HYBRID RHODODENDRON IN DONEGAL. (A wild bit of planting.)
RHODODENDRON PRÆCOX. EDINBURGH BOTANIC GARDENS.
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| R. Hardy Hybrid | Ericaceæ | ...... | 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.
Chamæcistus, 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. Dalhousiæ, 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; June | R. Thomsoni may be taken as
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 R. Thomsoni and R. Fortunei | Rich rosy red; April | This was raised by Mr.
Luscombe about thirty years
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. Thiselton-Dyer | Hybrid, same cross as Luscombei | Deep rose, with darker mark at the base of the tube | This is a Kew-raised
hybrid, and very similar to
Luscombei in growth. |
| *R. Ascot Brilliant | Raised by Mr. Standish | Rich scarlet; mid and late May; a peculiarly brilliant colour | This is a flower of
wonderful colour and the
whole shrub in growth, size
of calyx, texture, and
clusters reminds one
strongly of R. Thomsoni. It
is of dwarf and bushy
growth, and flowers with
great freedom. |
| *R. Shilsoni | Raised by Mr. Gill, gardener to Mr. H. Shilston, Tremough, Penrhyn, Cornwall, between R. Thomsoni and R. barbatum | Crimson | This beautiful hybrid
combines the good qualities
of both parents. It
resembles R. barbatum in
height and R. Thomsoni in
foliage, and the flower
truss is compact as in the
former parent, with the
larger, more fleshy leaves
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 by Mr. Harris, at one time gardener to Lord Swansea; the parents are R. Thomsoni and R. arboreum | Red; early Spring | This is a hybrid of much
interest, and flowers
freely when quite small. It
is apparently quite hardy,
but would be happier in the
south than elsewhere. |
RHODODENDRON SAPHO IN IRISH GARDEN. (Donegal.)
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| Griffithianum Group. | | | |
| *R. Aucklandi | Himalaya | White; May | The group, in which the
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° 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 R. griffithianum and R. Aucklandi | Delicate rose, passing to white with age; April and May | This was raised at Kew in
1875, but did not flower
until fourteen years later.
Since then it has flowered
very freely every year. It
makes a large bush 6 to 8
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 about 1880 by Messrs. Veitch & Sons, and the outcome of crossing R. griffithianum with the catawbiense hybrid album elegans | White, the upper petal spotted with red or reddish brown; April and May | This is a very beautiful
hybrid, popular, and very
free. Although the leaves
are smaller, this
Rhododendron—named after
one whose interest in the
race was intense—resembles
the Himalayan parent when
not in bloom, but the
influence of the American
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 Messrs. J. Waterer & Sons of Bagshot | Delicate pink; May | This beautiful Rhododendron
has rapidly become popular.
The leaves and size of
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 deep pink suffusion, and very fragrant; May and early June | This species, when not in flower,
bears a strong likeness to
R. griffithianum, but the
flowers are very distinct,
about 3 inches across, and
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 2½ 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 Caucasus. Flowered for the first time in England at Kew in 1893 | Bright rosy-lilac; April and May | This is a handsome species,
of compact growth, and 3
feet to 6 feet high, with
large, deep-green leaves,
covered on the underside
with quite a dense,
whitish, wool-like
substance. The flowers are
from 2½ 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. (Azalea) viscosum and R. maximum | White, lilac-tinted flowers; June | This grows about 3½ feet
high, and, as the parentage
shows, is a cross between
the evergreen and deciduous
sections. It has been known
under the names of
hybridum, fragrans,
odoratum. Quite hardy.
