Prunus caroliniana. Rosaceae. Cherry-Laurel, Mock Orange or
Wild-Orange. Central and Northern areas. Evergreen. Native.

 This tree reaches a maximum height of about 35 feet, forms a
dense round-headed top and thrives on well-drained, fertile soils.
Leaves are glossy green, oblong-lanceolate and 2 to 4 inches long.
Leaves, wood and fruit have a bitter taste from a content of prussic
acid and are poisonous when taken internally. Very small white
flowers borne in racemes 1 to 3 inches long appear in early spring
and are followed by small oblong black fruits which ripen in late fall.

 The dense shade produced by cherry-laurel and its extensive root
system make it difficult to grow flowers and shrubs beneath its
spread. This tree is used extensively as a hedge, a shade tree for
lawn and park, a street tree for narrow streets, for border and screen
planting, a base plant for large buildings and for naturalistic, wood-
land and highway planting. This tree is mildly tolerant of salt spray
and is free of serious insect and disease pests except for a fungus
that may cause decay where the tree is damaged.


 Quercus spp. Fagaceae. Oak. Southern, Central and Northern
areas. Native.

 Native oaks are used for specimen, park, street and roadside
plantings to a greater extent than any other native or introduced tree.
They are well adapted to climate and soils, are relatively free of
attack by insects or diseases, are firm wooded and, because of their
size and growth habit, are admirably suited for ornamental planting.
Within the range of 30 native species are found evergreen and decid-
uous types as well as a wide diversity in mature size, ranging from
small, shrubby specimens to immense trees.

 For general planting evergreen species are chosen almost without
exception. Those most widely planted are live oak, twin live oak and
laurel oak. The water oak is deciduous and is less widely used. Live
and twin live oak are longer-lived than other oaks and are given pref-
erence in landscape plantings. The first 3 oaks listed are found in
nearly all areas other than the extreme south, so they may be properly
selected for planting anywhere except on the Keys.

 The evergreen live oak, Quercus virginiana, is a valued and pic-
 turesque shade tree in Florida (Fig. 48). Leaves are simple, entire,
 thick, elliptical to oblong, up to 5 inches long, shiny above and tomen-
 tose beneath with revolute margins. Live oak has a dense, wide-
 spreading crown on a short trunk terminating in large drooping
 branches. This oak tolerates a wide range of soil conditions but grows
 best on a sandy, well-drained soil. Trees transplant readily, tolerate
 salt spray and high winds, are easy to maintain and relatively free
 of insect and disease problems. Since live oaks are slow-growing and