The Schmidt family is delighted and honored to be among the four Oregon family businesses recognized for excellence each year by the Center for Family Enterprise of the Oregon State University College of Business. Presented at a May 7 luncheon in Portland, the 2024 Generational Development Award recognizes that “the family engages the next generation of family and business leaders with thoughtful personal and professional development.”
Family members on hand to accept the award included three grandsons of Evelyn and J. Frank Schmidt, Jr., who founded the nursery in 1946. Sam Barkley, Gordy Webster and John Schmidt IV represented the three branches of the family and the third generation of family leadership. They were joined at the awards luncheon by Jan Schmidt Barkley and J. Frank Schmidt III, son and daughter of our founders. (Pictured above, from left: Gordy Webster, John Schmidt, Sam Barkley, Jan Schmidt Barkley and J. Frank Schmidt III.)
Frank, Jan, Sam and Gordy are featured in this video created for the occasion by the Center for Family Enterprise. They’re supported in telling the story of the nursery by CEO Ben Rough and Production Manager Eric Henrichs.
Sam Barkley stepped to the podium to accept the award on behalf of the family. He began his career as a third-generation tree grower soon after graduating from Oregon State University in 2007.
“We’re proud that our family has stuck together all these years,” Sam stated. “We’re thankful for all the good people who have worked for us over the years and contributed to our company’s success. We’re thankful for our customers, and thankful for trees.”
The awards ceremony and reflection on their generations of growing trees led the award recipients to comment on some of their favorite trees. All agreed that choosing a favorite was a tough call, but they narrowed their top picks to the five featured below.
American Dream® Oak
Quercus bicolor ‘JFS-KW12’ PP 23632
Declaring that he has lots of favorites, Gordy Webster said he’s “a big fan” of this JFS selection of Swamp White Oak.
“I love the form and the color of the new growth that has an almost pubescent effect. Those leaves mature to deep green and are thick and glossy, with wavy margins. I have one in my backyard that is about eight inches in caliper now. It’s shaping up to be a beautiful mature tree.”
After many years of identifying and trialing the best performers among the thousands of Swamp White Oak seedlings we grow each year, we introduced this selection as the best all-around performer. A vigorous grower, it develops a broadly pyramidal canopy of good density as it reaches a mature height of approximately 45’ x 45’.
A strong central leader and upright, branch angles form a distinctively pyramidal, symmetrical canopy. In addition to drought resistance and the ability to thrive in poorly drained sites, this fast-growing tree demonstrates good resistance to anthracnose and mildew. Hardiness is USDA Zone 4.
Redpointe® Maple
Acer rubrum ‘Frank Jr.’ PP 16769
“One of the reasons it’s a favorite of mine is because it’s named in honor of my Grandpa,” according to John Schmidt. “Grandpa passed his love of trees on to all of us. Because it’s named after him, it’s fitting that Redpointe® has become our top-selling tree. Its bright red fall color is great, and it has a nice symmetrical shape that’s really nice. It’s an all-around beauty.”
Selected as a top performer among thousands of seedlings evaluated over multiple decades in our Acer rubrum breeding program, Redpointe® Maple has proven to be an outstanding performer around the world. This vigorous, heat-resistant tree thrives in varied urban growing conditions and has proven more adaptable to higher pH soils and resistant to foliage chlorosis than other red maples.
Sparkling Sprite® Crabapple
Malus ‘JFS-KW207’ PP 27954
“My favorite is Sparkling Sprite® Crabapple,” Sam Barkley stated. “It was introduced in 2016 while I was working with Keith Warren in our New Plant Development program. It was fun watching it move through our selection process and then seeing how well it turned out. I love the compact dwarf structure that grows all on its own to form a perfect little ball. I planted one in the front of my house and love seeing the flowers each year.”
Pink buds open to fragrant, pink-tinged white flowers that smother its densely branched, rounded head. Summer foliage is especially clean, bright green and disease resistant. The show goes on well into winter, when an abundant crop of tiny persistent fruits turns from golden yellow to orange and attract birds to the garden. Growing to a height and spread of approximately 12’ x 12’, its perfectly rounded canopy maintains a year-round, formal, topiary-like shape with little to no pruning.
Red Sunset® Maple
Acer rubrum ‘Franksred’
“I grew up with Red Sunset® Maple,” Jan Barkley declared. “When we were little kids, Dad spotted it in a seedbed when it popped up red all by itself. He introduced it in 1966, so it’s amazing that it is still a popular tree all these years later. It really says a lot about Dad’s ability to recognize trees with a great future.”
This classic cultivar has long been the standard for comparison among red maple cultivars since being named a top shade tree in the Ohio Shade Tree Evaluation Project nearly 60 years ago. Deep green leaves turn to brilliant red and red orange in autumn. A rounded canopy develops as it reaches a mature height and spread of about 45’ x 35’. Despite its many years in the marketplace, it continues to be a top seller and is among the most adaptable, resilient cultivars of this North American native species.
Crimson Sunset® Maple
Acer truncatum x A. plat.‘JFS-KW202’ PP 21838
Picking a favorite is a tough call for Frank, who’s grown up in the nursery business and still loves planting trees. Crimson Sunset® is among the 60+ trees he and the family have planted on their ranch that’s located in the high desert east of the Cascades.
“Crimson Sunset® Maple handles the heat a lot better than the purple-leaf maples like Crimson King and Royal Red,” he explained. “Since it’s a hybrid of Shantung Maple (Acer truncatum), its glossy, thick leaves stand up to the heat and wind much better than the Norways.
“I really enjoy the fall color. It’s orangey red and the leaves hold up much better than the others do. Its form is more compact and narrower, too, and it has a good central leader. It’s a real handsome tree.”
A tree for the future, this medium-size, easy-care hybrid offers heat and drought tolerance in a purple-foliaged tree. Leaves resist tatter and scorch damage and retain their rich, dark glossy color through the summer before turning reddish purple in autumn. On the streets, its upright and symmetrical form is ideally shaped for street use. Rated hardy through USDA Zone 4, it grows to a height and spread of about 35’ x 25’.
Gardeners! Please note that our nursery is strictly wholesale. To purchase these and other trees grown by our nursery, please use our Retailer Locator to find sources of JFS trees near you.