|
| *R. Smithi aureum | This is not new, but rare; it is supposed to have been raised
by a nurseryman named Smith of Norbiton, between a variety of R. caucasicum and a
yellow form of R. sinense, and is said to have been exhibited at Chiswick in 1841 | Buff inclining to apricot; June | This is a very beautiful
Rhododendron, dwarf, not
very compact in growth, but
when its handsome flower
clusters are out the bush
is almost smothered with
bloom. At Saltwood, near
Hythe, in a Rhododendron
glen Mr. Leney has several
plants of it. A
glaucous-leaved form is in
cultivation, but the
flowers are not so rich in
colour as those of the
plainer leaved one. Quite
hardy. |
| R. roseum odoratum | Hybrid between the two sections. One a white-flowered deciduous variety,
and the other a red-flowered evergreen form | Reddish; June | Quite hardy. |
| R. altaclarense | Result of crossing R. catawbiense and R. ponticum. Flowered first in 1835. Raised at Highclere | Bright scarlet | A very charming, bright
flowered hybrid. |
| *R. præcox | A hybrid between R. ciliatum and R. dauricum | Rose-purple; late February and early March | This hybrid is quite hardy,
but must have a sheltered
spot, if not grown in a
cool house for the sake of
its colour, as it blooms
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. |
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| *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 (Syn. Azalea, arborescens) | Found by Pursh, and described in 1816 in his "Flora of North America."
It is a native of the mountainous regions from Pennsylvania to South Carolina 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 | White, tinged with rose, the stamens scarlet; occasionally the colour is rose | This has fragrant flowers,
and grows about 9 feet in
the British Isles.
|
| R. calendulaceum (A. calendulacea) | Alleghany Forests. Introduced about 100 years ago | Great range of colour; yellow, red, orange and other shades; May and June | It forms a large, handsome
bush about 8 feet high, and
is one of the most
beautiful of the species. |
| R. flavum (Syn. A. pontica) | Native of Caucasus, and has been grown for upwards of a century, viz., introduced in 1793 | Yellow, fragrant; early Summer | Few Rhododendrons are
better known; it grows from
6 feet to 8 feet, and has
fairly large shining
leaves. Excellent for
forcing. |
| R. indicum (A. indica) | Widely distributed in the mountains of China and Japan | Various; early Summer | This is the plant regarded
as the "common" Azalea. It
has been improved
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
amœna is the hardiest of
the varieties; it is easily
recognised by its reddish
hose-in-hose flowers.
Balsaminæflorum 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. ledifolia) | China and Japan | Pure white; March | This reminds one of the old
white A. indica of gardens,
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. nudiflora) | From Canada to Florida and Texas. On side of hills. Introduced in 1734 | Pinkish as a rule; April and May | An extremely useful shrub,
and has been of
considerable service to the
hybridist. It grows about 6
feet high, and makes a
wide-spreading bush. It
bears pinkish-coloured
flowers, though many hues
are to be found among its
many forms. |
| R. occidentale (A. occidentalis) | California | White; late June | This species flowers later
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. rhombica) | Japan | Rose-lilac; April | This is easily
distinguished from other
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 North Carolina | White suffused pink; April | Of the lesser known species
this is one of the most
beautiful, and should be in
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. viscosa) | North America. In shady woods and swamps. Introduced in 1734 | White and sometimes pink; July | This does not usually
flower until most of the
others are over. It is
readily recognised by its
viscid leaves. |
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| *Rhodotypos kerrioides (White-flowered Kerria) | China and Japan; Rosaceæ | White; May and June | A very pretty shrub, 4 to 6
feet high, and bearing some
resemblance to the popular
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 (Alpine currant) | Northern Hemisphere; Saxifrageæ | Greenish | A beautiful group of
flowering shrubs. R.
