Evening star., 1953-11-08
Trees Make a Difference
Proper Planting Will Add to VoIue of Home,
But Care Must Be Used in Selecting Varieties
By w. H. Younemon
GoTden Editor

much more useful in the smaller
area.
The attractive Globe arborvi-
tae has dwarf form, Little
Gem. but still more dwarf is the
species, Umbraculifera. One of
the most attractive dwarf conf
cal evergreens for the sunny sit
uation is the Dwarf Hinoki false
cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa). !.
There are dwarf and very slow
growing varietal forms of most
of the commonly planted ever
green's.
Very few coniferous evergreens
tolerate shade (hemloek and
yew), but there are many broad
leaved evergreens that need
shade-boxwood. holly, Mahonia,
Andromeda (PieriS), azalea,
rhododendron and some of the
priVets. There are many vari-
eties of the broad-leaf evergreens
with varying growth habits
tall growing, WideSpreading and
drawf forms.
Selecting shrubs and trees for
the eastern exposure is perhaps
the easiest of all. Nearly all
plants thrive in morning sun
light. 1t is the southern and
western exposures that limit the
choice. The jumpers as rule
take a hotter, drier situation
than almost any other confer
Gus evergreen Strangely, there
are many desirable varieties OF
the common Virginia red cedar
(JuniperuS virginiana) and that
species is seemingly less subject
to disease and insect troubles
than the other members of the
family. The Pfitzer juniper q.
chinensis pfitzer) is a widely
planted, attractive, low growing
evergreen that could be made
more serviceable by regular
pruning to keep it within bounds.
Infrequent pruning tends to
make it unSightly.
Many Spruce Varieties.
The spruce family is we'll sup
piled with horticultural varieties,
ranging from a weeping form
to dWarfS that resemble an over
sized haSsock, but we are near
the southern limit of adaptation.
Too many troubleS-inSect and
disease-make the use of the
spruce in this area open to de-
bate However, they are attrac-
tive eVergreenS and with protec-
ton from insects and diseases
are satisfactory here.
Somewhat the same problems
exist with the selection of trees.
The height and spread are i'm
portant since they should fit the
new home. Low spreading
houses need trees that carry the
lines. Tall, upright-groWing
trees should be avoided and
spreading trees of moderate
mature height selected as far as
possible. ShalloW-rooted trees,
trees subject to serious disease,
or that have disagreeable fruits
are seldom to be preferred.
Shallow rooted trees make the
growing of grass and shrubs
within root-range difficult. Oaks,
elms, and the sWeetgum are sub
ject to serious diseases. The
ginko, the mulberry because OF
their fruits, and several trees
with large seed pods are gen.
orally looked on as being unde-
sirable. The time to find out
about these faults is before they
are planted. However, there is
no perfect shade tree and our
choice will of necessity be the
one with the fewest objection
able features.
All of these points are made
with the objective of emphasiz-
ing the Importance of learning
about each shrub or tree before
purchase so that when the
foundation and yard are planted,
they will add to the beauty and
satisfaction for many many
years.