Evening star., 1935-04-01

BY JOHN RUSSELL YOUNG.
TEW people realize that in the
l. heart Of the National Capita
there Is a veritable forest o.
L trees.
1t is doubtful If even the
Oldest residents of this city who have
viewed the White House grounds
many times, have any idea of the
number and variety of trees within
the grounds surrounding the Presi-
dents mansion.
Actually, there are in the Is acres
of White House front and rear lawns
345 trees, of 81 different species, some
of them very rare and some from
distant lands.
One of the most famous, and BEAU
tiful, Of the White House trees is the
towering American elm on a mound
just southeast of the rear portico OF
the White House, which was planted
more than 100 years ago by Presi-
dent John Quincy Adams. There
are numerous other elms in the
grounds, but none with the grace
and beauty OF this one.
Andrew Jackson's Magnolias.
There are two huge magnolia trees
very close to the rear portico. which
were planted by President Andrew
Jackson in the 1830s. These are oi
the grandifora type and in the Spring
have a sweet-smelling white flower
These trees are budding now and in
a few days. should the mild weather
continue, will be blooming in their
| full glory.
On the mound not far from the
bandstand in the south grounds is
a stately American oak planted in
1899 by William Mckinley. which,
next to the Adams elm, Is looked upon
as one of the finest specimens OF
shade trees in these grounds.
The supposition Is that practically
every President, while occupying the
White House, planted one or more
trees, but, unfortunately, the records
are not complete.
Lincoln planted two elms along the
roadway leading to the north porticc
and Benjamin Harrison planted ar
oak, Woodrow Wilson an elm anc
Gen. Grant. a orse-chestnut alons
the same roadway. All of these are
hale and hearty today.
Although Theodore Roosevelt wa.
renowned as a lover and student OF
nature and an authority on trees il
does not appear in the incomplete
records Of the White House that HI
planted tree. Rutherford B. Hayes
in 1878. planted an elm in the from
grounds; Grover Cleveland is creditee
with having planted two naples of tn.
sugar variety in the rear grounds
Mckinley, pin oak nearby; Warrer
G. Harding European beech; Benja
min Harrison, a sweet gum, and Cal
vim Coolidge, one Of the few birches
The Hoover Trees.
According to these records, Herber
Hoover is credited with having plante,
more trees than any other President
His contributions were two white oaks
an American elm and a cedar. Thi
cedar, although of the common variet
so well known in the Virginia an,
Maryland section, is doubly histori
because it came from the river farm
of the Washington family near Fred
ericksburg, Va.
Among the rare trees there IS on
at the west gate leading to the en-
trance Of the executive office whicl
attracts The most attention. 1t IS al
acacia. While this tree is known +
be nearly a hundred years old, ther
Is nothing in the records of the Whit
House dealing with it or revealing b
whom it was planted. When this tire
is in full bloom it Is q think of res
beauty. Peculiarly enough its flower
draw humming birds and butterflies 1,
large numbers.
Another tree, when in full bloom
which is always the object of admira
ton, is the Towering Japanese mag
nolia near the entrance gate to tn
grounds on Pennsylvania avenue. Thi
tree is at present bursting in bloom
and in a few days will be at its best
Another popular tree Is the Japanes
weeping cherry in the south ground.
Among some Of the trees unusual t
these parts are two Irish yew tree
in the south grounds and three En-
glish yews, one English holly, fou
witch-hazel, two giant sequoias, trans
planted from the famous redwoo
country Of California, and four fern
leaf beeches.
The maple, of all the White Eous
trees, leads In numbers, there being 3
Of them. There are IS American elm
and 8 English elms, IS oaks, ~ horse
chestnuts. Is Japanese fiowerin
cherries. is white ashes, 10 sycamore,
6 cypress, Is ;indons, IA poplars an,
20 magnolias. There are In addition
six American pines. as well as one o
two trees OF various other species.
Trees and Lawns.
Strangely enough, with all thes
trees. many Of them with wide spread
ing branches, giving dense shade 4
the Summertime, the White Hous
lawn grass thrives remarkably vel
II one described the White Hous
grounds he would first Of all say tina
they were made up Of trees and lawn,
This Is virtually true, because nine
tenths of the ground space is give
over for this purpose, leaving onl
one-tenth for shrubs and flowers an
fountains.
OF course, in this large area tn
flowers Of the White House ground
are somewhat lost at first sight. TIL
flowers are mostly in the rea
grounds, near the house. There ar
in addition, beds near the fountain
In the rear grounds and one In tn
front grounds. A sunken garden ha
been recently added, since the rebuild