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 (Missouri Currant) | North America | Yellow; early May | A shrub 4 to 6 feet high,
with drooping clusters of
golden-yellow blossoms. It
forms a good companion to
the flowering Currant,
Ribes sanguineum. |
| *R. gordonianum | Garden hybrid | Yellow and red | A hybrid between the
species immediately
preceding and the flowering
Currant; it is in all
respects about intermediate
between the two. |
| R. multiflorum | Carpathian Mountains | Yellowish green | Grows 5 to 6 feet high, and
is remarkable for the long,
pendulous and graceful
racemes of small yellowish
blossoms. |
| *R. sanguineum (Flowering Currant) | Western North America | Bright rosy red; April | A shrub 5 to 6 feet high,
with bright-coloured
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 (Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry), (Syn. R. fuchsioides) | California | Deep scarlet; April and May | Shrub 6 to 8 feet, stems
spiny, flowers very
beautiful. A delightful
wall plant, though quite
hardy in south of England. |
| *Robinia hispida (Rose Acacia), (Syn. Robinia rosea) | South United States; Leguminosæ | Purplish rose; June | From a flowering point of
view this is the finest of
all the Robinias. Though
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 Mexico | Rose | A small tree related to the
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 (Common Locust or False Acacia) | North America | White; late May and June | One of the handsomest of
all hardy trees; the
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 Locust Tree), Syn. R. glutinosa | North America | Pale rose; June and July | A small tree, easily known
by the sticky glands that
cover the new wood and
leaf stalks. The leaves are
larger than those of the
others. |
| *Romneya Coulteri (Californian Poppy) | California (Papaveraceæ) | White, with golden stamens; Summer | Few flowers are more
beautiful than those of the
Californian Poppy. The
flowers are so simple in
form and delicate in
substance. At first sight
they remind one of the
finest white crêpe, 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. |
CALIFORNIA POPPY. (Romneya Coulteri.)
| Name. | Country or Origin and Natural Order. | Colour and Season. | General Remarks. |
| Rubus bambusarum | Rosaceæ | The flowers give place to a black edible fruit | Henbane. Introduced by
Messrs. Veitch from China,
the trailing branches 10
ft. to 12 ft. |
| *R. biflorus (White-stemmed Bramble) | Himalaya; Rosaceæ | White | This Bramble forms an
upright freely-branded
specimen, 10 ft. high, and
has whitened stems, which,
especially in winter, are
very conspicuous. |
| *R. deliciosus (Rocky Mountain Bramble) | Rocky Mountains | White | A Currant-like, bushy
shrub, with large white
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 flore-pleno (Double Pink Bramble), Syn. R. bellidifolius. | Garden form | Pink; late Summer | A double pink form of our
common Bramble, and of a
loose rambling nature, soon
forming a tangled mass. |
| R. innominatus | Hupeh; Central China | Interesting for its stems covered with a soft pubescence and large orange scarlet fruits, which are edible | Introduced by Messrs.
Veitch, and is a great
addition to dessert fruits. |
| R. laciniatus (Cut-leaved Bramble) | Garden origin | White | A strong-growing Bramble
with elegantly cut leaves.
It is essentially a plant
for the wild garden, while
the fruits are particularly
good. |
| R. nutkanus (Nootka Sound Raspberry) | North America | White | A free upright species that
pushes up annual shoots
like the Raspberry, while
the lobed leaves are
decidedly ornamental. The
large white blossoms are
borne in May and June. |
| R. odoratus (Purple-flowered Raspberry) | North America | Rosy purple | Somewhat like the last, but
with rosy-purple blossoms
that are rather later in
expanding than those of R.
nutkanus. It thrives best
in partial shade. |
| *R. phœnicolasius (Japanese Wine Berry) | Japan | Whitish | A strong-growing
Raspberry-like plant,
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 (Salmon Berry) | North America | Purple; early May | A shrub so aggressive that
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 flore-pleno (Double White Bramble) | Garden form | White | A semi-double
white-flowered Bramble,
less effective, however,
than the double pink. |
| Sophora japonica | China; Leguminosæ | Creamy white panicles, which show up against the dark-green foliage | Excluding the plants
formerly known as
Edwardsia, now included in
Sophora, this is the only
well-known member of the
genus, and it is the only
one of our large-growing
hardy trees that flowers
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 Leguminosæ,
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 (Spanish Broom) | Europe; Leguminosæ | Golden yellow | Owing to the
deeply-descending nature of
their roots, many of the
Leguminosæ 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. |
