| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
Prunus (Rosaceae) |...... |...... |This is a beautiful genus.
| | |As at present constituted
| | |it contains all those trees
| | |which were formerly and in
| | |many places still are
| | |included under the generic
| | |titles of Amygdalus,
| | |Persica, Cerasus, Padus,
| | |&c. The genus is divided
| | |into six sections, viz.,
| | |Amygdalus, which includes
| | |Almonds and Peaches;
| | |Armeniaca, the Apricots;
| | |Prunus, which contains the
| | |true Plums and the
| | |Blackthorn; Cerasus, the
| | |various Cherries; Padus,
| | |the Bird Cherries; and
| | |Laurocerasus, under which
| | |is placed the Cherry
| | |Laurel, Portugal Laurel,
| | |&c. Although these genera
| | |may differ outwardly, yet
| | |they are botanically of the
| | |same character. The genus
| | |is widely spread,
| | |representatives being found
| | |in Europe and through Asia
| | |southward to Persia and
| | |Afghanistan, and eastward
| | |to China and Japan; it is
| | |also well represented in
| | |North America. With the
| | |exception of the section
| | |Laurocerasus, all the
| | |members of the genus are
| | |deciduous trees or shrubs
| | |of various sizes, and most
| | |of them are very beautiful,
| | |especially in spring. A
| | |fairly light well-drained
| | |soil is best. If inclined
| | |to be cold and heavy and is
| | |not very deep, the plums or
| | |any which succeed on the
| | |plum stock, are best, as
| | |they are more
| | |surface-rooting than the
| | |remainder. The presence of
| | |lime in the soil is highly
| | |beneficial to all the
| | |Prunuses and, if not
| | |naturally present, can
| | |easily be given in the form
| | |of old mortar-rubbish
| | |forked in liberally round
| | |them. Propagation is
| | |effected by seeds,
| | |cuttings, layers, or by
| | |budding or grafting.
| | |Details of propagation will
| | |be found with each section.
| | |
P. Amygdalus |Native of |Pink; |This is the Almond, the
(the Almond) |Southern Europe |Spring |tree which foreshadows the
|and the Levant | |coming of spring, its
| | |leafless shoots enveloped
| | |in pink-tinted flowers. In
| | |the southern and central
| | |parts of the country it is
| | |largely grown, especially
| | |in small suburban gardens,
| | |but is not quite hardy
| | |enough for the north,
| | |unless the position is very
| | |favourable. The fruit is
| | |chiefly composed of the
| | |large deeply-pitted stone,
| | |which is only covered with
| | |a thick, tough, woolly
| | |skin. There are five good
| | |varieties: Amara, the
| | |Bitter Almond, with large
| | |white flowers tinged with a
| | |soft rose colour in the
| | |centre; dulcis, the Sweet
| | |Almond, with large red
| | |flowers and amongst the
| | |first to open; macrocarpa,
| | |which has larger flowers
| | |and fruits than the type,
| | |but the flowers are of
| | |paler colour; pendula, a
| | |half-weeping variety, deep
| | |pink flowers; persicoides,
| | |a handsome tree, more
| | |upright in growth than the
| | |type, and very free. The
| | |large pink flowers open
| | |somewhat earlier than
| | |those of the common Almond.
| | |
*P. davidiana |China |White or |This is a small tree and
(Amygdalus | |pale rose;|one of the earliest to
davidiana) | |January |bloom; the flowers opening
| |or early |as early as January in mild
| |February |weather, though the middle
| | |or end of February is its
| | |usual flowering time. The
| | |buds are not injured by
| | |frost, but open when the
| | |weather gets milder. The
| | |leaves are broader and of
| | |duller colour than those of
| | |the Almond, but the flowers
| | |are of about the same size
| | |and substance. There are
| | |two forms, alba, white,
| | |which is the best, and
| | |rubra, rose or red.
| | |Beautiful under glass.
| | |
P. incana |Asia Minor |Pale red; |This species is allied to
(Amygdalus incana) | |March and |the pretty P. nana; it is a
| |April |spreading shrub 4 to 6 feet
| | |high with linear leaves
| | |silvery-white underneath.
| | |The flowers are about half
| | |the size of those of the
| | |Almond and freely produced.
| | |
*P. nana (Amygdalus|Eastern Europe |Rose; |This delightful little
nana) |and the southern|March and |shrub is rarely more than 3
|parts of Russia |April |feet high, the thin twiggy
| | |growths being covered every
| | |Spring with rose-coloured
| | |flowers. It makes a
| | |charming bed for the
| | |Spring, and is very easily
| | |increased by layering.
| | |
P. orientalis |Western Asia |Rose; |This shrub grows to a
| |April |height of about 6 feet, but
| | |is not very hardy. So
| | |many, however, enjoy the
| | |beauty of the Almond family
| | |that we include it, as in
| | |many southern gardens it is
| | |happy. The willow-like
| | |leaves are silvery white.
| | |
*P. Persica (the |China, but |Pink; |This beautiful
Peach), (Syn. |formerly |April or |spring-flowering tree needs
Persica vulgaris |considered a |May |no description. It is not
and Amygdalus |native of Persia| |grown, however, so much as
Persica) | | |the various double-flowered
| | |varieties, such as
| | |flore-roseo-pleno and
| | |flore-albo-pleno; the
| | |former has very double
| | |bright rose flowers and the
| | |latter white.
| | |Flore-rubro-pleno is a
| | |double red form. The
| | |variety foliis rubris has
| | |deep purple-coloured
| | |leaves; the flowers are
| | |tinged with the same colour
| | |and the fruits are dark and
| | |freely produced. Magnifica
| | |is a double red-flowered
| | |variety with larger and
| | |finer flowers than the
| | |others, and the finest of
| | |all. All the Almonds are
| | |best propagated by budding
| | |or grafting on suitable
| | |stocks, which are the
| | |common Almond for warm
| | |light soils, and the Plum
| | |for heavier soils and
| | |colder localities. For
| | |budding the Mussel plum
| | |stock is the best to use,
| | |and either the same or the
| | |Myrobella plum for
| | |grafting. The latter is not
| | |usually a good stock for
| | |budding, the bark being too
| | |thin to hold the bud
| | |properly, which objection
| | |does not hold good with the
| | |Mussel plum stock. The
| | |species can also be got
| | |from seeds, and P. nana is
| | |best raised as stated from
| | |layers, or cuttings of
| | |half-ripened wood, which
| | |will strike, though not
| | |very readily.
| | |
P. Armeniaca (the | | |Many of the species in this
Apricots) | | |group are amongst the most
| | |precious flowering shrubs
| | |of the garden. All can be
| | |increased by seed. P.
| | |tomentosa and P. triloba
| | |flore-pleno can also be got
| | |from layers or cuttings.
| | |Half-ripened wood of the
| | |latter will also root
| | |readily, and soon form
| | |sturdy young trees. These
| | |two in particular should
| | |always be on their own
| | |roots: a plum stock kills
| | |them in a few years.
| | |
P. Armeniaca |Northern China |Small, |We mention this because
(common Apricot) | |white, |it is the parent of the
| |opening |various varieties of
| |early in |Apricot.
| |the year, |
| |and |
| |frequently|
| |blackened |
| |by frost |
| | |
*P. Mume |Japan |Rose; |This is a small and pretty
| |early, |tree of upright growth, and
| |before the|the leaves large and
| |leaves |shining green in colour.
| | |There are four varieties,
| | |viz., flore-albo-pleno,
| | |double white;
| | |flore-roseo-pleno, double
| | |bright rose;
| | |flore-rubro-pleno, double
| | |red; and pendula, which
| | |makes a pretty, small,
| | |weeping tree if worked
| | |standard high.
| | |
P. tomentosa |China and Japan |pinkish |This is a pretty, small
| | |branching shrub, with stout
| | |leaves covered with a thick
| | |tomentum; the flowers are
| | |followed by small red
| | |fruits.
| | |
*P. triloba |China |Pink; |The species is not of much
| |March or |account, but the double
| |early |variety flore-pleno is one
| |April |of the most handsome of
| | |flowering shrubs. Its
| | |large, double,
| | |rose-coloured flowers are
| | |produced so profusely that
| | |hardly a leaf is visible.
| | |For a wall it is
| | |invaluable, but in this
| | |position it should only be
| | |pruned immediately after
| | |flowering, the summer
| | |growths being allowed to
| | |develop at will, as this is
| | |the wood that will produce
| | |flowers the following
| | |season.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _PRUNUS JAPONICA. (Syn. P. sinensis.)_]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
Prunus (the Plums) | | |There are several species
| | |of Prunus, but those
| | |mentioned are the most
| | |important for gardens. The
| | |Plums are best grown from
| | |seeds, but if these cannot
| | |be got then they must be
| | |worked upon the Wild,
| | |Mussel, and Myrobella or
| | |Myrobalan Plum. Plum stocks
| | |should be raised from seed.
| | |If got from layers or
| | |suckers they are liable to
| | |throw up suckers from the
| | |base, and ruin the plants
| | |worked on them.
| | |
P. cerasifera |Uncertain, but |Small, |This is the well-known
(P. mirobalana) |probably of |pure |Myrobalan Plum, and the
|Caucasian origin|white; |seedlings are used as
| |Spring |stocks. Its hardiness and
| | |vigour in almost all soils
| | |and climates make it a good
| | |small shrub, and its white
| | |flower-clusters are
| | |delightful in early spring.
| | |The fruits are popular on
| | |the Continent, and are red
| | |in colour. It is used as a
| | |hedge in some places. There
| | |are two varieties, viz.,
| | |angustifolia pendula, which
| | |is half pendulous in
| | |growth, and the well-known
| | |atropurpurea, more often
| | |called *P. Pissardi, which
| | |is a native of Persia, and
| | |has warm purple leaves,
| | |which get darker with age.
| | |The flowers are
| | |rose-tinted. It is a good
| | |shrub for colour, but must
| | |not be too freely planted.
| | |
P. communis |The origin of |White; |The wild plum is mentioned
(Wild Plum) |this plum is |April and |because a well-known tree,
|uncertain; it is|March |but its varieties are more
|stated in some | |beautiful. *Pruneauliana is
|works to be a | |very handsome; its fruit is
|native of | |the prune imported from
|Britain, Europe,| |abroad. It is of upright
|and a part of | |growth, with downy leaves,
|Asia | |and large, pure white
| | |flowers. *P. fl. pl. is
| | |extremely handsome; it has
| | |double flowers. The wild
| | |plum is the same as P.
| | |domestica.
| | |
*P. divaricata |Wide |White; |This is one of the most
|distribution |April or |beautiful of the Plums,
|from Macedonia |late March|but rarely seen. A fine
|Caucasus and |in a mild |example of it is now in
|Persia. |season |the rock garden at Kew,
|Introduced in | |and when the weather is
|1822 | |mild before March is out,
| | |this spreading tree is
| | |enveloped in snowy-white
| | |flowers. But unfortunately
| | |its flowers are sometimes
| | |spoilt by late frosts. The
| | |growth is slender, twiggy,
| | |and dark in colour.
| | |
P. spinosa (the |Britain, and |White |The Sloe or Blackthorn of
Sloe) |Europe, North | |the English hedgerow is
|Asia, &c. | |familiar, but the variety
| | |*flore-pleno is a good
| | |garden shrub; its spreading
| | |Spring shoots are covered
| | |in April with double white
| | |flowers, each like a little
| | |rosette, and longer lasting
| | |than the Sloe of the
| | |English lane. It is as yet
| | |rare in British gardens.
| | |This should be worked on
| | |the type.
| | |
The Cherries | | |A beautiful group of
(Cerasus group) | | |flowering trees. They are
| | |propagated by seeds or by
| | |grafting them on stocks of
| | |the Gean (P. Avium), but
| | |never resort to this
| | |practice if possible to
| | |avoid it. The small-growing
| | |cherries, P. humilis, P.
| | |Jacquemontii, P. japonica,
| | |P. prostrata, and P.
| | |pumila, must be increased
| | |by layers; the Gean stock
| | |kills them.
| | |
P. acida |Europe |White; |P. acida would be little
| |April |heard of if it were not for
| | |its variety, P. a.
| | |semperflorens, (the All
| | |Saints' Cherry), which
| | |blooms twice or thrice in a
| | |season, indeed, keeps up a
| | |scattered succession from
| | |May to September. The first
| | |display of flowers takes
| | |place in April, and in
| | |about two months afterwards
| | |it blooms again. The fruits
| | |are very abundant, and are
| | |scarlet in colour. There
| | |are several other
| | |varieties, but not of much
| | |consequence.
| | |
P. Avium (the |Europe, and a |Pure |The Wild Cherry is pretty,
Gean or Wild |woodland tree |white; |and it is interesting as
Cherry) |in many parts |April and |the parent of the fruiting
|of these Isles |May |cherries, but neither this
| | |species nor its varieties,
| | |decumana, white, the
| | |cut-leaved laciniata, or
| | |the weeping pendula, can
| | |approach the beauty of the
| | |*double white
| | |(flore-pleno), which is one
| | |of the loveliest of all
| | |flowering trees. In late
| | |April the whole tree seems
| | |enveloped in blossom as
| | |white as driven snow, and
| | |it lasts for many days in
| | |this condition. No garden
| | |should be without this
| | |queen of flowering trees.
| | |
P. Cerasus (Dwarf |Europe and |White; |This is not very
or Wild Cherry) |Britain |Spring |interesting, except that it
| | |is one of the parents of
| | |the fruiting cherry, and in
| | |the garden is hardly
| | |wanted, as its
| | |double-flowered varieties
| | |are far more beautiful,
| | |especially *Rhexi
| | |flore-pleno, which has very
| | |double, snow-white,
| | |rosette-shaped flowers. It
| | |is one of the most
| | |beautiful of all the
| | |Cherries, and when grown as
| | |a standard makes a small
| | |and spreading tree of much
| | |charm. It is sometimes
| | |catalogued as C. caproniana
| | |multiplex, C. c.
| | |ranunculiflora, and C.
| | |serotina flore-pleno.
| | |Persicifolia has similar
| | |flowers, but tinged with
| | |rose. C. Cerasus and C.
| | |Avium have much in common,
| | |but the former has smaller
| | |leaves and an acid fruit.
| | |
P. Chamaecerasus |Europe, but long|White |This is a small shrub,
(Siberian Cherry) |grown in English|flowers, |seldom more than 4 feet
|gardens |3/4 in. |high; it has slender
| |across; |branches, shining
| |Spring |dark-green leaves and
| | |flowers, followed by small
| | |reddish-purple acid fruits.
| | |When grown as a standard
| | |it makes a round,
| | |half-drooping and graceful
| | |tree.
| | |
*P. japonica |China and Japan |Double, |This is one of the
| |pure white|prettiest of small shrubs
| | |when in flower. It is very
| | |charming against a wall,
| | |but is a success in the
| | |open, flowering freely, and
| | |for this reason makes an
| | |interesting and beautiful
| | |group. It grows between 3
| | |and 4 feet high, and its
| | |long slender branches are
| | |often weighed down by the
| | |wealth of pure-white
| | |flowers. The leaves are
| | |tinged with red when young.
| | |The flowers of the variety
| | |flore-roseo-pleno are rich
| | |rose; it is a beautiful
| | |shrub. Increase only by
| | |layers or by cuttings;
| | |never graft.
| | |
*P. prostrata |Mountains of the|Bright |Mr. Goldring in the
|Levant |pink; |_Gardener's Magazine_,
| |Spring |April 6, 1901, p. 210,
| | |writes thus of this Cherry:
| | |"I am afraid that this
| | |species, which is a low
| | |shrub from the mountains of
| | |the Levant, is not very
| | |easy to obtain, yet it is
| | |one of the most delightful
| | |of dwarf cherries. It is a
| | |spreading plant with
| | |slender arching branches,
| | |but scarcely prostrate.
