106 LONDON TREES 



twigs, the leaves, which are never dull, varying in 

 intensity of colouring with the season, while the pure 

 white flowers open early in March. The Purple-leaved 

 Plum is included in the list of trees that, from experi- 

 ments conducted, is recommended by the Metropolitan 

 Public Gardens Association for planting in London. 

 There are good examples of the Purple Plum in the 

 central parks, as also at Kensington, Chelsea, Fulham, 

 and in Waterlow and Victoria Parks. By the Thames 

 Embankment it likewise does well, and at Poplar and 

 in some of the East End gardens. 



P. molliSy or more correctly P. Americana mollis, has 

 only recently been tried by special request in the 

 London area, and several thriving trees may be seen 

 within a stone's throw of the Royal Mint, where the 

 fumes given off by gold refining are probably the 

 worst in the Metropolis for tree and shrub life 

 generally. It grows about 20 feet high, with serrated 

 leaves and whitish flowers, the most remarkable effect 

 being produced by the mottled appearance of the bark, 

 which is due to small scale-like growths. 



Pterocarya fraxinifolia 



THIS is a comparatively rare tree, one of the 

 largest specimens in London growing by the path 

 side between the Victoria and Alexandra Gates in 

 Hyde Park. In point of size this may be considered 

 a full-grown tree, as in its native country the Pterocarya 

 rarely exceeds 40 or 50 feet in height. The Hyde Park 

 tree is in perfect health and well developed, the branch 

 spread being 51 feet in diameter, while the trunk 

 girths 4 feet 4 inches at a yard from the ground. The 



