November 23, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



615 



Ornamental Berried Plants 



At this sca^ron n£ the year when Nature's purposes are 

 fully realized in the production of the various forms 

 of fruits, wo can appreciate in a measure the great pos- 

 sibilities in ornamental landscape work which many 

 of these fruiting trees and slirubs aJford. Among the 

 groups of trees and shrulis valued for their ornamental 

 fruits none is more rioli in them than the rosaceons 

 sectioji, to which belong the crabs, thorns and roses, 

 all of wl'ich families contain many beautiful fruiting 

 species as Pyrus baccata and I'. Aucuparia or ''mountain 

 asli" whose brigb.tly colored fruits from August on are 

 a well-known feature. Several of the "thorns" are 

 at this date (Oct. 20th,) in the height of beaut}', con- 

 spicuous among them being tlie Anieriean white thorn 

 Crataegus coccinea and C. erus-galli, whose clusters of 

 showy fruits are such an attraction for our feathered 

 friends. 



Of the genus Rosa none is more decorative 1 think 

 than the exotic species rugosa whose large berries at 

 this time show up to such good advantage among the 

 still beautiful green foliage. Some of the native spe- 

 cies, too, though not so line as rugosa afford, however, a 

 very pleasing fruit display. 



Cotoneaster Simonsi and C. horizontalis, also kin- 

 dred to the foregoing are most attractive little shrubs 

 at the present time, both bearing small, red berries in 

 quantity, while the dark green leaves lead one to thinJ'C 

 them evergreen, which is true of them in a mildi;r 

 climate. The latter species is especially attractive 

 when seen trailing over the surface of a rock. 



Many of the laburnums figure highly in their fniit 

 display and come in for a fair share of attention from 

 planters. With the various forms at our disposal, bold 

 grouping is made easy and a prolonged effect procured. 

 One species which has interested the writer more than 

 any other this fall is Viburnum Wrightii whose beau- 

 tiful corymbs of firm, red berries show up with much 

 distinctness against the green leaves. This and the old- 

 time favorite Y. opulus make a worthy pair. 



Another shrub which never fails to attract- attention 

 wherever planted is Prinos verticillatus, well named 

 "deciduous holly" ; one cannot but wish it was ever- 

 green for tlien it would vie -with the famous English 

 holly, but nature has ordained otherwise and it is better 

 so perhaps, for, were it olotlied as the holly its berries 

 which are clustered closely around the stem would be 

 far less conspicuous than is now the case. Photinia 

 Tillosa is another admirable plant for fall beauty, re- 

 sembling somewhat the prinos but ripening its berries 

 later m the season. 



A plant rarelv met with in this country, due prob- 

 ably to it being hard to propagate except by seed, or to 

 the idea that it is not strictly hardy except around the 

 coast, is HippophfP rhamnoides or "Lea Buckthorn." 

 This plant (the female) produces orange-colored ber- 

 ries in great abundance; it is dioecious and requires the 

 planting of both sexes in close proximity to produce the 

 crop of berries. Native of Britain, it is often seen in 



shrub collections there, and its fruit is so persistent 

 as to make it invaluable for winter effects. 



The European "Burning Bush," Euonymus Euro- 

 paDus, or "spindle tree," is a plant worthy of a wider 

 use in shrubbery plantings. It is more showy than our 

 native E. atropnrpurcus, the carpels as a rule being- 

 larger and whcir in due time these open exposing the 

 orange-colored seeds the effect is extremely pretty. 



The white and red-fruited fonns of symphoricarpus 

 are never slighted when it comes to large plantings 

 which can also be said of the several kinds of bcrberis 

 all of which are very decorative when massed for the 

 sake of their berried display when the landscape is 

 desolate of flowers. While tlie jfowers of many of the 

 berried plants are insignificant, yet to him who knows 

 his plants those inconspicuous lloral envelopes signify 

 a hanest of color in due time and the result is never 

 disappointing. 



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Dracaena Victoriae 



This fine stove plant has stood the usual tests, and 

 deservedly ranks as one of the best novelties introduced 

 in recent years. It belonss to the Fragrans section, 

 and closely resembles the well-known Lindenii in habit. 

 Tt is quite distinct in color however; the dark green 

 band is finely strijjed, and continued to the centre of 

 the leaves, the grottnd color being a clear gold which 

 turns milk white with age: it must be seen as a 

 specimen to be rightly valued. There are several 

 large plants at Kew some 10 to 12 ft. high, clothed 

 do^vn to the pot with foliage, a somewhat unusual sight 

 with specimen dracaenas nowadays. Of course, it is 

 not a table plant being too heavy as a small plant, but 

 as a bold decorative plant it is hard to beat and a few 

 specimens will give great distinction to any stove and 

 greenhouse group of jnixed plants. 



All this section may be grown with advantage in the 

 intermediate house, though Victoriae must be kept warm 

 in winter, a? a dam^Told will leave unsightly spots on 

 the beautiful yellow ground which, lacking in green 

 pigment, has little resisting power. A little shade 

 may be given on very bright days, otherwise they en- 

 joy as much light as possible. Keep water off the 

 foliage as it runs down the centres. They should not 

 be overpotted but like all dracaenas they abhor sour soil 

 and should be shaken out carefully and repotted at 

 lea.st once annually. Propagate large tops by moss- 

 ing ; the large stem will continue to make quantities of 

 suitable cuttings for many years to come. Unlike the 

 terminalis section the varieties of fragrans do not form 

 toe roots for propagating and as a result Victoriae is 

 by no means plentiful and small plants are still ex- 

 pensive but as a novelty it is worth securing. It 

 always attracts attention and as a fine foliage plant has 

 an assured future. 



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