The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Landscape Gardening
The purple-leaved beech is a good tree of its color; but one or two will be enough for a very large place. The fern-leaved beech makes a beautiful specimen, being distinctly better than most curiosities of its kind.
BIRCH.—Pyramidal and weeping birches have found many buyers during recent years. However, they partake more of the nature of curiosities than of indigenous trees, and are not to be recommended. Nearly all the native forms and species are good in their place, however, in garden planting, though any of them must be sparingly used. The White birch, Canoe birch and Yellow birch deserve special mention.
CATALPA.—Catalpa speciosa is the species most planted. It makes a small or moderate sized tree, with large foliage, which is quite ornamental; and the species is further desirable for its fine display of flowers. Catalpa bignonioidcs is a good sort less frequently planted.
CEDAR.—The Red cedar, Juniperus virginiana, is a fine ornamental evergreen much used in the western states, but scarcely known in some parts of the east. It is suitable for almost every situation where evergreens may be used; it can be massed with fine effect; it has a very attractive color; and other qualities recommend it for more general notice. The Dwarf cedar, Juniperus communis, is very effective for planting on rough land and in sunny situations. This and the Swiss cedar, the Irish juniper and other nurserymen's varieties, though they can hardly be called trees, being rather shrubs, are very useful in ornamental planting.
COFFEE TREE.—This beautiful ornamental tree, Gymnocladus canadensis, makes a good specimen on almost any lawn. Not more than two or three are usually desirable, but they should not be omitted.
ELM.—The American elm is the typical American tree, and the one indispensable street tree. It is, perhaps, the most generally useful ornamental tree we have. No other elm is so good as the common species, though the following are worth using for special purposes; Slippery elm, Ulmus fulva, English elm, U. campestris, Huntingdon elm, U. huntingdoni, Wych elm, U. montana.
EUCALYPTUS.—This genus has so many species that only an expert can remember the names. Several of them have gained great popularity, especially in California. E. globulus, the Blue Gum, is doubtless the best known, but E. viminalis and E. robusta are good species. In fact the eucalypti are valuable ornamental trees, in spite of all possible objections.
GINKGO —This strange tree, sometimes called the Maidenhair tree, makes an odd and pretty specimen, but is not suited to grouping. It makes a very good street tree when well grown.
HACKBERRY.—Sometimes called Nettle tree, Celtis Occidentalis. This is a good, hardy tree, especially desirable in the western prairie states.
HONEY LOCUST.—This is one of our very best shade and ornamental trees. Its very large thorns, which sometimes prove annoying, may be avoided by securing thornless trees. These thornless trees may be found in almost any nursery.
