April 7, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



441 



Buddleias 



See colored supplement, issue of March 24, 1906. 



The Buddleias are valuable flowering shrubs, hardy 

 in English gardens, and now, thanks in a great meas- 

 ure to the initiative of Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, 

 several new sorts have been added to our collections and 

 doubtless will sqon be widelj grown where hardy flow- 

 ering trees and shrubs are valued. 



The commonest of the buddleias is B. globosa (the 

 orange Ball Tree). It derives its popular name from 

 the curious appearance of its tiower-heads. This favor- 

 ite shrub is a native of Chili; in English gardens, par- 

 ticularly those of the south and southwest, it grows 

 freely and in time attains a large size. A large plant 

 in full bloom is very handsome. It is of rapid growth 

 and even if cut down by frost in winter will invariably 

 grow freely again the next year. Buddleia variabilis is 

 also a valuable shrub, although at present not so widely 

 grown as B. globosa. It is a native of China and was 

 found by a French missionary, who sent seeds to France 

 in 1893. From these seeds plants were raised that 

 flowered the following year. Dr. Henry has found it 

 growing in Central China. Buddleia variabilis was 

 thus described in The Botanical Magazine, August, 

 1898: "This plant is a native of the mountains of 

 Ichang and adjacent provinces of China. It is a large 

 shrub, 8 to 10 feet or more high, very variable in foliage 

 and with flowers densely crowded in globose heads 

 pedunded in the axils of the uppermost leaves, and 

 which vary in color from pink to pale lilac with an 

 orange throat." It is a vigorous plant and flowers free- 

 ly. In spring it grows freely from the old wood and 

 during the summer makes growths 4 feet to 5 feet long. 

 It is cut back more or less each year, but this is as 

 might be expected, for it is of a semi-herbaceous char- 

 acter and grows until late autumn. 



Buddleia variabilis Veitehiana is a handsome plant 

 and -superior to the type. It has received a first-class 

 certificate from the'Boyal Horticulture Society. Veitch- 

 iana is more robust than variabilis, and bears larger 

 panicles and flowers. The color of the latter is also 

 brighter, being deep lilac or violet-mauve with orange- 

 colored centre. The variety Veitehiana is one of the 

 many good plants we owe to the collector, Mr. E. H. 

 Wilson, sent out to China by Messrs. James Veitch & 

 Sons. Those who have grown Buddleia variabilis 

 should certainly not be without the variety Veitehiana. 

 One grower writing of it says: "In the spring I was 

 given a tiny plant of the variety Veitehiana about 6 

 inches in height. Tiiis was planted out in the garden 

 and now has shoots 7 feet in length, while it has been 

 flowering freely for the last fortnight. The bloom 

 racemes at more than 12 inches long, but I have seen 

 some on larger bushes that exceeded 2 feet in length." 



Buddleia variabilis magnifica is considered by 

 some to be even finer than B. v. Veitehiana. 

 Others, however, prefer the latter. B. V. magnifica is 

 more robust than Veitehiana; it has larger flowers, 



which are some shades deeper in color than those of 

 Veitehiana. This buddleia has received a first class 

 certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society. It 

 was generally admired when exhibited by Messrs. James 

 Veitch & Sons, and was regarded as a promising new 

 shrub. 



Buddleia Colvillei is the most beautiful of all the 

 buddleias, but unfortunately it is not hardy when 

 planted in the open garden. It needs the shelter of a 

 wall in this country to enable it to be grown satisfac- 

 torily. Even then it is all the better for some slight 

 protection during severe weather. Mr. James Veitch 

 describes it as a native of the Sikkim Himalaya where, 

 at an altitude of 9000 to 12,000 feet, it forms a large 

 erect shrub or small tree 10 to 12 feet high. The cam- 

 panulate flowers, which are produced in great numbers 

 in long terminal panicles, are bright rose-pink shaded 



with red. 



H. H. Thomas. 



Moving Large Evergreens 



Few men have had so much experience with the plant- 

 ing and transplanting of evergreens during the past few 

 years as Arthur Griffin, superintendent of the E. T. 

 Gerry estate at Newport. Dozens of immense specimens 

 were moved long distances last winter and the winter 

 before and, notwithstanding the commonly entertained 

 idea that it is a risky business to move evergreens at that 

 time of the year, not one of those moved has succumbed ; 

 on the contrary all have made good growth of root and 

 branch. On removing some of the medium-sized trees 

 again last fall, in order to make a slight rearrangement, 

 Mr. Griffin was exceedingly surprised at the growth the 

 roots of these trees had made. 



These are facts worthy of the consideration of any one 

 contemplating moving large spruce trees— trees that 

 would change completely the appearance of a place. It 

 is well-nigh impossible to move such large specimens in 

 the spring, whereas if the work is done in frosty weather 

 the only conditions absolutely necessary are money anfl 

 the presence of a careful overseer. Many disappoint- 

 ments result from attempts at moving large trees of any 

 kind in the spring and this is especially true of ever- 

 greens because very often it is found that their roots 

 help but little in holding together the ball of earth re- 

 quired in moving, and no matter how much care is 

 exercised in binding this ball very often a great part 

 of it is lost before the desired destination is reached. 

 Again, the moving of many trees of large size in the busy 

 spring or early summer is attended with great incon- 

 veniences, and occasionally the work, for obvious rea- 

 sons, is so hurried that these conditions in themselves 

 contribute somewhat to the failures when failures 



occur. 



When moving trees in winter it may be better to take 

 a larger ball than would be thought necessary at any 

 otheAime, but on account of the ease with which this 

 extra large ball may be handled when frozen the in- 

 creased size will not' add proportionately to the cost. 



