ii4 



IRISH GARDENING 



colour, and make a brave show when the leaf is 

 off ; the fruit is large, red and edible. R. bambu- 

 sarum and B. Henryi may be taken together, as 

 they are very much alike, the only difference 

 externally being that the very narrow lanceolate 

 leaflets are joined together at the base in the 

 case of the latter. Both are very striking and 

 elegant plants, and so distinct that they do not 

 suggest at first sight that they are brambles at 

 all. R. t r nil i status is also a vigorous grower. 

 free flowering, and with white woolly-looking 

 fruits. R. iehangensis is of moderate size, with 

 long narrow leaves of a grey-stiely lustrous 

 appearance ; it is only just hardy with inc. but 

 is beautiful in foliage. R. irenceus is a dwarf, 

 quite prostrate on the ground, with largish 

 round, vine-like leaves, the young growth of 

 which is a very pretty bronzy-brown : it loves 

 shade. 



We owe many new Spiraeas to Mr. Wilson's 

 energy. Among the best are Spiraea Henryi, 

 with a spreading habit. 7 to 8 feet high ; flowers 

 white, in rounded corymbs, appearing in May to 

 June. The somewhat smaller and later flowering 

 S. 385. has arching stems 4 to 5 feet long, and 

 profuse blooms which are pink in the bud stage. 

 and when open, pure white. 8. Veitchii, a neat, 

 upright growing shrub with small foliage, 

 flowering rather later than the last — viz., in 

 June to July. 8. arborea (No. 1235), a strong 

 grower of the 8. sorbifolia type, with vivid-white 

 flowers borne in huge panicles ; a very show v. 

 hardy plant, hut requiring plenty of space; 

 well suited for massing in a bed. 8. Wilsonii is 

 also a strong grower, flowering in dune to duly, 

 and not without merit. All these Spirreas flower 

 on the last year's wood. 



Staphylea holocarpa is very distinct in foliage 

 from S. colchica or 8. )>innal<i. but it has not yet 

 borne flowers in its new home, so I cannot 

 describe them. 



Stranvcesia undulata is a valuable evergreen 

 shrub, something like a Photinia, but quite 

 hardy ; the leaves are harrow, leathery, and dark 

 green, turning to a bright red before they fall, 

 and the fruits are orange-red. and borne in 

 corymbs ; the (lower is inconspicuous. It would 

 make a good plant for a large rock garden. 



Our stock of Viburnums has been greatly in- 

 creased of late, though nothing has yet been 

 found to equal Viburnum plicatum in beauty of 

 flower, although V. tomentosum Mariesii runs 

 it hard. Of the new ones. ('. rhytidophyttum 

 is the popular favourite (see photo in June Irish 

 Gardknino) ; its large rugose evergreen dark 

 lanceolate foliage, of which the underside is 

 covered with a dun-coloured tomentum like 

 some of the Sikkim Rhododendrons, makes it 

 very conspicuous, even without the large 

 corymbs of dullish-white flowers ; these form in 



the autumn and are carried all through the 

 winter, so that it runs a risk of their being 

 damaged by frosts and failing to set its dark 

 red berries, which are its great glory. I'. buddlei- 

 folium and I'. Veitchii are closely allied, and 

 come in the Lantana section, of which our 

 native " Wayfaring Tree " is a familiar example. 

 V. Carlesii, from Korea, has a great reputation — 

 not that its white flowers with a rosy blush, 

 borne in May. are extraordinarily beautiful, but 

 because of their delicious fragrance, in which 

 respect it is unlike some of its congeners, such as 

 V. utile, whose flowers are similar in appearance, 

 and come out at the same time, but smell 

 offensively. This last is. however, redeemed by 

 its neat, small, dark shining rugose evergreen 

 leaves and graceful pyramidal habit, with long, 

 slender drooping branches. Another evergreen 

 Viburnum which is well worth growing for its 

 distinct character is V. Henryi, which has glossy 

 olive-green riband-like leaves, an erect habit, 

 and a profusion of white flowers in June pro- 

 duced on the terminals, which should be followed 

 by coral-red fruits in autumn, though our 

 example — about four years old — has not yet 

 fruited in this garden. V. coriaceum. whose 

 name has been already changed to V. cylindri- 

 cum, is a rapid -growing evergreen, forming a 

 solid compact bush of large size and a peculiar 

 glaucous green leathery foliage, which has the 

 peculiarity that if rubbed with the hand a white 

 mildew-like stain or smear is left : the flowers are 

 of a creamy-white. 



Til in Oliveri bids fan to be a valuable addition 

 to our Lime trees, the heart-shaped leaves and 

 bright led sheaths which enclose the leaf buds 

 producing a striking effect. 



Of all the legion of new plants which Mr. 

 Wilson's skill and activity has brought to our 

 ken probably none will be of greater value and 

 service than the Cotoneasters and Berberis, but 

 two such excellent- articles on these have 

 appeared so recently in your columns that it 

 does not seem worth while for me to travel over 

 the same ground by describing them in detail. 

 I will therefore confine myself to mentioning one 

 of each — viz., Cotoneaster divaricata, because I 

 had the honour of getting a first class certificate 

 for it. and Berberis Sargentiana (No. 564), which 

 is a handsome evergreen after the fashion of 

 B. Knightii in its foliage, but which has greenish 

 white flowers, the only plant of this genus 

 (though there may be others) which I can think 

 of. that has not an inflorescence of some shade 

 of yellow. 



Of course this article merely represents rough 

 notes on a few of our novelties, and I must 

 apologise to your readers for its unscientific 

 character, and to you, Mr Editor, for the amount 

 of 3'our valuable space which it will take up. 



