Chapter 11 - Evergreen Trees

Importance in home ornamentation
Transplanting and-pruning
Best varieties.

Evergreen trees are indispensable in some features of ornamental gardening. They are especially valuable for screens and wind-breaks, for a background against which to group trees with beautifully colored leaves or branches, and for winter decoration. The too abundant use of evergreens results in a sombre effect and often to an unhealthy condition if planted too close to the buildings. The limit and scope of this work will allow of the description of only the most beautiful, and those that succeed under a wide range of conditions and are most easily transplanted. Small evergreens should not be planted where teams, persons, or animals passing will brush against them continually during the winter, as they are very easily injured in this way while frozen.

Evergreens may be transplanted at almost any season of the year, but great care needs to be taken that the roots do not become dry by exposure to sun and wind, and if possible a moist day should be selected. Evergreens, like all other trees and shrubs, must have an abundance of plant-food. The annual dressing of compost should be applied to them as much as to the flowering shrubs, at least until they have become thoroughly established. Nearly all are also  benefited by pruning, especially those  that tend to grow into a close spiry form. This is best done in the spring before growth begins, though it may be done at any time with fair success. Among the best of the evergreen trees are:

Spruce, White.                         Pine, Bhotan.
"       Norway.                          "     Swiss Stone.
"       Inverted Norway.             Cypress, Japanese Pea-fruited.
"       Colorado Blue.                 "                "       Thread-like.
Fir, Nordmann's.                      Arbor-vitse, American.
Juniper or Red Cedar.              "        "      Siberian.
"       Prostrate.                         "        "     Pyramidal.
Pine, Austrian.                          "        "      Globe.
"     Weymouth or White.          "        "      Golden.

WHITE SPRUCE (Abies alba).—A native tree of considerable beauty of form, rapid growth, and good color. It is easily transplanted and grows in a variety of soils.

NORWAY SPRUCE (A. excelsa).—The most rapid growing of the spruces and very beautiful while young, but after it reaches the age of 20 years and upwards its lower branches begin to fail and must be cut away. To prevent this in a measure severe heading in of the leader should be practiced, which forces the growth into the lower branches. It grows rapidly even on very poor soil. The weeping variety (A. e., var. inverta) is very unique in form, the branches hanging downward close to the trunk, presenting a very unusual appearance.

COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE (Picea pungens), Fig. 90.— Seedlings of this most beautiful spruce vary very much in color, some being dark green, like the Norway spruce, while others are of the most beautiful glaucous or bluish-green color. Some of these very " blue " specimens may be found in every lot of seedlings, but to obtain them with certainty and in large numbers scions are taken from the best-colored specimens and grafted into the ordinary " pungens " or " excelsa " stocks.    Thus the most perfectly colored specimens become rather expensive. They make most beautiful lawn-trees either singly or in groups of the same species or arranged with others of varying colors.

FIG. 90—Colorado Blue Spruce (Abies pungens).

NOBDMAUN'S FIR (Abies Nordmanniana), Fig. 91.—A slow-growing tree of very dark green color and the most perfect pyramidal growth. The contrast of the new growth in the spring, which is almost golden color, with the very dark color of the old foliage is very beautiful.

RED CEDAR (Juniperus Virginiana).—A native tree generally conical in form, found growing on dry, rocky hillsides, and is very pretty and useful for decorating such places. It takes on more or less of the brownish green, like the arbor-vitas, during the winter.

PROSTRATE JUNIPER (J. sabina, var. procumbens).— Although of rather coarse growth, its prostrate habit makes it valuable for decorating rocky grounds, among ledges and boulders, where it is very effective. The golden variety, the new growth of which is of golden color, is very pretty in contrast with the dark green of the original form.

FIG. 91—Nordsmann's Fir (Abies Nordmanniana).

AUSTRIAN PIKE (Pinus Austriaca), Fig. 92.—This is rather a heavy growing-tree, somewhat resembling our native pitch-pine, but with a more compact growth, longer and darker green leaves, and succeeds in a variety of soils. The most valuable of the hard pines for ornamental purposes, but should not be planted on small places.

FIG 92.—Austrian Pink (Pinns Austrica).

WHITE OE WEYMOUTH PINE (P. strobus).—This is one of the most valuable native trees for a quick growth, growing rapidly in almost any kind of soil. While young it is very beautiful, perfect  in  outline,   and  of a   beautiful glaucous color, but as it reaches maturity it becomes more and more spreading and irregular, which while not unpleasant under some circumstances is not well adapted to use upon the ordinary small lawn.    It is one of the most easily transplanted trees we have, whether taken from the nursery, the pastures, or woods. It stands pruning well and may be trained into a great variety of forms, though in its natural growth while young it possesses more real beauty than any close-shaven or unnaturally trained form.

BHOTAN OK LONG-LEAVED PINE (P. excelsa).—Some-what resembling the last, but with much longer and more beautiful leaves; the form of the tree, however, is not so graceful or regular. Not quite hardy in the Northeastern States.

Swiss STONE-PINE (P. cembra).—This species is very-much like the native white pine in color, but it is more compact in form, making a pyramidal growth.  It is rather slower in growth than the latter species and much more beautiful.

FIG 93.—Japanese Pea-Fruited Cypress (Retinospora picifera).

JAPANESE PEA-FRUITED CYPRESS (Retinospora picifera), Fig. 93.—This is the largest and one of the most hardy of the many species of this genus that have been introduced from Japan. The foliage is dark green and it is somewhat fern-like in the arrangement of its small branches. While young it is compact and very beautiful, but as it reaches maturity it becomes more open and irregular in growth, though it still retains much of its beauty.

JAPANESE THREAD-LIKE CYPRESS (B. filifera).—More beautiful than the last and equally hardy. It is of light green color with thread-like terminal branches and very graceful and perfect in form. One of the most desirable of evergreens of medium size.

AMERICAN ARBOR-VITJE (Thuya occidentalis).—A native tree of beautiful form and color while young, but soon becomes irregular and tends to lose its lower branches as it increases in age. It has produced a great many beautiful forms, some of which are much more valuable than the original type. It should not be planted where there is very great exposure to prevailing winds or where teams, persons, or animals will come in contact with it during the winter when the branches are frozen, for nothing is more destructive to its beauty than contact in zero weather. Among the most valuable varieties are the following:

SIBERIAN ARBOR-VITǼ (T. O., var. Siberica), Fig. 94. —Compact, dwarf, conical in form, of a much darker green than most of the varieties, and it takes on less of the brown color during the winter than any other form of the species; especially valuable for hedges,

PYRAMIDAL ARBOR-VITǼ(T. O., var. pyramidalis).— Of close, compact, pyramidal form, it serves a good purpose where small columnar trees are desired. It is of about the same color as the original type of the species.

GLOBE ABBOR-VITǼ (T. O., var. globosa).—Compact and globular in form, of a dark green color, and valuable for low hedges or for small, low, round-headed trees.

GOLDEN ARBOR-VITǼ (T. O., var. awed).—Several varieties with golden-tipped branches or with the whole foliage of a very light green color are offered by nurserymen, and planted in contrast with dark green varieties they produce a very pleasing effect. Perhaps one objection may be urged against them, as with other trees with yellow foliage, that they have the appearance of sickly trees, but when properly grouped they may be made to tone down sharp contrasts and to add tints to groups not otherwise obtainable.

FIG. 94—Group Of Arbor-VttǼ And Flowering Apple.

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