ILLINOIS TREES: SELECTION. PLANTING. AND CARE 



59 



Fig. 58.— The fast- 

 growing Siberian elm 

 is frequently severely 

 damaged by wind and 

 ice storms. Its leaves 

 (inset) are larger and 

 less glossy than leaves 

 of Chinese elm. 



better than the American, English, and Siberian elms. Seeds are 

 produced in the fall on the Chinese elm. 



The heavy, hard, close-grained wood of the elm is relatively 

 tough and is used for many purposes. The wood of the rock elm 

 is resistant to shocks and jars and is used extensively for hockey 

 sticks, farm implement parts, building sills, and other products 

 which are subject to severe strains. 



Ginkgo 



Ginkgo, sometimes called maidenhair or Kew tree {Gmkgo 

 hiloba) , is a tall, hardy, slow-growing naturalized tree (Fig. 59) 

 with a straight trunk and few branches. It reaches a height of 

 80-90 feet with a branch spread of 30-50 feet. It tolerates vari- 

 ous types of soil but prefers an acid soil, withstands dry weather 

 and heat, persists under city conditions, and is resistant to injury 

 from ice and wind. It is used extensively in ornamental plantings, 

 especially as a street or specimen tree. 



The alternate, long-stalked, oddly fan-shaped leaves (Fig. 59 

 inset) are bright to dull green, firm, often two-lobed, and are 1-2 

 inches long, 11/2-3 inches across, and form in clusters of three to 



