IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XI 



No. I20 



Editor— J- W. Besant. 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



FEBRUARY 

 19.6 



Newer Chinese Cotoneasters. 



Explorations in China during recent years 

 have added a niiniber of useful Cotoneasters to 

 our gardens, an interesting family of evergreen 

 and deciduous shrubs, and one or two small 

 trees. Attractive in habit and foliage during 

 the summer, the greatest beauty of the majority 

 is in autumn when laden with richly-coloured 

 fruits. ( )nly one or two Cotoneasters are worthy 

 of attention for their flowers, the most important 

 being a Chinese species, C. multiflora. A form 

 of this from another locality was introduced by 

 Mr. E. H. Wilson during his Veitchian expe- 

 dition, and has been disseminated in our gardens 

 as C. reflexa. As a flowering shrub the most 

 important new Chinese species is C. turbinata. 

 It is particularly interesting as the usual flower- 

 ing season is May and June, while this species is 

 in beauty about the end of July. 



The cultivation of the Cotoneasters offer no 

 problems to tree and shrub enthusiasts ; they 

 thrive in most soils, including sloping banks of 

 poor soil : to clothe such a position they are 

 eminently fitted. Their varied character and 

 height adapt some for the shrubbery border, 

 specimens or beds for the lawn, and others for 

 the rock garden. Among the newer Chinese 

 species there are additions for each of these 

 positions. In addition to being readily raised 

 from seeds, Cotoneasters root freely from 

 cuttings. These may be made of half -ripe 

 shoots in July or August inserted in a heated 

 frame, and firmer growths will root in a bed of 

 sandy soil in a cold frame put in about October. 



Useful additions for the rock garden are C. 

 adpressa, a species first introduced by the 

 French missionaries to France about ten years 

 ago. It is a low-growing, more or less, prostrate 

 species, forming a thick twiggy mass of growths 

 several feet across, or hanging gracefully over 

 boulders and ledges. The plants are deciduous, 

 and have red fruits. Distinct from this is the 

 C. humifusa, which forms an evergreen carpet 

 on sloping banks or spreading over large rocks 



and stones. This is one of Mr. E. H. Wilson "s 

 most distinct introductions from Western 

 Hupeh. The fruits are red. 



The value of C. turbinata as a late -flowering 

 shrub has already been mentioned. It is a fast- 

 growing evergreen shrub, 6 feet to 8 feet or 

 more in height, useful as a specimen on the 

 lawn or grouped in the shrubbery border. The 

 flowers are white, with rose-tinted anthers and 

 red fruits in winter. 



At least a dozen species may be mentioned as 

 suitable subjects for lawn specimens, planting 

 in groups in beds and borders or on the edge of 

 the woodland and park. Curiously enough six 

 of those are evergreen and six deciduous. The 

 evergreens are C. amoeiia, a closely-branched 

 and spreading bush 4 or 5 feet high, with small 

 leaves and bright red fruits. Taller in growth 

 and with a more elegant open habit is C. Fraen- 

 cheti. An alUed plant is C. pannosa, with less 

 shining leaves and darker fruits. C. Harroviana 

 is a useful shrub, 4 to 6 feet high, and as much 

 in diameter, attractive both in flower and when 

 freely clothed with red fruits. C. Henryana 

 (C. rugosa var. Henryi) is very distinct in habit. 

 It is free in growth, the branches arching or 

 pendulous, with large leaves and dark red 

 fruits. As a specimen evergreen bush C. salici- 

 folia var. floccosa, if placed in order of merit, 

 should have been mentioned first. Tli,e branches 

 are elegantly arching, forming a distinct bush 

 at any time. It is pleasing when in flower, and 

 highly attractive when freely clotlunl with bright 

 red fruits. 



Among the deciduous species C. Dielsiana (C. 

 applanata) is distinct in habit. Ligh.t and 

 elegant in growth, it forms a tall bush with grace- 

 fully arching branches. The fruits arc brilliant 

 red. C. bullata, red fruits ; C. foveolata, black 

 fruits ; C. moupinensis, black fruits, arc tall 

 free-growing shrubs. C. divaricata is one of 

 the most attractive in fruit, and C. Zabelii is 

 elegant in habit— both have red fruits.— A. 0. 



