| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| Malus Group (the Apples). | | | |
| *P. baccata (Siberian Crab) | Himalaya to Japan | Rose pink; May | A well-known tree, very
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 (American or Fragrant Crab) | Eastern United States. Introduced 1724 | Rose; May and early June | A beautiful and neglected
tree, 15 feet to 20 feet
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; late Spring and early Summer | A delightful tree and
happily much planted in
gardens. It is quite small,
little more than a graceful
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 Apple) | Britain; Europe and Asia | White; late Spring | This is the Crab Apple of
the hedgerow, and although
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; late Spring | This much resembles P.
baccata, and has many
varieties, one of them
named pendula being a
beautiful weeping tree. |
| P. Ringo | Japan | Late Spring | A small tree about 20 feet
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 (P. spectabilis, *P. Toringo) | Soft rose; May | This hybrid has for its
near allies such popular
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 1½ inches across. |
| *P. spectabilis (Chinese Crab) | China and Japan | Pink; Spring | A beautiful and fairly well
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. |
THE SIBERIAN CRAB (Pyrus Malus baccata) SHOWING ITS BEAUTY ON LAWN.
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| Aria Group (White Beam trees) | ...... | ...... | A very distinct group. |
| P. Aria (Common White Beam tree) | North Temperate Zone | White | A well-known tree,
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; græca
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; presumably a hybrid | ...... | A handsome vigorous tree,
with oval leaves, 6 inches
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 (Mountain Ash or Rowan tree) | Native | White; Spring | This adds a brilliant note
of colour to the garden
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 (Service tree) | Native | White | This is more commonly known
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 Group. | | | Not a very important group,containing two species, P.
arbutifolia and P. nigra.
Both are easily raised from
seeds, but the quicker way
is to detach suckers. |
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| Cydonia (the Quinces) | | | |
| P. cathayensis | China | Rosy red; late Spring, early Summer | Best on a wall as at Kew.
Bolder in growth than P.
japonica, but not so hardy.
Very handsome on a wall. |
| *P. Cydonia (Syn. Cydonia vulgaris) | Unknown | Flesh | The Quince is for the
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; April, earlier in some gardens | A beautiful shrub, one of
the most valuable
introductions that we have
ever had from China and
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 scarlet; May | A charming shrub, dwarfer
than P. japonica; the
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 (the Medlar) (Syn. Mespilus vulgaris) | Europe and Asia | Pure white; early Summer | A small tree for the
garden, orchard, or
woodland. It is handsome in
leaf and growth, a dense
spreading tree, with fruits
of acceptable flavour when
eaten at the right stage. |
| *P. lobata (M. Smithi; M. grandiflora) | Unknown; probably a hybrid | White | A very handsome but
neglected tree, about 20
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. |
PYRUS (Mespilus) LOBATA.
RHODODENDRONS ARBOREUM HYBRID. (Outdoors, Kew.)
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| Rhododendron Species. | | | |
| Rhododendron arboreum | Himalaya; Ericaceæ | Bell-shaped, various colours—blood-red, white, rose, and, as a rule, spotted | This is a famous Himalayan
Rhododendron, a tree
attaining a height of 40
feet in its native country.
It has bold, thick foliage,
green above but quite
silvery beneath, and the
bell-shaped flowers vary in
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-shaped, blood-red, 1½ inches across | This is a tree 40 feet to
60 feet high in its native
country. It is hardier than
R. arboreum.
|
| R. californicum | California | Rose-purple, upper petal spotted with greenish yellow; broadly campanulate, almost without a tube. Good sized umbels; June | This is a strong-growing
Californian species, the
leaves dark-green; fairly
hardy. |
| R. campanulatum | Himalaya | Lilac, with purplish spots; June. Leaves elliptic or elliptic oblong, blunt as a rule at both ends, April | This is a beautiful
species, about 4 feet high.
We have seen it in several
Surrey gardens, but it
requires shelter. It is not
one of the hardiest. |
| R. campylocarpum | Himalaya | Bell-shaped, clear, pale yellow, 2 inches or so across, in rather loose clusters; May or late April | The best hardy yellow
Rhododendron at present
known is this. It is hardy
at Kew in sheltered spots,
but succeeds better farther
to the south. It is a shrub
of neat compact habit, with
leaves 2 inches to 3 inches
long, dark-green and glossy
above, blue-white beneath.