| | |The leaves are amongst the
| | |smallest in this group,
| | |being from a half-inch to
| | |one and a half inches long,
| | |and finely toothed. Nor are
| | |the flowers large, being a
| | |half-inch or little more in
| | |diameter, but in their
| | |profusion they almost hide
| | |the branches. The colour is
| | |a bright, and, among
| | |Prunus, unusual shade of
| | |rose. This shrub was known
| | |to Loudon, and was
| | |recommended by him. It has,
| | |indeed, been in cultivation
| | |for nearly one hundred
| | |years, but seems to have
| | |shared the fate of many
| | |other lovely hardy shrubs
| | |in the middle decades of
| | |last century, and almost
| | |passed out of cultivation.
| | |It grows at elevations of
| | |5000 to 6000 feet, and is
| | |perfectly hardy."
| | |
P. pseudo-cerasus |China and Japan |...... |This is a glorious cherry,
(Japanese Cherry) | | |and very popular in Japan;
| | |indeed, it is one of the
| | |most beautiful
| | |introductions we have had
| | |from that land of flowers.
| | |The recent double-flowered
| | |varieties should be in all
| | |gardens, and given a fairly
| | |moist soil and sunny
| | |situation, will bloom well.
| | |P. pseudo-cerasus goes
| | |under several names, such
| | |as Cerasus Sieboldi rubra,
| | |C. Watereri, and others. It
| | |is a small tree here, with
| | |stout greyish branches, and
| | |firm broad serrated leaves.
| | |*J. H. Veitch, with
| | |intense deep rose flowers,
| | |is very charming, and
| | |blooms from a fortnight to
| | |three weeks later than the
| | |type. The brownish-tinted
| | |foliage is quite a feature.
| | |
*P. pendula |Japan |Deep pink;|A beautiful tree of
(Cerasus pendula | |April and |distinct weeping habit, and
rosea) | |May |raised from seed quite
| | |readily, retaining its true
| | |character. The flowers are
| | |borne profusely, and
| | |sometimes open in March. It
| | |is a tree that could be
| | |raised from layers. Mr.
| | |Bean, writing in the
| | |_Garden_ of April 13,
| | |1901, says: "Prunus pendula
| | |is as naturally pendulous
| | |in growth as the Babylonian
| | |Willow is, and it should,
| | |if possible, be obtained on
| | |its own roots. It is an
| | |early flowering
| | |kind--probably the earliest
| | |of the Cherries--being in
| | |bloom as a rule soon after
| | |April comes in. The flowers
| | |are of a lovely shade of
| | |delicate rose, but are not
| | |large. They are, however,
| | |freely borne, especially
| | |after a hot, ripening
| | |Summer and Autumn. In the
| | |United States it succeeds
| | |even better than here, and
| | |by some authorities is
| | |regarded as the loveliest
| | |of Japanese trees
| | |introduced to that country.
| | |So much cannot be said of
| | |it in Britain, but it is
| | |well worth cultivation for
| | |its beauty and earliness."
| | |
*P. serrulata |Introduced from |The |This is one of the most
(Cerasus serrulata)|China about 80 |flowers |ornamental of the Cherries.
|years ago. Also |are in |It is naturally a small
|a native of |large |tree with a rather loose
|Japan |loose |habit, and is peculiar by
| |heads, and|reason of its short-jointed
| |are white,|stunted-looking branches.
| |or white |The leaves are fairly large
| |suffused |and very evenly serrated.
| |more or |For lawns or shrubberies it
| |less |is excellent, making a good
| |deeply |companion plant to its own
| |with rose,|countryman, the
| |and 1 inch|large-flowered
| |to 1-1/2 |pseudo-Cerasus and its
| |inch |European cousins, Cerasus
| |across. |and Avium. In addition to
| |End of |being an excellent outdoor
| |April |tree, it may be cultivated
| | |in pots for forcing for the
| | |conservatory in Winter and
| | |Spring.
| | |
*P. Mahaleb |Europe |White; |The Mahaleb is well known
| |April and |for its remarkable
| |May |profusion of pure white
| | |blossom and its free
| | |graceful habit. In the
| | |variety pendula, the
| | |pendent character of the
| | |branches is not unduly
| | |marked, but is sufficient
| | |to add greatly to the
| | |beauty of the tree. It is
| | |not only one of the best of
| | |Cherries, but of all
| | |flowering trees, and is as
| | |well adapted for planting
| | |in groups as it is when
| | |isolated as a single
| | |specimen. The flowers are
| | |borne on short racemes, and
| | |in such abundance as to
| | |envelop the tree in a
| | |snow-white mantle. Every
| | |garden should have at least
| | |one weeping Mahaleb.
| | |
P. Padus (the Bird |Europe, and a |White; |A well-known tree, and
Cherry) |great part of |Spring |frequently seen in
|Asia | |woodlands, where its strong
| | |scent is quickly detected.
| | |It is a shapely tree,
| | |growing 20 feet to 30 feet
| | |high, and has long erect
| | |branches, and in Spring
| | |drooping racemes of flowers
| | |6 inches or more long. The
| | |fruits are small and
| | |shining black in colour.
| | |There are, however, many
| | |poor forms, sometimes with
| | |almost greenish flowers.
| | |Perhaps the most valuable
| | |is the double variety,
| | |flore-pleno, which has very
| | |long racemes and very pure
| | |white. Pendula is a weeping
| | |variety which will, no
| | |doubt, be an acquisition,
| | |but it is of too recent
| | |appearance here to say much
| | |about it. It is curious to
| | |note that there is a
| | |variety (stricta) with an
| | |exactly opposite tendency,
| | |branches and racemes being
| | |quite erect. P. virginiana,
| | |a nearly allied Bird Cherry
| | |from North America, is also
| | |represented by a pendulous
| | |form. P. serotina and its
| | |variety pendula, and the
| | |other members of the Padus
| | |group, are not important.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _PRUNUS SERRULATA IN FLOWER. (Spring.)_]
[Illustration: _THE DOUBLE-FLOWERED BIRD CHERRY. (Prunus Padus fl.
pl.)_]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
LAUROCERASUS | | |
GROUP. | | |
| | |
P. ilicifolia |California |White |A tender evergreen with
| | |holly-like leaves, but only
| | |hardy in warm southern and
| | |western countries. It is a
| | |small bush, 6 feet to 8
| | |feet high, and has short
| | |and erect flower racemes
| | |and deep-green leaves.
| | |
P. Laurocerasus |East Europe |White |A well-known evergreen, too
(Cherry Laurel) | | |freely planted in the past,
| | |and so vigorous as to
| | |over-run the garden in
| | |course of years. The
| | |varieties are more planted
| | |than the type, as they are
| | |handsomer. The most
| | |distinct are Bertini
| | |(latifolia),
| | |camelliaefolia, caucasica,
| | |rotundifolia, and
| | |schipkaensis; the last
| | |mentioned is about the
| | |hardiest.
| | |
*P. lusitanica |Spain and |White |A popular evergreen. There
(Portugal Laurel) |Portugal | |are four
| | |varieties--azorica, which
| | |is very tender; coriacea;
| | |myrtifolia, small narrow
| | |leaves, and bears clipping
| | |well. P. ilicifolia is the
| | |only plant that need be
| | |raised from seed. The
| | |Cherry and Portugal
| | |Laurels, with their
| | |varieties, are usually
| | |propagated by cuttings,
| | |ripened wood of almost any
| | |size being cut into pieces
| | |8 inches or so in length,
| | |and inserted nearly their
| | |full length in the ground.
| | |This can be done from the
| | |time the wood is ripe
| | |enough until the end of the
| | |year. Practically every
| | |cutting will root and make
| | |sturdy plants in a
| | |twelvemonth. The Portugal
| | |Laurel is also largely
| | |raised from seeds, which
| | |are gathered when ripe and
| | |sown immediately without
| | |any preliminary cleaning.
| | |If kept in sand until the
| | |following spring, they
| | |begin to grow before the
| | |season is sufficiently
| | |advanced to sow them, and
| | |if dried, nearly a year is
| | |lost before they germinate.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _PYRUS SINAICA._]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
Pyrus |Rosaceae | |An important and beautiful
| | |genus, as it includes the
| | |Pears, Apples, and Quinces
| | |of the hardy fruit garden,
| | |and such trees as the
| | |Flowering Crabs, the White
| | |Beam tree, Mountain Ash,
| | |and Pyrus japonica. It is
| | |divided into seven
| | |sections, viz., Pyrophorum,
| | |which includes the true
| | |pears; Malus, the Wild Crab
| | |apples, parents of many
| | |garden forms; Aria, of
| | |which the White Beam tree
| | |is a good type; Sorbus, in
| | |which is found the Mountain
| | |Ash; Adenorachis, which
| | |only contains the North
| | |American species, Cydonia,
| | |the Quinces, and Mespilus,
| | |with which is placed the
| | |Medlar. These are found
| | |practically throughout the
| | |northern temperate zone,
| | |under varying conditions,
| | |and with one or two
| | |unimportant exceptions, are
| | |all hardy in this country.
| | |The majority of the Pyrus
| | |are trees of considerable
| | |size. A few are small
| | |trees, and about half a
| | |dozen are low-growing and
| | |dense shrubs. All are
| | |deciduous, and will grow in
| | |ordinary garden soil, but
| | |none of them like a cold
| | |and moist soil and
| | |position. Ground that will
| | |grow Apples and Pears well
| | |will suit the Pyruses,
| | |though they will thrive in
| | |considerably poorer soil
| | |than is recommended for
| | |fruit culture. In planting,
| | |the ground should be deeply
| | |trenched, and the bottom
| | |well broken up, any clay or
| | |gravel that is encountered
| | |being thrown out and
| | |replaced with good soil.
| | |Most of the Pyrus root
| | |deeply, and if the soil is
| | |not properly prepared in
| | |the first place they are
| | |apt to fail and get
| | |cankered. Propagation is
| | |done by seeds, budding, or
| | |grafting, and in a few
| | |cases by suckers. The best
| | |ways are given with each
| | |section.
| | |
PYROPHORUM | | |
GROUP (the True | | |
Pears). | | |
| | |
P. betulaefolia |China and Japan |White; |A small and pretty tree, 15
| |early |feet to 20 feet high, with
| |Spring |leaves somewhat like those
| | |of a Birch in shape, though
| | |rather larger. They are on
| | |long petioles, and have a
| | |pleasing sound when ruffled
| | |by the wind. It does not
| | |flower or fruit much until
| | |well established. The white
| | |flowers are in dense
| | |clusters and appear before
| | |the leaves.
| | |
*P. communis (the |Europe and Asia |White; |As this is widely
Wild Pear) | |Spring |distributed it varies
| | |greatly. The type is more
| | |interesting for its flowers
| | |than for its fruit, which
| | |is hard, gritty, and dry.
| | |It grows 30 to 40 feet
| | |high, and has long
| | |spreading branches, half
| | |pendulous. When the tree is
| | |covered with its white
| | |flowers the effect is very
| | |beautiful. There are
| | |several named varieties,
| | |the best being flore-pleno,
| | |with semi-double flowers;
| | |linearis, with long, narrow
| | |leaves, and pendula,
| | |described by the name.
| | |
P. nivalis |Eastern Europe |White; |A small spreading tree
| |Spring |which flowers in great
| | |abundance; the fruits are
| | |plentifully produced, and
| | |are nearly globular in
| | |shape, and of fairly good
| | |flavour, but dry. The habit
| | |of the tree and shape and
| | |flavour of the fruit
| | |suggest some of the garden
| | |pears. There is a variety
| | |with leaves variegated with
| | |white.
| | |
P. sinaica |Asia Minor |White; |This is one of the few
| |April |species worth growing for
| | |their leaves alone, for
| | |during Spring and Summer it
| | |is quite silvery. Although
| | |about 20 feet high in its
| | |native country, it makes
| | |here, as a rule, a small
| | |bushy stunted tree.
| | |
*P. salicifolia |Levant | |A beautiful tree, about 15
(Willow-leaved | | |feet high, and delightful
Pear) | | |to make groups of for the
| | |sake of its long and narrow
| | |silvery-white leaves. There
| | |is a creeping variety of
| | |it. The flowers are white,
| | |and the fruits small and
| | |woody, neither of much
| | |account. It is the effect
| | |of the foliage that we must
| | |consider, which is very
| | |charming when waving in the
| | |wind. A good tree for
| | |grouping and for small
| | |gardens, and this remark
| | |applies also to the weeping
| | |form. The Pyrophorum group
| | |will come true from seed,
| | |which is the best way of
| | |propagating them. If not
| | |from seeds they can be
| | |worked on stocks of the
| | |Wild Pear, on which they do
| | |fairly well, though much
| | |better on their own roots.
| | |There are other species in
| | |this section, such as P.
| | |auricularis, P. Michauxi,
| | |P. parviflora, P. Pashia,
| | |and P. sinensis, but the
| | |above are the most
| | |important.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _PYRUS SPECTABILIS ON LAWN. (Spring.)_]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
MALUS GROUP (the | | |
Apples). | | |
| | |
*P. baccata |Himalaya to |Rose pink;|A well-known tree, very
(Siberian Crab) |Japan |May |beautiful on the lawn. It
| | |grows 20 feet to 30 feet
| | |high, and as much or more
| | |in diameter, and the
| | |flowers smother every
| | |branch, followed by a
| | |glorious display of
| | |brilliant scarlet fruits,
| | |which are esteemed by some
| | |when preserved. There are
| | |several varieties, of which
| | |three may be mentioned,
| | |Bertini, which is of rather
| | |more upright growth than
| | |the type, and has large
| | |white flowers and scarlet
| | |fruits; and Genuina, which
| | |differs from the type in
| | |its more open growth and
| | |larger fruits. Xanthocarpa
| | |has bright golden fruits.
| | |
*P. coronaria |Eastern United |Rose; |A beautiful and neglected
(American or |States. |May and |tree, 15 feet to 20 feet
Fragrant Crab) |Introduced 1724 |early June|high, with large,
| | |deliciously-fragrant
| | |flowers. It is worth
| | |growing on this account
| | |alone. The leaves are
| | |dark-green and lobed, and
| | |the fruits sweetly scented
| | |and grass-green, not very
| | |ornamental. It should
| | |become more popular in
| | |English gardens. The
| | |variety flore-pleno has
| | |large, almost double, rich
| | |rose-coloured flowers.
| | |
*P. floribunda |Japan |Rose; |A delightful tree and
| |late |happily much planted in
| |Spring and|gardens. It is quite small,
| |early |little more than a graceful
| |Summer |bush, rarely exceeding a
| | |height of 10 feet, wreathed
| | |in flowers in the
| | |appropriate season, the
| | |buds intense crimson, but
| | |opening out a paler shade,
| | |and thus there is a
| | |gradation from one colour
| | |to the other. It should be
| | |freely grouped and planted
| | |in small and large gardens.
| | |The fruits are yellow, and
| | |about the size of a pea.
| | |There are two good
| | |varieties, Atrosanguinea,
| | |which has flowers of much
| | |deeper colour than those of
| | |the type, and flore-pleno
| | |or Malus Parkmanni, as it
| | |is more often called. This
| | |has semi-double red
| | |flowers, and reddish wood
| | |and leaves.
| | |
P. Malus (Crab |Britain; |White; |This is the Crab Apple of
Apple) |Europe and Asia |late |the hedgerow, and although
| |Spring |not very ornamental, three
| | |varieties of it deserve
| | |notice. These are
| | |*coccinea, which has large
| | |scarlet fruits in
| | |abundance;
| | |flore-albo-pleno, with
| | |large semi-double, pure
| | |white flowers, and
| | |Neidzwetzkyanus, a very
| | |handsome form with
| | |purple-tinted leaves and
| | |fruit. But no tree can
| | |become popular with such a
| | |name. We hope it will be
| | |changed. Pendula is welcome
| | |for its drooping growth.
