Shade Trees for the Northeast 



ant and it can be transplanted readily. 



Panicled goldenrain-tree, another 

 Asiatic species, deserves consideration 

 when some flowering tree of relatively 

 quick growth is needed. It is hardy in 

 central Ohio and in southern New 

 England. The beautiful yellow panicles 

 of flowers are produced in July. 



The Japanese pagodatree, intro- 

 duced from Asia, reaches 50 to 65 feet 

 in height and has a rounded, spreading 

 crown. The leaves are glossy and dark 

 green on the upper surface and soft, 

 hairy, and pale green on the lower sur- 

 face. The tree has an intermediate 

 rate of growth and casts light shade. 

 The attractive, small, yellowish-white 

 flowers are produced in loose, open 

 clusters in midsummer. As far north 

 as Ohio and southern New England 

 the young trees are subject to winter 

 injury but are hardy when mature. 



The paper birch grows rapidly into a 

 medium-sized tree, which is pyramidal 

 in form at first and later becomes 

 irregularly round. It is a fast grower. 

 Its life expectancy in the forest is about 

 80 years, but it may be much less under 

 shade-tree conditions. It is not adapted 

 to street planting although it has been 

 successfully used in parks. It is subject 

 to attack by the bronze birch borer, 

 which limits its use in some localities. 



Silver maple is a large, widespread- 

 ing tree of rapid growth. The leaves 

 are whitish underneath, and when the 

 pendulous branches sway in the breeze 

 the tree has a flowing, silvery appear- 

 ance. The wood is brittle and easily 

 broken, and its roots often clog drain 

 pipes. The silver maple is not recom- 

 mended except for quick effects or for 

 places where better trees will not grow. 



Green ash is a tall, fairly narrow 

 tree of rapid growth. It gives moderate 

 shade. In the Lake States it is a fairly 

 reliable tree that lends variety along 

 streets or on lawns. 



Kentucky coffeetree grows 40 to 60 

 feet tall. The shiny and pale-green leaf- 

 lets turn clear yellow and fall in early 

 autumn. The large brown seed pods 

 hang on the tree through the winter. 

 It is native from western New York 



57 



southward in the Appalachians to 

 Tennessee and westward to southern 

 Minnesota. It also can be grown suc- 

 cessfully as a shade tree in central and 

 southern New England. 



Several other deciduous shade trees 

 are grown in this region but are not so 

 common as those we have described. 



Eastern black walnut is difficult to 

 transplant. Some of the new varieties 

 produce nuts that crack easily. 



Bolleana poplar is a narrow upright 

 tree that can be used for special effects. 

 Most poplars are too short-lived to be 

 a good investment, but this species is 

 better than the Lombardy poplar. 



Golden weeping willow, a pendulous 

 variety, can be used effectively. Amer- 

 ican hornbeam is a good small tree to 

 supplement larger ones. 



Ohio buckeye and common horse- 

 chestnut have good forms and attrac- 

 tive flowers, but are prey to leaf blotch. 



THE NARROW-LEAVED EVERGREENS, 



or conifers as they are more commonly 

 called, are not suitable generally for 

 planting along streets, but they are val- 

 uable as shade trees around the home, 

 particularly in suburban areas, and are 

 ornamental all the year. 



Although the needles may persist 

 for several years and the older parts of 

 the twigs are bare of foliage, once the 

 needles are lost from a conifer they are 

 never replaced as are the leaves of de- 

 ciduous trees. 



The transplanting of some kinds of 

 large evergreens is difficult, losses some- 

 times running as high as 10 or 20 per- 

 cent for the larger trees. 



EASTERN HEMLOCK is one of the 

 most satisfactory evergreens for home 

 planting throughout New England and 

 southward in the highlands. It is a 

 native and sometimes is called Canada 

 hemlock. It is a large tree, 50 to 80 

 feet tall, with long, slender, horizontal 

 branches, which ascend above and 

 droop at the base, forming a broad, 

 pyramidal head. The lowest branches 

 very often extend to the ground. The 

 terminal shoot of the straight trunk 



