Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Signs of spring, 4 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
Interesting what is being said about japanese beetles.

I had two lindens at my former home, a Tilia cordata ‘Bailey’, the Shamrock linden (wow, what a magnificent tree). I went all the way to Wisconsin to get a larger caliper tree, and a Greenspire, which was planted by my community (not my choice, but a nice tree).

Since my community had a program through which they would reimburse you for 50% of the cost of a tree up to $400, I of course got a big Shamrock (a $375 tree at 50% off) and had it professionally planted with the cost savings. I never believed the stuff about a smaller tree growing faster - it took off and got huge. And because it tends to branch close to the ground, it provided great privacy from nosy neighbors. And because it was so big and robust, it held off the japanese beetles quite well. I would plant it again.

But my next door neighbor had a linden that was put in before mine - not sure of the cultivar, but bigger than my tree initially - and japanese beetles just about killed it. The two trees were only about 30 feet apart. True, they never watered or fertilized it. I kept a soaker hose around my tree and made sure it got an inch of water each week, making me wonder if drought stress is a factor in japanese beetle love and affection. Also, I put tree wrap on mine in the winter because of the thin skin of the linden (I had three neighbors who each had a single linden that developed enormous frost cracks).

Pictures 2 and 3 are at the height of japanese beetle season.

In picture 4, there is a sidewalk along the easement. This baby eliminated the gawking.

If I had the room,I would have planted this tree again. There are no lindens in my community. But I didn't, so I put in a new paperbark maple. I had one at my previous house.