Trees and Shrubs in JTorth America. 447 



in foliage and flower, is the white wood Liriodendron Tu- 

 lipifera. Its erect, tall form, large yellow blossoms, and hand- 

 some leaves, have rendered it an universal favorite in Euiope, 

 and there can scarcely be a more stately object to stand as 

 an isolated specimen. The plane or sycamore (Plalanus oc- 

 cidentalis) is too much neglected because it is so common ; 

 but in favorable situations, in deep soils, and where ample 

 room is aflbrded, it produces a noble tree of immense size. 

 Several have been measured on the banks of the Ohio from 

 forty to fifty feet in circumference. 



A native tree, but litle known in our ornamental planta- 

 tions, is the Kentucky coffee, Gymnocladus canadesisis. It 

 is a native of Kentucky and Tennessee, grows to the height of 

 forty feet, and its doubly compound foliage, and very singu- 

 lar appearance when defoliated in the winter months, are well 

 calculated to render it an interesting feature in the landsca[)e. 

 Cupressus distichum (Taxodium Rick.,) the deciduous cy- 

 press, flourishing in vast quantities in the southern parts of the 

 Union, is, though perfectly hardy, and of easy cultivation, but 

 little known in the Northern States.* Its beautiful light green 

 foliage contrasts elegantly with the denser hue of other decid- 

 uous trees, and we are hardly aware of an upright growing 

 tree, better calculated to give variety of color to groups and 

 masses, than this. Catalpa syringasfolia is a most striking or- 

 nament to a lawn, when in the summer months it is loaded 

 with its large clusters of parti-colored flowers. 



But the most splendid, most fragrant, and most celebrated 

 ornamental production of the woods and forests of our coun- 

 try, is yet to be mentioned. It is the unrivalled Magnolm 

 grandiflora, the most magnificent of the genus, a beautiful tree 

 of seventy feet in its native soil, only attains the size of a 

 large shrub in the Middle States, and \\\\\ scarcely withstand 

 the winters of the Northern. But M. acuminata, though not 

 so beautiful, is a fine large tree, sometimes attaining the height 

 of ninety feet. It is abundant in Western New York and Ohio. 

 M. macrophylla is not only remarkable for the beauty of its 

 flowers, but also for the extraordinary size of its leaves ; they 

 having been measured so long as three feet. M. tripetela, 

 the umbrella tree, is also a fine species growing in districts 

 from Georgia to New York ; its large cream-colored flow- 

 ers measure seven or eight inches in diameter. Still more 

 rare, though highly ornamental, are M. cordata and M. au- 

 riculata ; small trees which ought to be indispensable to every 

 collection. The species of smallest stature and most frequent 



*VVe have seen a celebrated specimen in Col. Can's parden, Phila- 

 delphia, 180 feet high, 25 feet in circumference, and 91 years old. 



