IRISH GARDEmNG 



Forms and Varieties of Cytisus 

 Brooms 



\1'AI;T In. I,, tlir tnir sp.-cirs ,,f Cvtisus, wlii.li .-.ir 

 .ill v.Tv l..-;iiitil"ul. lluTi' arc a umiih.T ..f li\ l>ii<l> 

 ami varit'tal fdi-ms wt-ll wurtli cultivating', an.l, 

 iinlccd. superseding sonic of tlic sjn-cics wlicic 

 decorative value alone is consiiicrc<i. 



Durinir the past niontli (piitc a niiniNci- ..t these 

 tonus an.! hyhritis have lieen ol)seive(l in tlow.-r 

 in the National i,'ar(len at (ilasncvin. and while 

 still fresh in oui- M>eniory a luief account of them 

 may pn>ve interest intr and us.-ful to readers (.f 

 liiisii (i.\i!i)KNlN(i. One of the tii'st to ojicn its 

 lloucrs. and certainly on.- of the very hest. is 

 Cytisus Meani. so named in honour of Mv. W. .1. 

 Uean. \vli(. lately wrote the work on trees aiul 

 shinihs reviewed in this ma^^azine. It forms a 

 prostrate low-jjfrowin^' sliruh. not. often excei-diui; 

 a foot hiph. hut spreatlint; considi'iahly. The 

 leaves, as in most Brooms, are small, and dro]t 

 off in autumn, thi' younp hranclies refaininjj:. <'f 

 course, the green colour. The flowers, which aic 

 of a very heantiful j;olden yellow, are horne 

 i>v.ifusel\ ".iver tlie greater i)art of tlie l)ranc]ies. 

 Tim- plant is adndrahly adapted for the rock 

 uaiiliii. where its cliarms are most readily seen 

 and enjoyed. This hylu'id occui'red l)y chance 

 at Kew. the sui)posed j.areTits l^'int-- the i-harminf, 

 little ('. Ardoiui. from tlu- AEaritime Alps, and 

 (". purgans. a native of France aiul Spain. 



Perha|>s tlie most striking; hybrid recently 

 raised anuiuir shr.ihs is ('. Dallimorei. named ili 

 honoui' of tlie r.usei-. Mr. \V. Dallimore. formerly 

 foreman in the Arhoi-etum. and now assistant 

 curator of tlie Forestry Museum at Kow. 



This remarkable and beautiful plant is the 

 Tisult of crossing; ('.sro])arius Andreanus with the 

 White Brooni.and is recorded as tlie tirst hybrid 

 Broom to be raised artiticially. all otliers hiiving 

 been found accidentally <,n'owini,' among or near 

 other si>ecies. The flowers of ('. Dallimorei are 

 of a very beautiful I'osy pink, vai-ying to criu'son. 

 a most remarkalile and delightful <'oml)iii,ation. 

 the value of which will be niore ai)prociated in 

 the sjtring garden as ])lants become more ))lenti- 

 ful. This is an erect growing shrub, which will 

 ai)parently reach a considerable height, and must 

 prove (»f the t?^reatest value for massing. 



Cuttings are not by any means easy to root, 

 and although roots can be induced to form, yet 

 subsequent growth is slow and unsatisfactory — 

 the most satisfactory method of propagation 

 being by grafting on iiaburnum. 



One of the earliest liybrid Brooms to become 

 known was C. Kewensis, perhaps even to-day 

 the most ])0])ular of the smaller growing kinds 

 in gaidens. This much admired shrub, like the 

 others, originated at Kew over twenty years ago, 

 and has for parents C. Ardoini and C. albus. 

 The fiowers are of a beautifid creamy white, borne 

 in the greatest ])ro fusion. 



An older Broom than the above is C. pirecox, 

 even yet not as freely i)lajite<l as it might be. 

 This, too, is a hybrid having for ])arents C. 

 purgans, already inentioned. and C. albus, the 

 common White Broom. In habit it follows 

 C. albus, but flowers even more freely, the 

 blossoms being of a beautiful sulphur yellow. 

 For massing, this is one of the finest Maj^ flower- 

 ing shrubs. 



