Need help identifying a bunch of plants around my house (Pen

[NolanVW]

Here's a link to a site where I posted pictures of a bunch of plants/bushes around my house. I'm clueless when it comes to preparing the yard for spring, so I'm trying to figure out how far I can cut back each of these plants, what they need, etc.

One of the things that may make this tough is that none of the flowers are blooming - so I don't know if that makes it a lot harder to identify each.

Let me know if there's any questions...

Sorry if some of these are obvious...thanks for any help!

http://web.mac.com/mvanwert/plants/

[NolanVW]

I live towards NE Pennsylvania

[backyardgardener]

[align=left]1 I think its Sarroco? SP?
2 Azalea evergreen, it's ok the way it is
3 Holly,
4 mongo Pine, prune if it gets to big
5
6 Azalea ?* it's ok the way it is
7 Hydrangea* it's ok the way it is, but prune to the same height this fall
8 Seen it, have it, but don't know the name. Prune, but not to hard.
9 Azalea, looks like it may have been sheared pruned.* It's ok
10 Evergreen, sheare prune when required
11 Evergreen, hand prune when required
12 Boxwood, shear prune twice a year if required
13 Looks like a boxwood
13 Rhody, just pinch blossom heads when done blooming[/align]
*

[Newt]

Hi Nolan,

No need to apologize if you don't know the plants.* :)* Here's my guesses.

1.* I think Backyardgardner is thinking of Sarcococca aka sweet box.* I don't think that's it but you can look at these pics of different varieties.* You'll find the name of the shrub in the upper left corner of these sites.

Sarcococca confusa:
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/saco8.htm
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/saco5.htm

Sarcococca hookeriana:
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/sahoh3.htm
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/sahoh2.htm
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/sahoh1.htm

Comparison of flowers.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/saco3.htm

It could be Cleyera japonica but I'm not sure it's hardy in your zone.
http://www.arbolesornamentales.com/Cleyerajapo.jpg
http://www.botanic.jp/plants-sa/sakaki.htm
http://www.precisiondallas.com/plant...10&plantid=275
http://www.precisiondallas.com/plant...10&plantid=277

or inkberry holly aka Ilex glabra.
http://www.nichegardens.com/catalog/item.php?id=1505

2.* Evergreen Azalea
http://www.azaleas.org/faq.html

3.* Evergreen holly aka Ilex would be a female since it has berries.

4.* Mugho pine or Mugo (note the spelling).* Scroll down here to the last two pics for shrub shearing tips for pics on how to cut the candles to keep it in bounds.
http://www.donnan.com/trimshrub.htm
http://www.millernursery.com/plantPa...usMugoMops.htm

5.* ?? Maybe some type of dogwood, spirea or viburnum shrub.* Could even be a forsythia if picture was taken in the fall.* It's a clump growing shrub so prune by cutting the oldest canes at ground level and let the others cascade.

6.* If evergreen azalea, it's not doing well.

7.* Hydrangea macrophylla - mophead variety.* Here's how to care and prune.
http://hydrangeashydrangeas.com/

8.* Might be Leucothoe.* Many different varieties.* Click on the first pic for a larger view.
http://biology.missouristate.edu/Her...ae%20-%201.jpg
http://web.vet.cornell.edu/CVM/HANDO...thoe%20Apr.jpg
http://www.we-du.com/images/plants/350/shrleucoa.jpg

9.* Azalea - looks like it has either powder mildew, leaf gall or a fungus or maybe a combo of them.* You can use a milk spray if it's powdery mildew.* Rhododendrons and azaleas are in the same family so you can use this site for disease help.
http://www.flounder.ca/FraserSouth/basics/diseases.asp
http://www.backyardgardener.com/tv/mildew.html

The needled evergreen to the right of it looks like a blue spruce, possibly Picea pungens glauca 'Globosa'.
http://www.donnan.com/images/BlSprGlobe.jpg

Here's a weeping variety - Picea pungens glauca 'Procumbens'.
http://www.donnan.com/images/Weeping-Blue-Spruce.jpg

10.* Yew?, possibly a dwarf variety.* You can either hand prune or shear.* Here's English yew.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/taba4.htm

Maybe a dwarf fir aka Abies.
Abies balsamea 'Nana' aka dwarf balsam fir has lovely new growth in the spring which you can see in the first picture.
http://www.millernursery.com/plantPa...lsameaNana.htm
http://www.mountainmeadowsdwarfconif...aNanaNov02.jpg
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/abban1.htm
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/abban2.htm
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/abban3.htm

11.* Could be Birdsnest spruce, possibly Picea abies 'Nidiformis'.* Can be sheared after appearance of new growth in spring.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/c...idiformis.html
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/piabn1.htm

12.* Boxwood

13. Could be a form of boxwood, but does not look healthy.* It appears to have some type of leaf spot disease, which leads me to believe it's not a boxwood.

14. labeled as another 13.* Rhododendron - this site has great care, pruning and deadheading info.* Break off the spent blooms withing two weeks after flowering so you'll have a more compact shrub and more blooms next year.* It shows you how.
http://www.flounder.ca/FraserSouth/basics.asp

It would be most helpful for you to know your hardiness zone.* NE Pennsylvania has zones 4, 5 and 6.* Here's a map and a zip code zone finder.* It would be best to add your state and zone to your location in your profile.* That way others won't have to ask and you won't have to remember to tell them.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/c...ps/PAhardy.jpg
http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/zip.cgi

There's a rule of thumb as to when to prune most shrubs.* If it blooms in spring, prune within 2 weeks of the finish of bloom as they set their buds for the following year after that.* If it blooms in fall, prune in late winter to early spring.* You don't want to prune late in fall and risk a flush of growth from a warm spell followed by a hard freeze.* That can damage your plants.

Clump forming shrubs that continue to grow multiple stems such as #5 are usually best pruned by cutting the oldest canes flush to the ground.* Never prune more then 1/3 of the shrub at once.* Here's how to prune your shrubs.
http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho59/ho59.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basic...eshrubs1.shtml
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/nursery/430-462/430-462.html

How to mulch trees and shrubs.
http://stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/FYN/Mulch.htm

If you still need to know the names of some of these you might want to post your pics at this botanical site where several botanists answer questions.* Be sure to add your state and hardiness zone as this site is in Canada.* Let them know if the pics were taken in late fall or now.

The first link is their main site and the second is where you should post the photos.*
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/fo...ffb27b3a8f929&

Don't post more then 3 to 5 photos in each post.
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/fo...splay.php?f=38

Please let us know what answers you get.*
Newt

[NolanVW]

Wow. Thanks everyone for the help so far - I have to put all this data together with some information I got from another site and put together a master list for people to evaluate...I never thought I'd get this much feedback...thanks again!

[Newt]

You are so very welcome!* I'd love to know if you positively id them all.

Newt