244 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



October, 19 14 



Hardy Conifers * 



W. T. Macoun, Dominion Horticulturist, Ottawa 



IN a country, where the native species 

 of conifers are numerous and where 

 immense areas of evergreen forests 

 exist, and where many kinds of beautiful 

 conifers from other countries can be suc- 

 cessfully grown, it is rather surprising 

 that so little has yet been done in Can- 

 ada to grow conifers under cultivation. 

 Perhaps it is because Canadians are so 

 familiar with them in the wild condition 

 that they do not show more interest than 

 they do in cultivating these beautiful 

 trees. For instance, when one sees the 

 majestic, yet graceful outlines of the 

 native white pine clothed with branches 

 to the ground or grown as a single speci- 

 men on the lawn, or in a group massed 

 together and showing their straight, tall 

 trunks, one cannot but be impressed by 

 their great beauty, and this is but one of 

 many conifers that may be grown suc- 

 cessfully. 



With such long winters as there are 

 in Canada the conifers are very useful 

 in giving, in our judgment, a warmer 

 look to the landscapewhichotherwise, for 

 more than six long months, would pre- 

 sent but the bare boughs of the deciduous 

 trees with, perhaps, the withered leaves 

 of the beech as a constant reminder of 

 the summer that has gone. There are 

 few of the broad-leaved evergreens hardy 

 in Eastern Canada, which, on the west 

 coast of Canada, and in some other coun- 

 tries are used to take the place of coni- 

 fers for evergreen effects. Hence, the 

 great importance of a free use of hardy 

 conifers in this part of Canada. 



Some of the best hedges are made 

 from conifers, and being evergreen they 

 also help to soften the otherwise hard 

 lines about a residence which a Canadian 

 winter does so much to emphasize where 

 there are no evergreens. But perhaps 

 enough has been said of the value of con- 

 ifers in general; let us see what ma- 

 terial there is to draw upon. 



At the Central Experimental. Farm, 

 Ottawa, more than five hundred species 

 and varieties have been tested during the 

 past twenty-six years, of which a very 

 large proportion have proved hardy, and 

 in the following short list the best in our 

 judgment have been gathered together. 

 It is much to be regretted that the beau- 

 tiful Lawson's cypress of which there are 

 many attractive varieties is not hardy in 

 eastern Canada, nor the cedar of Leba- 

 non, nor Deodar cedar, nor some of the 

 fine firs of the western coast of the Uni- 

 ted States, but with the many to choose 

 from that are hardy we can get along 

 without them. 

 • If one takes the conifers in botanical 



•Extract from an address delivered before the 

 annual convention of The Oanadiam Horticul- 

 tural AseoclatioD. 



sequence, the first that should be men- 

 tioned is the maiden hair tree (Ginkgo 

 biloba), formerly called Salisburia adian- 

 tifolia. While a conifer this is not an 

 ea'ergreen, but it is such a striking tree- 

 that it must not be left out. The leaves 

 remind one of the maiden hair fern. 

 While not particularly graceful, it is 

 very pleasing to the eye owing to its 

 remarkable fan-shaped foliage, and while 

 a rather slow grower it has been used as 

 an avenue tree in some places in the Uni- 

 ted States. The oldest trees used for 

 this purpose are, I believe, in Washing- 

 ton. This tree while sometimes killing 

 back a little at the tips may be regarded 

 as hardy at Ottawa, some specimens 

 there now being about twenty-five feel 

 high. 



THE YEWS 



The yews, which are so commonly met 

 with in Great Britain are not hardy at 

 Ottawa, nor would they be satisfactory, 

 I fear, in many parts of Ontario. There 

 is, of course, the Canadian yew, Taxus 

 canadensis, a low growing species, 

 which is not to be despised where low 

 growing evergreens are desired. There 

 is, however, the Japanese yew, Taxus 

 cuspidata, a splendid substitute for the 

 common yew of Europe. It is perfectly 

 hardy at Ottawa and a specimen planted 

 in 1896 is now seven feet in height and 

 ten feet in breadth. The foliage is at- 

 tractive. This should prove very valu- 

 able in Canada both for massing, for 

 single specimens, and for hedge pur- 

 poses. 



THE JtJNIPEKS. 



Among the junipers are some valuable 

 species and varieties. The most satis- 

 factory is the Savin, Juniperus horizon- 

 talis, formerly called Sabina, a native of 

 Canada and other countries. This is a 

 low growing trailing species of which 

 there are several good varieties. It is 

 very attractive when massed, for not 

 only has it the narrow leaves of the 

 junipers which give most of the species 

 a light appearance, but the branchlets are 

 long and slender, making it partiularly 

 striking. 



The variety tamariscifolia is most mark- 

 ed in this respect and has a somewhat 

 different color effect from the ordinary 

 form. 



There are a number of other good 

 junipers, but perhaps the most attractive 

 is the Irish juniper, Juniperus communis 

 fastigiata. This is an erect form of the 

 common European juniper, which grows 

 from four to eight feet in height. The 

 foliage is light green above and silvery 

 beneath, and the contrast in color makes 

 it attractive and a noticeable shrub on 

 the lawn, .^t Ottawa the tips are usually 

 injured by winter, rather hurting its ap- 



Delphinium or Larkspur 



The larkspur will grow in any soil or situation, 

 but one open to the sun suite them best. They 

 thrive when the soil is well enriched. The 

 flowers here shown were ffrown in the garden 

 of Mr. J. H. Bennett, Barrie, Ont. 



pearance until new growth takes place. 

 It has not been found stiff enough for 

 hedge purposes, the snow breaking it 

 down, otherwise it would be quite at- 

 tractive. 



As a contrast to the Savin in the color 

 of its foliage the native variety of the 

 common juniper, Juniperus communis 

 depressa, formerly J. communis canaden- 

 sis or alpina makes a fine low growing 

 conifer for massing. Another hardy jun- 

 iper not often seen, but which will pro- 

 bably be more grown in the future is 

 Juniperus rigida, a Japanese species with 

 rather pale foliage and slightly pendulous 

 branches, which make it quite attractive. 

 The largest specimen at Ottawa is about 

 ten feet high. 



BETINOSPOR.A8. 



The Japane.se retinosporas * are very 

 useful hardy conifers. Thev come under 

 the same genus as the cypress, the botan- 

 ists calling them Cupressus or Chamae- 

 cyparis, and as evergreen shrubs or small 

 trees for the lawn, have a distinct place. 

 Some of them do much better than others. 

 Perhaps the hardiest and most beautiful 

 of all is that known in the trade as the 

 Retinospora filifera. This has not been 

 injured at Ottawa in any way, and has 

 made a remarkably graceful and beautiful 

 lawn specimen. Planted in iRq-?, this is 

 now twelve feet in height and about the 

 same in width. It has drooning branches 

 and slender thread-like pendulous branch- 

 lets. Another good one is Retinospora 

 plumosa, a compact tree and very orna- 



