Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-09
CHOICE IN SHADE TREES
SOME VARIETIES BETTER SUITED
TO LAWNS THAN TO STREETS.
American Elm Displays Exquisite
Grace in Mode OF Branching-A
Unique Importation.

| From the Chicago Chronicle.
| In the selection of trees for planting
choice should be governed by the purpose
i they are expected to serve. Some, as ex-
1 perience has shown, suitable for lawn
| decoration, but are disappointing when
planted upon the street; others are typical
| shade trees, but apparently have none of
| the desirable qualities that recommend
them for the lawn.
| On the street symmetry and grace are
| sought; on the grounds surrounding homes
| more interest attaches to the oddities fur
nished by the nurserymen. In the one
case is the anxiety to secure the best eff
| feet produced by trees when planted in
| continuous rows; in the other each tree is
| independent of its surroundings, and valued
| because of it's own distinguishing charac-
| teristics. On the street uniformity; on the
| lawn diversity.
| The American elm, heads the list as a
/ typical shade tree for street planting.
\ There is exquisite grace In its mode Of
branching. The trunk soon divides into
| several sub-trunks similar in size, and
| these divide and subdivide into like parts
| till the outer branchlets become almost
spraylike in nneness. These branches and
| branchlets all curve outward with the
| symmetry and grace of a great fountain
| In play. The perspective of avenue
| planted with these trees from end to end
| and all alike in size and equally spaced,
| Is superbly beautiful. The flowers of the
elm, although optic small, are unusually
| interesting because of their early opening
| in the spring. even preceding the leaves in
| their development.
Sugar Maple a Good Tree.
| The sugar maple has many good quail
| ties for street planting. The numerous
| slender branches that spring from the
| central trunk have constant upward ten
| dency in their growth and perfect symme-
| try is always preserved. The leaves are
| delicate in their texture and pleasing in
outline. In early spring there is great
| profusion of delicate flower clusters that
| hang in long silken tassels from every
| branchlet, and these are followed with
| the twin seed pods that characterize all
| the naples. In the autumn there is a
| display in leaf coloring, combining all
shades of orange, yellow and scarlet, that
| is not surpassed by any other tree.
| The linden, both the American and the
| European are worthy of a more prominent
place upon streets than has hitherto
| been given them Their system of branching
| is pleasing. and they are especially interest
| ing when in flower, on account of the Gu
| rious ribbon-lke bracts to which the bios
| SONS attached. Our native species is
| the more rapid grower of the two, but its
/
| the seas, develops more symmetrically. The
| European linden is often regular in its
| cone-shaped outline that there is sometimes
| disposition to consider its form the result
of the Skillful use of the pruning shears.
Norway Maple Early Importation.
| The Norway maple one of the ear
| Hest tree immigrants brought to this coun-
! try, but so well has it accommodated itself
| to the changed conditions of It's new home
4
| qualities desired for street planting. Its
| early growth is slow, but there is COM
pensation for this in the interesting fact
| that the winter buds terminating the
| branches, instead of being single, as is
usually the case, are in pairs, thus dou-
| bling the number of branches for the new
| seasons growth 1t is disposed to begin
| throwing out its branches rather low, but
| this tendency can be corrected by judicious
| pruning. The general direction of growth
| of these spreading limbs is lateral in
| marked contrast with the habit in this re-
| spect of its near relative, the sugar maple.
| 1t has a well-filled-in head and the general
| contour is pleasing. The blossoms and the
| fruit are interesting features.
Our plane tree, more Familiarity known
| as the buttonwood is frequently used for
| lawn planting. where sufficient space can
| be spared for its full development It, how
| ever, is too massive and its limbs have too
| wide a spread for street use. The Latin
| name for this tree is PlatanuS occdentalis
or the western plane.
Plane Trees Becoming Popular
| Another species of this tree is native of
| the far east and it has received the APP
! propriate name of Platanus orientals
| meaning the eastern plane. This oriental
| cousin of our buttonwood is becoming quite
| popular for street planting. Its branching
| Is more symmetrical than that of ours and
| the head is better filed This species has the
| same interesting habit as ours of shedding
| its weather stained bark in irregular
| patches, thus revealing the grayish-green or
| creamy white of the new growth beneath.
| sharp divisional lines, give to the plane a
picturesque effect not possessed by any
| O,her tree.
| The ginkgO is another importation from
| the far east Japan has furnished America
| with many interesting and curious trees,
| but the ginkgo, or salisburia, it is fire.
| quently called, is the most remarkable of
| all. 1t has a continuous central trunk, from
| which its long, slender, straight branches
shoot out at odd intervals. The leaf, how
| ever, is It's most peculiar feature In outline
| and Vendtion II IS an exact imitation of the
| frond of the madenhair fern This tree
| has been planted upon the streets of some
| of our cities with happy results. 1t sub
| mits to the most severe pruning and if upon
| the street 1t is carefully pruned and trim
| med for succession of years, until il is
| thoroughly established, it will form a
| symmetrical head and become one of the
| most desirable trees If this continued and
| intelligent treatment is not assured in ad-
| vance the ginkgo should not find a place
| upon our streets. 1t is either the best or
| the poorest tree that can be selected for
| street planting. being entirely dependent
| upon the care training it receives.
/