58 Ornamental Shrubs. 



Islands, and so is adapted to the climate and well fitted to 

 the purposes to which it is applied. It has smooth, ellip- 

 tic-lanceolate foliage, and, when properly treated with that 

 end in view makes a compact, well rounded bush some- 

 what in tree form, from six to ten feet high. The blos- 

 soms are white and in compound racemes, coming out 

 in early summer, and are both numerous and fragrant. 

 These are followed by nearly black berry-like fruit in 

 clusters of no particular beauty. In the hedge-rows, where 

 the plants are kept well cut in, but few flowers are seen 

 as they are borne on the new wood. But when grown on 

 the lawn or in the border they are among the most florif- 

 erous of shrubs, the odor of the blossoms when in close 

 contact being so intense as to be offensive to many per- 

 sons, a characteristic of nearly all the privets. There are 

 several well established varieties, some of which may be 

 preferred to the typical form. Of these L. v. buxifolium 

 has leaves resembling those of the common box ; L. v. 

 frutuluteum has yellow fruit and more dense foliage ; 

 L. v. variegatum, leaves margined with yellow in one 

 form, and marked with white in another, and others have 

 more or less noticeable variegations. 



L. ovalifolium is popularly known as the California 

 privet, though for no good reason, as it is a native of 

 Japan and not of the State whose name it bears. It is 

 preferred to the vulgare because of its larger foliage and 

 more rapid and vigorous growth. The leaves are oval- 

 elliptic or obovate, and much more persistent. Even in 

 the vicinity of Boston they often keep their color until 

 midwinter, while farther south they are practically ever- 



