TREES 



TREES 



1839 



Magnolia. M. grandiflora is justly considered the 

 glory of southern broad-leaved evergreen trees. There 

 are many forms, based on the size and shape of the 

 leaves and the flowers. The superb white flowers, which 

 are seen from May until August and occasionally upon 

 some trees as late as October, vary from 4 to 12 inches 

 in diameter. Thrives as far north as Washington, D. C. 

 M. glauca has white flowers 2 to 3 inches in diameter 

 and delightfully fragrant. — Osmanthus fragrans, var. 

 ruber and O. Aqut 'folium, var. ilicifoliiis, can be trained 

 to single stem. The flowers of the lirst are delicately 

 fragrant and produced twice 

 a year. — Persea Caroli- 

 •nensis. Planted for shade 

 in rich soils in the coast 

 belt. — Photinia serrulata, 

 or Chinese Evergreen 

 Thorn, has white flowers and 

 dark red autumn foliage.— 

 Pru mis Carolinensis. 

 Known south as Carolina 

 Cherry, Carolina Laurel, 

 Mock Orange, etc. One of 

 the most ornamental south- 

 ern trees. — Qnercus Suber. 

 Acorns were distributed by 

 the U. S. Patent Office in 

 1860 and many large trees 

 are now found in several 

 sections of the South, where 

 they have fruited. Some 

 small plantations are made 

 for the purpose of produc- 

 ing cork. It grows well in 

 comparatively poor and 

 stony soils. — Sabal Pal- 

 metto is now freely used for 

 street and avenue planting 

 on the coast. It is conspic- 

 uous for its tropical appear- 

 ance. It is not successful 

 further than 40 miles from 

 the seashore. 



III. Conifers or Nar- 

 row - leaved Evergreens. 



— Abies. Of this section few 

 specimens are found below 

 the Piedmont region. Oc- 

 casionally the Norway 

 spruce grows to a moderate 

 size. — Cedrns Deodara. An 

 admirable tree and of rapid 

 growth, 40 to 50 feet. C. 

 Athtntirii. 25 to 'AO feet. 



— Cunningham ia Sinensis. 

 Foliage resembles an Arau- 

 caria. — Cupressus. 0. sem- 



pervirens has many forms, from the compact, spiral or 

 shaft-like shape to more spreading habit. C. Lusitanica 

 or Cypress of Goa, has numerous forms with foliage of an 

 ashy green and pendulous branches, to others of a more 

 dark tint and rigid form. Of Chamwryparis Lawsoniana 

 there are endless forms, from a compact, erect habit 

 and vivid green foliage to those of open or pendulous 

 shape and with glaucous or golden foliage. C. funebris 

 has varied less in its seedlings.— Juniperus. The 

 Irish Juniper is of fine pyramidal form, and reaches a 

 height of 15 feet. J. excelsa, Chinensis and thurifera 

 differ in the tint of their foliage and are all of tall growth. 

 —Libocedrus decurrens. The California arbor-vitse, 

 with its graceful feathery foliage and conical shape, is 

 one of the most ornamental of conifers.— Pinus. Few 

 of the exotic species are suitable to the South. Pinus 

 ercelsa, or Bhotan Pine, is undoubtedly the best adapted 

 to the middle South of all kinds. — Retinispora is a 

 valuable group of Japanese Cypress, but with the ex- 

 ception of Ii. obtitsa. Fullt'rii, plitinosa and squarrosn 



Veitehii, all are of dwarf habit.— Thuya. The Asiatic 

 section is better adapted to the middle South than the 

 American species. Of the former the best forms are 

 known to nurseries as Biota pyramidalis and var. 

 aurea, reaching a height of 15 to i8 feet. B. Japonica, 

 yar. fill form is (Thuya orientalis) is a remarkable va- 



116 



riety, with thread-like foliage and compact habit to 10 

 to 12 feet. 



In the foregoing list of Coniferre no mention is made 

 of species or varieties of low or shrub-like growth, such 

 as Podocarpus, Cephalotaxus, Thuyopsis, and Sciado- 

 pitys, of which there are many good specimens in 

 various parts of the south. Araucarias are also 

 omitted, owing to their liability of failure from ex- 

 treme heat or other unfavorable climatic conditions. 

 This applies also to Sequoia, and Frenelas (properly 

 Callitris); these frequently make an extraordinarily 



2556. Picturesque old apple trees. 



rapid growth until late in autumn, and are often injured 

 by a cold wave early in winter. p. j, Berckmans. 



Trees on the Great Plains. — The Plains are not abso- 

 lutely treeless, as strangers often suppose, but the whole 

 vast area is dotted here and there with small groves, or 

 narrow belts which fringe the borders of the streams. 

 The number of native species, however, is mueh 

 smaller than in the rich tree flora of the northeastern 

 United States. The number of species cultivated for 

 shade and ornament, for a long time, at least, must be 

 relatively small owing to climatic and other causes. In 

 general the people of the Plains are necessarily more 

 interested at present in planting trees for profit than 

 for pleasure, but in the older parts are already to be 

 found many fine public parks and private grounds. To 

 a large extent, however, their point of view is that of 

 forestry rather than horticulture. 



In studying the forest trees of the Great Plains of 

 central North America we find that most of the species 

 have migrated out upon the Plains from the great for- 

 est body of the Mississippi valley. These trees found 

 their way upon the Plains by way of the forests which 

 border the Missouri river and its tributaries. As we 

 pass down the river, along the eastern edge of the 

 Plains, the forest belt becomes larger and larger, until 



