SHADE TREES, Continued 
to wind damage. Of spreading habit it forms a 
splendid head of small dark ^een leathery foli¬ 
age. It may be grown with a single trunk or as a 
clump with several stems. The fruit and flowers 
are inconspicuous. 
CALOPHYLLUM [11] inophyllum. Alexandrian 
Laurel. Tropical. Little known as yet this tree 
is fast coming into favor due to its resistance to 
salt spray. The foliage is very attractive and it 
will be a decided addition to beach plantings in 
protected areas. 
CASSIA [12] Beareana. Tropical and sub-tropical 
with protection. This rare form of the Cassia is 
one of the hardier types, standing more cold than 
any except the siamea. A rather small tree with 
handsome dark green pinnate leaves and terminal 
spikes of large yellow flowers making it one of 
the flner additions to lawn or group plantings 
where hardy. It flowers in early spring and again 
in the summer. 
C. Fistula. Golden Shower. Tropical. India. This is 
a small graceful tree with large pinnate leaves 
and racemes of golden yellow flowers in early 
spring. It is much prized in India where it is 
known as the “Indian Laburnum” but is too 
tender to be of use except in the more protected 
sections of the state. 
C. nodosa. Pink Shower. Tropical. India. Undoubt¬ 
edly this variety has the most beautiful foliage 
of the group. It is spreading in form and the 
densely pinnate leaves are lovely all the year; 
and when in full flower during the late spring 
and summer, the masses of large rose pink flow¬ 
ers all along the limbs make it one of our show¬ 
iest tropical trees. 
C. siamea. (C. Floridana.) Tropical. Malay. Rather 
more hardy than most of the tropical species of 
Cassia, this is a quick growing tree with delicate, 
pinnate, bronze-green foliage and clusters of 
small yellow flowers borne several times during 
the year. Not so showy as the others it is, how¬ 
ever, more symmetrical in habit and blooms when 
quite young. 
CASTANOSPERMUM [13] australe. Moreton Bay 
Chestnut. Sub-tropical. Australia. A rather tall 
Showing Casuarina used as hedge, sheared specimens, and 
natural planting 
tree with large shining pinnate leaves and yelloF 
and orange flowers borne in racemes all along 
the branches and upper part of the trunk in early 
spring. It is very handsome and showy. The 
large seed pods resemble a bean and contain from 
three to five chestnut-like seed, said to be palat¬ 
able when roasted, but highly astringent and 
poisonous if eaten raw. 
CASUARINA SPECIES. [14] Australian Pine. 
Beefwood or She-Oak. Tropical and Sub-tropical. 
Australia and Tropical Asia. The Casuarina is 
one of the best known and more widely used of 
all the ornamental trees in Florida; and by the 
use of the different varieties they may be grown 
in almost any section of the state. It may be used 
in hedges, as clipped specimens, for windbreaks, 
as shade trees and for street planting; and in 
fact may be used any place where a tree would 
be used. It thrives in practically any soil and is 
particularly rapid in growth and free of disease. 
C. Cunninghamiana. Hardy (Hardy Australian 
Pine). Almost identical with the rest of the 
species in general appearance, this variety stands 
the cold of the central areas of the state and is 
particularly useful as a windbreak, or hardy 
shade tree in the poorer soil situations. It will not 
stand salt spray or planting too near the beach, 
however, and should be given some protection 
from severe cold when quite young. 
C. equisetifolia. Beefwood. Tropical. Probably the 
most tender of the species, this is particularly 
suited to the coastal region, and will grow along 
the beaches and on salt fills where no other trees 
will. It may be trimmed as a hedge or used as a 
protection for other plants more sensitive to the 
salt spray in beach plantings. It will stand but 
little cold, however, and should never be planted 
where there is danger of freezing. 
C. glauca. Tropical. A glaucous form somewhat 
more dense than C. equisetifolia. 
C. lepidophloia. Sub-tropical. Branches are more 
upright and foliage thicker than other varieties. 
Desirable for ornamental and windbreak pur¬ 
poses. Propagated from suckers. 
CECROPIA [15] palmata. Shakewood. Tropical. 
While usually classed as a fruit this tree is really 
more valuable as an ornamental. It is tall and 
slender with a head of large palmate leaves some¬ 
what resembling the Papaya, and gives a distinc¬ 
tive touch to any tropical planting. The fruits 
resemble drooping “fingers” and taste somewhat 
like the Fig. As it is dioecious several trees should 
be planted together to insure a bearing specimen. 
CEIBA [16] pentandra. (E riodendron anfractuo- 
sum) Kapok. Tropical. One of the most distinc¬ 
tive trees found in the southern part of the state, 
with the large buttressed trunks, and branches in 
whorls around the stem. It requires a large area 
to be grown to best advantage. The trunk is spiny 
when the tree is young but becomes practically 
smooth as it matures. It is deciduous and the 
large pink blooms in summer are very showy. 
This is the source of the Kapok of commerce. 
12 