| | |
P. prunifolia |Siberia |Rose; |This much resembles P.
| |late |baccata, and has many
| |Spring |varieties, one of them
| | |named pendula being a
| | |beautiful weeping tree.
| | |
P. Ringo |Japan |Late |A small tree about 20 feet
| |Spring |high, with rather long
| | |spreading branches, and
| | |large flower trusses
| | |followed by bright yellow
| | |fruits. These are sometimes
| | |borne so abundantly that
| | |the branches get weighed
| | |down.
| | |
*P. Schiedeckeri |Supposed hybrid |Soft rose;|This hybrid has for its
|(P. spectabilis,|May |near allies such popular
|*P. Toringo) | |and beautiful plants as
| | |Pyrus floribunda, P.
| | |spectabilis, P. baccata
| | |(Siberian Crab), &c.; yet
| | |it is not inferior in
| | |beauty to any of them. It
| | |is only in recent years
| | |that it has been in
| | |commerce. It has not, of
| | |course, reached its full
| | |size yet in this country,
| | |but it is evidently going
| | |to be a small tree. It is
| | |nearly related to P.
| | |floribunda, but gives every
| | |indication of possessing a
| | |more tree-like character,
| | |its branches being sturdier
| | |and more erect in growth.
| | |But it is for its wealth of
| | |blossom that it is chiefly
| | |remarkable. Even among such
| | |profuse-flowering things as
| | |those of its allies
| | |mentioned above, it is
| | |noteworthy for its
| | |qualities in that respect.
| | |During May, its flowering
| | |season, clean branches 3
| | |feet and even 4 feet long
| | |can be cut, which are
| | |wreathed from end to end
| | |with blossom. The flowers
| | |are semi-double and come in
| | |the usual Apple-like
| | |clusters; each flower is
| | |about 1-1/2 inches across.
| | |
*P. spectabilis |China and Japan |Pink; |A beautiful and fairly well
(Chinese Crab) | |Spring |known tree, 20 feet to 30
| | |feet high, with large
| | |semi-double flowers of much
| | |charm; the fruits are
| | |bright red. Every garden
| | |should possess a group of
| | |it, and at least a single
| | |specimen standing out by
| | |itself, unfettered by trees
| | |or shrubs near. There are
| | |three varieties of note:
| | |flore-pleno-albo, with
| | |white flowers; flore-pleno;
| | |and Kaido, which is a very
| | |charming tree, upright in
| | |growth, and with rose-pink
| | |flowers and yellowish-red
| | |fruits. These trees of the
| | |Malus section are usually
| | |propagated by being budded
| | |or grafted on stocks of the
| | |Common Crab. If any of them
| | |are growing singly away
| | |from other species, then
| | |seeds from them will come
| | |true to name, but where
| | |various species are growing
| | |together they become
| | |crossed when in flower, and
| | |the seedlings result in a
| | |variety of hybrids, few or
| | |none of which are of any
| | |value. But as all of them
| | |succeed very well when
| | |worked on Stocks of the
| | |Common Crab, this is
| | |probably the better way to
| | |propagate them.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _THE SIBERIAN CRAB (Pyrus Malus baccata) SHOWING ITS
BEAUTY ON LAWN._]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
ARIA GROUP (White |...... |...... |A very distinct group.
Beam trees) | | |
| | |
P. Aria (Common |North Temperate |White |A well-known tree,
White Beam tree) |Zone | |frequently seen in chalky
| | |districts. It is a large
| | |tree, 40 to 50 feet high,
| | |and has oval leaves, which
| | |are silvery white on the
| | |under surface. The white
| | |flowers are borne in large
| | |clusters, followed by oval
| | |red or scarlet coloured
| | |fruits. There are several
| | |varieties. Lutescens is
| | |very handsome, with its
| | |broad and silvery leaves;
| | |chrysophylla has leaves of
| | |quite a golden hue; graeca
| | |is a handsome form found in
| | |Greece, it is much later in
| | |flowering and fruiting than
| | |any of the others;
| | |salicifolia has striking
| | |leaves, quite silvery white
| | |underneath.
| | |
P. decaisneana |Origin unknown; |...... |A handsome vigorous tree,
|presumably a | |with oval leaves, 6 inches
|hybrid | |long by 2 to 3 inches
| | |broad, silvery beneath. The
| | |pinkish flowers are on
| | |large dense corymbs,
| | |followed by bright scarlet
| | |fruits. A tree well worth
| | |growing.
| | |
*P. lanata |Himalaya |White |This is better known under
| | |its garden name of Sorbus
| | |majestica, and is perhaps
| | |the most beautiful of this
| | |section of Pyrus. It is an
| | |upright-growing tree, 30
| | |feet to 40 feet high, with
| | |large serrated leaves,
| | |covered beneath with a
| | |dense silvery tomentum. The
| | |flowers are succeeded by
| | |corymbs of intense scarlet
| | |fruit. P. pinnatifida is
| | |also of note for its
| | |silvery leaves.
| | |
P. vestita |Northern India |White |Thoroughly hardy in this
| | |country, and a handsome
| | |tree, met with commonly
| | |under the names of P.
| | |Thomsoni and Sorbus
| | |magnifica. It has large
| | |oval silvery leaves, and is
| | |worth growing for this
| | |reason alone. The white
| | |flowers and scarlet fruit
| | |are an additional charm.
| | |The above are all best
| | |propagated from seeds,
| | |which are freely produced,
| | |and come true to name, with
| | |the exceptions of P. alpina
| | |and P. decaisneana, which,
| | |being hybrids, cannot be
| | |depended on. These two, and
| | |the varieties of P. Aria,
| | |are best worked on stocks
| | |of P. Aria, on which they
| | |succeed very well as a
| | |rule, care being taken to
| | |choose clean, vigorous
| | |stocks with straight stems.
| | |
SORBUS GROUP. | | |
| | |
P. americana |North America |White |This is the American
| | |Mountain Ash, and is not a
| | |great success in this
| | |country. It is of smaller
| | |growth than our Mountain
| | |Ash, and has pinnate leaves
| | |and clusters of red fruit,
| | |which, like those of most
| | |of the Pyruses, are much
| | |liked by birds. There are
| | |several varieties.
| | |
*P. Aucuparia |Native |White; |This adds a brilliant note
(Mountain Ash or | |Spring |of colour to the garden
Rowan tree) | | |landscape in Autumn, and is
| | |the glory of many a Scotch
| | |and Welsh ravine. In the
| | |north the berries are very
| | |rich. There are many
| | |varieties; the best are
| | |asplenifolia, a very
| | |handsome tree, with finer
| | |leaves and more deeply
| | |serrated leaflets than
| | |those of the type; dulcis,
| | |a handsome, vigorous
| | |variety, with bold foliage
| | |and larger fruits than
| | |those of any of the other
| | |Mountain Ashes. Fastigiata
| | |has somewhat the habit of
| | |the Lombardy Poplar; fructu
| | |luteo has bright yellow or
| | |orange fruits, which are
| | |freely borne and very
| | |showy; pendula is a weeping
| | |form with branches that
| | |sweep the ground.
| | |
P. lanuginosa |Eastern Europe |Dull white|This is a showy tree, 30
| | |feet to 40 feet high, with
| | |pinnate leaves, woolly on
| | |both surfaces. The fruits
| | |are red.
| | |
*P. sorbus |Native |White |This is more commonly known
(Service tree) | | |under the names of P.
| | |domestica or Sorbus
| | |domestica, and is like the
| | |Mountain Ash in leaf,
| | |though more spreading in
| | |growth. The flowers are
| | |succeeded by green fruits
| | |about the same size as
| | |those of a Crab Apple.
| | |There are two forms, viz.,
| | |maliformis, with
| | |apple-shaped fruits, and
| | |pyriformis, with fruits
| | |shaped like those of a
| | |pear.
| | |
P. thianschanica |Eastern Asia |White |This is a comparatively new
| | |introduction, but a
| | |valuable tree. It has
| | |reddish-coloured shining
| | |wood and pinnate glossy
| | |leaves, with pointed and
| | |serrated leaflets. The
| | |fruits are small and
| | |scarlet. The above can, and
| | |should, be propagated from
| | |seeds, which germinate
| | |readily, and the seedlings
| | |soon form strong plants.
| | |The varieties of the
| | |Mountain Ash should be
| | |worked on that species,
| | |and, if absolutely
| | |necessary, most of the
| | |other species can be
| | |increased in the same
| | |manner and on the same
| | |stock. We have seen P.
| | |lanuginosa worked on a
| | |Hawthorn stock, on which it
| | |succeeded very well, but
| | |should not recommend the
| | |Hawthorn as a stock for any
| | |of the Pyruses.
| | |
ADENORACHIS | | |Not a very important group,
GROUP. | | |containing two species, P.
| | |arbutifolia and P. nigra.
| | |Both are easily raised from
| | |seeds, but the quicker way
| | |is to detach suckers.
| | |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
CYDONIA | | |
(the Quinces) | | |
| | |
P. cathayensis |China |Rosy red; |Best on a wall as at Kew.
| |late |Bolder in growth than P.
| |Spring, |japonica, but not so hardy.
| |early |Very handsome on a wall.
| |Summer |
| | |
*P. Cydonia (Syn. |Unknown |Flesh |The Quince is for the
Cydonia vulgaris) | | |garden orchard. "How seldom
| | |does one see Quinces
| | |planted for ornament, and
| | |yet there is hardly any
| | |small tree that better
| | |deserves such treatment.
| | |Some Quinces planted about
| | |eight years ago are now
| | |perfect pictures; their
| | |lissome branches, borne
| | |down with the load of great
| | |deep-yellow fruit, and
| | |their leaves turning to a
| | |colour almost as rich and
| | |glowing. The old English
| | |rather round-fruited kind
| | |with the smooth skin is the
| | |best both for flavour and
| | |beauty--a mature tree
| | |without leaves in winter,
| | |has a remarkably graceful,
| | |arching, almost weeping
| | |growth. The other kind is
| | |of a rather more rigid
| | |form, and though its
| | |woolly-coated, pear-shaped
| | |fruits are larger and
| | |strikingly handsome, the
| | |whole tree has a coarse
| | |look, and just lacks the
| | |attractive grace of the
| | |other. They will do fairly
| | |well almost anywhere,
| | |though they prefer a rich
| | |loamy soil, and a cool,
| | |damp, or even swampy
| | |place."--_Wood and Garden_,
| | |p. 128.
| | |
*P. japonica |China and Japan |Scarlet; |A beautiful shrub, one of
| |April, |the most valuable
| |earlier in|introductions that we have
| |some |ever had from China and
| |gardens |Japan. It is the "japonica"
| | |of many a cottage and
| | |villa wall, and in
| | |sheltered warm gardens
| | |begins to bloom before
| | |winter has gone, a bright,
| | |cheery, and welcome shrub
| | |indeed in border or on
| | |wall. It is so well known
| | |that a description is
| | |almost needless, but there
| | |are several varieties, with
| | |considerable range of
| | |colour, from white to
| | |scarlet. We give the six
| | |from the Kew list:
| | |candicans, white;
| | |luteo-viridis, yellow;
| | |Moerloesi, crimson;
| | |nivalis, white; sulphurea
| | |perfecta and versicolor
| | |lutescens, both yellowish.
| | |All the varieties are good,
| | |especially Knap-Hill
| | |scarlet, which is a
| | |brilliant scarlet,
| | |delightful in a group; it
| | |is a most valuable shrub.
| | |Sinica has very showy deep
| | |red flowers.
| | |
*P. Maulei |Japan |Orange |A charming shrub, dwarfer
| |scarlet; |than P. japonica; the
| |May |fruits are yellow, and have
| | |a pleasant aromatic odour,
| | |and, like those of P.
| | |japonica, make an excellent
| | |preserve. Superba is a
| | |variety or rather reputed
| | |hybrid between P. Maulei
| | |and P. japonica, and has
| | |deep scarlet flowers.
| | |
| | |The Quince can be
| | |propagated by seeds, by
| | |cuttings, or by layers.
| | |Cuttings of well-ripened
| | |wood about 9 inches long
| | |should be taken in autumn
| | |and inserted 6 inches in
| | |the ground, when they soon
| | |form roots and make sturdy
| | |plants. P. japonica and P.
| | |Maulei can be increased by
| | |seeds, by suckers, or by
| | |root-cuttings. Suckers are
| | |freely produced by old
| | |plants, and can easily be
| | |detached, so that this
| | |method is the easiest means
| | |of propagating them.
| | |
MESPILUS GROUP. | | |
| | |
*P. germanica |Europe and Asia |Pure |A small tree for the
(the Medlar) (Syn. | |white; |garden, orchard, or
Mespilus vulgaris) | |early |woodland. It is handsome in
| |Summer |leaf and growth, a dense
| | |spreading tree, with fruits
| | |of acceptable flavour when
| | |eaten at the right stage.
| | |
*P. lobata (M. |Unknown; |White |A very handsome but
Smithi; M. |probably a | |neglected tree, about 20
grandiflora) |hybrid | |feet high, with dark-green
| | |leaves and snow-white
| | |flowers, rather smaller
| | |than those of the common
| | |Medlar; it has small
| | |pear-shaped reddish fruits,
| | |and is a good lawn tree.
| | |
| | |These trees are best
| | |propagated by grafting or
| | |budding on the Pear or
| | |Quince stocks, on which
| | |they do well. The Medlar
| | |can also be increased by
| | |seed.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _PYRUS (Mespilus) LOBATA._]
[Illustration: _RHODODENDRONS ARBOREUM HYBRID. (Outdoors, Kew.)_]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
RHODODENDRON | | |
SPECIES. | | |
| | |
Rhododendron |Himalaya; |Bell- |This is a famous Himalayan
arboreum |Ericaceae |shaped, |Rhododendron, a tree
| |various |attaining a height of 40
| |colours-- |feet in its native country.
| |blood-red,|It has bold, thick foliage,
| |white, |green above but quite
| |rose, and,|silvery beneath, and the
| |as a rule,|bell-shaped flowers vary in
| |spotted |colour. There are several
| | |varieties, such as album,
| | |cinnamomeum, kingianum,
| | |Nilagiricum, puniceum, and
| | |others, but difference in
| | |flower colouring is the
| | |chief reason for
| | |distinctive names. Not
| | |hardy except in a few very
| | |favoured spots, chiefly
| | |Cornwall and south-west
| | |generally. Must be grown
| | |under glass, and requires
| | |a big house. Many beautiful
| | |trees in the Temperate
| | |House at Kew.
| | |
R. barbatum |Sikkim |Bell- |This is a tree 40 feet to
| |shaped, |60 feet high in its native
| |blood-red,|country. It is hardier than
| |1-1/2 |R. arboreum.
| |inches |
| |across |
| | |
R. californicum |California |Rose- |This is a strong-growing
| |purple, |Californian species, the
| |upper |leaves dark-green; fairly
| |petal |hardy.
| |spotted |
| |with |
| |greenish |
| |yellow; |
| |broadly |
| |campanu- |
| |late, |
| |almost |
| |without a |
| |tube. Good|
| |sized |
| |umbels; |
| |June |
| | |
R. campanulatum |Himalaya |Lilac, |This is a beautiful
| |with |species, about 4 feet high.
| |purplish |We have seen it in several
| |spots; |Surrey gardens, but it
| |June. |requires shelter. It is not
| |Leaves |one of the hardiest.
| |elliptic |
| |or |
| |elliptic |
| |oblong, |
| |blunt as |
| |a rule at |
| |both ends,|
| |April |
| | |
R. campylocarpum |Himalaya |Bell- |The best hardy yellow
| |shaped, |Rhododendron at present
| |clear, |known is this. It is hardy
| |pale |at Kew in sheltered spots,
| |yellow, 2 |but succeeds better farther
| |inches or |to the south. It is a shrub
| |so across,|of neat compact habit, with
| |in rather |leaves 2 inches to 3 inches
| |loose |long, dark-green and glossy
| |clusters; |above, blue-white beneath.
