May 23, 1908 



HORTICULTURE 



685 



Notes from the Arnold Arboretum 



The Lilacs and more particular.ly the large group 

 along the driveway leading up the Overlook Hill are at 

 present the chief attraction at the Arboretum. About 

 the middle of the month many of the varieties and hy- 

 brids (if Syringa vulgaris bad opened their first flowers. 

 'J'be earliest white Lilacs are the single-flowered Alba 

 Major, Virginalis and Marie Legraye, one of the best 

 whites. Of the single-flowered Lilacs with purplish or 

 lilac flowers in different shades the earliest are Princesse 

 Marie, Croix dc Brahy, Justii, C. 8. Sargent and Fuerst 

 Lichtcnstein, while of the double flowered varieties of 

 the same color Mathieu de Dombasle, Lemoinei, Jean 

 Bart, Leon Simon, Madame Jules Finger and Renon- 

 ciile must be named as the earliest. Besides Syringa 

 ohlata mentioned in the last issue there is another very 

 early species introduced recently by Professor Sargent 

 from I'ekin where he found it cultivated in gardens; 

 this is the white flowered Syringa affinis. ' Another new 

 Chinese Lilac was received recently from Europe under 

 the name S. Girahlii, but that name really belongs to 

 quite a different species related to S. villosa and not in 

 cultivation, wliile our S. Giraldii in many respects great- 

 ly resembles S. affinis, of which it may possibly be the 

 wild purple-flowered form. Both new Lilacs differ 

 from .S'. oblata in the rather loose and straggling habit 

 and the slender elongated racemes and will probably 

 prove valuable in the hand of the plant-breeder for 

 the creation of a new race of early blooming Lilacs. 



A beautiful tree now in bloom and very striking on 

 account of the liglit rosy-purple color of its flowers is 

 the well known I^ed-bud. Cercis canadensis; of this 

 exists also a white flowered variety still rare in cultiva- 

 tion, Cercis canadensis var. alba, which however, scarce- 

 ly merits ])reference before the type. More beautiful 

 than the common is the Chinese Red-bud, Cercis chi- 

 nensii (C. japonica), which has larger flowers, but un- 

 fortiinately is not perfectly hardy in our climate. The 

 finest of all is Cercis racemosa with rosy-pink flowers 

 in 10 to 30-flowered pendulous racemes; of this we pos- 

 sess only young seedlings raised from seeds sent last 

 year by E. H. Wilson from Central China; its hardiness, 

 of course, remains to be tested. 



The first Rhododendrons are now in bloom. Of the 

 Azalea-gi'oup the native Rhodora, Rhododendron cana- 

 dense, is passing, while the southern R. Vaseyi with its 

 delicate pale pink flowers is coming into bloom and an 

 allied spedes from Japan, R. rhombicum, shows its 

 beautiful pure purple flowers. Rhododendron Kaemp- 

 feri, the only species of the Azalea indica-group hardy 

 irr this region, is making a great display with its masses 

 of orange-red or brick-red flowers. The earliest of the 

 true Rhododendrons are hybrids of R. caucasicum, of 

 which the var. Clio with blush flowers changing to near- 

 ly white and R. caucasicum var. pictum with pink flow- 

 ers pale in the centre are now in bloom. Rhododendron 

 praccox, a hybrid of R. dahuricum and R. ciliatumj has 

 beautiful pale purple flowers but unfortunately is not 

 perfectly hardy and the foliage is usually more or less 

 injured during the winter which makes the plant un- 

 sightly in spring; its variety Early Gem has pale lilac 

 flowers. 



Fothergilla major and the smaller and lower F. alni- 

 folia (F. Carolina) are now objects of striking beauty 

 with their feathery spikes of white flowers ; they are still 

 rarely seen in gardens and parks, though they certainly 

 merit to be planted oftener. 



To the Apples mentioned in the last issue should now 

 be added Mains Arnoldiana, a small tree of excellent 

 habit loaded with large pink flowers changing to white; 



it is jirobably a Iiybrid of M. fioribunda and certainly 

 one of the most beautiful of the crab-apples. Another 

 fine species is Mains spectabilis, an upright growing 

 tree with semi-double pink flowers. A pretty shrubby 

 species with pure white flowers is the Japanese Malus 

 Sargent i. 



Chaenomeles Maulei (Cydonia Maulci) is now cov- 

 ered with its bright orange-scarlet flowers. Of Chae- 

 nomeles japonica (Cydonia japonica) a large collection 

 of its beautiful varieties has been planted, but the plants 

 are yet too small to flower well. 



Diervilla praecox shows its dull purple flowers much 

 in advance of the other Diorvillas, but on account of its 

 dull color it is less effective than most of the later varie- 

 ties. Lonicera tatarica and some other species are be- 

 ginning to bloom and some Viburnums as Viburnum al- 

 nifoliuni, V. Lantana and F. burcjaeticum, a recently 

 introduced Cliinese species of little ornamental value, 

 are now in flower. 



Prunus Pendula (Maxim) 



This picturesque and charming tree, the Japanese 

 Weejjing Rose-flowered Cherry, is the very finest of the 

 flowering cherries. What is more to its credit, it takes 

 high rank in our list of ornamental trees and shrubs. 

 Indigenous to Japan, it is highly esteemed by the Japa- 

 nese and is frequently depicted in their works of art. 

 With us it is a small tree, attaining a height of twelve 

 to fifteen feet. The branches are spreading and pendu- 

 lous, and the form distinctly weeping. Yet in contrast 

 to most of the weeping trees it is very graceful in 

 habit. This na.tural charm is lost, however, if the plant 

 is grafted standard-high. The union of the stock and 

 scion should be close to the ground. Late in April, or 

 perhaps more frequently during the first week in May, 

 it is comjDletely covered with its rosy pink flowers. 

 These may tarry for a week, though often their charm 

 departs in a shorter time. The flowers precede the leaves, 

 are nearly an inch across and are borne on long, slender 

 pedicels in two or four-flowered clusters. The foliage 

 is somewhat thin and is of no particular merit. Per- 

 haps the tree's most successful use is in a group which 

 is composed of its congeners, the fiowering cherries, al- 

 monds and peaches. Yet it is not to be despised in, the 

 shrubbei-y surrounded with such shrubs as are its ■^qunl 

 in rank. Then it often proves most satisfactorj' as a 

 specimen plant. 



Very similar, except in habit of growth, is Prunus 

 subhirtella, which is considered by some to be a distinct 

 species and by others to be identical with Prunus pen- 

 dula. W^hatever we may think of its botanical position, 

 it is certainly sufficiently distinct in habit to warrant 

 planting. Instead of possessing the graceful weeping 

 form, this little tree is erect, yet withal light and airy 

 in appearance. Then the flowers are identical in l^eauty 

 with those of the Japanese Weeping Eose-flowered 

 Cherry. In many positions it might be more desirable 

 than a weeping form as well as being always interesting 

 for the additional variety which it affords. 



These trees are vigorous and hardy and apparently 

 free from diseases and insect pests. Nor are they diffi- 

 cult to grow, although for the best results they require 

 a deep, loamy, well-drained soil, an abundance of plant 

 food and good care. 



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