Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Climbers 21 



flowers; and Middendorftana, yellowish white dotted with pink. There 

 are now several hybrid forms, of which the crimson-red Eva Rathke and 

 the red-purple Abel Carriere are the best. These plants are easily raised 

 from cuttings, layers, or suckers, and also from seeds, and flourish in any 

 good garden soil. 



Elaeagnus. Distinct-looking shrubs or small trees often covered with 

 silvery scales. They flourish in ordinary good soil, and are increased by 

 seeds, cuttings, layers, or grafting. The best-known kinds are angustifolia, 

 argentea (the Missouri Silver Tree), glabra, hortensis, longipes, macro- 

 phylla, pungens, and umbellata. They make tine dense bushes, the varie- 

 gated forms of pungens being particularly attractive. 



Embothrium coccineum (FiRE BUSH). A beautiful Chilian tree with 

 oblong leaves and drooping racemes of orange-scarlet blossoms in summer. 

 It likes sandy peat, and may be increased by cuttings or layers. It is 

 only hardy in the mildest parts of the kingdom, where it grows 20 ft. 

 or more in height. 



Erica (HEATH). Amongst dwarf evergreen shrubs Heaths occupy an 

 important position. They flourish in a peaty soil, or in one composed 

 chiefly of leaf mould, and will also do well in a mixture of peat and 

 loam. Thousands of plants are grown in some nurseries, indicating a good 

 volume of trade. With the exception of such kinds as arborea, tiliaris, 

 cinerea, codonodes, mediterranea, and vulgaris, which attain a height 

 of 2 to 10 ft., the average height is between 6 and 18 in. They form 

 bold masses of greenery, and when in bloom they are decidedly attractive. 

 Propagation is by seeds, cuttings, and layers. Amongst the best-selling 

 kinds are arborea, white, rather tender; carnea (herbacea), white, pink, 

 and purple varieties, in flower from January to April; ciliaris, the Dorset 

 Heath, pale red, from June to September; cinerea, crimson purple, July 

 to September. There are white-flowered varieties with larger and smaller 

 flowers than the type. Codonodes (lusitanica), the Spanish Heath, 

 grows up to 10 ft. high in the south, flowers white or tinted rose, from 

 January to May; mediterranea, white and pink, April and May; the 

 variety hibemica (Irish Heath) grows 5 ft. high. Hybrida, said to be 

 a cross between mediterranea and carnea, produces its bright pink- 

 purple flowers profusely from Christmas to March and April. Tetralix, 

 the Cross-leaved Heath, has downy leaves and terminal clusters of rose- 

 red flowers from July to September. There are several varieties, includ- 

 ing a deep-red one, rubrum. The Cornish Heath, E. vagans, has pink 

 flowers, with conspicuous protruding anthers. There are several varieties 

 alba, grandiflora, leucantha, rubra, &c. July to September. The 

 Common Ling, E. vulgaris (Calluna), has many varieties, some with 

 double flowers and some with variegated and golden foliage, the best- 

 known being alba (the "White Heather"), Alporti, aurea, erecta, Ham- 

 mondi, minor, pilosa rigida, Serlei, tenella, tomentosa, &c. July to 

 September. The Greenhouse Heaths are dealt with in Vol. II, p. 173. 



Escallonia. A genus of pretty South American shrubs, quite hardy 



