Difference between a shrub and a tree - a tree is generally defined as having a single (and usually straight) trunk from gound level, a shrub having several trunks. But it is very much an artificial distinction, in reality it is shades of grey, and many species can be either shrubs or trees depending on the individual and its growing situation. It is easy enough to prune a Cotoneaster salicifolius to grow as a single-stemmed tree (I've seen it done), though it is more typically (as yours) multi-stemmed. Resin

thanks for the welcome :) there were several things of interest on your list--i checked presumed hardiness of some -- i dont know anybody in my area growing much of interest, so sometimes you just have to try things! gardens north was a good spot to check a few as they do have a lot of ontario natives listed, but she was in ottawa area, so has good knowledge of hardiness.. several of yours are rated z 4, so are dubious here, but, again, you never know til you try! others rate 2 or three.. i'm not sure what else you have in your area (lots i know) things most likely from that area to be interesting to me would be forest species, as my property is heavily treed, and i have many local native forest species growing wild all over my yard, would like to add some of the nice easterns--asarums, sanguinaria, trilliums, i'm sure many others that dont come to mind, right now.. my second area of interest in your area would be woody things--from shrubs to small trees (up to 6 metres to use an arbitrary number)--i have lots of native trees and shrubs growing here, but would like to have some different small trees around the edges, or some places in the yard where we are reducing the big trees over time, smaller ones would be nice, for structure without so much shade... you can email me directly, too, if you want :)

SCENIC PLANNER MAKES THE CASE AGAINST ALIENS June 11, 2009 (CHARLESTON, SC) -- If we fill our parks, lawns or scenic byways with non-native plant material, we might as well pave them over, according to planner Edwin Gardner of Heritage Strategy Group in Charleston, South Carolina. Gardner is an advocate of the concepts Douglas W. Tallamy discusses in his book 'Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants.' In a recent post to Heritage Strategy GroupÂs blog -- heritagestrategy.wordpress.com -- Gardner says he agrees with TallamyÂs central point 'that we owe it to the environment to plant only native species, which provide food for our increasingly beleaguered wildlife and avoid apocalyptic risks to the ecosystem.' What are native species? Gardner agrees with Tallamy who defines Ânative as 'having the ability to support a large number of insect and animal species.' Exotic plants brought from other countries that have been 'naturalized' here even for hundreds of years are not native, he insists, since they canÂt support native insect life. For example: 'Our North American caterpillars have not developed the ability to eat leaves of most alien plants,' Gardner says. While that may be music to the ears of nurseries and landscapers who seekout insect-resistant plant material, to the natural ecosystem chain, itÂs disastrous. 'In fact, the caterpillar is a most generous beast,' Gardner says. 'It provides food for most birds, especially during critical nesting periods, and forms the base of a food pyramid thatÂs critical to the whole ecosystem. A yard full of foreign nursery stock may look green and natural, but it might as well be paved with asphalt if youÂre a caterpillar, or an animal thatÂs looking to feed on one.' As a heritage planner, Edwin Gardner develops recreational areas and scenic byways so that growth and prosperity do not interfere with the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the effected areas. That mission drew him to Douglas TallamyÂs book. 'As we develop byway beautification plans or park management plans or anything that involves plantings in a developed area, we have a responsibility to urge that non-native species be eliminated and replaced with true native species,' he insists. Gardner cites several examples of 'environmental destruction wrought by alien organisms and invasive plants that were brought from overseas to beautify America.' To read the entire discussion, visit heritagestrategy.wordpress.com and click on ' A New Philosophy on Landscaping.' Here is a link that might be useful: Heritage Strategy Group's blog

I don't have experience with Hog Peanut, so I won't comment on that one. Trumpet Honeysuckle is a great vine for your region - probably the least aggressive spreader of the bunch, and also probably nearly evergreen, which is nice in the winter. It is a twining vine that needs something of small diameter - like a wire fence, bushes, small pole, string, etc. - to climb. It cannot climb a shed wall. Virgina Bower does tend to be aggressive, I think. I have never grown it, but see it wild frequently. In my opinion it isn't as nice a vine for the garden as Trumpet Honeysuckle. I have a ton of Virginia Creeper here, and have never heard about the berries being poisonous. I wouldn't be concerned about the berries, which are a favorite food of many birds. Virginia Creeper is a little aggressive, as are most vines. Another choice I like is trumpet creeper - Campsis radicans. This is an agressive spreader, but has very showy flowers most of the summer and fall and attracts hummingbirds, making it a really nice addition to a yard that has roon for it. If the shed is surrounded by lawn or other open space where it will be easy to contain the root suckers of Trumpet Creeper, then it sould be my first choice. Another option is Carolina jessamine,which has yellow flowers in early spring. Also Cross Vine, which is another flowering vine. Jessamine is a vigorous, evergreen vine. Cross vine tends to be a little more sparse in growth habit, but is an interesting addition to the yard.