lor July, 1920 



247 



Ornamental Flowering Trees 



By ARBORUM AMATOR 



{The Conclusion.) 



A FEW of the large flowering trees are suitable for 

 roadside planting, and all of them for parks, and 

 large estates either along boundary lines or for 

 outlining wide driveways or as single specimens on open 

 sp:,ces, and in the foreground of large evergreens. 



The Tulip Tree. Uur native tulip tree {Liriodoidron 

 tulipifera) , sometimes called Tulip Poplar, and also 

 Whitewood, often attains a height of 150 feet. This and 

 its symmetry of form help make it one of the noblest 

 trees of our forests. Its growth is very rapid. If top 

 pruned when young, it will take on a rounder, lower 

 form, and its handsome flowers can be more easily seen, 

 but the tree will not be so stately. Amid its handsome 

 foliage of a unique bluish-green color there appears in 

 May a profusion of tulip-like orange and green flowers. 

 In the Autumn the foliage takes on a golden tint, and 

 the tree looks like a beautiful tall, yellow pyramid. This 

 tree is suitable for planting along wide roads and broad 

 avenues, as well as in parks and on large estates. The 

 Tulip Tree should be transplanted in the Spring. Robert 

 Herrick well describes the flowers of this tree : 



"Anxiously they sought 

 The liriodendron. with its varied bloom 

 Orange and green and gold.'' 



The Ji'cstcni Catalpa. The Western Catalpa (Catal- 

 pa speciosa), ;s a much larger and taller tree than the 

 species, bignonicides, previously mentioned often at- 

 taining a height of IGO feet and more. Its showy white 

 flowers spotted with purple appear in June. 



The Pagoda Tree The Pagoda Tree {Sophora Ja- 

 poiiica), a native of China, sometimes reaching a height 

 of 80 feet, is hardy as far north as ^Massachusetts. Its 

 blooming period is from July to September when very 

 few trees are in flower. In these months it bears clusters 

 of creamy white, pea-shaped flowers, amid its delicately 

 colored soft foliage. There is a variety of this, pendula. 

 which has slender and gracefully drooping branches. 



Locusts. Robinia pseiidacacia, whose common name 

 is yellow locust, but is also called black locust, forms a 

 large tree sometimes 80 feet in height. This is not only 

 a valuable timber tree, the wood of which is very lasting, 

 but in June it produces in abundance beautiful, fragrant 

 white flowers in drooping racemes among its pinnate 

 leaves. These blooms contain much nectar. 



The locust is a leguminous tree and its blooms are 

 followed by broad seed pods which as well as the seed 

 within them are shaped like those of beans. Of this tree 

 Dante says : 



"Honey and locusts were the food 

 \\'hereon the Baptist in the wilderness fed." 



Horse Chestnuts. The Horse Chestnut {.Icsculus 

 hippocastanum) , a native of Greece and Bulgaria is 

 hardy in the north. The dark green, handsome palmate 

 leaves of this tree aft'ord a heavy shade as early as May 

 and among these in that month appear great Hyacinth- 

 like clusters of flowers making the tree look like an im- 

 mense bouquet. There are several species : hoppocas- 

 tanum bearing white flowers tinted with purple and yel- 



low : ftore pleno a double flowering variety : carnea bear- 

 ing flesh colored, Briotii scarlet flowers and rubicunda, 

 red flowers. Carnea having a rounder head, and Briotii 

 more slender branches than hippocastanum and rubicun- 

 da, are three of the most beautiful flowering trees in cul- 

 tivation. Horse chestnuts thrive best in a cool moist soil 

 on a lawn and where there is some shade, and should 

 not be given a hot and dry location. 



Magnolia Acuminata. There are several large Mag- 

 nolias. The Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata) is 

 indigenous from New York to Georgia and west to 

 Illinois and Arkansas. Where a tall tree is suitable it 

 equals if not surpasses the tulip tree. The glaucous 

 green flowers of this tree, which appear in May and 

 June are followed by cylindrical pink fruit. The species 

 cordata. a native of Georgia and Alabama, is a smaller 

 tree bearing smaller canary yellow flowers. 



Magnolia Grandiflora. The Bull Bay {Magnolia 

 grandiflora) and its several varieties, indigenous from 

 North Carolina to Texas, is a tall evergreen of pyramidal 

 form. This noble tree, sometimes reaching a height of 

 80 feet, produces large white flowers with purple 

 stamens from May to August. This species is not gen- 

 erally hardy north of Philadelphia. 



Campbell's Magnolia. Campbell's magnolia ( Mag- 

 n-olia Campbelli), a native of the Himalayas, is indeed a 

 beautiful tree but hardy only in the south. In May its 

 large flowers appear pink and white within, and crimson 

 without, and are followed by greenish-brown fruits. 

 This is the Alagnolia of which Caroline Gilman writes : 

 "There lowering with imperial pride 

 The rich magnolia stands.'' 



Magnolia Kobus. Magnolia Kobus. a native of Japan, 

 expands its white flowers in April, and they are followed 

 by brown colored fruits. This is one of the hardiest of 

 all the Magnolias but not as free blooming, and showy 

 as most of the other species. 



Magnolia Hypoleuca. Magnolia hypoleuca^ having a 

 broad pyramidal head, sometirnes reaches the height of 

 100 feet. The fragrant white cup-shaped flowers of this 

 tree, six to seven inches across, whose beauty is en- 

 hanced by their scarlet filaments, are followed by bril- 

 liant scarlet fruits eight inches in length. This native 

 of Japan blooms in May and June. 



When we make out next tree planting may we not 

 from these many ornamental flowering trees, presenting 

 such a variety in size and foliage, color and shape of 

 bK)om. an<l in habit of growth, select some which we 

 may plant in jjlace of the usual, omnipresent, large, de- 

 ciduous and evergreen shade trees. 



There is no ho]>e in heaven or earth for the man who 

 knows not the meaning of endeavor. By the measure of 

 each man's endeavor, and by that alone, shall he achieve. 

 Who strives to climb the mountains tops if he strive with 

 a whole soul's tasking, shall in the end stand triumphant 

 at the summit; equally shall he who strives but to climb 

 a mole-hill also arrive. Endeavor is a power with the 

 driving force of electricity, and the vastness of the wind, 

 and. like both of these, its power works unseen. P>y the 

 strength of endeavor all things are possible : how many 

 men rose to the heights of a world-famous success by no 

 other power than that of their own endeavor. — Forbes 



