OAKS FOR ORNAMENTAL PLANTING 



465 



tween the pin oak and the red oak, and is found native 

 with the others except on the lowest ground and is espe- 

 cially abundant on gravelly or drier soils. It is a round- 

 headed tree with branches spreading without a tendency 

 to droop. The name comes from the brilliancy of color- 



THE PL\ O.^K 



This oak can readily be identified because its leaves are a dark 

 glossy green, and also because they usually hang on all winter. 



ing of the autumn foliage. Its leaves do not hang to the 

 tree after maturity as in the case of the pin oak. It is a 

 desirable tree for lawns, parks and roadside planting. It 

 has been but little used as a street tree and jjossibly may 

 not be adapted to that use except on gravelly soils. 



The Spanish oak is another good tree with foliage of 

 the same general character as the red oak. It is not native 

 as far north as the red oak, and is more common in many 

 parts of the South. It is a more upright tree, with an 

 oval top. It seems to withstand city conditions well and 

 should be tried as a street tree. It is useful on lawns, in 

 parks and along country roads. 



The live oak is the most striking representative of the 

 small leaved group and as already indicated is the most 

 important shade tree near the coast from Norfolk to 

 Galveston and beyond. When mature it is a broad 

 sjjreading tree and when grown on lawns or in parks 

 the branches often come close to the ground, although 

 owing to its good proportions they really are not as 

 low as they at first a])pear. The leaves are about one 



and a half inches long and have smooth edges. They are 

 sometimes broader near the apex. The tree being ever- 

 green is a little harder to transplant than the other 

 southern oaks but it is well worth the extra trouble. 

 Like all oaks they respond to liberal feeding and good 

 care. It is good alike for lawns, parks, roadside and 

 street planting, but on account of its size should be al- 

 lowed plenty of room. The foliage often becomes dull 

 and rusty before the new leaves appear. 



The next most important of the southern oaks is the 

 willow oak. The name comes from the similarity of the 

 leaf to that of the willow. It is also called water oak 

 which name it shares with two other, trees, the laurel 

 oak and the true water oak. In a few places it is also 

 called pin oak. It is a large handsome round headed 

 tree native from eastern Texas to southern Maryland 

 and up the Mississippi Valley into Kentucky. It is one 

 of the most important shade trees in all this region 

 even including those portions where the live oak thrives. 



THE SCARLET OAK 



This is not adapted for a street tree but it does very well on 

 gravelly soil and is desirable for lawns, parks and roadside 

 planting. 



It is suitable for lawns, parks, streets, and roadsides. 

 Most of these trees are dug from the woods and swamps 

 in not too careful a manner and the top is cut off so that 

 the tree when set looks like an overgrown beau pole 

 12 or 15 feet high and often two inches through at the 



