OLEARIA MACRODONTA. (Redruth.)
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| Oxydendron arboreum | Eastern United States; Ericaceæ | Pure white; June and July | This is a charming shrub,
but in its native country
grows to a height of 40
feet. The leaves are dark
green, but very richly
coloured in autumn. The
bell-shaped white flowers
remind one of those of the
Lily of the Valley, and
appear in pretty racemes. |
| Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius | South Australia and Tasmania; Compositæ | White; July | A neat shrub, 4 to 5 feet
high, with narrow
rosemary-like leaves, and
during the summer a
profusion of white
Aster-like blossoms. It is
hardy only in the West of
England. |
| *Pernettya mucronata | Cape Horn, introduced in 1828; Ericaceæ | Berries the chief beauty | Many garden varieties.
Between 1878 and 1882 the
floral committee of the
Royal Horticultural Society
awarded no less than seven
first-class certificates,
selecting the following
varieties for the purpose:
P. alba, carnea nana,
lilacina macrocarpa, nigra
major, rosea purpurea.
and sanguinea. There are
ten or a dozen quite
distinct shades of
colouring, from white
through tenderest pink,
white and rosy pink, the
colours then reaching to a
soft scarlet, and ending
with a dark blood-red,
reminding one of the seeds
of the Pomegranate, and
also the differences in the
size of the berries and
foliage, particulars which
impart additional interest
to this useful group of
plants. Some fifty or so
years ago Mr. Davis of
Hillsborough began his
experiments with such forms
of the Pernettya as were
then in cultivation, and he
selected as his first
seed-parent P.
angustifolia, a native of
China, a densely branched,
narrow-leaved evergreen
shrub, growing to a height
of about 3 feet. The fruit
of this species is light
pink in colour. It is a
very effective subject,
thriving well under the
shade of trees, but in such
a position does not, as
might be expected, flower
so freely as when grown in
the open. P. mucronata, the
type, bears reddish-tinted
fruits. Regarding P.
angustifolia as the
hardiest of the two,
Mr. Davis made this the
first seed-bearing
parent, and found the seedlings
from it to vary
considerably in the
character of the foliage
and colour of the fruit.
This encouraged him to
take seed from the best
of his seedlings, and
from it obtained the
fine varieties which are
now in our gardens. It
is difficult to
over-estimate their
value as berry-bearing
plants in autumn in
peaty soil. |
| Philadelphus coronarius (Mock Orange or Syringa) | Europe and Asia; Saxifrageæ | White; early May | A well-known shrub, from
6 to 10 feet high, with
a profusion of white,
strongly scented
flowers. There are
several varieties, the
best being aurea, with
golden leaves, and
Keteleerii, with
double blossoms. |
| P. gordonianus | North America | White; early July | A free-growing bush with
flowers twice the size
of the preceding, and
about six weeks later in
expanding. |
| *P. grandiflorus (Large-flowered Mock Orange, Syn. P. inodorus) | Southern United States | White; Midsummer | Forms a bush about 12
high, with large leaves
and blossoms. It lacks
the fragrance of the
other species, which is
to many people a point
in its favour. |
| P. hirsutus (Hairy-leaved Mock Orange) | North America | White | Grows about 5 feet high,
and bears its
comparatively small
flowers in great
profusion. |
| *P. Lemoinei (Lemoine's Hybrid Mock Orange) | Garden Hybrid | White; June and July | A hybrid between P.
coronarius and the
little New Mexican P.
microphyllus. It (P.
Lemoinei) forms a
slender, freely-branched
shrub about 5 feet high,
and has a profusion of
small pure-white flowers
that are most agreeably
scented, the fragrance
reminding one of ripe
apples. The variety
erectus is a rather
stronger grower, and
even a finer plant.
Other delightful hybrid
forms are, Boule
d'Argent, a neat bush
with double flowers;
Candelabre, with larger
blossoms than the other
forms of Lemoinei; Gerbe
de neige, dwarf form
with large single
flowers; and Manteau
d'Hermine, semi-double.
These are among the most
charming of all hardy
shrubs.
|
| *P. Lewisii | Western North America | White; Mid-June | One of the best, with long
graceful arching shoots,
and large trusses of pure
white blossoms. |
| *P. microphyllus (Small-leaved Mock Orange) | New Mexico | White | A dense rounded bush, 3
feet high and as much
across, clothed with tiny
leaves, and very fragrant
flowers one inch across. |
| P. Satsumi (Japanese Mock Orange) | Japan | White | Rather tenderer than the
American kinds this forms a
distinct spreading bush
thinner than most of the
others. The flowers are
pure white and fragrant,
and differ from the others
in that the petals are
less rounded and full, thus
forming a more starry
bloom. |
| *Pieris floribunda (Syn. Andromeda floribunda) | North America; Ericaceæ | White; April to May | A rounded evergreen shrub,
from 3 to 5 feet high,
clothed with very dark
green leaves, and with
spikes of pure white
Lily-of-the-Valley-like
blossoms. It needs a fairly
sheltered position and a
cool moist soil, such as
Rhododendrons delight in. |
| *P. formosa | Himalayas | White; May and June | A large bold-growing shrub,
with handsome dark-green
leathery foliage. It has
spikes of wax-like
urn-shaped blossoms. It is
too tender for general
cultivation, except in the
West of England and in
Ireland. |
| *P. japonica (Syn. Andromeda japonica) | Japan | White | This differs from the last
in the white wax-like
flowers being borne on
long pendulous racemes, so
that at their best the
entire plant is quite
veiled with them. The tips
of the growing shoots too
are bright red. This blooms
naturally earlier than P.