| |May or |When full of flower it is a
| |late April|singularly pretty and
| | |distinct Rhododendron. It
| | |varies somewhat in shade,
| | |and the flowers are
| | |sometimes of a pale lemon
| | |tint, becoming almost white
| | |with age. The late Mr.
| | |Mangles, we believe, raised
| | |some hybrids from this
| | |species, but we know of
| | |none in commerce.
| | |
R. catawbiense |Mountainous |Good-sized|This is a strong growing
|regions of |heads of |species and one of the
|Southern United |lilac or |hardiest of all
|States |purplish |Rhododendrons, and has
| |flowers; |played a large part in the
| |late May |production of the present
| |and June |race of garden
| | |Rhododendrons, and is with
| | |R. ponticum the best stock
| | |on which to graft the
| | |various varieties, and is
| | |useful for covert. It is
| | |hardier than R. ponticum,
| | |and varieties with much of
| | |the Catawbiense blood in
| | |them are hardier than those
| | |closely allied to other
| | |species. Fastuosum fl. pl.
| | |is a well known form.
| | |
R. caucasicum |Introduced |Rose or |This is a quite hardy
|nearly a century|whitish |Rhododendron. The true
|ago from high |green |species is rare in gardens,
|rocks close to |spotted |but there are several
|the snow-line in|flowers, |forms, and it has been used
|Caucasus |in compact|to a great extent by the
| |and |hybridist. It is dwarf,
| |upright |spreading, little more than
| |clusters |a foot high, with ovate
| | |leaves with brownish
| | |tomentum on the under
| | |surface. It flowers late in
| | |July or in August, but its
| | |progeny is in beauty during
| | |May and June. A hybrid,
| | |which flowers at a
| | |considerable earlier date
| | |than the others, is
| | |nobleanum; it claims R.
| | |arboreum as its other
| | |parent, and flowers from
| | |December onwards until the
| | |end of March. At Kew there
| | |are several large groups in
| | |the Rhododendron dell.
| | |
R. ciliatum |Sikkim |Flowers |This is a Rhododendron
| |are white,|more adapted, except in the
| |suffused |quite southern counties
| |with rose;|such as Cornwall, South
| |April |Wales, &c., for a cold
| |outdoors |house. It is of compact and
| | |bushy growth, 2 feet or 3
| | |feet or less high, but
| | |varies according, of
| | |course, to locality, and is
| | |part responsible for a
| | |number of hybrids, such as
| | |praecox, Rosy Bell, and
| | |Queen of Dwarfs. The
| | |hybrids mentioned are all
| | |hardy, but owing to their
| | |early flowering often get
| | |injured by frost.
| | |
R. cinnabarinum |Himalaya |Flowers |This is a very
| |are |distinct-looking shrub,
| |tubular, |about 3 feet; but only an
| |with |approximate height can be
| |short, |given, as it is sometimes
| |spreading |more than this. The growth
| |limb, |is somewhat loose, and the
| |pendulous,|branches upright and
| |and |slender, the leaves ovate,
| |orange- |2 to 2-1/2 inches long, and
| |scarlet, |glaucous. Only moderately
| |orange, or|hardy.
| |red; they |
| |vary |
| |somewhat |
| |in size, |
| |but are |
| |usually |
| |about 2 |
| |inches |
| |long and |
| |3/4 of an |
| |inch |
| |across the|
| |mouth, and|
| |thick and |
| |fleshy |
| | |
R. dauricum |Alpine regions |Rosy |This is quite hardy, but
|of Eastern Asia |purple; |flowers so rarely that it
| |January |is only seen in beauty very
| | |often in a cold house. It
| | |is almost deciduous, as
| | |most of the leaves fall off
| | |in winter. It is a bush,
| | |and has been crossed with
| | |R. ciliatum, the
| | |well-known praecox and Rosy
| | |Gem being two of the
| | |hybrids.
| | |
R. ferrugineum |European Alps. |Flowers |This is frequently seen in
(Alpine Rose) |Introduced about|small, |rock gardens, and grows
|150 years ago |funnel- |about 1 foot high, forming
| |shaped, |a rounded mass thickly
| |and in |clothed with small green
| |small |leaves, covered with minute
| |upright |reddish-brown spots. When
| |terminal |young the leaves are
| |clusters |slightly hairy, but the
| |in June; |mature foliage is almost
| |bright |free from hairs. There are
| |rose or |varieties, one with white
| |scarlet |(albiflorum), another with
| | |rosy or scarlet flowers
| | |(myrtifolium), but there
| | |are others. Its popular
| | |name is Alpine Rose.
| | |
R. Fortunei |China |Fragrant, |This is one of the hardiest
| |pale |of the Himalayan species,
| |rose- |and, as it does not flower
| |coloured |until well into May, it is
| |flowers, |generally untouched by late
| |with seven|frosts, which so disturb
| |petals; |early-flowering species. It
| |Mid-May |grows from 10 feet to 12
| | |feet high, and has large,
| | |handsome oblong leaves. It
| | |is the origin of a distinct
| | |race.
| | |
R. fulgens |Eastern Himalaya|Blood-red;|There are several forms of
| |April and |this Himalayan Rhododendron
| |May |in gardens, the best
| | |producing compact clusters
| | |of medium-sized flowers of
| | |the colour mentioned. The
| | |leaves bear a striking
| | |resemblance to those of R.
| | |campanulatum in both size
| | |and colour. Although hardy,
| | |it is seldom seen in true
| | |beauty outdoors, because of
| | |its naturally
| | |early-flowering season.
| | |
R. glaucum |Himalaya |Rose, |This is a dwarf species,
| |waxy, 3/4 |with small oblong leaves,
| |of an inch|seldom more than 2 feet
| |across, |high, and rarely seen in
| |and in |cultivation, although very
| |small |pretty.
| |upright |
| |heads; May|
| | |
R. hirsutum |Alps |Pale red; |In many ways this is the
| |May and |counterpart of R.
| |July |ferrugineum, the chief
| | |difference being in the
| | |intensely hairy leaves of
| | |this species. The two
| | |species grow side by side
| | |in the Alps, and the one
| | |under notice is one of the
| | |few species that will grow
| | |in a limy soil. It has also
| | |been used by the hybridist.
| | |
R. Keysii |Bhotan |Flowers |A distinct,
| |tubular, |upright-growing, scantily
| |red and |branched species,
| |yellow, |suggesting affinity to R.
| |and 1-1/2 |cinnabarina, but it is
| |inches |quite distinct. It grows
| |long; May |from 4 feet to 6 feet high,
| | |has narrow quite distinct
| | |ovate or lanceolate leaves
| | |2 inches long.
| | |
R. lepidotum |Temperate and |Colour |The individual flower does
|Alpine Himalayas|varies, |not suggest a Rhododendron,
| |usually |so unlike other species
| |purple and|is it in this respect. It
| |yellowish;|is a low-growing plant with
| |curious |small oblong leaves; it
| |flattened |succeeds outdoors at Kew.
| |form, and |
| |about 1 |
| |inch |
| |across; |
| |May and |
| |June |
| | |
R. maximum (Great |North America |Rose, or |This will grow to a height
American Laurel) | |whitish |of 35 feet, and has large,
| |spotted |thick, elliptical, oblong
| |with |leaves. It is not much
| |yellow or |grown here. In the
| |red |"Cyclopaedia of American
| | |Horticulture," it is
| | |mentioned: "This is one of
| | |the hardiest species, being
| | |hardy as far north as
| | |Quebec and Ontario....
| | |This species and the former
| | |(catawbiense) are now often
| | |extensively used in
| | |park-planting, and taken by
| | |the car-load from the
| | |woods. If properly handled
| | |and taken from a turfy soil
| | |with a sufficient ball of
| | |earth around the roots,
| | |they are usually
| | |successfully planted."
| | |There are three varieties,
| | |album, purpureum, and
| | |roseum.
| | |
R. Metternichii |Japan; known |Rose; |This is not in general
|here about 30 |about |cultivation, but is hardy.
|years |2 inches |As yet no opportunity has
| |across, |arisen of ascertaining to
| |and in |what dimensions it will
| |small |grow in this country; it
| |clusters; |has thick and leathery
| |March |oblong leaves, 3 to 4
| | |inches long, green above,
| | |and covered underneath with
| | |a thick grey or brownish
| | |tomentum.
| | |
R. niveum |Himalaya; |Purplish; |At Kew this species lives
|8 to 9 feet |April |outdoors, but is not a
| | |success, and even in
| | |Cornish gardens gets
| | |injured in severe weather.
| | |It makes a dense bush, with
| | |medium-sized leaves, green
| | |above, and covered with a
| | |dense greyish tomentum
| | |beneath. It has been in
| | |cultivation about 40 years.
| | |
R. ponticum |This has a |Purple; |Of all the hardy
|curious |about |Rhododendrons this is the
|distribution, |2 inches |most largely grown and most
|being found in |across; |popular; it is much used as
|Portugal and not|May |an undergrowth in woods and
|again until Asia| |other places. In many parts
|Minor is reached| |it has become naturalised,
| | |reproducing itself from
| | |self-sown seeds. It has
| | |been much used by the
| | |hybridist, and with R.
| | |caucasicum and R.
| | |catawbiense has produced
| | |many beautiful hybrids. It
| | |will grow beneath trees,
| | |and its evergreen foliage
| | |is not the least of its
| | |attractions. There are
| | |several varieties.
| | |
R. punctatum |North America, |Flowers |A dwarf and evergreen
|Alleghany |rose; 1 |species. R. minus is a
|Mountains, from |inch |synonym.
|North Carolina |across; in|
|to Georgia |clusters |
| |in June |
| | |
R. racemosum |First exhibited |Pink- |The introduction of this
|by the |white; |added another type to this
|introducers, |April |genus, for both in flower
|Messrs. Veitch, | |and general habit it is
|in 1892, and is | |distinct from other
|a native of | |species. It is dwarf, with
|Western China, | |small oval leaves, and
|where it is | |flowers borne in axillary
|found 6000 to | |and terminal clusters, and
|10,000 feet | |so profusely that every
|elevation | |branch is a mass of
| | |blossom. It is quite hardy
| | |and very welcome. There is
| | |a form with deep rose
| | |flowers.
| | |
R. Rhodora |North America |Magenta- |Not much grown, but colour
(Rhodora | |purple; |probably not popular. It
canadensis) | |April |makes an upright deciduous
| | |shrub, 3 feet to 4 feet,
| | |slender, twiggy wood, and
| | |small ovate lanceolate
| | |leaves. Should have moist
| | |peaty soil. A failure on
| | |dry and sandy ground. Does
| | |not object to partial
| | |shade. Easily increased by
| | |seeds and layering.
| | |
R. Smirnowi |Caucasus |Crimson- |This has large flowers and
| |purple; |leaves, and, as recorded
| |3 inches |elsewhere, has founded a
| |across; |distinct race. It blooms
| |April and |freely when about a foot or
| |May |so high. The leaves are
| | |about 5 inches long, 2
| | |inches wide, and covered on
| | |underside with a soft white
| | |felt.
| | |
R. Thomsoni (see | | |
page 437) | | |
| | |
R. yunnanense |Yunnan; first |White, |This is an erect shrub,
|flowered at Kew |with |with glossy green leaves 2
|in 1899 |blood-red |to 2-1/2 inches wide. A
| |spots on |very useful shrub, and
| |upper |should not be forgotten by
| |petal; in |the hybridist.
| |loose |
| |clusters |
| |in May |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _HYBRID RHODODENDRON IN DONEGAL. (A wild bit of
planting.)_]
[Illustration: _RHODODENDRON PRAECOX. EDINBURGH BOTANIC GARDENS._]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
R. HARDY HYBRID |Ericaceae |...... |Very few of the species of
| | |Rhododendron have not some
| | |value either for out of
| | |doors or under glass.
| | |Rhododendrons are widely
| | |distributed, species being
| | |found in North America,
| | |Europe, and through
| | |temperate Asia as far south
| | |as the Malay Peninsula, the
| | |headquarters of the genus
| | |being Western Asia and the
| | |temperate Himalaya.
| | |Rhododendrons also differ
| | |greatly in size, some very
| | |tall as R. arborea, which
| | |is sometimes said to grow
| | |to a height of 40 feet in
| | |the Sikkim forests, to the
| | |little alpine R.
| | |Chamaecistus, which rarely
| | |exceeds 6 inches high.
| | |There is quite as marked
| | |variation in the size of
| | |the leaf, several species,
| | |of which R. Falconeri may
| | |be taken as a type, having
| | |large and handsome leaves,
| | |sometimes a foot high and 6
| | |inches wide, whilst the
| | |quaint little Japanese
| | |species R. serpyllifolium
| | |has tiny leaves not a third
| | |of an inch long and of
| | |corresponding width. The
| | |Rhododendron family may be
| | |divided into two great
| | |sections, deciduous and
| | |evergreen. The evergreen
| | |section consists of a large
| | |number of species, either
| | |quite hardy or tender, the
| | |tender ones being
| | |represented by such
| | |beautiful flowers as R.
| | |griffithianum, Edgeworthi,
| | |R. Dalhousiae, R. Nuttalli,
| | |the Malayan species, &c.
| | |With the exception of R.
| | |ponticum true species are
| | |seldom met with outdoors,
| | |except in gardens where
| | |collections are formed, or
| | |in the south-west
| | |countries. The scarcity of
| | |species is doubtless due to
| | |many of the hybrids being
| | |much hardier, and begin to
| | |flower and grow at a later
| | |time of the year. Although
| | |some of them will stand
| | |severe frost in mid-winter
| | |without injury, growth
| | |beginning early in the
| | |year, the young leaves and
| | |shoots get considerably
| | |injured by the late spring
| | |frosts, and flowers when
| | |open in March are also
| | |destroyed or much spoilt.
| | |In Cornwall, South Wales,
| | |and parts of Ireland, huge
| | |specimens of R. arboreum,
| | |barbatum, grande,
| | |Falconeri, griffithianum,
| | |and others may be seen in
| | |full vigour, but all have
| | |to receive protection from
| | |the north. Although these
| | |species cannot be grown
| | |successfully outdoors in
| | |most parts of the country,
| | |the hybridist knows their
| | |value. Through crossing
| | |them with hardier and later
| | |growing and flowering
| | |species many beautiful
| | |hybrids have been raised.
| | |Hardy evergreen hybrid
| | |Rhododendrons may be
| | |divided into several groups
| | |according to parentage. Of
| | |these groups by far the
| | |most familiar is the one
| | |that has originated through
| | |the crossing and
| | |intercrossing of the
| | |Himalayan R. arboreum
| | |with the American R.
| | |catawbiense, the Caucasian
| | |species R. caucasicum, or
| | |the European and Asiatic
| | |ponticum. This hybridising
| | |has been progressing for
| | |half a century or more,
| | |and the parentage is
| | |plainly seen in the
| | |offspring. Thus where R.
| | |arboreum asserts itself
| | |most strongly we find rich
| | |red flowers and leaves
| | |with a silvery
| | |under-surface. Where R.
| | |catawbiense is most in
| | |evidence the leaves are
| | |large and handsome, deep
| | |green, and softer to the
| | |touch than R. arboreum,
| | |while the clusters are
| | |often of great size, the
| | |flowers prettily spotted,
| | |and the plants of
| | |exceptionally good habit.
| | |For very cold districts the
| | |catawbiense hybrids are the
| | |best, being hardier than
| | |the others. The flowers of
| | |many of the earliest of the
| | |R. catawbiense hybrids are
| | |of lilac or purple
| | |colouring. The influence of
| | |R. caucasicum is most
| | |plainly shown in the rose,
| | |white, and heavily spotted
| | |varieties, whilst it also
| | |imparts some of its sturdy
| | |habit to its progeny. R.
