Milford chronicle., 1921-04-01
SHADE TREES THAT BLOOM
By Edward Irving Harrington
Editor, Author, Lecturer.


when ye has naething else to dc
ye may be aye sticking in a tree. l
will be growing when ye're sleeping.
Walter Scott.
1t is a fine thing to plant a tree
There is joy in watching it grow, anC
peculiar satisfaction when in la
ter life one can place his hand on tn,
rough bark and say: 81 planted this
tree thirty years ago, or forty Of
fifty, as the case may be. All trees
are worth while, but the owner of &
home soon comes to have a particu.
larly intimate friendship for the shade
tree on his lawn.
While the first purpose of shade
trees is of course to cast shade
there is no reason why you shouldn't
choose the kinds which perform dou-
Bile duty by yielding a profusiOn OF
beautiful flowers in their season
There are many good lawn trees which
have attractive blooms, but perhaps
none is more valuable than the Lin
den Indeed, the Linden is a very un-
usual tree. 1t makes fairly quick
growth, and almost invariably takes
on a symmetrical outline. 1t casts a
dense shade, and it is as useful as any
tree which grows for avenue planting,
especially in the suburbs. No doubt
the best known species is the Ameri-
can Linden or Eastwood, which is at
tractive not only for it's small, yellow
flowers, that fill the air with frag-
rance and attract an army of bees, but
also for its broad, heart-shaped leaves.
This Linden is hardy, will grow in all
most any soil, and is unsurpassed for
lawn planting. A somewhat similar
species is priced all through Europe,
and is responsible for the term, "Un-
ter den Linden" which has been Civ
en- to one of Berlin's most famous
thOrOughfares. 1t is a quick growing
tree of good habits, and well worth
planting here.
Although not quite so good as shade
trees perhaps, the larger Magnolias
compensate for any lack in this re-
spect by their beautiful blooms. Two
good kinds are Magnolia macrophylla
and Magnolia glauca. The former has
the largest leaves and the largest
flowers of any tree that grows outside
the tropics, the leaves often measur-
ing 80 inches long, and the great white
flower cups being a foot across. The
tree is perfectly hardy, but should
have somewhat sheltered position,
because otherwise the leaves are
whipped into strands by high winds.
Magnolia glauca is not quite so snowy,
perhaps, but nevertheless a very fine
tree. In the north it is usually no
more than large shrub, but in the
south makes good sized tree.
Another handsome tree and a rela-
tive of the Magnolia is the Tulip Pop
lar, native tree that does exceeding
ly well almost anywhere. 1t has dark
green foliage, and in June produces
creamy yellow, fragrant tulip like
flowers that are very interesting. This
is a tree which should always be
planted in the spring if possible. If
the Tulip tree has favorable condi- /
tions, it will often reach a height of a |
hundred feet or more, and the straight I
towering trunk makes a most pleas
ing object anywhere.
In quite a different class from the 1
Magnolias, both as to size and general
appearance, the Horsechestnut is still
a tree to be valued for it's blooms. The
fact is not generally known, but the
common Horsechestnut is native of
Greece. The American members of the
family are mostly called Buckeyes.
The big white towering European
is an exceedingly val
liable shade tree, but by preference I
should have location which is not
too dry, for otherwise there seems to
be danger of the leaves turning brown :
in summer.
1t is pleasant to have trees which
flower in summer as well as in the
spring, and the Catalpas usually pro- +
1uce their fine show of blooms in 7
July. For quick blooming lawn trees
The Catalpas are not easily surpass-
ed, and seem to thrive in either dry T
)r moist soil. They do not cast a t
7ery heavy shade, but are ornamental G
md satisfactory in many situations. /
The long pods which succeed the q
blooms always attract attention. For {
| comparatively low growing tree n
Jatalpa speciOsa casts an unusually
vide shadow. It's just the tree toll
make a fine picture on wide, bare
Diece of ground. b
The Kentucky Coffee tree would be
n unusually good lawn tree except ]
or the fact it is very slow in getting d
is leaves in the spring. Where that
ailing is not allowed to score against CT
t, it is distinctly worth getting ac- 8,
uainted with, for it is unusually free al
rom insect pests or fungus troubles,
nd makes a clean, stout growth. The hi
rec will ultimately grow a hundred X
eet high in good soil, and has long
reenish-White flowers in large pam tC
lies at the ends of the branches. Fol- W
wing the flowers come pods which
asemble those of beans and which G,
ften stick to the tree through the B
inter, giving it a very peculiar as
9ct. In Revolutionary times the seeds BIZ
these pods were used for making tb
)ffee, which accounts for the name 81
e tree now bears.
When the ordinary man thinks of SC
lade trees, he thinks of Naples as a fo
after of course, and some of the to-
aples may be included in list of da
ade trees that have attractive flow sp
S. The Norway Maple is the one of
lich I shall mention as being es- tb;
cially worth recommending. 1t is a no
ry cosmopolitan sort of tree for in
spite of it's name is grows all over col
e European continent and thriVes an
st as well here as at home. The flow ere
5, which open before the leaves, are hol
and arranged in att
impact, round clusters. The Norway
Lple is handsome all the year thru, {
d bears the hard conditions of city On
2 unusually well. Moreover it grows %
ter at the seashOre than most of
r native trees.
The japanese Pagoda tree is the
usual name which has been given