The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Shrubs And Trees

A Descriptive Review Of The Shrubs And Specimen Trees In The Score-Charte

A Brief Glossary of Descriptive Terms

Compound leaves are those which consist of a number of leaf-like divisions, each one of which is called a leaflet, as in Roses, Locusts and Horse-chestnuts.

Die-back shrubs are those whose tops are likely to be frozen back in winter to somewhere near the base, but which will, nevertheless, flower in the summer on newly produced growth.

Examples, in our climate: Abelia gratidiflora and Vitex (which see).
Digitate leaves are compound leaves with leaflets radiating from one central point, as in the Horse-chestnut.

Dioecious flowers (literally: two-housed) are flowers of one stx, male or female, of which only one kind, never both kinds, occurs in one plant. In the case of shrubs with conspicuous fruit one must, if the flowers are dioecious, make sure to obtain female (fruiting) plants; and there must be always at least one "rooster" to ensure the setting of fruit.

Entire leaves or leaflets are those whose edges are not interrupted by toothings, lobings or incisions.

Opposite leaves are those which are placed on their stems in pairs, opposite to each other, as in Lilacs and Forsythias.

Palmately lobed leaves have lobes extending in directions radiating from one central point, like those of Japanese Maples.

Pinnate leaves are compound leaves with the leaflets placed on opposite sides of a common stalk, like those of Roses. Bi-pinnate leaves have this manner of division once repeated.

Stoloniferous shrubs are those whose branches, upon touching the ground, take root readily.

Suckering shrubs are those which habitually send up shoots from their roots.

While this review is limited in the main to the kinds contained in the Score-Chart, there will be numerous references to additional kinds, both species and, in the case of the Mock-Oranges, Rose of Sharon, etc., to horticultural varieties and hybrids.

The object of this treatment is not to describe the materials in such manner that they can be identified by it, but rather to guide the planter to the main uses in the small home landscape to which the kinds he may see listed by name can be put, if any. It is a job of sorting out the good and the not-so-good, the important and the lesser things, from the viewpoint of a well defined purpose and within the limits of a specified climatic zone, primarily for the benefit of the novice.

Things which, in these evaluations, may fall beyond the limit of usefulness are not thereby declared to be of no value for other purposes or in milder climates.

Not every minor characteristic indicated in the Score-Chart will receive notice here. What is intended in this review is a pointed presentation of the main uses, values and types represented by the subjects.