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THE DALLAS POST — THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1962
PAGE 3-T
FLOWERING TREES
FOR SUBURBIA
By ROBERT B. CLARK
Small flowering trees are ideally
suited to the average-sized bubur-
ban property. If they are placed
properly and selected wisely, they
can provide bright accents of sea-
_sonal bloom during late winter,
spring, summer, and even early
fall.
A few warm days in March will
bring out the yellow flower clusters
of the Cornelian cherry (Cornus
mas). If the weather remains cool,
the flowers may remain for about
a month, a display that is more
subtle than the bright, sometimes
garish forsythia.
The Cornelian cherry’s shrublike
tendency can be overcome if the
young plant is trained to one or
two stems. Then it will develop into
a tree form and grow twelve to
fifteen feet tall.
The foliage of this dogwood spe-
cies is neat, smooth margined and
dark glossy green. In July, short
stemmed cherrylike red fruits ap-
pear among the leaves but they are
eaten soon by birds. The red au-
tumn foliage drops in October to
reveal budded stems.
Another early-flowering, small
tree is the Kobus magnolia from
Japan. White-petaled, faintly
flowers cover the gray, leafless
branches in mid to late April
Hardy, this magnolia is at its best
in an open spot. In a protected
place the tree may bloom too early
and the flowers would be browned
by late frosts. The pink-flowered
saucer magnolia (M. soulang-
eana) is later blooming.
Cherry Blossoms
For a shower of deep pink bloom
when the grass is new few small
trees can equal the weeping Higan
cherry (Prunus subhirtella pen-
dula). The blossoms may be fea-
tured against the somber backdrop
of spruce, pine or hemlock. This
graceful tree will grow wherever
peaches succeed. There is a double
flowering form which remains in
bloom longer than the common
type. Often rather washed-out pink
forms are offered for sale and the
gardener would do well to visit a
reliable nursery when the trees are
in bloom before ordering.
Amanogawa, which means *“Mil-
ky Way,” is a narrow columnar
form of the oriental flowering cher-
ry. The blooms are double, pale
bluish. The smooth, red-toned bark
and unfolding red leaves make an
enchanting setting for them. Since
this cherry has emphatic vertical
lines, it can accentuate a grouping
or be used instead of Lombardy
poplars where space is limited.
A springtime snowstorm is sug-
gested by the crabapples. There
are many kinds, usually spreading
in habit. They are of medium to
low stature (fifteen to thirty feet
tall), and white or pink in bloom.
Commonest in the eastern states is
the Japanese flowering crab (Mal-
us floribunda). New selections now
are available including Katherine,
a double white, and Dorothea, a
double pink.
America’s contribution to spring-
time beauty is the flowering dog-
white showy bracts are abundant
on the wide spreading branches.
They last for about two weeks in
early May beforetheleaves appear.
These trees rarely reach twenty feet
in height.
The Chinese species (C. kousa)
extends the dogwood blooming sea-
son well into June. The square-
pointed flowers appear after the
leaves have unfolded, creating a
startling effect of summer snow
above the bright green leaves.
Fragrant, feathery white clusters
of flowers are featured in late May
and early June by the white fringe
tree (Chionanthus virginicus). The
male blooms are showier. Like
holly, the fringe tree requires polli-
nation by the flowers of another
tree in order to produce the olive-
like berries which are ‘deep blue,
but not very showy. The foliage of
the fringe tree is handsome but
coarse, so the tree is best placed by
itself.
With its ranks of fringed white
petals that recall the shoulder orna-
ments of Civil War soldiers, the
epaulette tree (Pterostyrax hispida)
can be a conversation piece in any
sheltered garden spot during late
May. The fresh green foliage ex-
pands just as the pendant flower
clusters appear. In July the fuzzy
fruits develop. i
Another attractive May-bloom-
ing member of the storax (styrax).
family is the white-clustered silver-
bell tree (Halesia carolina). The
branchlots of both trees bear shred-
dy bark.
Summer-blooming trees are few
in number but three are notable:
stewartia, sourwood, and the
Chinese scholar tree. The first two
" are native to the Southern Appla-
chian Mountains.
The Stewartias
The mountain stewartia (S.
ovata) bears cup-shaped white
flowers a few at a time during July.
Inside the glistening petals of each
flower is a fringe of orange stamens.
Glossy green leaves make a hand-
.some setting for the blooms. The
variety S. ovata grandiflora, called
the showy stewartia, has larger
flowers with purple stamens. An
oriental species, S. koreana, has
brown bark that flakes offto reveal
green and pink inner bark. Stewar-
tias often have several trunks. Since
stewartias come from southern cli-
mates, they respond to a sheltered
situation in northern gardens.
A hardier southerner is the sour-
wood or sorrel tree (Oxydendrum
arboreum). It has peachlike foliage
and lily of the valleylike flowers.
Flaring strings of white bell-like
blooms appear at the tips of
branches in midsummer. A display
lasts for several weeks while the
flowers change into straw-colored
fruits that remain showy during the
fall foliage season. Sourwood’s au-
tumn leaves rival those of sour gum
or pepperidge in earliness and
glory of color. ?
Summer heat and drought seem
easier to take if there is a Chinese
scholar tree (Sophora japonica) on
the property. This medium-sized
tree trovides welcome shade and
refreshing color with its shiny green
foliage and clusters of pale yellow
flowers. A member of the pea fam-
ily, it thrives in hot dry situations.
The scholar tree is the largest spe-
cies of hardy flowering trees and
one of the last to bloom. 2
Reprinted from
The New York Times.
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The best investment a family
can make is in a home, so say
the nation’s top investment
men. Get your home paid for
first, say the experts, before
you start an investment pro-
gram. -
A good home will increase in
value, these men point out, as
we get more inflation. The rea-
son; the home increases as the
replacement cost goes up.
A new home owner said, “One
thing, I think, that made us buy
right away is that we had rented
for seven years. When we left,
we figured we had paid out over
ten thousand dollars in rent.
And when he left, we took noth-
ing with us.”
If you put ten thousand into -
retirement of a mortgage, a
banker says, you can be pretty
sure you can get your money
back, possibly with a profit.
Most buyers today are looking
for a home with high resale
values, one home builder re-
ports. Most families move into
larger and more expensive
homes as they move up in the
economic scale. So, they want a
home they can sell when they
move and one they can get their
money out of.
What are things to look for in
a new home? A home builder
answers the questions: 1) a good
wood framed home with good
style is the easiest to sell; 2)
have plenty of exposed wood
paneled walls, kitchen cabinets
and ceilings; 3) have plenty of
storage space, especially storage
units in the walls which will re-
place furniture; 4) have wood
floors throughout; 5) make your
home as attractive outside as
possible with 4 good pattern of
wood siding, well designed win-
dows and doors; and, 6) have a
good wood deck for outdoor liv-
ing.
These are features which
most modern buyers want, the
builder said.
Beautiful
5
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