Walking in the arboretum in the summer months is pleasant because of the shade of the mature trees. There are many varieties of trees that form a canopy sheltering visitors from the hot sun. You can sit on a bench surrounded by the flowers of shrubs, annuals and perennials. Birds sing and call to each other as they fly from tree to tree. It seems to me that this has been an especially good year for birds. I don’t remember hearing so many bird songs before. They sound so cheerful.
As you walk along the brick pathway, you will pass a large tree with four trunks and beautiful blue-green, heart-shaped leaves. This is the Katsuratree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum). The tree shows its age with its handsome shaggy, brown-gray bark. Young trees have a smooth bark. The Katsuratree grows 40 to 60 feet tall and wide. It has a moderate to rapid growth rate and needs plenty of water when young. It likes rich, moist, well-drained soil and full sun. It leafs out early with purplish bronzy spring color. The leaves mature into the beautiful blue-green foliage of summer and turn yellow to apricot to orange in the fall. It flowers in March to April, but the flowers are not showy or fragrant. This tree is native to China and Japan, but does very well here and has good disease and pest resistance. This is a handsome large deciduous tree. It is pyramidal in youth, but matures to a low-branching, multi-trunked tree. It has attractive bark and excellent foliage in spring, summer, and fall. Enter the gardens from the manor house and walk past the ornamental grasses garden. The first large tree on the left is the Katsuratree. You can’t mistake its shaggy bark, multi-trunks, and gorgeous blue-green, heart-shaped foliage. It’s a great tree for our area.
It has a moderate to rapid growth rate and needs plenty of water when young. It likes rich, moist, well-drained soil and full sun. It leafs out early with purplish bronzy spring color. The leaves mature into the beautiful blue-green foliage of summer and turn yellow to apricot to orange in the fall. It flowers in March to April, but the flowers are not showy or fragrant. This tree is native to China and Japan, but does very well here and has good disease and pest resistance. This is a handsome large deciduous tree. It is pyramidal in youth, but matures to a low-branching, multi-trunked tree. It has attractive bark and excellent foliage in spring, summer, and fall. Enter the gardens from the manor house and walk past the ornamental grasses garden. The first large tree on the left is the Katsuratree. You can’t mistake its shaggy bark, multi-trunks, and gorgeous blue-green, heart-shaped foliage. It’s a great tree for our area.