MY SHRUBS 15 



Aristolochia stphoy the tube-bearing birthwort, all men know 

 as a genial climber whose straggling limbs hang forth their " Dutch- 

 man's pipes " in June, and whose foliage turns bright gold before 

 it falls ; while for the stove, though I pretend to no knowledge of 

 the myriad precious shrubs that are grown there, one may be 

 heartily commended : A. elegans. This noble aristolochia hangs 

 out its shell-shaped flowers of white spattered with purple by 

 hundreds through the summer, and never fails to win applause 

 for its somewhat sinister beauty. A woman once said that she 

 thought the flower all innocence and dimity ; but no : there is 

 nothing of dimity or innocence about A. elegans. The plant 

 comes freely from seed, and is easy to manage ; few things in any 

 stove are more splendid. 



Aristotelia Macqui from Chili is a familiar, handsome and hardy 

 evergreen, with small green flowers and black berries to follow. 

 The foliage is very fine. 



Asimina triloba pursues its even way under a warm wall, but 

 this papaw from Pennsylvania proves a slow grower, and I have not 

 as yet seen its chocolate-coloured flower, or tasted its yellow fruit. 

 It takes its own time, and whether its ultimate performances will 

 synchronise with my power to applaud them remains to be seen. 

 Probably not. 



As for Athrotaxis doniana, this excellent little Tasmanian 

 conifer is happy here, and its appearance delights me. It is good 

 for twenty feet, but at present stands no more than two. It 

 suggests a juniper with a style of its own. Atragene alpina 

 loves a wall in half shade. The most beautiful variety is blue 

 and white. Mine came from a great prosperous piece that 

 showers over the natural rocks in the little botanical garden of 



