growing deciduous shade tree quickly develops into a stately specimen, adorned with giant, tropical-looking heart-shaped leaves that create dense summer shade.

In early summer, Northern Catalpa puts on a spectacular display of fragrant, orchid-like white flowers marked with yellow and purple accents. These fabulous blooms attract bees and other pollinators and are followed by long, slender seed pods that dangle from the branches like giant beans, providing unique ornamental interest well into winter.

Northern Catalpa thrives where many trees struggle. It tolerates deer browsing, drought and wet conditions, alkaline clay soils, and urban air pollution, making it an exceptionally adaptable choice for challenging sites. Despite its many virtues, it remains uncommon in landscapes and along boulevards and is considered a highly underutilized tree.

For narrower spaces, Heartland® Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa ‘Hiawatha 2’) offers all the charm of the species in a more refined form. Specifically selected for its narrower, more uniform habit than the native Northern Catalpa, Heartland® provides the same bold foliage, showy flowers, and distinctive fruit with improved structure. Although listed as hardy to Zone 5, the North Dakota State University Woody Plant Improvement Program (NDSU WPIP) has found Heartland® Catalpa to be reliably hardy to Zone 3b, greatly expanding its usefulness across northern climates.

Whether planted as a shade tree, boulevard tree, or striking landscape specimen, Northern Catalpa and Heartland® Catalpa offer unmatched character, resilience, and beauty—making them worthy of far wider use in today’s landscapes.

With Emerald Ash Borer starting its invasion in North Dakota, tree diversification will be even more important for tree plantings across the state. There are numerous underutilized trees for our landscapes and boulevards. Here is one to consider.

06/17/2026

Growing Roses in North Dakota? Yes, You Can! Gardeners in USDA Zones 3 and 4 have more rose options than ever before.

In the future, we will have even more rose information from the newly planted rose evaluation at the NDSU Research Arboretum (see attached pics!).

North Dakota sits almost entirely in USDA zone 4, with the northern part of the state dropping into zone 3, so the rose varieties that actually thrive in Fargo and the rest of ND are the ones bred specifically for prairie winters rather than typical hybrid teas or floribundas.

For reliable winter hardiness and beautiful blooms, look to the Canadian-bred Parkland Series roses such as 'Morden Blush,' 'Morden Sunrise,' and 'Winnipeg Parks.' The Canadian Artists Series, including 'Emily Carr' and 'Felix Leclerc,' also offers excellent cold tolerance with outstanding flower production. Other hardy favorites for northern climates include the Explorer Series roses and the 49th Parallel Collection. Scroll down for more information on these different rose series/collections.

The Parkland Series is the older of the two big Canadian programs you mentioned, developed at the Morden Research Station in Manitoba starting in 1962. Researchers crossed the native prairie rose, Rosa arkansana, with less-hardy floribundas to produce roses that tolerate freezing all the way back to the snow line, which keeps the plants compact and means cultivars like Cuthbert Grant, Winnipeg Parks, Hope for Humanity, Morden Sunrise, and Morden Snow Beauty come back true even after a brutal winter since they grow on their own roots rather than a graft.

The Canadian Artist Series came next, after the federal breeding program lost government funding. The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association took over the breeding stock and launched the series in 2007, starting with 'Felix Leclerc' and followed by 'Emily Carr' and 'Bill Reid,' with 'Campfire' as the final introduction before the whole operation relocated. Each rose in the series is named for a Canadian artist, and they push hardiness and disease resistance further than Parkland: 'Oscar Peterson' is hardy to zone 3 and produces creamy white flowers with bright yellow stamens that bloom in June and again in late summer, while 'Félix Leclerc' is vigorous enough to be trained as a climber, with fuchsia-pink flowers and zone 3 hardiness.

For genuinely new selections, look at the 49th Parallel Collection, the current breeding program out of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario, where the hybridizing work moved in 2016, with a focus on extreme cold tolerance alongside strong disease resistance, even against blackspot. The standout newer releases are 'Canadian Shield,' a continuous-blooming crimson red shrub hardy to zone 3a, plus 'Aurora Borealis,' with sunset-pink self-cleaning flowers, and 'Chinook Sunrise,' with coral-pink, lightly fragrant blooms, both zone 3. 'Yukon Sun' is the newest of the bunch, a golden-yellow shrub rose that withstands -40°C and resists both blackspot and powdery mildew, and 'Never Alone' is a Manitoba-bred, bicolor red-and-white rose developed with a cancer-support foundation, also hardy to zone 3. Worth pairing with these is the older Explorer Series, especially for climbers, since 'William Baffin' and 'John Cabot' remain some of the toughest climbing roses available for zone 3.

When planting roses in North Dakota, choose a sunny location with well-drained soil, avoid excessive late-season fertilization, and apply a layer of mulch after the ground freezes. With the right selection, roses can be among the most rewarding shrubs in the northern landscape!

A few practical notes for ND: most of these are own-root roses, so dieback to the snowline in a hard winter isn't a disaster, the plant regrows true from its own roots the next spring. Skip the elaborate hilling and rose cones that hybrid teas need; a few inches of mulch and reliable snow cover does the job. Full sun and decent drainage matter more than soil fertility, and spring pruning of winterkilled canes is really the only maintenance most of these need.

04/28/2026

Looking for a stunning shrub that will make you the envy of your neighborhood? Look no further, Fireflare Orange® azalea blooms are truly an eye-stopper with the brilliant fire-orange color. From tissue culture plug (left) to a flowering potted plant (right). Hardy zone 4a and pH tolerant which other commercially available azalea cultivars are not. This NDSU introduction is available this season in limited quantities.