| | |ponticum shares with R.
| | |catawbiense the honour of
| | |producing many of the best
| | |lilacs and purples, but
| | |through so much
| | |intercrossing it is
| | |difficult to trace the
| | |influence of any particular
| | |species in many of the
| | |newer hybrids. In this
| | |group raisers are
| | |fastidious, regarding the
| | |shape of the inflorescence
| | |as of first importance,
| | |that is, a conical truss
| | |of symmetrical outline, the
| | |flowers on short stalks and
| | |held firmly in the truss.
| | |In the Rhododendron dell at
| | |Kew many of these hybrids
| | |are to be seen, and in a
| | |number of the older ones it
| | |is not difficult to trace
| | |the influence of the
| | |various species mentioned.
| | |Some of those which show
| | |much of the catawbiense
| | |character are album
| | |elegans, white with yellow
| | |spots, delicatissimum,
| | |blush, everestianum, lilac
| | |with darker spots,
| | |fastuosum fl. pl., double
| | |lilac, and purpureum
| | |elegans and purpureum
| | |splendens, with
| | |dark-spotted flowers. R.
| | |arboreum blood is very
| | |noticeable in the early
| | |flowering, bright-red
| | |nobleanum, the rich red
| | |russellianum, and
| | |russellianum superbum, the
| | |white dark-spotted Baron
| | |Osy, the blush or almost
| | |white Blanche superb, and
| | |many others, whilst R.
| | |ponticum is in evidence in
| | |a large number of hybrids.
| | |In addition to this group
| | |there are others which,
| | |though not so universally
| | |grown, are quite as
| | |beautiful. For a number of
| | |years other species besides
| | |those worked on to produce
| | |the last-named group
| | |have been taken in hand in
| | |several places, notably at
| | |Tremough by Mr. Gill, and
| | |all who are interested in
| | |shrubs know the great work
| | |accomplished by Messrs.
| | |Anthony Waterer of
| | |Knaphill, John Waterer &
| | |Sons of Bagshot, Wm. Paul &
| | |Son of Waltham Cross,
| | |George Paul of Cheshunt,
| | |Fisher, Son & Sibray of
| | |Sheffield, Messrs. J.
| | |Veitch, and in the Royal
| | |Gardens, Kew.
| | |
R. Thomsoni |Sikkim |Blood red;|R. Thomsoni may be taken as
| |June |a type of a group in which
| | |it has played a great part.
| | |This species is hardy even
| | |near London, and farther
| | |north, but flowers very
| | |early, so much so that
| | |frost frequently destroys
| | |its beauty. It grows from
| | |6 feet to 15 feet, has
| | |broadly ovate leaves and
| | |loose trusses of six or
| | |eight waxy flowers.
| | |
R. Luscombei |Hybrid between |Rich rosy |This was raised by Mr.
|R. Thomsoni and |red; |Luscombe about thirty years
|R. Fortunei |April |ago. It is finely
| | |represented in the
| | |Arboretum at Kew, the
| | |largest specimen being 8
| | |feet high and as much
| | |through. The flowers are in
| | |loose trusses, tubular, 3
| | |inches across, and very
| | |waxy; a handsome hybrid.
| | |
R. F. |Hybrid, same |Deep rose,|This is a Kew-raised
Thiselton-Dyer |cross as |with |hybrid, and very similar to
|Luscombei |darker |Luscombei in growth.
| |mark at |
| |the base |
| |of the |
| |tube |
| | |
*R. Ascot |Raised by |Rich |This is a flower of
Brilliant |Mr. Standish |scarlet; |wonderful colour and the
| |mid and |whole shrub in growth, size
| |late May; |of calyx, texture, and
| |a |clusters reminds one
| |peculiarly|strongly of R. Thomsoni. It
| |brilliant |is of dwarf and bushy
| |colour |growth, and flowers with
| | |great freedom.
| | |
*R. Shilsoni |Raised by Mr. |Crimson |This beautiful hybrid
|Gill, gardener | |combines the good qualities
|to Mr. H. | |of both parents. It
|Shilston, | |resembles R. barbatum in
|Tremough, | |height and R. Thomsoni in
|Penrhyn, | |foliage, and the flower
|Cornwall, | |truss is compact as in the
|between R. | |former parent, with the
|Thomsoni | |larger, more fleshy leaves
|and R. barbatum | |of the latter. It is an
| | |exceptionally fine
| | |Rhododendron for Cornwall,
| | |but at Kew is grown in a
| | |cold house, although a
| | |small plant withstood the
| | |winter of 1901-2 outside
| | |without injury.
| | |
R. Harrisii |A hybrid raised |Red; |This is a hybrid of much
|by Mr. Harris, |early |interest, and flowers
|at one time |Spring |freely when quite small. It
|gardener to Lord| |is apparently quite hardy,
|Swansea; the | |but would be happier in the
|parents are R. | |south than elsewhere.
|Thomsoni and R. | |
|arboreum | |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _RHODODENDRON SAPHO IN IRISH GARDEN. (Donegal.)_]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
GRIFFITHIANUM | | |
GROUP. | | |
| | |
*R. Aucklandi |Himalaya |White; |The group, in which the
| |May |Himalayan species
| | |griffithianum, better known
| | |as R. Aucklandi, is most
| | |marked, is composed of a
| | |number of large-flowered
| | |hybrids which vary
| | |considerably in size of
| | |flower and colouring. It is
| | |probably the finest species
| | |of Rhododendron in
| | |existence, and named in
| | |honour of Lord Auckland, a
| | |Governor-General of India,
| | |by Sir Joseph Hooker. It
| | |appears, however, to have
| | |previously been named after
| | |Griffith, the Indian
| | |botanist, whose name it
| | |ought now properly to bear.
| | |It carries its flowers in
| | |large, loose trusses, and
| | |individually they are
| | |frequently 6 inches across.
| | |This Rhododendron, we
| | |believe, ranks first in the
| | |genus in regard to the size
| | |of its bloom. Six or eight
| | |of these are borne in a
| | |truss, and they are pure
| | |white when once fully
| | |expanded, although pink in
| | |the bud state. The handsome
| | |leaves are smooth,
| | |narrow-oblong, 6 inches to
| | |12 inches long, and of a
| | |deep lustrous green. When
| | |fully grown this becomes a
| | |small tree, the bark
| | |peeling from the trunk in
| | |large flakes. It is not,
| | |unfortunately, one of the
| | |Himalayan species that can
| | |be grown out of doors near
| | |London. In Cornwall and
| | |similar places it is
| | |magnificent. It only just
| | |escapes being hardy, and
| | |can be grown out of doors
| | |in tubs for the greater
| | |part of the year. Some of
| | |the best specimens in the
| | |country have, in fact, been
| | |grown in this way. Even
| | |when placed under glass
| | |little or no fire-heat is
| | |needed. We know plants that
| | |have stood 18 deg. of frost
| | |without injury. It is
| | |remarkable that this
| | |Rhododendron has not been
| | |used more for hybridising.
| | |Most people seem to have
| | |been slow in awakening to
| | |its value, and although, at
| | |the present time, there are
| | |doubtless thousands of
| | |young hybrids from it in
| | |existence, it will be some
| | |years before they flower.
| | |There are, however, a few
| | |hybrids that are hardy and
| | |very beautiful.
| | |
*R. kewense |A hybrid between|Delicate |This was raised at Kew in
|R. griffithianum|rose, |1875, but did not flower
|and R. Aucklandi|passing to|until fourteen years later.
| |white with|Since then it has flowered
| |age; |very freely every year. It
| |April and |makes a large bush 6 to 8
| |May |feet high, spreading, and
| | |with leaves resembling
| | |those of R. griffithianum,
| | |and the flowers as regards
| | |shape and size being also
| | |similar, whilst they are
| | |very sweetly scented. In
| | |addition to the true
| | |Kewense, there is a form in
| | |cultivation with red
| | |flowers. The bracts are
| | |light red. Kewense is a
| | |hybrid of charming
| | |colouring--so many shades
| | |of rose and deeper-tinted
| | |buds.
| | |
*R. Manglesii |Hybrid sent out |White, the|This is a very beautiful
|about 1880 by |upper |hybrid, popular, and very
|Messrs. Veitch &|petal |free. Although the leaves
|Sons, and the |spotted |are smaller, this
|outcome of |with red |Rhododendron--named after
|crossing R. |or reddish|one whose interest in the
|griffithianum |brown; |race was intense--resembles
|with the |April and |the Himalayan parent when
|catawbiense |May |not in bloom, but the
|hybrid album | |influence of the American
|elegans | |parent is seen in the
| | |flowers, which are about 4
| | |inches across. A
| | |peculiarity of the
| | |inflorescence is the long
| | |truss. There are several
| | |forms, that only differ
| | |slightly in size or density
| | |of the spotting from the
| | |type.
| | |
*R. Pink Pearl |Raised by |Delicate |This beautiful Rhododendron
|Messrs. J. |pink; |has rapidly become popular.
|Waterer & Sons |May |The leaves and size of
|of Bagshot | |flowers point to the
| | |griffithianum influence.
| | |The flower truss is very
| | |large, well formed, and the
| | |individual flowers 4 to 5
| | |inches across.
| | |
| | |No doubt new hybrids with
| | |R. griffithianum influence
| | |will be constantly
| | |occurring, but raisers must
| | |remember that hardy growth
| | |is of the greatest
| | |importance. R.
| | |griffithianum has been much
| | |used by Mr. Mangles as a
| | |parent, in whose garden
| | |there are many beautiful
| | |hybrids, such as Liza
| | |Stillman, Dulcie Daffan,
| | |Manglesii var. delicatum,
| | |Daphne Daffan, Mrs.
| | |Mallard, and others.
| | |
FORTUNEI GROUP. | | |
| | |
R. Fortunei |China |White with|This species, when not in
| |deep pink |flower, bears a strong
| |suffusion,|likeness to R.
| |and very |griffithianum, but the
| |fragrant; |flowers are very distinct,
| |May and |about 3 inches across, and
| |early June|very fragrant, whilst each
| | |one has seven petals. The
| | |hybrids are of good habit,
| | |flower with great freedom,
| | |are very fragrant, and each
| | |bloom frequently has six
| | |petals, whilst the stamens
| | |are often imperfect. The
| | |group displays a wide range
| | |of colouring, pink and deep
| | |rose predominating, but a
| | |few are red, and many are
| | |prettily spotted or
| | |blotched with red or
| | |chocolate. We hope this
| | |group will be better known,
| | |as many of the hybrids are
| | |very charming, a few having
| | |names; thus those raised at
| | |Kew were named respectively
| | |Mrs. Thiselton-Dyer and
| | |George Thiselton-Dyer. They
| | |bloom profusely, the
| | |flowers being very deep
| | |rose with dust-brownish
| | |blotches at the base; the
| | |chief difference is that
| | |the flowers of the former
| | |are paler than those of the
| | |latter. An interesting
| | |hybrid raised at Kew by
| | |crossing R. Fortunei with
| | |the variety Meteor has
| | |flowered well for the last
| | |four years. The cross was
| | |made in 1893, and the
| | |plants flowered when only a
| | |few inches high. Several
| | |plants have now grown to a
| | |height of 2-1/2 feet. The
| | |flowers are in compact,
| | |rounded trusses, and appear
| | |in May; they are delicate
| | |pink, and fragrant. The
| | |great peculiarity of the
| | |hybrid is that no plant has
| | |perfect stamens, some being
| | |full size but barren,
| | |others reduced to mere
| | |specks, and occasionally
| | |they are quite absent.
| | |
R. Smirnowi |Native of |Bright |This is a handsome species,
|Caucasus. |rosy- |of compact growth, and 3
|Flowered for the|lilac; |feet to 6 feet high, with
|first time in |April and |large, deep-green leaves,
|England at Kew |May |covered on the underside
|in 1893 | |with quite a dense,
| | |whitish, wool-like
| | |substance. The flowers are
| | |from 2-1/2 inches to 3
| | |inches across, and in
| | |shapely trusses. Both at
| | |Kew and in the nursery of
| | |Mr. George Paul many
| | |hybrids have been raised.
| | |The first raised at Kew
| | |resulted from crossing the
| | |species with the
| | |scarlet-flowered garden
| | |hybrid Johnsoni in 1893. It
| | |flowered when four years
| | |old, and was of dwarf
| | |growth, with rosy-red
| | |flower. Of numerous other
| | |hybrids raised since then
| | |three resulted from
| | |crosses made in May 1896;
| | |they flowered in May 1902,
| | |and are so far the best.
| | |One of these was raised by
| | |crossing with the variety
| | |purpureum splendens; this
| | |has trusses of purplish
| | |flowers. Another claims R.
| | |Fortunei as its male
| | |parent; it has large
| | |fragrant flowers with five
| | |or six petals, pink, and
| | |arranged in shapely
| | |trusses. In the third case
| | |kewense was selected as the
| | |male, and this is the
| | |prettiest of the three; the
| | |flowers are on long stalks,
| | |droop, and have daintily
| | |fringed petals; they are
| | |fragrant, rose colour,
| | |mottled with dark spots in
| | |the throat. The somewhat
| | |drooping character of the
| | |flowers is not an
| | |advantage.
| | |
R. azaleoides |Cross between R.|White, |This grows about 3-1/2 feet
|(Azalea) |lilac- |high, and, as the parentage
|viscosum and |tinted |shows, is a cross between
|R. maximum |flowers; |the evergreen and deciduous
| |June |sections. It has been known
| | |under the names of
| | |hybridum, fragrans,
| | |odoratum. Quite hardy.
| | |
*R. Smithi aureum |This is not new,|Buff |This is a very beautiful
|but rare; it is |inclining |Rhododendron, dwarf, not
|supposed to have|to |very compact in growth, but
|been raised by a|apricot; |when its handsome flower
|nurseryman named|June |clusters are out the bush
|Smith of | |is almost smothered with
|Norbiton, | |bloom. At Saltwood, near
|between a | |Hythe, in a Rhododendron
|variety of R. | |glen Mr. Leney has several
|caucasicum and a| |plants of it. A
|yellow form of | |glaucous-leaved form is in
|R. sinense, and | |cultivation, but the
|is said to have | |flowers are not so rich in
|been exhibited | |colour as those of the
|at Chiswick in | |plainer leaved one. Quite
|1841 | |hardy.
| | |
R. roseum odoratum |Hybrid between |Reddish; |Quite hardy.
|the two |June |
|sections. One a | |
|white-flowered | |
|deciduous | |
|variety, and the| |
|other a | |
|red-flowered | |
|evergreen form | |
| | |
R. altaclarense |Result of |Bright |A very charming, bright
|crossing R. |scarlet |flowered hybrid.
|catawbiense and | |
|R. ponticum. | |
|Flowered first | |
|in 1835. Raised | |
|at Highclere | |
| | |
*R. praecox |A hybrid between|Rose- |This hybrid is quite hardy,
|R. ciliatum and |purple; |but must have a sheltered
|R. dauricum |late |spot, if not grown in a
| |February |cool house for the sake of
| |and early |its colour, as it blooms
| |March |early in Spring, and
| | |therefore is apt to get
| | |spoilt by frost and rain.
| | |It makes a bush about 3
| | |feet high, spreading, with
| | |a profusion of flowers,
| | |very rich in colour, but
| | |the variety rubrum is
| | |darker than the type.
| | |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
*R. (Azaleas) |...... |...... |For many years the hardy,
| | |deciduous Rhododendrons
| | |were known only as Azaleas,
| | |and in many places the name
| | |Azalea is still maintained.
| | |When the two
| | |sections--deciduous and
| | |evergreen--are compared it
| | |will be at once seen that
| | |there is no real structural
| | |difference between them.
