76 About Trees, Shrubs and Climbing Plants for S.A. 



- - and is .-quite; at home -on good -soil -where there is a medium 

 r ' rainfall - The sub-variety " elegans" changes colour to a 



rich brown in Winter, and makes a nice variation in foliage 

 ' - effect. - 



*Crataegus pyracantha Is similar to the European Hawthorn in. 

 ; general appearance, and eventually reaches a height of 20-25 

 / feet. In "Autumn and Winter the trees are radiant with 



scarlet or yellow berries, a rich effect after the leaves have 



gone. This would probably make an excellent hedge plant 

 . in the colder districts, say above an elevation of 3,000 feet. 



Better than common Hawthorn, and it is not so subject to 



disease. The white, pink, and red varieties of Hawthorn (O. 

 oxycantha) are beautiful when in bloom, but are often 



covered with scale and other diseases. 



Grotons Many beautiful and choice varieties are grown to per- 

 fection on the Natal Coast and a few miles inland. The 



foliage is of many shapes, and margined, marbled, and 

 splashed with yellow and red. Height varies from 2 to 6 feet. 

 At Maritzburg (2,300 feet) they nearly all fail, the climate 



being -too cold for them as outdoor plants. 

 *Cunninffhamia sinensis The habit of growth and foliage of this 



handsome tree are similar to Araucaria bidwillii, and it is 

 one of the handsomest of Conifers for the colder districts. 

 Of rather slow growth, but, as an ornamental tree, very 

 beautiful from the smallest stage. 40 feet. 



Cuphea exemia A compact little shrub, suckering rather freely, 

 with good foliage and tubular scarlet and yellow flowers, 

 which are numerous and continuous. Hardy. For the front 

 row, being only 3 or 4 feet high. C. platycentra is better 

 placed in the herbaceous border than in a shrubbery. C. 

 jorullensis bears numerous corymbs of intense scarlet flowers 

 continuously. 



*Cupressus Practically all varieties of Cypress are highly orna- 

 mental subjects at all stages of growth, and in this group a 

 great variety of colour is available in foliage, from the dark 

 green of C. sempervirens to the grey-green of C. arizonica. 

 Varieties are very numerous indeed, and cannot all be men- 

 tioned here. For dark colours, C. funebris, with graceful 

 drooping foliage, C. goveniana, C. McNabiana and C. semper- 

 virens should be chosen. For lighter greens, L/awson's Cy- 



press, C. lusitanica, C. torulosa (and its fine sub-variety, 

 majestica), C. knightiana, and C. arizonica. Th i last is par- 

 ticularly adaptable for dry districts. C. sempervirens is tall 

 and very slender. Most of the others more or less spreading 

 in habit. For single specimens on grass, C. lawsoniana, C. 

 lusitanica. C. arizonica, C. knightiana, and C. torulosa ma- 

 jestica will be found the best. The lowest branches should 

 never be removed for this purpose, and only young speci- 

 mens well foliaged to the base should be chosen for such 

 positions. 



