THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502230037
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: REMINDERS
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
Despite warnings, suburban and home plantings continue to overuse certain trees, most notably the Bradford pear and honey locust. Strong winds blow apart the Bradford pears, and disease could devastate honey locust, much like leaf spot has taken its toll on the overplanted shrub, the American elm.
``A generation ago, the American elm, (Ulmus americana), was the darling of hundreds of cities and towns,'' says Alan D. Cook of The Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio. ``The tree was tough, tolerant, fast growing, inexpensive and badly (and sadly) overplanted. Then Dutch elm disease struck, and the elms were gone.
Diversification can prevent wipeouts caused by pathogens or environmental causes, Cook says. If you plant 10 trees, it would be wise to use at leave five species, with perhaps no more than three of a kind. If three is your limit, make them all different.
This is an excellent time to plant trees, and one to try is the Prunus mume, which is in bloom now and available in local nurseries, along with many other unusual trees. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ROBERT STIFFLER
Prunus mume blooms in mid-winter.
by CNB