Shade Trees for the Northeast 



59 



of soil conditions, but it is rather slow 

 in becoming adjusted after it has been 

 transplanted. It prefers a rich, moist, 

 well-drained, gravelly or sandy loam. 

 Even under the most favorable soil 

 conditions, however, the growth of 

 young trees is rather slow. Maturity is 

 reached in 300 years in the forests. 



White fir stands heat and drought 

 well, but in the northern parts of the 

 area late-spring frosts sometimes kill 

 the tender new growth. A disease 

 caused by a fungus that is native on 

 northern balsam fir sometimes kills 

 back the new growth and may seri- 

 ously weaken the trees. For that rea- 

 son it is usually inadvisable to plant 

 the white fir near the balsam fir. 



NIKKO FIR, native in Japan, is one 

 of the most satisfactory firs for shade 

 or ornament and is hardy in central 

 and southern New England. It may 

 reach a height of 50 to 60 feet. It has 

 a straight and tapering trunk with 

 whorled, spreading branches, con- 

 tinuous to the ground. The leaves are 

 narrow, flat, and about an inch long; 

 closely set on the twigs, they spread 

 outward and upward. They are shin- 

 ing, dark green on the upper surface 

 and have two broad white bands on 

 the lower surface, and remain on the 

 twigs for several years. 



Nikko fir may be rather slow in its 

 growth for a few years after trans- 

 planting, but usually is slightly more 

 rapid than the white fir. Although it 

 prefers a rich, moist, and well-drained 

 soil, it will also grow successfully in 

 drier locations and is relatively tol- 

 erant of heat and drought. 



No fungus diseases have been re- 

 ported on Nikko fir in this country. 



ORIENTAL SPRUCE is native in Asia 

 Minor and is hardy in the central part 

 of the region. It makes a graceful and 

 attractive shade tree with a rather nar- 

 row, pyramidal head. The trunk, which 

 may reach a height of 50 to 80 feet, 

 is erect and tapering. It has dense and 

 spreading branches, in whorls, hori- 

 zontal or even slightly ascending above, 



somewhat pendulous below, and con- 

 tinuous to the ground. The leaves are 

 from one-fourth to one-half inch long, 

 closely set on the twigs, four-sided, 

 shining dark green, and blunt at the tip. 

 They remain on the twigs several years. 

 The Oriental spruce is slow growing 

 and is most successful in rich, moist, 

 well-drained soil. It is susceptible to 

 a fungus disease that first attacks the 

 lowest branches of old trees and grad- 

 ually progresses upward. Cankers and 

 dieback of these lowest branches some- 

 times disfigure the trees. 



COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE, native in 

 the western United States, is very well 

 known as a lawn tree throughout the 

 Northeast. It grows 50 to 80 feet in 

 height. Its stout, horizontal branches 

 extend the entire length of the straight, 

 tapering trunk, and form a symmet- 

 rical, pyramidal head. The leaves are 

 four-sided, sharp-pointed, and rigid 

 and spread out from the twigs. They 

 are about an inch long and vary from 

 dull green to bluish green or silvery 

 white. They remain on the twigs for 

 several years, but they tend to lose their 

 silvery color as they age. 



The Colorado blue spruce is slow 

 growing and is tolerant of a wide range 

 of soil conditions. Most satisfactory 

 growth is obtained in rich, moist, well- 

 drained soil. 



The lowest branches of older trees 

 may be seriously injured by the pre- 

 viously mentioned fungus disease on 

 Oriental spruce. The Colorado blue 

 spruce is particularly susceptible to 

 this disease, which causes large resinous 

 cankers and dieback. 



THE NATIVE WHITE SPRUCE is most 

 satisfactory for shade and ornament 

 in the northern parts of the region. 

 It develops into a symmetrical, pyram- 

 idal tree 50 to 60 feet tall, with dense, 

 horizontal, spreading branches that ex- 

 tend to the ground. The leaves are 

 about three-fourths of an inch long, 

 four-sided, crowded on the twigs, 

 slightly curved, light bluish green, and 

 remain on the twigs for several seasons. 



