Dr. Donald Wyman was the horticulturist of Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University for thirty-five years (1935-1970). He is best known for introducing new plants to American gardens. In one, two-year span he located seeds or plants of 586 species and varieties not then found at the Arboretum. During a trip to Europe in 1965, he returned with 930 species and varieties, including many first-time introductions to the United States.
In a 1947 document called Woody Plants with Interesting Bark in Winter, Dr. Wyman listed nearly 150 trees and shrubs with red, yellow, green, gray, or brown twigs that give a little something extra to the landscape during an otherwise less than colorful season. The following is a shortlist of popular and some possibly not so well-known shrubs that will fit well in the typical urban landscape and survive our growing conditions.