July 17, 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



69 



New Michaelmas Daisies 



branches from the ground, and if they are grown to one 

 main stem a perfect pyramid of bloom is obtained. 



Some of the best varieties are: Enchantress, Hon. 

 Edith Gibbs, White Diana, Cordifolius Profusus, De- 

 light, Sensation, Triumph, Brightness, King Edward 

 VII and Ideal, all of which grow from four to five feet 

 in height. Golden Spray, Decorator, Osprey, Veinineus 

 Perfectus and Thora all grow a yard high and produce 

 a wonderful display of blossom. 



Arnold Arboretum. 



Perennial Asters, or, as they are commonly called, 

 Michaelmas Daisies, are among the most charming of 

 our autumnal flowering plants and nothing is capable 

 of producing more beautiful effects in garden and wood- 

 land at that season of the year. In addition to the 

 many excellent wild species which are common to North 

 America there have been introduced during the last few 

 years several beautiful hybrids and varieties which are 

 worthy of cultivation in all gardens where the best hardy 

 plants are desired. I see that the Messrs. Farquhar are 

 wisely cultivating large numbers of these newer sorts in 

 their Eoslindale Nurseries for they are sure to become 

 general favorites with the florists and flower loving 

 public. To see Michaelmas Daisies to the best advan- 

 tage they need planting in a border of good width de- 

 voted entirely to them and then a fine mass of flower 

 results as depicted in tHe illustration, but each plant 

 should be given sufficient space to properly develop and 

 if the growth can be tied out to several stakes instead of 

 being bunched up to bne a much larger amount of blos- 

 som is obtained. An exrcellent way also of cultivating 

 these improved varieties is to take off single shoots with 

 the roots attached either in fall or early spring and pot 

 them up in small pots until they become rooted putting 

 them out in their permanent position about the middle 

 to the end of April. If kept growing to one stem they 

 make very beautiful decorative plants as can be seen by 

 the photograph of a single specimen. The accompany- 

 ing picture represents a plant seven months after the 

 single shoot was taken from the parent plant. 



One of the greatest charms of these new varieties is 

 the exquisite habit many possess which makes them so 

 adaptable for growing as specimen plants or using in a 

 cut state. In the majority the flowers are small or of 

 medium size and are produced on slender pendulous 



Notes from the Arnold Arboretum 



An interesting shrub, Tripierygium Wilfordii, entire- 

 ly new to cultivation, is flowering this summer for the 

 first time at the Arboretum. This shrub, a native of 

 northern Cliina and Korea, was introduced by Mr. J. 

 G. Jack who collected seeds near Seoul in 1905. The 

 genus Triptei'ygium of which only two species are 

 known, belongs to the Celastraceae, but is entirely differ- 

 ent from any other member of this family in cultiva- 

 tion. Tripterygium Wilfordii is a shrub from two to 

 five feet high with upright or somewhat arching angled 

 and warty stems and light green foliage; the slender- 

 stalked alternate leaves are ovate to oblong in outline, 

 serrate and long pointed and measure four to six inches 

 in length. The slightly fragrant whitish flowers appear 

 at the end of the branches or branehlets in pyramidal 

 panicles from three to seven inches in length; the indi- 

 vidual flowers are very small, about three-quarters of an 

 inch in diameter and have small narrow petals. The 

 three-winged seeds are ovoid in outline and about one- 

 third of an inch long, greenish at first, becoming 

 brownish when fully ripe. The shrub cannot be called 

 particularly showy, but as it is fiowering at a time when 

 not very many shrubs are in bloom, it is a welcome 

 addition to our summer-flowering shrubs; the fruits too 

 are rather conspicuous. It has proved hardy at the 

 Arboretum. 



After tlie well known Sorbaria soriifolia (Spiraea 

 sorbifolia) has gone out of bloom another very closely 

 related species but recently introduced from Japan is 

 beginning to flower. This is Sorbaria stellipila (S. sor- 

 bifolia. stellipila) differing from the first named species 

 in their generally longer and narrower leaflets and some- 

 what larger and broader panicles ; from a botanical 

 point of view the chief difference lies in the pubescence 

 of the ovaries and of the stalks of the individual flowers, 

 also in the sometimes rather slight stellate pubescence 

 of the leaves. Though in habit and general appearance 

 it is almost like S. sorbifolia, it merits recommendation 

 for its somewhat later flowering time. Like the other 

 species of the genus it is a very showy plant when in 

 bloom and like these it has the disadvantage of looking 

 rather unsightly after the flowers have faded, as the dis- 

 colored and shriveled rests of the flowers remain on the 

 panicles. In a well kept garden the panicles should be 

 removed after the flowers have faded. Like S. sorbi- 

 folia the new species is perfectly hardy. 