When full of flower it is a
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 regions of Southern United States | Good-sized heads of lilac or purplish flowers; late May and June | This is a strong growing
species and one of the
hardiest of all
Rhododendrons, and has
played a large part in the
production of the present
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 nearly a century ago from high rocks close to the snow-line in Caucasus | Rose or whitish green spotted flowers, in compact and upright clusters | This is a quite hardy
Rhododendron. The true
species is rare in gardens,
but there are several
forms, and it has been used
to a great extent by the
hybridist. It is dwarf,
spreading, little more than
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 are white, suffused with rose; April outdoors | This is a Rhododendron
more adapted, except in the
quite southern counties
such as Cornwall, South
Wales, &c., for a cold
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
præcox, 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 are tubular, with short, spreading limb, pendulous, and orange-scarlet, orange, or red;
they vary somewhat in size, but are usually about 2 inches long and ¾ of an inch across the mouth, and thick and fleshy | This is a very
distinct-looking shrub,
about 3 feet; but only an
approximate height can be
given, as it is sometimes
more than this. The growth
is somewhat loose, and the
branches upright and
slender, the leaves ovate,
2 to 2½ inches long, and
glaucous. Only moderately
hardy.
|
| R. dauricum | Alpine regions of Eastern Asia | Rosy purple; January | This is quite hardy, but
flowers so rarely that it
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 præcox and Rosy
Gem being two of the
hybrids. |
| R. ferrugineum (Alpine Rose) | European Alps. Introduced about 150 years ago | Flowers small, funnel-shaped, and in small upright terminal clusters in June; bright rose or scarlet | This is frequently seen in
rock gardens, and grows
about 1 foot high, forming
a rounded mass thickly
clothed with small green
leaves, covered with minute
reddish-brown spots. When
young the leaves are
slightly hairy, but the
mature foliage is almost
free from hairs. There are
varieties, one with white
(albiflorum), another with
rosy or scarlet flowers
(myrtifolium), but there
are others. Its popular
name is Alpine Rose. |
| R. Fortunei | China | Fragrant, pale rose-coloured flowers, with seven petals; Mid-May | This is one of the hardiest
of the Himalayan species,
and, as it does not flower
until well into May, it is
generally untouched by late
frosts, which so disturb
early-flowering species. It
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; April and May | There are several forms of
this Himalayan Rhododendron
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, waxy, ¾ of an inch across, and in small upright heads; May | This is a dwarf species,
with small oblong leaves,
seldom more than 2 feet
high, and rarely seen in
cultivation, although very
pretty. |
| R. hirsutum | Alps | Pale red; May and July | In many ways this is the
counterpart of R.
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 tubular, red and yellow, and 1½ inches long; May | A distinct,
upright-growing, scantily
branched species,
suggesting affinity to R.
cinnabarina, but it is quite distinct.
It grows from 4 feet to 6
feet high, has narrow quite
distinct ovate or
lanceolate leaves 2 inches
long. |
| R. lepidotum | Temperate and Alpine Himalayas | Colour varies, usually purple and yellowish; curious flattened form, and about 1 inch across; May and June | The individual flower does
not suggest a Rhododendron,
so unlike other species
is it in this respect. It
is a low-growing plant with
small oblong leaves; it
succeeds outdoors at Kew. |
| R. maximum (Great American Laurel) | North America | Rose, or whitish spotted with yellow or red | This will grow to a height
of 35 feet, and has large,
thick, elliptical, oblong
leaves. It is not much
grown here. In the
"Cyclopædia 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 here about 30 years | Rose; about 2 inches across, and in small clusters; March | This is not in general
cultivation, but is hardy.
As yet no opportunity has
arisen of ascertaining to
what dimensions it will
grow in this country; it
has thick and leathery
oblong leaves, 3 to 4
inches long, green above,
and covered underneath with
a thick grey or brownish
tomentum.
|
| R. niveum | Himalaya; 8 to 9 feet | Purplish; April | At Kew this species lives
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 curious distribution, being found in Portugal and not again until Asia Minor is reached | Purple; about 2 inches across; May | Of all the hardy
Rhododendrons this is the
most largely grown and most
popular; it is much used as
an undergrowth in woods and
other places. In many parts
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, Alleghany Mountains, from North Carolina to Georgia | Flowers rose; 1 inch across; in clusters in June | A dwarf and evergreen
species. R. minus is a
synonym. |
| R. racemosum | First exhibited by the introducers, Messrs. Veitch, in 1892, and is a native
of Western China, where it is found 6000 to 10,000 feet elevation | Pink-white; April | The introduction of this
added another type to this
genus, for both in flower
and general habit it is
distinct from other
species. It is dwarf, with
small oval leaves, and
flowers borne in axillary
and terminal clusters, and
so profusely that every
branch is a mass of
blossom. It is quite hardy
and very welcome. There is
a form with deep rose
flowers. |
| R. Rhodora (Rhodora canadensis) | North America | Magenta-purple; April | Not much grown, but colour
probably not popular. It
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-purple; 3 inches across; April and May | This has large flowers and
leaves, and, as recorded
elsewhere, has founded a
distinct race. It blooms
freely when about a foot or
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 flowered at Kew in 1899 | White, with blood-red spots on upper petal; in loose clusters in May | This is an erect shrub,
with glossy green leaves 2
to 2½ inches wide. A
very useful shrub, and
should not be forgotten by
the hybridist. |
