ON THE NATURALIZATION OF HANTS, J53 



Neverthelefs many of thefe, if not all, might be brought, by 

 enuring them to the open air, to bear our climate. The ca- 

 melia japonica, thea viridis, and calycanthus praecox, which 

 were formerly kept in the hot-houfe, then in the green-houfe, 

 are now fufficiently naturalized to grow in the open air, and 

 are as little injured with the cold of our winters as either the 

 common or Portugal laurels. 



Some exceptions to this obfervation feem to prefent them- Exceptions to 

 felves. The robinia pfeudo acacia (two-thomed acacia) does •■ ru,e * 

 not form external hybernacule, nor complete its (hoots, yet 

 grows well in our climate ; it however, when the froft comes 

 on early, lofes a great part of its fummer (hoots. Several fpe- 

 cies of the ciftus, that ceafe growing on the approach of winter, 

 but form no hybernacule, live through our mild winters, but 

 iuifer greatly in fevere frofts. And others, as the lauruftinus 

 (viburnium thus) continue to (hoot and flower, unlefs the froft 

 is fevere throughout the winter, fuftained by their vitality, or 

 that principle whofe exiftence preferves plants unhurt by cold 

 before flowering, but which ceafes to exift when the parts of 

 fructification have performed their office *. 



The lauruftinus is one of thofe plants that were introduced On thelaurufti. 

 to Ireland before green-houfes were known, confequently n , u *' J? uddl , e * , 



, , , . .. rt . . . ' , . / globofa and fuf. 



planted in the open ground, and experience (hews that it is chia coccinea. 



feldom hurt by froft. By it we find that fome plants, which 

 to appearance are not fitted for our climate, do yet outlive our 

 winters ; and that, without a knowledge of their native ftations, 

 we may fometimes fuppofe plants to be tender which are really 

 hardy : thus the lauruftinus is unhurt by froft in Ireland until 

 the cold exceeds that of its own climate. The buddlea glo- 

 bofa and fufchia coccinea are other inftances of plants, that 

 without a knowledge of their native climate, Chili, we would 

 not fuppofe capable of being naturalized to ours. Yet is the 

 buddlea feldom injured by our cold, and the fufchia, although 

 killed to the ground by the winter's cold, fends forth abund- 

 ance of (hoots which attain the height of three feet in fummer, 

 and are decorated with its elegant flowers, which are larger 

 and much more brilliant than ever they are when confined in 

 a houfe. 



* See Smith's Tra&s, page 177, and Philofophical Tranfaaions 

 for 1788. 



And 



