A decade later - Fundação Luso-Americana

‘ The existence of these trees in portugal
is linked to the botanical bent of
the upper crust english who lived
in portugal at the time. The members
of the privileged set were determined
to design gardens containing species
that had been discovered under the
patronage of the British aristocracy.
’
and grooves; with the wood being extremely
similar to that of the acacia, but without
its striations and hardness (…) It is a species
worth propagating on a large scale.” 3
Despite the obvious merits of the tulip tree
(which is native to Indiana, Kentucky, and
Tennessee, and was used by the Indians to
make dug-out canoes) and other American
species like the white magnolia, the black
locust, and the catalpa, which were brought
to Portugal throughout the 17 th , 18 th , and
19 th centuries, they were never used on a
66
cuLTure
wide scale or planted
intensively.
Catalpa-planting fever
first hit the US in 1870,
as the species was both
fast-growing and highly-resistant.
Used by
the Muskogee Indians
(also known as the
Creeks), the catalpa
turned out to be a valuable
resource in making
railroad ties for
America’s expanding
railway network. It was
described in Portugal’s Journal of Practical
Horticulture in the late 1800s, but there is
no mention of any large-scale use anywhere
in the country. Even though
Portugal’s inaugural train trip had taken
place on October 28, 1856, the rural
nature of the country led writers to propose
that the northern catalpa be planted
“together with the eucalyptus,” since this
would “clear up humid terrain, lend variety
to the landscape, and contribute greatly
to the country’s material wealth.” 4
detail of a catalpa blossom, 2006.
To some extent, though unconsciously,
they were becoming tacit accomplices to
the destruction of America’s landscape,
which had fallen prey to burgeoning
industrial growth. Dazzled by the prospective
profitability of these “supertrees,”
these writers never once considered
the impact they would have on the country’s
environment.
In an article from the Journal of Practical
Horticulture of 1896, writer M. de Freitas
starts off by praising the ornamental qualities
of the black locust, a native of the
Appalachian Mountains whose leaves have
an “enchanting effect,” and whose flowers
give off a “mild scent” reminiscent of
“orange blossoms.” He concluded that the
black locust tree warranted planting in the
nation’s “woods,” “avenues,” and “public
parks,” as he had seen done in Paris. After
pondering the issue a bit more, he excitedly
proselytizes that they be planted everywhere:
“Landowners, spurred on by the
guarantee of making a profit, should not
disdain this useful advice, but make it their
business to disseminate everywhere this
tree, which today is the most precious one
Parallel no. 6 | FALL | WINTER 2011