floribunda, and on that
account the flowers are
often injured by spring
frosts, to prevent which,
as far as possible, it
should be planted in a
sheltered spot, where the
early morning sun does not
shine direct on it. |
| P. mariana (Syn. Andromeda mariana) | North America | White; Summer | A deciduous shrub a yard
high, with wax-like
flowers. A damp peaty soil
suits it best. |
| P. ovalifolia | Nepaul | White; May | Grows to a height of 10 to
12 feet, and has spikes of
white flowers. This species
succeeds better in the West
of England and in Ireland
than elsewhere. |
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| Prunus (Rosaceæ) | ...... | ...... | 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 (the Almond) | Native of Southern Europe and the Levant | Pink; Spring | This is the Almond, the
tree which foreshadows the
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 (Amygdalus davidiana) | China | White or pale rose; January or early February | This is a small tree and
one of the earliest to
bloom; the flowers opening
as early as January in mild
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 (Amygdalus incana) | Asia Minor | Pale red; March and April | This species is allied to
the pretty P. nana; it is a
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 nana) | Eastern Europe and the southern parts of Russia | Rose; March and April | This delightful little
shrub is rarely more than 3
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; April | This shrub grows to a
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 Peach), (Syn. Persica vulgaris and Amygdalus Persica) | China, but formerly considered a native of Persia | Pink; April or May | This beautiful
spring-flowering tree needs
no description. It is not
grown, however, so much as
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 Apricots) | | | Many of the species in this
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 (common Apricot) | Northern China | Small, white, opening early in the year, and frequently blackened by frost | We mention this because
it is the parent of the
various varieties of
Apricot. |
| *P. Mume | Japan | Rose; early, before the leaves | This is a small and pretty
tree of upright growth, and
the leaves large and
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; March or early April | The species is not of much
account, but the double
variety flore-pleno is one
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. |
PRUNUS JAPONICA. (Syn. P. sinensis.)
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| 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 (P. mirobalana) | Uncertain, but probably of Caucasian origin | Small, pure white; Spring | This is the well-known
Myrobalan Plum, and the
seedlings are used as
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 (Wild Plum) | The origin of this plum is uncertain; it is stated in some works to be a native of Britain, Europe, and a part of Asia | White; April and March | The wild plum is mentioned
because a well-known tree,
but its varieties are more
beautiful. *Pruneauliana is
very handsome; its fruit is
the prune imported from
abroad. It is of upright
growth, with downy leaves,
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 distribution from Macedonia Caucasus and Persia. Introduced in 1822 | White; April or late March in a mild season | This is one of the most
beautiful of the Plums,
but rarely seen. A fine
example of it is now in
the rock garden at Kew,
and when the weather is
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 Sloe) | Britain, and Europe, North Asia, &c. | White | The Sloe or Blackthorn of
the English hedgerow is
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 (Cerasus group) | | | A beautiful group of
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; April | P. acida would be little
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 Gean or Wild Cherry) | Europe, and a woodland tree in many parts of these Isles | Pure white; April and May | The Wild Cherry is pretty,
and it is interesting as
the parent of the fruiting
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 or Wild Cherry) | Europe and Britain | White; Spring | This is not very
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. Chamæcerasus (Siberian Cherry) | Europe, but long grown in English gardens | White flowers, ¾ in. across; Spring | This is a small shrub,
seldom more than 4 feet
high; it has slender
branches, shining
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, pure white | This is one of the
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 Levant | Bright pink; Spring | Mr. Goldring in the
Gardener's Magazine,
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 (Japanese Cherry) | China and Japan | ...... | This is a glorious 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 (Cerasus pendula rosea) | Japan | Deep pink; April and May | A beautiful tree of
distinct weeping habit, and
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 (Cerasus serrulata) | Introduced from China about 80 years ago. Also a native of Japan | The flowers are in large loose heads, and are white, or white suffused
more or less deeply with rose, and 1 inch to 1½ inch across. End of April | This is one of the most
ornamental of the Cherries.
It is naturally a small
tree with a rather loose
habit, and is peculiar by
reason of its short-jointed
stunted-looking branches.
The leaves are fairly large
and very evenly serrated.
For lawns or shrubberies it
is excellent, making a good
companion plant to its own
countryman, the
large-flowered
pseudo-Cerasus and its
European cousins, Cerasus
and Avium. In addition to
being an excellent outdoor
tree, it may be cultivated
in pots for forcing for the
conservatory in Winter and
Spring. |
| *P. Mahaleb | Europe | White; April and May | The Mahaleb is well known
for its remarkable
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 Cherry) | Europe, and a great part of Asia | White; Spring | A well-known tree, and
frequently seen in
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. |
