SHADE TREES, Continued 
ELAPHRIUM [26] simaruba. Gumbo-Limbo. Bur- 
sera simaruba. West Indian Birch. Tropical. Na¬ 
tive. A very tall rapid growing tree with spread¬ 
ing head of dark green handsome foliage and 
distinctive brown, papery bark. This subject is 
particularly useful on the keys and the lower sec¬ 
tion of the state as it thrives very well on the 
thin, rocky soils. 
EUCALYPTUS. [27] Sub-tropical. Australia. A 
group of very rapid growing and fairly hardy 
trees especially suited to planting on large prop¬ 
erties. Will stand some exposure to salt air and 
thrive well on fresh fills. The following varieties 
have been found to do well in Florida. 
E. robusta. Swamp Mahogany. Undoubtedly the 
best for Florida planting, the robusta is more 
spreading in habit of growth, making a better 
shade tree than the other varieties. The foliage is 
large, dark green and quite glossy. The bark of 
the tree is rough, dark brown and does not shed 
off like some of the other species. 
E. rostrata. Red Gum. This variety is unusually 
hardy and is grown more generally than the 
other species. It makes a very large tall tree with 
handsome narrow leaves, although the leaves are 
much broader in the young specimens. It prefers 
rather moist soil, but will grow on thin dry soil 
and fills. 
E. rudis. Desert Gum. This species apparently will 
stand more water than most of the group and 
may be planted in areas subject to inundation. 
The leaves are rather thin, rounded, and gray 
green in color. It also appears to be quite 
hardy. 
E. tereticornis. Gray Gum. One of the most rapid 
growing of the group, it is quite valuable in 
Florida where a quick shade is desired. Leaves 
are rather broad in the young plants but become 
thin and lance-shaped as the tree matures. The 
bark is thin, grayish and frequently flakes off in 
thin layers. 
EUGENIA [28] Hookeriana. Australian Bush 
Cherry. Sub-tropical. Australia. This was first 
thought to be a shrub when it was introduced 
but has been found to be a very handsome 
spreading tree with pyramidal top. The foliage 
is small, dark glossy green and as it is quite thick 
it makes a splendid shade tree for the lawn. It 
will also withstand a certain amount of salt 
spray. The new leaves are bright red for a time 
and the clusters of brilliant carmine “cherries” 
that follow the creamy white flowers are very 
attractive in summer. This may also be used as 
a hedge or clipped subject as it stands shearing 
well. 
E. malaccensis. Large Fruited Rose Apple. Trop¬ 
ical. This is more tropical than the Rose Apple 
and has much larger and more luxuriant foliage. 
The pinkish purple flowers are followed by frag¬ 
rant red fruit. A very handsome subject. 
E. myrtifolia. Sub-tropical. Australia. Another form 
of the E. Hookeriana, this type is more slender in 
habit and not so spreading and while it will form 
a fair sized tree eventually, it is more often used 
as a hedge or formal clipped subject. If allowed to 
grow naturally it will form a slender pyramidal 
tree with foliage from the ground up. The leaves 
are rather small, dark green and shining. The 
new growth is brilliant red. Fairly rapid in 
growth it does well on a variety of soils, but 
seems to be a rather heavy feeder. Unlike the 
Hookeriana it does not apparently fruit in Flori¬ 
da, though it blossoms profusely in the spring. 
A splendid lawn subject it is usually planted in 
groups so that it will form a mass of dark green 
all the way up from the ground. 
FICUS [29] altlssima. Lofty Fig. Tropical. India. 
One of the tallest of the Ficus species, the altis- 
sima is very rapid in growth and vigorous. The 
large leathery leaves are a glossy green, rounded 
and beautifully veined with white. It is splendidly 
adapted to street work in the southern part of 
the state, but it should not be planted in narrow 
parkways or too near sewage systems on account 
of the large root system. On a large lawn it is 
particularly beautiful and if left alone it will 
make a spreading tree, sending down aerial roots 
and eventually becoming very like the true ban¬ 
yan. 
F. benjamina. Java Fig. Weeping Laurel. Tropical. 
Malaya. The most graceful of the species the 
weeping laurel is a rather large spreading tree 
with long drooping branches and small dark 
green laurel-like leaves. It is much used as a 
street tree because of its compact habit of 
growth. It is also a very lovely lawn subject and 
particularly beautiful when the long drooping 
branches are covered with the tiny red “figs.” 
Symmetrical in habit of growth it does not form 
the aerial roots as readily as the other types and 
may be kept in bounds very easily. 
F. elastica. Indian Rubber. Tropical. India. This is 
the type grown by florists as an ornamental pot 
plant, but here in Florida it forms a very large 
tree, with large deep green waxy leaves. The new 
leaves are lighter in color and the leaf buds are 
incased in a bright red sheath, making a pleasant 
color contrast. Due to its immense size and great 
height, it is not suited to street planting, and 
should only be used in a situation suited to a tree 
of this sort. Specimens of large size with a num¬ 
ber of “trunks” formed by the aerial roots which 
have reached the ground and started growth are 
found in a great many of the older plantings in 
Florida, and never fail to excite wonder at their 
size and beauty. 
F. elastica variegata. A variegated form of the 
elastica with light green, cream and white varie¬ 
gation. A splendid subject for pot or tub cultnr« 
as it is very slow growing and is not suited to 
outside planting as the lack of chlorophyll in the 
leaves causes them to burn badly if exposed to 
the full sun. 
F. indica. Tropical. Malaya. Very similar to the 
altissima in appearance this variety has some¬ 
what softer leaves, and the new growth is in¬ 
clined to be quite red and covered with a soft 
velvety down. Not quite so rapid in growth as 
the altissima the mature trees are rather difficult 
to tell apart. 
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