the American Plum {Prunus americana) . Both of them pro- 
duce rather large fruit, and both are extremely flori- 
ferous in early spring. 
REDBUD 
One hardly thinks of Redbud (Cere is canadensis) as 
anything but a small tree of the wood edge. Actually, it 
has been known to develop a trunk over a foot in diameter, 
and attain a height of over fifty feet when growing in 
the river bottoms. It would not make a shade tree, but 
it should find a spot in every garden. The growth rate 
is rather slow, and if given sufficient room,, it may grow 
to a height of thirty feet in forty years. If allowed to 
grow in this fashion, the trunk will be a foot thick and 
the lowermost branches will sweep the ground. When the 
normal red variety is used with the white variety, (C. c. 
alba) few combinations of plants can equal the beauty of 
these small trees in springtime. Ordinarily, the Redbuds 
are not hard to grow, but they can be seriously injured 
in very dry weather and they should be heavily mulched. 
SASSAFRAS 
Under the conditions which obtained in the virgin 
woodland, the Sassafras (Sassafras officinale) ^^^^^^P^^ 
into just as large a tree as any other member of the lor 
est. The Sassafras is also considered, and most fre- 
quently seen today, as an invader of abandoned fields. 
From this habit, it might be considered as a tree "o* ^^° 
critical of the soil or the site. Actually, it reacneb 
only when grown in good locali- 
imum 
ties. It may then develop a trunk of three feet i" di- 
ameter and exceed a height of seventy feet. The autumnal 
coloration is very good, and the yellow flowers in ear ly 
spring are equally as attractive. The unusual ^oU^f 
and branching habit make it a tree that should be wiaey 
used for Shade. It has only one ^-f'l'\ll%l,Le6 
duce many suckers from the roots. To any one ^ cueees- 
to the Sassafras brush of an abandoned field, tne sb 
tion that it be used as a lawn tree will come as a gr ^^^ 
surprise, but it should be used and should be trie . 
tree has many interesting features and only a le 
habits. 
23 
