72 



IRISH GARDENING 



Deutzias. 



By J. W. Bksant, Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. 



REPRESENTED hy D. iftacilis and D. 

 crenata, both natives of Japan, this 

 genus has long- been well known and 

 esteemed in gardens. 



Although D. gracilis can be successfully 

 grown as an outdoor shrub in mild districts 

 where spring frosts are not common, yet it can- 

 not be generally recommended for this purpose. 

 The flower buds often push forth early in 

 April only to be destroyed by frost, which in 

 most places is liable to occur well into May. 

 As a greenhouse shrub, however, it has tew 

 equals in elegance and wealth of blossom. 

 Hard forcing is undesirable, resulting in con- 

 siderable weakening of the plants, which will 

 not blossom to any great extent the following 

 spring. When brought on gradually, moving 

 first from the open to a cool pit, and thence to the 

 warm greenhouse, satisfactory results may be 

 had annually. When out of flower tlie necessary 

 pruning should be done immediately. Thinning 

 out of old flowering wood to allow of the pro- 

 duction of young shoots is all that is required. 

 If the plants can be kept in a moderately warm 

 house for a few weeks after pruning, new 

 growth will be greatly encouraged, gradually 

 hardening off by easy stages until they can be 

 again placed outside in the plunge bed to com- 

 plete their growth and ripen up the wood 

 during autumn. 



D. crenata is more generall)- useful for 

 outdoor gardening, blooming a month or 

 six weeks later, thereby escaping injur)- by frost. 

 It is also more robust in habit, producing long, 

 strong branches, the whole plant often attaining 

 a height of eight feet and over. The flowers 

 are white, produced in pretty racemes, a well- 

 grown specimen forming a beautiful object in 

 June. 



Of D. crenata there is a number of forms and 

 varieties, of w hich the double white is perhaps 

 the best known. This variety is known under 

 several names, such as D. c. flore albo pleno, 

 D. c. candidissima plena, and D. Pride oi' 

 Rochester, raised in .\merica, but not diffeiing 

 in any marked degree from the other double 

 white forms. Varieties with variegated foliage 

 are also obtainable, but are not particularh- 

 desirable. 



D. crenata has been known under several 

 names at various times, and is still to be found 

 imder such names as D. Fortunei, D. scabra var 

 crenata, and D. sieboldiana, though the twolatter 

 species are now known to be distinct plants. 



In addition to these old favourites, which 

 serve as an introduction, there are numerous 

 other species and hvbrids well deserving atten- 

 tion from all interested in choice shrubs. 



Taking the species first, there is D. corym- 

 bosa, a Himalayan species which is not hardy 

 enough to succeed outside in many districts. 

 At Glasnevin outside plants grow freel}- dur- 

 ing summer, but usually get killed back to 

 the ground level in winter. In the milder parts 

 of the country, however, it may prove useful, 

 .^.s in most of the species the flowers are white. 

 D. discolor, a Chinese species, has only been 

 introduced within recent years. It is described 

 as growing about three feet high, bearing lance- 

 shaped toothed leaves and clusters of white 

 flowers flushed with rose. More common in 

 gardens is D. discolor purpurascens, a rather 

 more robust variet_\- with oval, finely-toothed 

 leaves and clusters of rose-purple flowers. 



D. parviflora, another Chinese species, was 

 first introduced to gardens by Messrs. Lemoine, 

 of Nancy. The leaves are oval, pointed, and 

 somewhat deeply toothed, and the flowers 

 white, produced at the ends of the branches. 

 Late frosts are apt to destroy the flower buds, 

 but in parts of Ireland and elsewhere where 

 severe spring frosts are uncommon this should 

 prove an interesting shrub. 



D. scabra, the name by which D. crenata 

 was long known in gardens, is now represented 

 by quite a different plant. The true D. scabra 

 is of weaker growth, and bears smaller leaves, 

 which are short-stalked, oval, with fine teeth 

 and deeply-marked veins. The pure white 

 flowers are borne in clusters all along the 

 branches. X native of China and Japan, intro- 

 duced by M. Lemoine. 



D. setchuenensis is the name retained for a 

 species raised by M. Maurice de X'ilmorin from 

 seeds received from Western China. 1 1 is also 

 known as D. corymbiflora, a name adopted by 

 M. Lemoine. .\t Glasnevin this species has 

 made but little progress, the shoots being more 

 or less cut down every winter, consequently no 

 flowers have been produced. Tlie llowers are 

 described as white, borne in l.irge clusters, and 

 opening in June. 



