IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XIII 



No. 149 



Editor-J. W. Besant 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



JULY 



1918 



Some Flowering Shrubs in Spring. 



■u, , ^ ^, 



The fine display of flower this y*3ar has been 

 specially noticeable on two plants of reniavkable 

 beauty which form pari) of the magnificent Flora 

 of Chile — Embothrium coccineum and Triciispi- 

 daria lanceolata. The former, it is satisfactory 

 to know, is becoming a favourite in Ireland, 

 and if only healthy young plants are available, 

 we may hope to see it flourishing in many parts 

 of the country. It is not difficult to establish, 

 provided that it is not moved before it is 

 thoroughly well rooted, that there is no lime 'n 

 the soil, and that it is placed in some shelter. 

 It may be propagated by seed, or by layers, 

 \\-hich, however, take some time before they are 

 fit to be removed; when it is established it grows 

 quickly. It is well worth trying where the 

 climate is not too harsh, and where other con- 

 ditions are favourable — being a handsome tree 

 with graceful foliage, and covered with large 

 clusters of brilliantly scarlet flowers, a wonder- 

 ful shade not seen on any other plant. One of 

 tlie specimens here (Kostrevor), obtained some 

 four or five and twenty years ago, is now about 

 35 feet high, and from early in May until well 

 into June it was a blaze of intense red, which, 

 wliile at its best, almost obliterated the leaves 

 frcnn view. Tricuspidaria lanceolata (some- 

 times called Crinodendron hookerianum) is 

 more generally known, and it is hardly neces- 

 sary to say that it is evergreen, with rich crim- 

 son hanging blossoms that open towards thei 

 end of May. The flowering b\ids are formed in 

 autumn; and as the winter before last was un- 

 usually long and severe, many of them dropped 

 off. Hence there was a poor display of bloom; 

 in the spring of 1917; but the deficiencv has 



been fully made up this season, and never have 

 I seen it in greater profusion. The fruit de- 

 serves a note ; the pods form on the long foot- 

 stalks, at first green, then becoming yellow, 

 they split open, exposing to view numerous 

 ivory white seeds, packed like ears of Indian 

 corn. The foot-stalks, however, soon decay, 

 and the pods fall ofl: the plant ; but when t'hey 

 are on it they give it a very peculiar appear- 

 ance. T. dependens, also from Chile, was in- 

 troduced by Mr. Elwes seventeen years ago, 

 evergreen leaves smaller and rounder. It is 

 not quite so hardy as its companion, and has 

 not yet produced its white flower here, though 

 one of the plants is some 12 feet high. It grows 

 to a tree in its own country, and is said to be a 

 beautiful object. We scarcely have enough ex- 

 perience of it to say how it will eventually 

 develop in these latitudes. T. lanceolata, we 

 know, does thoroughly well in Ireland, and even 

 seems to grow to a larger size than is the case 

 in its native Chile ; some of the bushes here are 

 25 feet high. 



The merits of Prostanthera lasianthos needj 

 not be alluded to, as they have already been 

 noticed in Irish Gardening," but there is 

 another species, V. violacea, which deserves 

 attention. Coming also- from Australia, it is an 

 evergreen plant, eventually becoming some 

 5 feet in height (I think perhaps it may be 

 somewhat larger), with slender branchlets, 

 very small fragrant leaves, and with masses of 

 little dark violet-coloured flowers. It has stood 

 out here without protection, unhurt, during the 

 past two winters; and I believe when it 

 becomes reallv established it will be hardv in 



