TEE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[January, 



land and Ireland. An easier plant to cultivate 

 can hardly be imagined." And we notice it here 

 to say that it is even a better plant for American 

 gardens than for Ejiglish ones. Last autumn the 

 writer of this saw it in Ellis Park, in Chicago, 

 more handsome than lie ever saw it before, cov- 

 ering trellises eight feet or more high with hun- 

 dreds of its large, waxy, white flowers. It is of 

 cruel tastes, however, the flower catching uisects 

 without any use whatever, so far as is at present 

 known. 



Pentstemon humilis. — One of the prettiest of 

 the dwarf Pentstemons of the Rocky Mountains, 

 forms the subject of a handsome colored plate in 

 the Florist and Pomologist for November. 



New Hardy Trees. — From various sources 

 we make up the following, that will probably all 

 prove hardy in our climate : 



Maakia mnouriensis. — We had a specimen of 

 this from the collection of Alfred Cope. The 

 flowers are in close white bunches, and the 

 leaves have much the appearance of a Cladras- 

 tus tinctoria. It will be a good acquisition to 

 our list of hardy trees. 



Corylopsis spicata. — We have before given 

 some account of this beautiful Japan shrub, one 

 which will probably prove hardy in our country. 

 The Gardener's Magazine has recently given a 

 wood cut of it, and with the following descrip- 

 tion : " This interesting hardy Japanese shrub is 

 regarded by hasty observers as a hazel or a near 

 relative of the nut tribe, but as the seed is a hard 

 capsule, those who watch it through its couree 

 learn that in one respect at least it is ftir removed 

 from the hazels. It is, in fact, a. member of the 

 Liquidambar family, and its generic name of 

 Corylopsis refers to the striking resemblance of 

 its leaves to those of a hazel, not to its flowers or 

 fruit. 



"Corylopsis spicata is a free-growing shrub pos- 

 sessing considerable beauty, and especially hand- 

 some in the spring when its flowers appear, as 

 they bear some resemblance to the elegant in- 

 florescence of Garrya elliptica, being produced 

 in drooping racemes in the greatest profusion. 

 They appear before the leaves, and are of a 

 pleasing greenish yellow color, pleasantly fra- 

 grant, and attractive to the bees. The leaves 

 which follow are large, subcordate, and of a full 

 green color, like those of the hazel. Those who 

 are now planting will do well to include this use- 

 ful shrub in the list of desiderata for the shrub- 

 bery." 



Othera japonica. — The English papers say of 

 this, which will perhaps prove hardy in at least 

 our Middle States : "A new and beautiful ever- 

 green shrub. One of the most distinguished 

 Japanese travellers says this is perhaps the pret- 

 tiest evergreen they have in Japan ; it grows 

 about twenty feet high, has dark green leaves and a 

 profusion of bright red fruit ; it is very efiective 

 and perfectly hardy." 



A New Strain of Drac.exas. — Mr. Bause, who 

 was the first to break up the old-liishioned Coleus 

 into so many beautiful kinds, and without which 

 our gardens would make now but a poor show, 

 has done the same thing now for the Dracaena. 

 The new strain is said to be among the most 

 beautiful of leaf plants, quite as striking as the 

 Coleus. No doubt some of our enterprising flor- 

 ists will soon offer them in this country. 



Pyracantha japonica. — We have not noticed 

 before that there is a Pyracantha under this 

 name in Europe. It appears there are a number 

 of good Japan trees and shrubs in the Old World 

 awaiting introduction here. The Garden says : 

 "In town gardens, Pyracantha japonica is now 

 one of the most attractive of all wall plants. In 

 the Royal Horticultural and also in Kensington 

 Gardens, this plant is now the admiration of all 

 who see it. Crataegus Aronia, in Kensington 

 Gardens, is also just now strikingly beautiful, as 

 is likewise the crimson-fruited Cotonea.stcr frig- 

 ida, which, as a town tree, ought to be more ex- 

 tensively planted than it is. 



Styrax japonica. — This hardy deciduous shrub 

 is of dwarf compact growth, with elegantly 

 spreading branches, furnished with bright green 

 elliptic leaves, and gives a profusion of white 

 flowers, somewhat resembling snowflakes. It 

 will be a very useful plant for early forcing along 

 with Deutzias, Spiraeas, &c., and an exceedingly 

 pretty and useful shrub for borders in the open 

 air. It is a nati\'e of Japan. — W. Bull. 



Deutzia crenata candidissima plena. — An 

 exceedingly free-flowering variety, producing fine 

 large, very double, pure white flowers. It is a 

 very useful winter and spring-blooming plant, 

 and looks extremely elegant when covered with 

 its large bunches of pure white flowers. 



Weigela Lavaxlei. — The flowers of this at- 

 tractive variety are of a rich purplish red color, 

 with yellow centres, and are very freely produced 

 in exceedingly long bunches. It is a distinct and 

 handsome variety of robust growth, and is also 

 an excellent plant for forcing. — W. Hull. 



