WEEPING TREES AND THEIR USES
It is not at all easy to define special uses for trees of weeping habit,
but it is safe to use them nearly singly and not in immediate connection
with trees of quite upright form. The point in the weeping tree is a
certain grace of drooping line, such as one enjoys in the drooping
racemes of many of the papilionaceous flowers such as Wistaria,
Laburnum, and Robinia. Nothing is gained by accentuating the peculiarity
by a direct association with trees of an opposite way of growth. It is
better rather to place the weeping trees near rounded masses of shrub
and small tree--for example, a Weeping Birch would group well with a
clump of Rhododendrons.
Near water weeping trees seem to be specially effective. An instance of
this is shown in the familiar Weeping Willow, but one at a time seems as
much as is wanted.
As a general rule, we strongly advocate planting in groups, whether in
the case of trees, shrubs, or flowering plants, but the weeping trees
are less suited for grouping than any others. One Weeping Willow is all
very well, but a whole grove of them would be monotonous and tiresome.
[Illustration: _ELAEAGNUS PUNGENS (Kew)._]
The habit of some of the weeping trees can be directly turned to
account in the making of arbours and pergolas; for by planting the
large-leaved Weeping Elm or the Weeping Ash at the back and on each side
in the case of an arbour, or alternately on each side of the walk for a
pergola, a living shelter may be made in a very few years. The trees in
this case are standards pollarded at about 8 feet from the ground, the
form in which they are generally sent out from the nursery.
[Illustration: _CORNUS MAS VAR. VARIEGATA (Variegated Cornel)._]
Among evergreens the Holly is invaluable. As a rule the weeping or
pendulous varieties are budded on tall stems of the type, and trained
out in an umbrella-like fashion, thus forming a hollow mound of
greenery. In some places, notably at Brookwood in Surrey, pendulous
Hollies have been allowed to grow without any attempt at training. Stout
stems 10 feet to 12 feet high are surmounted by irregular heads, which
droop down 6 feet or 7 feet, leaving several feet at the base of the
stem bare. In winter the long pendulous branches, smothered with bright
red berries, are very pleasant. Facing page 248 is an illustration of a
weeping Holly (_I. Aquifolium var. pendula_) at Kew. Of variegated
weeping Hollies there are _Argentea pendula_ (Perry's Weeping), with
silver variegated leaves; _aurea pendula_ (Waterer's Weeping), with gold
variegated leaves; and _pendula tricolor_. To encourage height rather
than width, it is often necessary to tie up a few of the top shoots,
otherwise they get out of shape; they increase more quickly in width
than height.
(i.) NATURALLY PENDULOUS SPECIES AND VARIETIES, _i.e._ COMING TRUE FROM
SEED
_Asterisk denotes those to choose first._
Tilia (Lime or Linden) petiolaris.
Genista aethnensis (shrubby).
* Prunus pendula (Weeping Japanese Cherry).
Forsythia suspensa (shrubby).
* Salix (Willow) alba caerulea pendula.
,, ,, vitellina pendula.
* ,, ,, babylonica.
,, ,, ,, annularis.
,, ,, ,, Salamoni.
,, ,, elegantissima.
(ii.) PENDULOUS VARIETIES THAT HAVE ORIGINATED AS "SPORTS," PROPAGATED
BY GRAFTS, CUTTINGS, OR LAYERS
* Ilex (Holly) Aquifolium (green and variegated).
Acer (Maple) Negundo pendula.
Rhus Cotinus pendula.
Laburnum vulgare pendulum (Weeping Laburnum).
Cytisus scoparius pendulus.
Caragana (Pea tree) arborescens pendula.
Sophora japonica pendula.
* Prunus Amygdalus pendula (Weeping Almond).
* ,, Avium pendula (Weeping Wild Cherry).
,, acida semperflorens.
* ,, Mahaleb pendula (Weeping Mahaleb Cherry).
,, Padus pendula (Weeping Bird Cherry).
* Crataegus Oxyacantha (Hawthorn), red and white flowered.
Sambucus nigra pendula (Weeping Elder).
* Fraxinus excelsior pendula (Weeping Ash).
,, ,, aurea (golden-leaved) pendula.
,, ,, pendula wentworthii.
,, parviflora pendula.
Ulmus (Elm) americana pendula.
,, ,, campestris pendula.
,, ,, ,, antarctica pendula.
,, ,, ,, suberosa pendula.
,, ,, fulva pendula.
* ,, ,, montana pendula.
,, ,, ,, Pitteursii pendula.
Morus (Mulberry) alba pendula.
* Betula (Birch) alba pendula.
* ,, ,, ,, Youngi.
,, ,, ,, purpurea pendula.
Alnus (Alder) incana pendula.
Carpinus (Hornbeam) Betulus pendula.
Corylus Avellana (Common Hazel) pendula.
Quercus (Oak) pedunculata pendula.
,, ,, rubra pendula.
* Fagus (Beech) sylvatica pendula.
,, ,, ,, miltonensis.
,, ,, ,, remillyensis.
* Salix (Willow) Caprea pendula.
* ,, ,, purpurea pendula.
,, ,, ,, Scharfenbergensis.
,, ,, repens argentea.
* Populus tremula (Aspen) pendula.
* ,, tremuloides pendula.
* ,, grandidentata (American Cotton Poplar).
(iii.) CONIFERS
Cupressus lawsoniana glauca pendula.
,, ,, gracilis pendula.
,, ,, pendula vera.
,, ,, gracillima.
,, nootkatensis pendula.
Cedrus atlantica pendula.
Ginkgo biloba pendula.
Juniperus (Juniper) virginiana pendula.
Larix europaea (Common Larch) pendula.
Thuya orientalis pendula.
,, flagelliformis.
Taxodium distichum (Deciduous Cypress) pendulum.
Tsuga canadensis pendula.
Taxus (Yew) baccata pendula.
,, ,, ,, gracilis pendula.
,, ,, ,, Dovastoni. There is a fine specimen of this in
Barron's nursery at Borrowash.