54 



inches long, broader than long, star- 

 shaped with five lobes, thin, smooth, 

 bright green, and glossy. They turn 

 bright red or dark red or scarlet in the 

 autumn; the foliage is attractive and 

 ornamental in summer and autumn. 

 The greenish and rather inconspicuous 

 flower clusters appear in April or May 

 when the leaves are about one-third 

 grown. The fruit ripens in the autumn 

 in ball-like, tough, spiny heads about 1 

 to l/a inches in diameter, which re- 

 main on the tree into the winter. 



Sweetgum is not very readily trans- 

 planted in heavy soils and in its more 

 northern limits, but otherwise it will 

 become easily adjusted to a wide range 

 of soil conditions. All through New 

 England it should be transplanted in 

 early spring. It prefers a moist, well- 

 drained soil, has a moderate growth 

 rate, and will thrive near the seacoast. 

 It reaches maturity in 200 to 300 years 

 in the forest. Sweetgum is adapted to 

 planting in suburban areas both as a 

 street and a lawn tree. It is relatively 

 resistant to fungus diseases as well as 

 to damage from wind or ice storms. 



THE AMERICAN LINDEN, or bass- 

 wood, has been grown to some extent 

 as a shade tree along roadsides, par- 

 ticularly in the suburban areas. Some 

 of the European lindens, however, are 

 usually preferred as lawn or street trees, 

 because of their more ornamental, 

 compact growth. 



American linden is native through- 

 out the Northeast, from the seacoast to 

 altitudes of 1,000 feet. It may attain a 

 height of 50 to 75 feet, sometimes even 

 more than 100 feet, with a straight 

 trunk that is continuous into the 

 crown. The numerous and slender 

 branches are ascending at the top, but 

 tend to be slightly drooping below. 

 They form a dense, broad, rounded 

 crown. The leaves are unequal, heart- 

 shaped, 5 or 6 inches long and almost 

 as wide, thick and firm, dull dark 

 green, and coarsely toothed along the 

 margin. They remain on the trees late 

 in the autumn and turn yellow before 

 falling. The yellowish-white flowers, 



Yearbook of Agriculture 1949 



produced in loose clusters in late June 

 or July after the leaves have developed, 

 are well supplied with a fragrant nec- 

 tar that attracts bees. 



American linden is easily trans- 

 planted, comparatively fast growing, 

 and in the forest reaches maturity in 

 90 to 140 years. It may be relatively 

 short-lived on streets. It prefers a rich, 

 well-drained, and loamy soil, and, like 

 most species of linden, it is intolerant 

 of dry locations or dry climate. It may 

 be used as a shade tree on lawns or 

 along wide streets in suburban areas, 

 provided soil conditions are favorable. 



American linden is susceptible to 

 several leaf diseases but none is usually 

 serious enough to cause lasting injury. 

 A trunk rot, however, which occurs 

 rather frequently, starts near the 

 ground level and advances slowly up- 

 ward. Affected trees are subject to 

 breakage in windstorms and may be- 

 come unsightly at an early age. 



Several species of European linden 

 have proved to be desirable and hardy 

 shade trees in the Northeast. One, 

 the European linden (Tilia europaea, 

 sometimes sold under the name of 

 T. vulgaris), forms a dense, pyramidal 

 head, and its leaves are slightly smaller 

 than those of the American linden. It 

 is widely planted as a shade tree on 

 lawns and along city streets and is 

 relatively tolerant of city conditions. 

 It is susceptible to trunk rot, which 

 makes it subject to wind breakage. 



Another species of similar growth 

 habit is the littleleaf linden, whose 

 leaves are l/> to 2/> inches long and 

 sometimes broader than long. It also 

 grows successfully as a lawn or street 

 tree in suburban areas. 



The silver linden is considered one 

 of the most satisfactory trees for street 

 and lawn planting and is hardy from 

 western Massachusetts and central 

 New York southward. It may reach a 

 height of 100 feet and has upright 

 branches that form a dense, broad, 

 pyramidal head. The leaves, about 2 

 to 4 inches long and almost as broad, 

 are dark green on the upper surface 

 and silvery white below. The small, 