| | |Although in the making of
| | |the two genera the number
| | |of stamens was considered
| | |one of the principal
| | |points, it has since been
| | |shown that it is a point
| | |unworthy of notice, as the
| | |number of stamens varies
| | |considerably in both
| | |deciduous and evergreen
| | |species. It is doubtful
| | |whether the name of Azalea
| | |will disappear, but we are
| | |following here the latest
| | |classification, and
| | |therefore place the
| | |"Azalea" in its proper
| | |group. About 20 species
| | |have been known under the
| | |name of Azalea, 3 or 4 of
| | |which are evergreen, and
| | |the remainder deciduous. Of
| | |these about half-a-dozen
| | |are really well known in
| | |gardens, either by the type
| | |plants, hybrids, or garden
| | |forms. The majority of the
| | |species belong to China and
| | |Japan and North America,
| | |one species being found in
| | |the Caucasus. Several of
| | |the North American species,
| | |such as R. arborescens,
| | |calendulaceum, nudiflorum,
| | |&c., the Chinese and
| | |Japanese species R. sinense
| | |(better known as Azalea
| | |mollis), and the Caucasian
| | |flavum (Syn. Azalea
| | |pontica), have proved
| | |splendid breeders, and in
| | |the hands of the hybridist
| | |a wonderful assortment of
| | |varieties has been
| | |obtained, which for
| | |delicate shades and rich
| | |self-colourings are
| | |unsurpassed among hardy
| | |shrubs. The colours range
| | |from white to pink and from
| | |pink to blood-red, from
| | |lemon to deep yellow and
| | |orange-scarlet, with all
| | |descriptions of intervening
| | |shades and combinations of
| | |colour. From R.
| | |calendulaceum most of the
| | |orange and orange-scarlet
| | |and red forms have
| | |originated; flavum has been
| | |responsible for many of the
| | |yellows and terra-cottas;
| | |arborescens, occidentale,
| | |and viscosum for the whites
| | |and pale rose varieties,
| | |also for the late flowering
| | |ones; while R. nudiflorum
| | |has been responsible for a
| | |great number of hybrids of
| | |all shades. As a rule it is
| | |much easier to trace R.
| | |sinense blood among hybrids
| | |than that of other species,
| | |the flowers in that case
| | |being larger and the leaves
| | |more closely resembling
| | |those of the species, but
| | |even in some of these
| | |repeated intercrossing has
| | |almost obliterated the
| | |special sinense characters.
| | |Many of these hybrids have
| | |been raised in the
| | |old-world city of Ghent, a
| | |fact which has given rise
| | |to the name "Ghent
| | |Azaleas." In England Mr.
| | |Anthony Waterer has raised
| | |beautiful forms at
| | |Knaphill, such as the pure
| | |white Mrs. Anthony Waterer.
| | |Few are named, however,
| | |nowadays, this brilliant
| | |group being called the
| | |"Knaphill," and it is rich
| | |in beautiful colours, from
| | |white through yellow,
| | |orange, buff, crimson,
| | |scarlet, and other flaming
| | |tones, which create
| | |glorious pictures in the
| | |garden in late Spring and
| | |early Summer. The shrubs
| | |should be planted in groups
| | |in woodland and elsewhere
| | |when the rich colouring of
| | |the flowers is most
| | |effective, and in Autumn
| | |the foliage turns to warm
| | |tints, crimson, brown,
| | |purple, and other shades
| | |intermingling, making the
| | |bushes almost as beautiful
| | |in their Autumn dress as
| | |when covered with flowers
| | |in Spring and early Summer.
| | |Of late years these
| | |Rhododendrons, especially
| | |the sinense group, have
| | |been much used for forcing,
| | |and they are extremely
| | |useful for that purpose, as
| | |has been so well
| | |demonstrated by the
| | |brilliant groups exhibited
| | |at various meetings of the
| | |Royal Horticultural Society
| | |by Messrs Cuthbert and
| | |other firms. When planting
| | |these hardy Azaleas, choose
| | |a sheltered position, not
| | |because they are tender,
| | |but to protect the flowers
| | |as much as possible from
| | |cold winds and late frosts.
| | |The majority of them are in
| | |bloom before the time of
| | |frosts has passed, and
| | |sometimes the flowers get
| | |destroyed wholesale. Few
| | |shrubs are more suitable
| | |for planting in woodland or
| | |on the fringe of walks in
| | |single groups, as here the
| | |colours are fully brought
| | |out. A peat soil or a
| | |mixture of loam and peat
| | |will provide quite suitable
| | |material. Mr. Anthony
| | |Waterer writes as follows:
| | |"In a general way all
| | |American plants may be said
| | |to delight in and to
| | |require what is called a
| | |peat soil; it was at one
| | |time believed they would
| | |not grow in any other.
| | |Experience, however, proves
| | |the contrary, and it is now
| | |found that Rhododendrons
| | |and Azaleas, which are the
| | |most important of that
| | |class, as well as any other
| | |of the more vigorous
| | |plants, succeed in almost
| | |any soil that does not
| | |contain lime or chalk. In
| | |many sandy loams they grow
| | |with as much luxuriance as
| | |they do in peat; in fact,
| | |almost any loamy soil, free
| | |from lime or chalk, may be
| | |rendered suitable for them
| | |by a liberal admixture of
| | |leaf mould or any fibrous
| | |material, such as parings
| | |of pasture lands. When the
| | |soil is poor, thoroughly
| | |decayed cow dung is one of
| | |the best manures for
| | |Azaleas." Seed pods should
| | |be picked off immediately
| | |the flowers are over.
| | |
R. arborescens |Found by Pursh, |White, |This has fragrant flowers,
(Syn. Azalea, |and described in|tinged |and grows about 9 feet in
arborescens) |1816 in his |with rose,|the British Isles.
|"Flora of North |the |
|America." It is |stamens |
|a native of the |scarlet; |
|mountainous |occasion- |
|regions from |ally the |
|Pennsylvania to |colour is |
|South Carolina |rose |
|and Tennessee, | |
|especially about| |
|the lower | |
|portions of the | |
|mountains of | |
|North Carolina, | |
|where it is said| |
|to grow along | |
|the borders of | |
|streams. It | |
|attains a height| |
|of from 15 feet | |
|to 20 feet | |
| | |
R. calendulaceum |Alleghany |Great |It forms a large, handsome
(A. calendulacea) |Forests. |range of |bush about 8 feet high, and
|Introduced about|colour; |is one of the most
|100 years ago |yellow, |beautiful of the species.
| |red, |
| |orange and|
| |other |
| |shades; |
| |May and |
| |June |
| | |
R. flavum (Syn. A. |Native of |Yellow, |Few Rhododendrons are
pontica) |Caucasus, and |fragrant; |better known; it grows from
|has been grown |early |6 feet to 8 feet, and has
|for upwards of a|Summer |fairly large shining
|century, viz., | |leaves. Excellent for
|introduced in | |forcing.
|1793 | |
| | |
R. indicum (A. |Widely |Various; |This is the plant regarded
indica) |distributed in |early |as the "common" Azalea. It
|the mountains of|Summer |has been improved
|China and Japan | |considerably under
| | |cultivation, and there are
| | |several beautiful garden
| | |forms of it. The majority
| | |of these are unfortunately
| | |not hardy, and a few only
| | |can be planted outside with
| | |safety. About ten years ago
| | |Professor Sargent, of the
| | |Arnold Arboretum, collected
| | |seeds of this type in the
| | |mountains of Japan. The
| | |young plants have proved
| | |fairly hardy, but flower,
| | |as a rule, too early to be
| | |of any great garden value.
| | |The well-known Azalea
| | |amoena is the hardiest of
| | |the varieties; it is easily
| | |recognised by its reddish
| | |hose-in-hose flowers.
| | |Balsaminaeflorum is dwarf,
| | |and suitable for the rock
| | |garden; it has pretty,
| | |double, rose-like salmon
| | |flowers. In many southern
| | |gardens R. indicum is
| | |hardy; we have seen borders
| | |of it in Mr. Leney's garden
| | |near Saltwood, Hythe, and
| | |of course in Devonshire and
| | |Cornwall.
| | |
R. ledifolium (A. |China and Japan |Pure |This reminds one of the old
ledifolia) | |white; |white A. indica of gardens,
| |March |but the leaves are more
| | |hairy, and it is hardier.
| | |It is like the preceding,
| | |and evergreen. It grows
| | |well out of doors in the
| | |Royal Gardens, Kew.
| | |
R. nudiflorum (A. |From Canada to |Pinkish as|An extremely useful shrub,
nudiflora) |Florida and |a rule; |and has been of
|Texas. On side |April and |considerable service to the
|of hills. |May |hybridist. It grows about 6
|Introduced in | |feet high, and makes a
|1734 | |wide-spreading bush. It
| | |bears pinkish-coloured
| | |flowers, though many hues
| | |are to be found among its
| | |many forms.
| | |
R. occidentale (A. |California |White; |This species flowers later
occidentalis) | |late June |than most of the others,
| | |and, through using it as a
| | |parent, hybrids have been
| | |produced between it and the
| | |earlier flowering species,
| | |thus the flowering period
| | |is prolonged. It makes a
| | |good-sized bush, and blooms
| | |freely; the flowers are
| | |fragrant; the leaves are
| | |very glossy.
| | |
R. rhombicum (A. |Japan |Rose- |This is easily
rhombica) | |lilac; |distinguished from other
| |April |Rhododendrons by its
| | |rhomboid leaves and large
| | |flowers. In the seedling
| | |stage it is somewhat
| | |tender, and until several
| | |years old its growth is not
| | |satisfactory.
| | |
A. Vaseyi |Mountains of |White |Of the lesser known species
|North Carolina |suffused |this is one of the most
| |pink; |beautiful, and should be in
| |April |every collection. It makes
| | |a small bush here, though
| | |in its native country it
| | |grows more than 15 feet
| | |high, and is quite hardy in
| | |the Thames Valley. Album is
| | |a white variety.
| | |
R. viscosum (A. |North America. |White and |This does not usually
viscosa) |In shady woods |sometimes |flower until most of the
|and swamps. |pink; July|others are over. It is
|Introduced in | |readily recognised by its
|1734 | |viscid leaves.
| | |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
*Rhodotypos |China and Japan;|White; |A very pretty shrub, 4 to 6
kerrioides |Rosaceae |May and |feet high, and bearing some
(White-flowered | |June |resemblance to the popular
Kerria) | | |Kerria japonica, hence it
| | |is often called the
| | |white-flowered Kerria,
| | |though it is really quite
| | |distinct. The white flowers
| | |are very much like those of
| | |a single Rose.
| | |
Ribes alpinum |Northern |Greenish |A beautiful group of
(Alpine currant) |Hemisphere; | |flowering shrubs. R.
|Saxifrageae | |alpinum is a dwarf bush 3
| | |feet high, and has a
| | |golden-leaved form, which
| | |in the Spring is one of the
| | |prettiest of shrubs with
| | |this leaf colouring.
| | |
R. americanum |North America |Greenish |Has little claim to beauty,
| | |except the vivid autumn
| | |tints of the decaying
| | |foliage.
| | |
*R. aureum | North America |Yellow; |A shrub 4 to 6 feet high,
(Missouri Currant) | |early May |with drooping clusters of
| | |golden-yellow blossoms. It
| | |forms a good companion to
| | |the flowering Currant,
| | |Ribes sanguineum.
| | |
*R. gordonianum |Garden hybrid |Yellow and|A hybrid between the
| |red |species immediately
| | |preceding and the flowering
| | |Currant; it is in all
| | |respects about intermediate
| | |between the two.
| | |
R. multiflorum |Carpathian |Yellowish |Grows 5 to 6 feet high, and
|Mountains |green |is remarkable for the long,
| | |pendulous and graceful
| | |racemes of small yellowish
| | |blossoms.
| | |
*R. sanguineum |Western North |Bright |A shrub 5 to 6 feet high,
(Flowering Currant)|America |rosy red; |with bright-coloured
| |April |flowers. A deservedly
| | |popular shrub of easy
| | |culture. There are numerous
| | |varieties, all beautiful,
| | |viz.: album, nearly white;
| | |atrosanguineum, very deep
| | |coloured; flore-pleno,
| | |with double flowers the
| | |last of all to bloom;
| | |glutinosum, pale rose;
| | |malvaceum, dense clusters
| | |of rosy-lilac flowers.
| | |
*R. speciosum |California |Deep |Shrub 6 to 8 feet, stems
(Fuchsia-flowered | |scarlet; |spiny, flowers very
Gooseberry), (Syn. | |April and |beautiful. A delightful
R. fuchsioides) | |May |wall plant, though quite
| | |hardy in south of England.
| | |
*Robinia hispida |South United |Purplish |From a flowering point of
(Rose Acacia), |States; |rose; June|view this is the finest of
(Syn. Robinia |Leguminosae | |all the Robinias. Though
rosea) | | |usually a small standard
| | |grafted on the common False
| | |Acacia, this is naturally a
| | |rambling shrub some 6 feet
| | |in height, with
| | |wide-spreading branches
| | |clothed with dark-green
| | |pinnate leaves, and about
| | |June the pendulous racemes
| | |of large snowy blossoms are
| | |at their best. In this
| | |species the stiff hairs
| | |that clothe the young
| | |shoots and flower stalks
| | |are very noticeable, but
| | |there is a variety
| | |(inermis) in which they are
| | |entirely absent.
| | |
*R. neo-mexicana |Colorado and New|Rose |A small tree related to the
|Mexico | |common False Acacia, but it
| | |differs from that
| | |well-known tree; the chief
| | |differences are--the
| | |glaucous green of its
| | |prettily divided leaves,
| | |the bright rose tint of its
| | |flowers, and the hairy
| | |flower stalks and seed
| | |pods. A beautiful
| | |autumn-flowering tree.
| | |
*R. Pseudacacia |North America |White; |One of the handsomest of
(Common Locust | |late May |all hardy trees; the
or False Acacia) | |and June |elegant pinnate foliage
| | |retained in all its
| | |freshness throughout the
| | |entire Summer, however hot
| | |and dry, renders it a
| | |delightful object during
| | |the whole of that time, and
| | |its beauty is considerably
| | |increased when the racemes
| | |of white flowers are fully
| | |open. In Winter, when bare,
| | |the deeply fissured bark,
| | |and its somewhat rugged
| | |aspect, are picturesque.
| | |There are many distinct
| | |varieties, chief among them
| | |being--aurea, in which the
| | |leaves are tinged with
| | |yellow; bella rosea, a
| | |smaller tree with
| | |rose-coloured flowers;
| | |bessoniana, a round-headed
| | |thornless form;
| | |decaisneana, with pretty
| | |rose-tinted blossoms;
| | |fastigiata, as upright as a
| | |Lombardy Poplar; inermis
| | |(Syn. umbraculifera), a
| | |mop-headed small tree;
| | |pendula, of weeping growth;
| | |and semperflorens, which
| | |continues to flower
| | |throughout the growing
| | |season.
| | |
R. viscosa (Clammy |North America |Pale rose;|A small tree, easily known
Locust Tree), | |June and |by the sticky glands that
Syn. R. glutinosa | |July |cover the new wood and
| | |leaf stalks. The leaves are
| | |larger than those of the
| | |others.
| | |
*Romneya Coulteri |California |White, |Few flowers are more
(Californian |(Papaveraceae) |with |beautiful than those of the
Poppy) | |golden |Californian Poppy. The
| |stamens; |flowers are so simple in
| |Summer |form and delicate in
| | |substance. At first sight
| | |they remind one of the
| | |finest white crepe, and
| | |flutter in the slightest
| | |breeze, their purity
| | |enhanced by the great
| | |golden boss of stamens from
| | |which they radiate. Many of
| | |the flowers are six inches
| | |and more in diameter, and
| | |when a dozen or more are
| | |open at one time, form a
| | |beautiful picture, whilst
| | |the fragrance is delicate.
