Clear Ridge Nursery, Inc.

08/11/2026

Let's talk about Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia Virginiana)!

Who doesn’t love a Magnolia?! This is a lovely deciduous / semi-evergreen ornamental tree that stays on the smaller side, growing between 20’ - 30' tall and 15' wide in the Maryland region (taller in the South). Sweetbays do best in moist, acidic & rich soils but will tolerate wet, swampy and boggy soils. They offer interesting form with leaves that are glossy and dark green with a silver underside that you will notice in a breeze -- and let's talk about those flowers! The fragrant & large showy white blooms open during the day and close at night for a few days at a time, and have a long blooming “season” (May-June). They give way to an interesting cone-like fruit whose seeds turn bold red and are enjoyed by songbirds.

Fun fact – Sweetbay Magnolia has the nickname “Beaver Tree” because Beavers love the roots and so early American colonists used the roots to bait their traps.

07/07/2026

What a difference a few weeks makes! Our Sycamore are growing quickly, as they do - both above ground and below! We grow these plants with plenty of space between each tree so they can reach out, up and down. They are healthy and happy - and plentiful.

07/06/2026

We have an abundance of 7 gallon Red Maple at 1" caliper that are ready to go! This is a beautiful crop - Great form, healthy happy straight trees.

07/02/2026

We will be closed on Friday, July 3 2026 in honor of Independence Day. We will re-open Monday at 7:30AM.

Enjoy the holiday!

07/01/2026

We are blogging! Is there something you'd like us to do a deep dive on here at the nursery - We are looking for compelling topics that our clients want to hear more about (please don't say our complicated irrigation system 🤓!) We have some posts up already and hope that over time the blog can be a good resource for our clients and Native tree lovers. This month's post is all about the recent tour of Mt. Cuba Center and was a treat to write (and attend). We will also post some of those photos to the 'gram soon!

06/12/2026

From this to that (be sure to swipe through!) We start our own Bottlebrush Buckeye right here at the nursery with seed we collect from our established hedgerows - Doesn't get more Native than that!
These handsome shrubs put on quite a show, usually in early July – The flowers are loved by pollinators - and the plants remain attractive through fall after blooming, unlike other buckeyes. This is an excellent choice for borders and hedgerows, a wonderful understory in a woodland garden or rain garden, or even as an eye-catching landscape specimen. They tend to sucker and can end up growing up to twice as wide (8 – 15 feet) as they grow high (8 – 12 feet) so be sure to give them space, and they prefer rich, fertile, well-drained soil. Highly deer resistant, but not drought-tolerant -- especially when young. The nuts are toxic to humans and livestock, but squirrels and chipmunks LOVE them.

06/02/2026

We've been quiet...Because it's (still spring) and we are B-U-S-Y! The Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) berries are ripening and we've been collecting like crazy to beat the birds. Last year we planted a long row of large Serviceberry just for seed collection, and our larger 15 gallon containerized nursery stock is also fruiting this year so we have lots to work with! Its a tedious, colorful task.

Plant Serviceberry instead of invasive Callery pears - These trees have a lovely shape and are highly adaptable to a wide range of soil types and conditions; their early spring blooms give way to these delightful, edible berries which wildlife adore.

05/25/2026

Clear Ridge Nursery will be closed Monday, May 25, 2026 in honor of Memorial Day. We will reopen Tuesday 5/26 at 7:30 am!

05/22/2026

We love a good before and after!

05/18/2026