Trees, Shrubs and Vines 



plants to the professional dealer ; and it is the florist 

 who must be censured for the rarity of this unique 

 and serviceable plant, the holly, especially the English 

 species, which is hardy for the latitude of New York 

 City. Its extremely slow growth is but little excuse, 

 for it can at least be utilized as a shrub. Its delicate 

 white blossoms appear in June, ripening into bright 

 berries that last all winter, while its lustrous dark foliage 

 is an attraction the entire year, suffused with the glad- 

 ness of Christmas, of which it is the universal emblem. 



Our native species is sparingly found as a shrub in 

 the Northern States, but it becomes larger and more 

 abundant to the south and southwest, where it has an 

 altitude of forty to fifty feet. It is slightly inferior to 

 the English holly in symmetry and lustre of leaf, and 

 brilliant color of the berry, but it will become more 

 popular when the public has learned its feasibility of 

 culture, and relies more upon its own taste in the matter 

 of selection. 



Paulownia Imperialis. — From the land of flowers, 

 Japan, comes the most tropical, hardy specimen of a 

 large tree that the Park contains — the paulownia, a noble 

 cluster of which borders the greensward lying south of 

 the ''Belvedere." Its very name has a lordly reso- 

 nance, which is justified by its striking proportions, 

 enormous leaves, abundant purple flower-clusters, and 

 beautifully marked trunk. One honors his own dignity 

 by feeling a peculiar admiration for such a master- 

 growth. Another prominent cluster is a little east of 

 the Webster statue, fronting the visitor as he approaches 



1 06 



