Shade trees offer you a 
dignified simplicity and a natural 
charm much to be desired yet so 
often elusive in formal landscape design. In 
their wide range or color, shape, and texture, 
they lend themselves to many different treat. 
ments. As mass plantings, they can offer 
privacy and seclusion, or they can frame a 
vista, or they can serve as a background to 
accent your more showy specimens. Planted 
singly or in small groups they can make your 
property more interesting, and lend it a feeling 
of permanence and stability. 
Ideally, shade trees should show off the in- 
dividuality of your home in its best aspects. 
To achieve this basic purpose, they must be 
judiciously selected as to variety and carefully 
set out according to a predetermined scheme 
of planting. 
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Here again we recommend the services of ] \ 
Mr. Charles Preston, Graduate Landscape s 
Architect, in charge of our Landscaping De- 
partment. He will be only too glad to take up 
your problem with you, help you choose your 
trees, and work out with you a planting design 
to take full advantage of their most desirable 
characteristics. 
MAHOGANY— 
West Indian variety: Small leafed, heavily 
bushy, shapely round - headed trees, rather 
fast growing to 50 feet — 2 to 3 ft. at $1.50, 
African variety: Long shiny pinnate leaves, 
Strikingly red in flush and turning dark 
green, fast growing to 40-50 feet — 6 to 
8 ft. at $10.00. 
FICUS (RUBBER) — 
Majestic, dense and glossy-leafed, fast 
growing trees, some to 75 feet and huge 
spreading, usually with aerial root growth. 
Exotica variety: Small slender leaf and 
weeping growth habit — 3 to 4 ft. at $1.50. 
Nitida variety: “Cuban Laurel”. Small leaf 
and erect growth habit — 3 to 4 ft. at $1.50. 
Pandurata variety: “Fiddle Leaf”, Broad 
blunt leaves on long stiff branches — 2 to 3 
ft. at $2.50. Rubra variety: New version of 
Victorian era “India Rubber Tree” house 
plant, with bright pink and red tinge to new 
growth — 4 to 5 ft. at $10.00. Indica Varie- 
gated variety: Smaller leaf than Rubra, but 
mottled green and white — 2 to 8 ft. at $3.50. 
Philippine variety, new, rare and as yet 
unnamed: Long slender leaves and distinctly 
weeping habit of growth — 3 to 4 ft. at $10.00. 
ROSE APPLE — 
One of the Eugenias, rich and showy, very 
fast growing to 40 feet, spreading, with long 
slender shiny leaves, red turning to green at 
maturity, greenish-white powderpuff bloom 
in spring- followed by pale yellowish “edible” 
fruit with an aroma like a rose. 
' JAMBOLAN (JAVA) PLUM— 
Same general appearance as the Rose Apple 
but faster growing and to greater size — 3 
to 4 ft. at $1.00. 
SAMAN (RAIN TREE)— 
The “Monkey Pod” tree of Hawaii; Poinciana- 
like leaves folding up in the evening, fast 
growing and an immense umbrella of foliage 
at maturity — 8 to 10 ft. at $10.00. 
TAMARIND— 
Poinciana-like leaves, slow growing but a 
beautiful broad weeping monument at 
maturity. Undistinguished bloom followed by 
brown pods used in condiments—6 to 7 ft. 
at $5.00. 
\ AKEE— 
Fast growing, long but stubby pinnate leaves, 
beautiful large specimens at maturity. Fruits 
poisonous if eaten at the wrong stage of 
ripeness — 3 to 4 ft. at $3.50. 
NATIVE TREES 
LIVE OAK AND WATER OAK— 
Many different sizes growing wild near the 
Nursery — dug and moved on special order. 
CEDAR (RED)— 
Thick and bushy, in wide demand for back- 
ground planting or screening. 2 to 3 ft 
at $1.50. 
CYPRESS— 
Seedlings from huge 75 foot specimen 
growing on our Nursery grounds — 4 to 5 
ft. at $2.50. 
GUMBO LIMBO— 
Large bushy headed tree to 50 feet, curious 
peeling red bark — on special order. 
Note: The above plants listed for sale are our smallest 
sizes in each case. Most are available in larger sizes in 
containers and of many of the varieties we have maturing 
field grown plants up to 20 feet tall. : 
Arbitrarily the above list does not include any tropical 
fruit trees or flowering trees which could well qualify as 
shade trees but which are better known for their fruit or 
bloom. These have been included in our previous lists 
appearing in these pages during the past two weekends. 
PALMER NURSERIES 
OSPREY, FLORIDA 
MEMBER: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN, 
FLORIDA NURSERYMEN AND GROWERS ASSNw 
FLORIDA LYCHEE GROWERS ASSN. 
Reprint from Sarasota Herald Tribune, Dec. 5, 1954 
