Trees and shrubs have a special place
in our hearts and our landscapes. As children, we create secret
hideaways in the tangle of an overgrown forsythia and swing on ropes
suspended from a towering oak. Later in life, we anticipate the
first cherry blossoms in spring and enjoy the fiery leaves of sweet
gum or burning bush in fall. We welcome the cool shade beneath a
maple on a sweltering summer's day. In winter, the handsome bark
of the sycamore or the striking silhouette of the weeping willow
provides relief from snowy monotony. Trees and shrubs often become lifelong
companions, so you should choose them with care. In this guide,
we'll introduce deciduous trees and shrubs, suggest ways you can
use them, and outline how you can get started growing them.
WHAT IS A DECIDUOUS TREE OR SHRUB?-
Plants that shed all of their leaves at the end of a growing season
are called deciduous. Maple, ash, birch, pecan, horse chestnut,
and crab apple are a few of the many common deciduous trees. Lilac,
forsythia, hydrangea, mock orange, sumac, flowering quince, and
spirea number among the many handsome deciduous shrubs.
In general, trees have a single main
stem, or trunk, while shrubs have multiple stems. Given that multistemmed
birches are popular landscaping trees, the distinction is not a
hard and fast one. Height isn't much help either. A shrub border
of lilacs can tower over a diminutive flowering cherry tree. Fortunately,
most of us "know" a shrub or a tree when we see one, based
on a commonsense judgment involving height, growth habit, and landscape
use.
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USES IN THE LANDSCAPE-
Trees and shrubs are versatile plants. They can do a lot of work
in the landscape- creating privacy, screening unwanted views, muffling
noise, providing shade, and protecting people, structures, and other
plants from wind and driving rain or snow. Trees and shrubs often
define the boundaries of our property and delineate spaces for recreation,
entertaining, and other activities within those boundaries.
Deciduous trees and shrubs are pleasing
as well as practical. They offer lovely flowers, handsome foliage,
and attractive fruit. There are a wide variety of shapes and sizes,
from ground-hugging shrubs to towering trees. Some trees have a
spreading shape; others form rounded crowns or rise in a pyramid.
Unusual forms, often specially selected and propagated, are popular.
There are columnar English oaks and gingkos, and weeping cherries,
beeches, and willows. Shrubs provide virtually any shape you wish,
either by growing that way naturally or by being trained to do so.
Creating Shade-
Of all the practical services trees render, none is more appreciated
than shading us from the sun. A leafy canopy can lower temperatures
beneath it by 15°F. Properly placed in relation to morning,
midday, or afternoon sun, a tree can make your patio or deck a welcome
haven even in the heat of summer. Morning and early afternoon shade
can prevent the buildup of heat inside your house, too, saving money
on air-condi tioning. In cold-winter areas, deciduous trees are
ideal, as they drop their leaves and allow the sun to warm the house
in winter. You can also plant trees and shrubs to shelter favorite
shade-loving plants.
Consider the kind of shade you desire
when selecting trees. Spreading trees with low branches and lots
of leaves, such as copper beech and Norway maple, cast a deep shade
conducive to solitary mus ings but not to many understory plants.
Smaller leaves and an upright form, as found in birches, provide
a cheerful atmosphere of dappled sunlight encouraging more convivial
gatherings and supportive of a wider range of uriderstory plants.
To create a shade garden, choose trees with deep roots; many plants
have diffculty competing for water and nutrients with shallow-rooted
trees such as maples.
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