| | |The plant, although
| | |flourishing in the
| | |south-west of England, is
| | |not absolutely safe there;
| | |several specimens were
| | |killed by the severe frost
| | |of a few winters ago. A
| | |certain amount of
| | |protection is desirable,
| | |but undue coddling often
| | |leads to the plant rotting
| | |to the root stock and so
| | |perishing. The Romneya is
| | |very impatient of root
| | |disturbance. When once
| | |established in the open
| | |ground, however, it grows
| | |strongly. The seeds take a
| | |long while to germinate.
| | |The plants may also be
| | |raised from root cuttings
| | |and layers. When growing in
| | |the rock-garden it often
| | |sends out shoots at some
| | |distance from the parent
| | |stem. Probably the best
| | |site for Romneya Coulteri
| | |is a sheltered one backed
| | |by a wall.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _CALIFORNIA POPPY. (Romneya Coulteri.)_]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
Rubus bambusarum |Rosaceae |The |Henbane. Introduced by
| |flowers |Messrs. Veitch from China,
| |give place|the trailing branches 10
| |to a black|ft. to 12 ft.
| |edible |
| |fruit |
| | |
*R. biflorus |Himalaya; |White |This Bramble forms an
(White-stemmed |Rosaceae | |upright freely-branded
Bramble) | | |specimen, 10 ft. high, and
| | |has whitened stems, which,
| | |especially in winter, are
| | |very conspicuous.
| | |
*R. deliciosus |Rocky Mountains |White |A Currant-like, bushy
(Rocky Mountain | | |shrub, with large white
Bramble) | | |flowers (like single Roses)
| | |in great profusion. It is
| | |one of the finest flowering
| | |shrubs we have.
| | |
R. flagelliformis |Central China |White |Introduced by Messrs.
| | |Veitch. The flowers are on
| | |growths 6 ft. to 8 ft. in
| | |length. Partly evergreen. A
| | |useful climber.
| | |
*R. fruticosus |Garden form |Pink; late|A double pink form of our
flore-pleno (Double| |Summer |common Bramble, and of a
Pink Bramble), | | |loose rambling nature, soon
Syn. R. | | |forming a tangled mass.
bellidifolius. | | |
| | |
R. innominatus |Hupeh; |Interest- |Introduced by Messrs.
|Central China |ing for |Veitch, and is a great
| |its stems |addition to dessert fruits.
| |covered |
| |with a |
| |soft |
| |pubescence|
| |and large |
| |orange |
| |scarlet |
| |fruits, |
| |which are |
| |edible |
| | |
R. laciniatus |Garden origin |White |A strong-growing Bramble
(Cut-leaved | | |with elegantly cut leaves.
Bramble) | | |It is essentially a plant
| | |for the wild garden, while
| | |the fruits are particularly
| | |good.
| | |
R. nutkanus |North America |White |A free upright species that
(Nootka Sound | | |pushes up annual shoots
Raspberry) | | |like the Raspberry, while
| | |the lobed leaves are
| | |decidedly ornamental. The
| | |large white blossoms are
| | |borne in May and June.
| | |
R. odoratus |North America |Rosy |Somewhat like the last, but
(Purple-flowered | |purple |with rosy-purple blossoms
Raspberry) | | |that are rather later in
| | |expanding than those of R.
| | |nutkanus. It thrives best
| | |in partial shade.
| | |
*R. phoenicolasius |Japan |Whitish |A strong-growing
(Japanese Wine | | |Raspberry-like plant,
Berry) | | |densely clothed with hairs.
| | |It is principally
| | |grown for its fruits, that
| | |are, when ripe, of a bright
| | |red tint, and appreciated
| | |by many. But this is a
| | |picturesque spreading shrub
| | |worth growing for its
| | |colouring and rambling
| | |growth alone. It is a good
| | |bank shrub, or to spread
| | |about over the rougher
| | |parts of the rock garden.
| | |
R. spectabilis |North America |Purple; |A shrub so aggressive that
(Salmon Berry) | |early May |it must go into the wild
| | |garden. It forms a dense
| | |tuft 6 feet high, and when
| | |laden with its drooping
| | |purple flowers is decidedly
| | |ornamental.
| | |
R. thyrsoideus |Garden form |White |A semi-double
flore-pleno | | |white-flowered Bramble,
(Double White | | |less effective, however,
Bramble) | | |than the double pink.
| | |
Sophora japonica |China; |Creamy |Excluding the plants
|Leguminosae |white |formerly known as
| |panicles, |Edwardsia, now included in
| |which |Sophora, this is the only
| |show up |well-known member of the
| |against |genus, and it is the only
| |the |one of our large-growing
| |dark-green|hardy trees that flowers
| |foliage |in autumn. Regarded only
| | |from a foliage point of
| | |view, it forms a very
| | |handsome specimen, the
| | |elegant pinnate leaves
| | |retaining their deep green
| | |tint long after most trees
| | |acquire their autumnal hue.
| | |Like many other
| | |Leguminosae, the deep
| | |descending nature of its
| | |roots enables it to resist
| | |a long period of drought
| | |during the summer months
| | |better than most trees. It
| | |is very quick in growth,
| | |and is therefore valuable
| | |where rapid results are
| | |desired. The Sophora has
| | |been grown in this country
| | |for the last century and a
| | |half, and though in its
| | |early days considered to be
| | |rather tender, it has long
| | |proved to be thoroughly
| | |hardy. Varieties are not
| | |numerous, there being one,
| | |variegata, which is but a
| | |poor thing, while another,
| | |pendula, is one of the most
| | |striking of weeping trees.
| | |In winter the bright-green
| | |bark of this is a very
| | |noticeable feature.
| | |
Spartium junceum |Europe; |Golden |Owing to the
(Spanish Broom) |Leguminosae |yellow |deeply-descending nature of
| | |their roots, many of the
| | |Leguminosae resist drought
| | |better than the majority of
| | |shrubs. A case in point is
| | |furnished by the Spanish
| | |Broom, which in summer is
| | |laden with its large
| | |golden-yellow blossoms.
| | |Against a dark-tinted
| | |background it stands out
| | |conspicuously, while seen
| | |in a mass or clump it is
| | |particularly striking. The
| | |Spanish Broom ripens seeds
| | |freely, from which young
| | |plants can be readily
| | |raised, but as they make
| | |very few fibres and do not
| | |as a rule transplant well,
| | |they should be put into
| | |their permanent quarters
| | |while still young. The
| | |leaves are very few in
| | |number, their place being
| | |filled as in some of its
| | |allies by the young shoots,
| | |which are dark green and
| | |Rush-like. There is a
| | |double variety,
| | |flore-pleno.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _SPIRAEA CANESCENS._]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
*Spiraea arguta |Garden origin; |White; |One of the best of the
|S. multiflora |late April|shrubby Spiraeas, forming a
|and S. Thunbergi| |dense bush about 4 feet
|(Rosaceae) | |high, which towards the end
| | |of April is profusely laden
| | |with clusters of pure white
| | |blossoms, despite frosts or
| | |cold winds, which play
| | |havoc with some of the
| | |early kinds.
| | |
S. bella |Nepaul |Deep pink;|A free-growing species, 5
| |May and |feet high, with pretty
| |June |flowers.
| | |
S. betulifolia |Europe |Clear |A dwarf bush, 2 feet high,
(Syn. S. splendens)| |cherry- |with pretty cherry-pink
| |pink; |flowers.
| |midsummer |
| | |
S. brachybotrys |Garden origin; |Pale pink;|A bold bush, 6 feet or more
(Syn. S. luxuriosa)|S. canescens and|June |in height.
|S. Douglasi | |
| | |
S. bracteata |Japan |White; |Grows 5 or 6 feet high.
| |May |
| | |
*S. bullata |Japan |Rosy |A dwarf species suitable
(Syn. S. | |carmine; |for rockwork.
crispifolia) | |July |
| | |
*S. canescens (Syn.|Himalaya |White; |The shoots of this are
S. flagelliformis, | |June and |slender and arching so that
Syn. S. nepalensis,| |July |it forms a graceful
Syn. S. | | |freely-branded shrub, some
rotundifolia) | | |5 to 8 feet in height. It
| | |is one of the best
| | |Spiraeas.
| | |
*S. discolor (Syn. |North-West |Creamy |A well-known shrub, far
S. ariaefolia) |America |white; |better known, however,
| |July |under the name of Spiraea
| | |ariaefolia. It reaches a
| | |height of 10 to 12 feet or
| | |even more, with plume-like
| | |clusters of creamy white
| | |blossoms. This is a shrub
| | |for the smallest garden.
| | |
*S. Douglasi |North America |Rosy red; |Forms a crowded cluster of
| |July and |erect shoots 6 feet or so
| |August |in height, with each shoot
| | |terminated by a dense spike
| | |of flowers. It succeeds
| | |best in damp soil.
| | |
S. hypericifolia |Europe |White |The slender arching shoots
| | |are clothed with clusters
| | |of pure white flowers in
| | |late May.
| | |
*S. japonica (Syn. |Japan |Rosy |Far better known under the
S. callosa) | |carmine; |name of S. callosa than
| |June and |that of japonica; it forms
| |July |a shrub 5 or 6 feet high
| | |with brightly coloured
| | |flowers in flattened
| | |clusters. There are many
| | |distinct varieties, all
| | |good, the best being alba,
| | |a dwarf form with white
| | |flowers; Bumalda, also
| | |dwarf with pink blossoms;
| | |Anthony Waterer, the
| | |richest tinted of all dwarf
| | |kinds; superba, a deep
| | |tinted form of the type;
| | |and glabrata, with
| | |curiously broad leaves.
| | |Anthony Waterer is
| | |especially worth growing.
| | |
*S. lindleyana |Himalaya |White; |Reaches a height of 10 to
| |August |12 feet, and is remarkable
| | |for its handsome pinnate
| | |leaves, while the large
| | |feathery flower panicles
| | |are very striking.
| | |
S. media (Syn S. |Europe |White; |Forms a dense rounded bush
confusa) | |May |from 5 to 8 feet high, and
| | |has clusters of pure white
| | |blossoms in profusion.
| | |
S. opulifolia (Nine|North America |Whitish |One of the largest of all
Bark of the United | | |the Spiraeas, being of
States), (Syn. | | |almost tree-like habit, but
Neillia opulifolia)| | |the flowers are not showy.
| | |There is a golden leaved
| | |form (aurea) of dwarfer
| | |habit than the type, which
| | |is in the first half of the
| | |season very pretty.
| | |
*S. prunifolia |Japan |White; |The flowers of this are
flore-pleno | |Spring |quite double, like little
| | |rosettes, and in clusters
| | |along the arching shoots.
| | |Early in April as a rule
| | |they are very pretty.
| | |
S. salicifolia |Europe |Pinkish |A variable kind, more or
| | |less approaching S.
| | |Douglasi, but with
| | |light-tinted flowers.
| | |
S. sorbifolia |Northern Europe |White; |A pinnate-leaved species
| |July |somewhat in the way of S.
| | |lindleyana, but it does not
| | |grow more than half the
| | |height and flowers a month
| | |earlier.
| | |
S. Thunbergi |Japan |White; |The first of all the
| |very early|Spiraeas to bloom, but its
| |Spring |beauty is often marred by
| | |inclement weather. It forms
| | |a dense mass of slender
| | |twigs clothed with tiny
| | |leaves.
| | |
S. Van Houttei |Garden form |White |A hybrid kind with pure
| | |white blossoms, which are
| | |as a rule more satisfactory
| | |under glass than in the
| | |open ground.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _FLOWERS OF SPIRAEA LINDLEYANA._]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME. | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
Staphylea colchica |Caucasus; |White; |A sturdy upright deciduous
|Sapindaceae |Spring |shrub, 6 to 8 feet high,
| | |with drooping clusters of
| | |white flowers. Though
| | |decidedly ornamental it is
| | |as a rule more effective
| | |when flowered under glass
| | |than in the open ground.
| | |Needs a fairly moist loamy
| | |soil.
| | |
*S. pinnata |Europe |Greenish |A shrub from 8 to 10 feet
(European | |white; |high, which has
Bladder-Nut) | |Spring |bladder-like capsules in
| | |which the seeds are
| | |contained. The capsules are
| | |more attractive than the
| | |flowers themselves.
| | |
S. trifolia |North America |Greenish |In the way of the last, but
(American | |white; |a stronger grower, while
Bladder-Nut tree) | |Spring |the leaves are pinnate.
| | |
Stuartia pentagyna |United States; |White; |In its native country this
(Syn. |Ternstroemiaceae|July and |attains the dimensions of a
Malachodendron | |August |small tree, but in England
ovatum) | | |it is from 5 to 8 feet
| | |high. The flowers, somewhat
| | |suggestive of those of a
| | |single white Camellia, have
| | |the edges of the petals
| | |wavy, while the reddish
| | |stamens are very
| | |conspicuous. Though very
| | |beautiful, this is not a
| | |shrub for every garden, as
| | |it needs a cool moist soil
| | |with a fair proportion of
| | |peat, a remark that applies
| | |equally to the other
| | |members of the genus.
| | |
*S. |Japan |White; |The finest of the
Pseudo-Camellia | |with |Stuartias, bearing much
| |golden |general resemblance in
| |stamens; |foliage, flowers, and habit
| |July and |of growth to a Camellia,
| |August |hence its specific name.
| | |The flowers are about 3
| | |inches in diameter. Beside
| | |its other ornamental
| | |qualities the leaves die
| | |off in Autumn brilliantly
| | |tinted with crimson and
| | |gold, being in this
| | |respect much superior to
| | |its American relatives.
| | |
S. virginica (Syn. |Southern |White; |Much in the way of S.
Stuartia |United States |July and |pentagyna, but forms a
Malachodendron) | |August |smaller and less vigorous
| | |bush, while the leaves are
| | |more hairy.
| | |
*Styrax japonicum |China and Japan;|White; |A shrub or small tree with
(Japanese Storax) |Styraceae |Midsummer |flattened spreading
| | |branchlets, thickly studded
| | |on the undersides with
| | |drooping pure white
| | |fragrant Snowdrop-like
| | |blossoms. It is a
| | |delightful shrub, and best
| | |in a fairly moist light
| | |loam. Height 8 to 12 feet.
| | |Messrs. Veitch mention that
| | |it is occasionally a low
| | |tree, 20 to 25 feet high,
| | |and in its wild state on
| | |the hillsides in central
| | |Japan it flowers in May. It
| | |has proved quite hardy.
| | |
S. Obassia |Japan |White |A very beautiful but rare
| | |species, forming a more
| | |sturdy bush than the last,
| | |while the pure white
| | |flowers are borne in
| | |drooping racemes. It
| | |succeeds under the same
| | |conditions as the
| | |preceding.
| | |
S. officinale |Levant |White |From 6 to 8 feet high, but
| | |more delicate in
| | |constitution than either of
| | |those above named. It needs
| | |the protection of a wall in
| | |many districts.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _GROUPING OF LILACS (several varieties). THE BUSH IN THE
CENTRE IS THE PERSIAN LILAC, SYRINGA PERSICA._]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
Syringa (lilac) |Eastern Europe |Various |A lovely family. Mr. Bean
|and Northern | |in _The Garden_, April 2,
|Asia; | |1898, writes: "As now
|Oleaceae | |constituted, the genus
| | |consists of two groups:
| | |First, the true Lilacs,
| | |represented by S. vulgaris;
| | |and second, the Privet-like
| | |Lilacs, of which some
| | |authorities have made a
| | |separate genus under the
| | |name Ligustrina. The
| | |species in this latter
| | |group are distinguished
| | |from the true Lilacs by
| | |flowering later in the
| | |summer, and by having large
| | |panicles of smaller
| | |Privet-like flowers, the
| | |corolla of which is white
| | |and much shorter than in
| | |the other group. There are
| | |three of them in
| | |cultivation--S. amurensis,
| | |S. japonica, S.
