One generation plants the trees under which another takes its ease (Chinese Proverb)
The tree that stands above the others gets blown down (Chinese proverb)
Bringing China To Your Landscape
Part Four
by Ronald E. Rothhaas Jr.
The Arbor Doctor
I visited the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden the other day with my wife and new daughter. It was a good reminder that one can learn a lot at the zoo about the botanical treasures of China which will grow in our Cincinnati climate.
While most of us naturally think of animals when we think of the zoo, our zoo is just as much a botanical garden. Did you know there is an entire section of our zoo devoted to plants and animals of China? When you come in the front gate, continue straight ahead to the Red Pandas. These native Chinese animals are located in an area planted almost exclusively with trees, shrubs, bamboos, and perennial herbaceous plants of China.
Both areas containing the pandas have a big tree in the center which the pandas are almost always sitting in. One tree is the lacebark, or Chinese, elm, and the other is the goldenraintree. Incidentally, goldenraintrees are growing alongside the Great Wall of China at Badaling.
The goldenraintree which the Red Pandas sit in is a wonderful example of a native Chinese tree you too can grow in your yard. The goldenraintree is named for yellow flowers produced by the tree in summer, a time when many other trees are not blooming. When the very small yellow petals fall from the tree it looks like a gentle Chinese golden rain shower.
These attractive flowers are followed by unique seed pods which look like little Chinese lanterns hanging on the tree. These little lanterns are green in summer and gradually turn a not unattractive brown in the fall and winter. The tree at the zoo retained many of the seed pods during the December Festival of Lights. The seed pods of the goldenraintree would likely be very interesting for children to collect.
Goldenraintree is a rather slow grower which can attain a size of 25 to 40 feet with a rounded crown, but that would take a while. Because the tree is not extremely large or fast growing, it would fit well into most suburban lawns and even has a place in the city. The city of Cincinnati planted them along Ferguson Road and West Tower Drive in Westwood about 20 years ago and many of these trees are still thriving.
Goldenraintrees can be obtained from several local garden centers and landscapers including Earthscapes in Loveland, Holscher and Hackman in Western Hills, and Arbor Doctor.
About the author: Ronald Rothhaas is the proud father of Melanie Fei Min and the husband of Bridget. He owns Arbor Doctor, LLC, which specializes in tree preservation and landscape care.
You may contact him at 513-661-2673 or Ron@ArborDoctor.com