Cytisus purpureus albus is a very beautiful 

 white-flowered variety of the purple Broom, and 

 makes a useful rockery shrub as w<sll as being choice things 



suit.lble for beds and l.ul-.lers. There is .ilso a 



rose ,,v llesh-colour.-d form worth including. 



Th.' c.uiiUKui Broom C. scopariiis has picdm e.l 



soil \ceedingl\- beautiful \;ii-iet ies. among 



which, of ciMirse. ('. s(n|pariiis A inlre.iiius is. 

 perh.ips. the best known. hi this variety the 

 iypic.il yellow coloiii- is i-eplaced by a sulTusitui 

 of reddish crimson seedlings, again showing much 

 v.iri.ition. Som.. line forms have been selected 

 in Ireland by Mr. Smith, of .Newry. am.mg 

 others now becoming well known .ue Fiiellv. 

 .Nf.iydy. Dr.igonlly. \-c.. .ill be.iutiful fiee lloweV- 

 inu shinibs. 



.\1 the time of wiitiim C. sc(,p.irius p.-ndulus 

 is on.' of th.' most I.e.iutifiil shrubs in the garden. 

 Isu.ilK grafted on L.iburnum the weeping 

 br.iiK-h'es. l.'iden with l;irge v. -'low flowers, form 

 a most pleasing sight. When grafted on short 

 stems, it is suitable for i-ock gardens, but wlu-n 

 work.'d higher nuiy be us.'d in the shrubbery or 

 as a lawn specimen. 



The Moonlight Broom, which is a sul])lmr- 

 coloured form of C. scopai'ius. is extremely 

 effective in a mass, and forms ii ]ileasing featur(> 

 in the uai'deii and grounds. 



An old hybrid, but little known, is C. versi- 

 color, a hyiirid of C. purpureus and a yellow- 

 lloweri'd species. The flowers in colour are a 

 combination of yellow ami jnirple. unique and 

 ((uite elTective. It foi-ms a medium-sized 

 compact bush, rather larger than C. purjuireus. 

 and <'an be used in a varietv of positions. 



In the matter of cultivation these Brooms are 

 not fastidi.ms. Well drained soil, light rather 

 than heavy, is best, and the plants should be cut 

 over several times wlien yt)ung to induce a 

 bushy growth. In later years less i mining is 

 necessary, as they do not break well from the 

 older wood. When showing signs of decline 

 young ])lants should be substituted. 



Pro])agation of most varieties must lie done by 

 cuttings or grafting, as seedlings cannot be relied 

 on to come true. 



Cuttings of half-ripened growths about :} or 1 

 inches lonu. with a "heel." root freelv in sandv 

 soil under a hand light. They should" be potted 

 up in sjiring before the roots have grt)wn too long, 

 (drafting is ])referable in some ca.ses, as with C. 

 Dallimorei, and grafting is frecjuently carried out 

 when weeping or other forms are wanted for 

 certain ])ositions. Toi,k.\. 



Vella pseudocytisus (The Cress Rocket) 



This uncommon |ilant has Ix-en flowering freelv 

 during ]\[ay in a sheltered border by one of the 

 greenhouses at Glasnevin. It forms a low shrub, 

 not often exceeding a couple of feet in height, 

 and is evergreen. It is not altogether hardy, 

 but succeeds if afforded some jirotection. arid 

 well worth some attention in this respect. The 

 flowers, which are yellow, are produced in long 

 racemes at the ends of the branches. A native 

 of Spain, this jiretty shrub belongs to the Crucifer 

 (U'der, and requires a sunny, sheltered ])Osition. 



Another species also not common is Vella 

 sjnnosa, which grows on the rockery at (ilas- 

 nevin. It forms a dwarf bush with stiff spiny 

 branches which bear narrow, dull -green leaves. 

 It is deciduous, and does not flower with the 

 freedom of the other s])ecies. The flowers are 

 yellow. Also a native of Spain, this is a useful 

 dwarf shrub for the rock garden, where it can be 

 usefully employed among other dwarf Alpines 

 without in any way robbing or over-growing 