| | |pekinensis--which, however,
| | |some botanists have
| | |considered to be merely
| | |geographical forms of one
| | |species existing in
| | |Manchuria, Japan, and
| | |China. The following is
| | |a complete list of the
| | |species in gardens, with
| | |some of the commoner
| | |synonyms: S. Emodi, var.
| | |rosea (S. Bretschneideri),
| | |S. Josikaea, S. oblata (S.
| | |chinensis), S. persica,
| | |var. laciniata (S.
| | |filicifolia, S. pinnata),
| | |S. villosa (S. pubescens),
| | |S. vulgaris, S. chinensis
| | |(S. dubia, S.
| | |rothomagensis) hybrid.
| | |_Ligustrina Group._--S.
| | |amurensis (Ligustrina
| | |amurensis), S. japonica
| | |(Ligustrina amurensis
| | |var. japonica), S.
| | |pekinensis (Ligustrina
| | |pekinensis)."
| | |
S. amurensis |Manchuria; |Creamy |A sturdy bush with stout,
|discovered in |white |erect branches. The small
|1857 by a | |creamy white flowers are
|Russian botanist| |borne on large branching
|named Raffe | |racemes. It is a native of
| | |the valleys of the Ussuri
| | |and Amur Rivers. One of the
| | |earliest of hardy shrubs to
| | |break into leaf.
| | |
*S. chinensis |Probably raised |May |The flowers are in panicles
|in Rouen Botanic| |intermediate in size
|Garden by M. | |between those of its
|Varin over 100 | |parents, and are of the
|years ago from | |same colour. Very
|seed borne by | |free-flowering and pretty,
|S. persica. | |and might be recommended as
|Synonyms S. | |a substitute for the common
|correlata, S. | |Lilac in positions where
|dubia, S. | |the latter would be too
|rothomagensis | |large. To add to the
| | |confusion respecting its
| | |origin, it is still called
| | |in some nurserymen's
| | |catalogues the Siberian
| | |Lilac, Rouen Lilac, and
| | |Chinese Lilac. It lasts
| | |longer in flower than the
| | |common Lilac.
| | |
*S. Emodi |Dr. Aitchison |Pale |This is altogether of
(Himalayan Lilac) |found this on |purple |sturdier growth than the
|the Afghan | |ordinary Lilac, with large
|Mountains in | |leaves and terminal
|1879, 9000 feet | |panicles of flowers. Of
|to 10,000 feet | |greater ornamental value is
|elevation | |the variety rosea which was
| | |introduced a few years ago
| | |from the mountains about
| | |Pekin by Dr. Bretschneider,
| | |and in gardens (French
| | |chiefly) it is known as
| | |Syringa Bretschneideri. It
| | |is more robust than the
| | |type, and bears large
| | |panicles of rosy-tinted
| | |flowers in June or later.
| | |There is a
| | |variegated-leaved variety
| | |of S. Emodi, which is
| | |handsome when vigorously
| | |grown. Another form with
| | |more or less golden is
| | |_foliis aureis_. When the
| | |soil is rich the leaves
| | |measure 6 inches long and 4
| | |inches wide.
| | |
S. japonica |Japan |White |A large growing shrub, of
| | |bushy growth, and larger in
| | |foliage than S. vulgaris.
| | |It bears large branching
| | |panicles of small white
| | |flowers, reminding one of
| | |those of the Privet, hence
| | |the name of the group to
| | |which it belongs
| | |(Ligustrina). These
| | |panicles in Japan and the
| | |United States attain as
| | |much as 18 inches and even
| | |2 feet in length, but
| | |whether it will grow in
| | |this country in such a way
| | |remains to be seen.
| | |
S. Josikaea |Hungarian |Lilac; |An old shrub of moderate
(Hungarian Lilac) |Mountains |May |growth, but is not of great
| | |value, as it happens to
| | |flower when we have a
| | |wealth of bloom from the
| | |commoner kinds. It is,
| | |however, interesting and
| | |worth growing, if only for
| | |the sake of the pretty
| | |sentiment that attaches to
| | |its origin, having been
| | |found by Baroness Von
| | |Josika in her wanderings
| | |about the Hungarian
| | |mountains in 1835. It may
| | |be best described as a
| | |small form of S. Emodi. It
| | |was first grown in Britain
| | |at Edinburgh, in the year
| | |mentioned. Its height is 6
| | |feet to 10 feet, with the
| | |young twigs of a purplish
| | |colour; the panicles are
| | |terminal, erect, and small
| | |compared with those of the
| | |more showy Lilacs, and
| | |usually about 4 inches
| | |long, rarely as much as 6
| | |inches to 9 inches.
| | |
S. pekinensis |Mountains of |White |One of the three
|North China | |Privet-like Syringas,
| | |and one of the last
| | |introduced. It is the
| | |Chinese representative of
| | |the Ligustrina group. From
| | |its two allies (S.
| | |amurensis and S. japonica)
| | |it is to be distinguished
| | |by its long and much more
| | |slender branches, which in
| | |one form are distinctly
| | |pendulous (var. pendula).
| | |
*S. persica |Found by Dr. |Deep |This old favourite is often
(Persian Lilac) |Aitchison in |purplish; |confused with the Rouen
|1879. |May |Lilac, but it is quite
|Afghanistan. | |different, being smaller in
|7000 feet to | |stature, with much smaller
|8000 feet | |leaves, and with an elegant
|elevation | |spreading habit of growth.
| | |In the type the flower
| | |clusters are nearly as
| | |large as those of S.
| | |chinensis, deep purple in
| | |colour, varying to almost a
| | |pure white in the variety
| | |alba. In the variety
| | |laciniata, known also as S.
| | |ficifolia, pinnata, and
| | |other names, the leaves
| | |are cut or coarsely
| | |toothed. It is a beautiful
| | |little shrub, and suits
| | |a place where the tall
| | |growing kinds would be too
| | |large. Like the common and
| | |the Rouen Lilacs, it may be
| | |forced into flower at
| | |Christmas time, and, unlike
| | |the others, its small size
| | |enables it to be grown in
| | |pots for room decoration.
| | |The exact length of time
| | |the Persian Lilac has been
| | |in cultivation is not
| | |known. It had long been
| | |cultivated in the country
| | |to which it owes its
| | |name--since the year 1200,
| | |say some authorities--but
| | |it has never been found
| | |truly wild in Persia. It
| | |was not until 1879 that its
| | |real native habitat was
| | |revealed.
| | |
S. villosa (Syn. |Introduced from |Rose |This interesting species
pubescens) |the Chihli |Lilac; May|first flowered in 1888. It
|province of | |is very fragrant, and the
|China in 1880 | |panicle is from 3 inches to
| | |4 inches long.
| | |
*S. vulgaris |A native of |Lilac; |See below for remarks.
(Common Lilac) |Eastern Europe, |May |
|and although it | |
|appears to have | |
|been originally | |
|introduced from | |
|Persia about, or| |
|previous to the | |
|year 1597, it | |
|was found to be | |
|a native of | |
|Southern | |
|Hungary, in the | |
|region of the | |
|Danube | |
|especially on | |
|the chalky | |
|precipices of | |
|the Cverna | |
|Valley and on | |
|Mount Domoglet. | |
|It is not found | |
|truly indigenous| |
|further west | |
|than these | |
|localities, and | |
|it is not, as | |
|has been stated,| |
|a native of | |
|Italy, although,| |
|no doubt it has | |
|become | |
|neutralised | |
|there and | |
|elsewhere | |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
The common Lilac has been the glory of English gardens since the days of
Gerard and Parkinson of the sixteenth century. From the time that
Parkinson grew it in a pot, with no doubt as much care and anxiety as is
bestowed nowadays on a hundred-guinea Orchid, the Lilac has, on account
of its extreme hardiness and easy culture, become almost naturalised in
these islands, as now we see it in copse and hedgerow, besides gardens
large and small, and even in the town forecourt. To every place where
the Englishman goes to make a home he likes to have about him Lilacs and
Roses. As in the case of several other beautiful shrubs, the improvement
of the Lilac by the raising of new varieties is of comparatively recent
date. Gerard and Parkinson write of the blue Pipe and the white Pipe
(the Lilac being then called the Pipe tree, on account of pipes being
made from its wood), besides the ordinary lilac-coloured sort, and
Loudon, writing fifty years ago, only enumerates the blue (caerulea),
violet (violacea), the white (alba), and alba major, and one double
called alba plena, seven in all. He just mentions, however, a fine
variety, Caroli (or Charles X., as we know it), which about that time
had been raised in France. This still is one of the choicest sorts, and
particularly valuable for forcing into early bloom in winter. Since that
time there has been great activity in raising new kinds in France, till
now the list of named single sorts numbers upwards of fifty, while the
doubles are almost as numerous. There are far too many named sorts, in
fact, as the differences between many of them are of the slightest, so
that the selection of the best from catalogues, from the mere names and
brief descriptions (not always accurate) is perplexing to an amateur. To
no raiser do we owe more to the improvement of the Lilac of late years
than to that famous veteran French hybridist, Victor Lemoine of Nancy,
who has made the genus Syringa one of his special studies, and favoured
as he is by a climate suitable for the free seeding of the Lilac, he has
been highly successful. There are four more or less distinct shades of
colour among the sorts, viz. whites, reds, pinks, and so-called blues. A
selection of a dozen single sorts would include the following, placed in
order of merit: _Whites_--Marie Le Gray, Alba grandiflora. _Blue or
Bluish_--Caerulea or Delphine, Duchesse de Namours, Lindleyana or Dr.
Lindley. _Reds or Purple-reds_--Souvenir de L. Spath, Philemon, Rubra
insignis, Mme. Kreuter, Camille de Rohan, Ville de Troyes.
_Pinks_--Lovanensis, Schneelavine. This selection comprises the finest
sorts, having the largest flower clusters in their respective colours,
and is representative of the whole of the sorts. Of the double flowered
sorts there has of recent years been a great number sent from French
nurseries, and only a few of the oldest sorts have developed into large
specimens, and therefore one cannot judge of their merits, as in the
case of the single sorts. The best varieties include the following dozen
sorts: _Lavender and Blue_--Leon Simon, Renoncule, Alphonse Lavallee
(pale blue). _Pinks_--President Carnot, M. de Dombasle. _Whites_--Mme.
Abel Chatenay (the finest), Mme. Lemoine, Cassimir fils.
_Reds_--President Grevy, Senateur Volland, Comte H. de Choiseul, Maxime
Cornu. In the Lilacs there is material for the tasteful planter of
gardens, yet how seldom does one see in ordinary gardens full advantage
taken of them for producing beautiful effects! In the common way of
planting they are dotted about shrubberies indiscriminately, and jumbled
with trees and shrubs of a totally different character, so that the
Lilacs cannot be seen to the fullest advantage. An isolated group of the
choicest kinds, or even a simple hedge of the white or rich purple kinds
is seldom seen, except in some old gardens, and still less seldom does
one see any attempt at culture in the way of pruning and the cutting
away of suckers. At Kew one may see bold examples of grouping Lilacs, as
well as well-developed specimens standing alone on grass, while about
London one sees in the market gardens fine hedges of Lilac planted for
the twofold purpose of cutting from and providing shelter. Mr. Goldring
writes in _The Garden_, "The most beautiful Lilac hedge I have seen was
that I enjoyed recently at the White Farm, Crichel (an enclosure devoted
to white animals), where there are glorious hedges of the pure white
Lilac Marie Le Gray in abundant flower--quite appropriate to the white
surroundings. The only culture the Lilacs require is occasional manuring
in light, poor soils, occasional pruning so as to induce a bushy growth,
as the growth is apt to become 'leggy,' and continuous attention in
cutting away suckers, which are so plentiful as to rob the tops. Two or
three suckers should be allowed to grow so as to keep up the supply of
strong, vigorous flowering stems. Lilacs can be made to form standards
by keeping the bush from the outset to one stem, and when seen rising
out of a low hedge of Lilac, or a mass of the dwarf kinds, they have a
pleasing effect, and is one of the various ways they can be arranged in
planting."
[Illustration: _STANDARD LILAC, MME. LEMOINE._]
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| COUNTRY OR | COLOUR |
NAME | ORIGIN AND | AND | GENERAL REMARKS.
| NATURAL ORDER. | SEASON. |
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
| | |
*Tamarix gallica |Northern portion|Pink; May |A charming shrub, not half
(the Tamarisk) |of the Old | |enough grown, owing, in
|World; | |some respects at least, to
|Tamariscineae | |a wide-spread idea that it
| | |will not flourish away from
| | |the sea-coast. True, it
| | |luxuriates there, but it
| | |may be depended upon to
| | |thrive anywhere unless the
| | |soil is a stiff clay,
| | |chalky, or too much parched
| | |up in the summer. It is
| | |deciduous, but during the
| | |Summer the foliage is as
| | |delicate as any of the
| | |Conifers, and in May, when
| | |the branches are terminated
| | |by the waving plume-like
| | |panicles of pink blossoms,
| | |it is delightful.
| | |As a plant for the
| | |waterside it is most
| | |useful, and forms a
| | |pleasing picture if a score
| | |or so of plants are grouped
| | |on a lawn or open stretch
| | |of grass. In such a
| | |situation the long
| | |straggling shoots must be
| | |shortened back occasionally
| | |to keep the plants within
| | |bounds, as growing
| | |unchecked they will reach a
| | |height of 10 to 15 feet.
| | |There are several forms of
| | |Tamarisk, by some
| | |considered distinct
| | |species, and by others as
| | |forms of T. gallica, but a
| | |good deal of confusion
| | |prevails concerning them.
| | |One of the best (perhaps
| | |the very best Tamarisk) is
| | |that known as tetrandra or
| | |taurica, in which the
| | |feathery plumes are of a
| | |deeper pink than the type.
| | |Other names that occur are
| | |parviflora, chinensis, and
| | |japonica, but given
| | |tetrandra, as a rule no
| | |other is wanted.
| | |
T. germanica |Europe |Pinkish |A smaller shrub than the
(German Tamarisk), | | |last, more upright in
(Syn. Myricaria | | |growth, and with a glaucous
Germanica) | | |tinge. The pinkish flowers
| | |are far less effective than
| | |those of the preceding.
| | |
*Ulex europaeus |Europe; |Yellow |The common Furze is known
(the Furze, Gorse, |Leguminosae | |to every one, but its great
or Whin) | | |beauty as a flowering shrub
| | |is apt to be overlooked,
| | |for it luxuriates in dry,
| | |sandy, and stony soils,
| | |where little else will
| | |grow, and its golden
| | |blossoms are borne usually
| | |from February to May,
| | |though occasionally
| | |throughout the entire
| | |winter. The double-flowered
| | |variety--flore-pleno--is
| | |even more valuable from a
| | |flowering point of view
| | |than the type. Both
| | |transplant badly, hence the
| | |common kind is usually sown
| | |where it has to remain, and
| | |the double-flowered form
| | |struck from cuttings in a
| | |frame, and kept in pots
| | |till permanently planted.
| | |
*U. nanus (Dwarf |Europe |Yellow |Of dwarfer and denser habit
Furze) | | |than the common Furze, but
| | |its most prominent feature
| | |consists in the fact that
| | |it often commences to
| | |flower in August, and
| | |continues till Christmas,
| | |after which the common
| | |Furze asserts itself.
| | |The cultural items appended
| | |to the preceding species
| | |apply with equal force to
| | |this.
-------------------+----------------+----------+---------------------------
[Illustration: _VIBURNUM MACROCEPHALUM._]
VERONICA.--There are a vast number of Veronicas, all natives of New
Zealand, and garden forms raised from them, but many can only be
regarded as hardy in the extreme west of England and Ireland, whereas
some of the hardiest are from their diminutive growth suitable only for
rockwork. The best are--