634 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Native Bulbs for Mass Planting 



HERBERT DURAND 



THE continued high prices and hniited supply of 

 Hyacinths, TuHps, Dattodils and other imported 

 bulbs, make it well worth while to consider the rel- 

 ative merits and beauty of such lovely things as our native 

 Mertensias, Lilies, Shooting Stars, Trilliums, Trout Lilies 

 Mariposa Tulips, etc. These gems of our American flora 

 have been overlooked and neglected in this country, but in 

 Europe they are held in equal regard with the so-called 

 Dutch bulbs, and some of them are considered by European 

 growers to be even more exquisitely beautiful. As a rule 

 they are of the easiest culture and increase rapidly from 

 year to year, while the initial cost is much less than that 

 of their rivals from across the Atlantic. The varieties 

 described in this article are particularly well suited for 

 naturalizing and mass planting, and many of them thrive 

 in locations where Dutch bulbs will not. 



I have a strong personal liking for the Erythroniums, 

 commonly called "Dog Tooth \'iolets" or "Adder's 

 Tongue."' John Burroughs strenuously objected to these 

 popular names, saying that the plant was not a violet, 

 nor did its flower bear the slightest resemblance to either 

 a Dog's Tooth or an Adder's Tongue. His name was 

 "the Trout Lily" — because of the beautiful mottling of 

 the leaves like that on a brook trout's back ; because the 

 plant is at its best along the banks of trout streams, and 

 because it is a true lily. It is to-be hoped that the name 

 "Trout Lily" will soon and permanently supplant the two 

 other misnomers. In the Eastern United States, there are 

 only two species of Erythronium and of these two, 

 Albidiim, with white flowers, is somewhat rare. The 

 common kind is Amcricauiim, with golden yellow blos- 

 soms. In the far west, however, there are a number of 

 other species, all of exceeding charm and in a bewilder- 

 ing varietv of colors. Calif ornicmii is of the same bright 

 yellow as our eastern sort, but bears three and four blos- 

 soms on the stem instead of one, like ours. White Beauty, 

 a variety of Californieum, has white flowers with crim- 

 son centers. Hcndersonii. is of a pleasing shade of pur- 

 ple, and Johnsonii is a bright, rosy pink. Erythroniums 

 are perfectly hardy even in the coldest sections of the 

 L'nited States, and while they are at their best in rich, 

 moist leaf mold, they do not seem to object to any ordi- 

 narily fertile soil, provided it is reasonably light and fairly 

 well drained. In woodland or shaded spots anywhere, 

 are the best places to naturalize them, and if planted in 

 liberal quantities, they will so<:in literally carpet the 

 ground. 



If they had no other attraction than their richly mot- 

 tled leaves, they would be well worth using for this pur- 

 pose. Our eastern species is a shy bloomer. In a mass 

 of hundreds of plants in early Spring, there will be per- 

 haps not more than ten or a dozen blossoms. The west- 

 ern kinds, however, bloom rbundantly, and it is estimated 

 that as high as 75 per cent of mature bulbs will blossom 

 each year. They should be planted during September or 

 early October, setting the bulbs three or four inches apart 

 and covering them with two or three inches of soil. 



Mcrtensia virs^inica. like the Erythronium, has two 

 common or popular names — "the Virginia Cowslio" and 

 "Blue Bells." It is also known in some localities as 

 "Lungwort." It is a first cousin of heliotrope and the 

 forget-me-not. The trumpet shaped flowers are one to 

 one and a half inches long, in a loose raceme of six or 

 more, at the summit of a stem from one to two feet high. 

 The flowers open a bright pink which soon changes to a 

 clear azure blue. .Shortlv after Ijlooming, the foliage 



turns yellow, withers, and disappears like that of the 

 oriental poppy, and the roots lie dormant during the Sum- 

 mer and Fall. They may, therefore, be planted any time 

 after mid-Summer. Mertnsias grow naturally along 

 the banks of streams and in the alluvial soil of low lying- 

 grounds anywhere. They seem to thrive well, however, 

 in almost any locality, provided the soil is rich and rea- 

 sonably moist. They are prolific seeders and increase very 

 rapidly. I know of no blue flower that is more beautiful. 

 Dodecatheon mcadia, known as the "Shooting Star" or 

 "American Cyclamen'" grows most abundantly in the 

 Middle West. It is found, however, as far East as Har- 

 risburg. Pa. It is an exceedingly handsome plant, send- 

 ing up a wiry stem about a foot high, which bears a 

 many-flowered umbel of bright pink or rose colored blos- 

 soms like miniature cyclamens. The leaves of the Shoot- 

 ing Star persist longer than those of Mertensia, but like 

 the latter, disappear by mid-Summer. The dormant 

 roots may be planted any time during .\utumn, and my 

 experience is, that they do best on a northerly slope in at 

 least partial shade. They should be planted so the ci^own 

 of the roots is at or very near the surface of the ground. 



The Trilliums, or "Wake-Robins," have very few rivals 

 among our conspicuously beautiful woodland plants. 

 Probably the best kind for general, purposes is Trilliuin 

 grandiflontm, usually called the "Great White Trillium." 

 This plant grows a foot or more high and the large blos- 

 soms turn pink with age. A colony of several hundred 

 or several thousand of these wood lilies makes a most 

 striking display in late April or early May. The Painted 

 Trillium, T. Hndulatum. has frosty white fluted petals 

 with crimson stripes at the center, undoubtedly the hand- 

 somest flower of any member of the family. Unfortu- 

 nately, however, it is a denizen of cold, moist woods, and 

 is extremely difficult to establish in new quarters. T. 

 sessile, from the Pacific Coast, is perhaps even better than 

 grandifionim from the standpoint of easy culture and 

 permanency. Its flowers are snowy white and sweetly 

 fragrant. Another excellent and attractive sort that is 

 not difficult to grow is T. stylositin, from the Blue Ridge 

 Mountains. It has very attractive pink flowers. The 

 common red trillium of our eastern woods is also a good 

 and easily established compnnion for the other kinds and 

 gives a color variation that is very pleasing. I find that 

 all the Trilliums prefer a shaded location in rocky soil 

 that is rich in leaf mold and does not sufifer from lack 

 of moisture. The bulbs or corms should be planted deeplv. 

 fmm four to eight inches below the surface. 



The Calochorti or "Mariposa Tulips,'' of the far West, 

 have never been given the consideration thev merit at the 

 hands of eastern gardeners and estate owners. Until one 

 has .seen a collection of these wonderful plants in flower, 

 he can form no conception of how much Nature can ac- 

 complish in the way of wi.le variety of color in the blos- 

 soms of a single kind of plant. There are six distinct 

 strains of the Calochortus and about the only character- 

 istic that is common to all, is the cup shaped flowers, 

 which come from one to six on a stem. Each strain has 

 evolved a color scheme of its own, and its blossoms are 

 so wonderfully marked with peacock-like eyes, blotches 

 and pencilings in the richest colors, that only a rare col- 

 lection of Orchids can vie with them in their marvelous 

 variability of beauty. There is no better investment for 

 a flower lover than a (|uantitv planting of these superb 



(Continued on page 6.^3) 



