332 
Wisl 38, 
An unusual street effect. An avenue of magnolias in Rochester, N. Y. 
also frequently assumes a bright red in 
autumn. Some of our native species are 
very interesting, but have not yet entered 
into general cultivation. 
One drawback to all these members of the 
rose family is that they are more or less 
susceptible to the numerous insect enemies 
and fungus diseases that afflict the varieties 
cultivated for their edible fruits. They 
are particularly liable to be troubled by 
San José scale and, therefore, everyone 
who plants them should be prepared to spray 
them. 
III. FLOWERS OF STRIKING FORM 
The most gorgeous flowering trees suited 
to the middle and lower South are the 
crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia Indica). The 
flowers are deep-crimson, rose, purple, or 
pure white, and are produced in long spikes 
from June until September, covering the 
trees with a perfectly dense mass of flowers. 
They are fairly hardy about Washington 
and can be grown as a shrub as far 
north as New York, but they require 
the climate of the Middle South to reach 
their greatest development and_ profusion 
of flowers. 
A small tree with begonia-like flowers, 
that is but seldom seen outside of Texas, 
is the Texas flowering willow (Chilopsis 
saligna or linearis). The flowers are an 
inch or two long and are borne in long 
racemes in June. The corollas are lobed 
The umbrella tree is characteristic of the South. The ornamental fruits endure all winter 
GARDEN MAGAZINE 
JULY, 1908 
and crimped and those of the typical variety 
are lilac with two yellow stripes. A few 
new forms have lately appeared, some 
having light lavender and others pure 
white flowers. Their greatest value is their 
long blooming period, from June until 
autumn. The tree grows in almost arid 
soil and is not hardy north of Washington. 
The favorite tree of the mimosa type is 
the silk tree (Albizzia Julibissin) commonly 
catalogued as an acacia. It has round 
heads of pale pink flowers and the stamens 
are much longer than the petals, the whole 
forming most graceful terminal panicles. 
It is hardy as far north as Washington. 
A showy yellow-flowered legume is the 
Jerusalem thorn (Parkinsonia aculeata), 
which is particularly striking even when not 
in flower by reason of its bright green bark, 
bipinnate leaves and bright yellow flowers. 
It is hardy along the southern seaboard 
section and grows wild in southwestern 
Texas. 
Few trees are of more rapid growth in 
good soil than Catalpa bignonioides. Its 
flowers are white, washed with purple, and 
are produced in showy clusters in July, a 
period at the North when few other trees are 
in bloom. The western catalpa (C. speciosa) 
blooms earlier. The Chinese form, known 
to nurseryman as C. Bungei, is of dwarf 
growth but is usually top-grafted upon six 
to eight feet stems, when it forms a beautiful 
large, round head of heavy leaves, and its 
flowers are produced in clusters often a foot 
long. It is hardy in New England. 
The famous Texas umbrella tree, or China 
berry, which one sees everywhere in the South 
and California is Meliu Azedarach, var. wm- 
braculiformis. In other words, it is merely a 
more symmetrical variety of the Pride of 
India, which is so called because of its purple- 
lilac flowers, which open early in the 
spring and have the delightful fragrance of 
the lilac; it is of very rapid growth and 
makes a much larger tree than the Texas 
umbrella. It is not hardy north of mid- 
dle Virginia. A few distinct forms have 
also been introduced, but are only of 
botanical value. One has finely-cut, feath- 
ery leaves; another has white flowers; and still 
another, which came from Texas, produces 
flowers throughout the summer but is easily 
killed by a cold of 20 degrees above zero. 
With the beginning of spring the large, 
exquisitely fragrant, blue foxglove-like flow- 
ers of the empress tree (Paulownia impert- 
alis) form a beautiful color contrast with 
those of the peaches and plums. This 
tree is of unusually rapid growth and adapts 
itself to almost all soils that are not too arid. 
While hardy as far north as New Enland, 
it attains greater proportions in the Middle 
South, where its profusion of blooms is 
also increased. The only objection to this 
variety is its numerous seed capsules, which 
mar somewhat the beauty of the tree and 
should be immediately removed after the 
blooming period. The beautiful flowers of 
this tree, unfortunately are often displayed 
against the clear blue sky for a background 
where they seem to disappear, being of 
the same color. 
