Commercial Gardening 



flowers in short racemes; frutescens, from North America, with deep-blue 

 flowers, much better in the variety magnified,; and japonica, a shrubby 

 species with white flowers. The greatest trade is done in W. chinensis and 

 W. multijuga, which are raised by grafting pieces of dormant stem in 

 pieces of root plunged in bottom heat. (See Vol. I, p. 88.) 



Xanthoeeras sorbifolia. 

 A beautiful Chinese deciduous 

 shrub, up to 15 ft. high, with 

 pinnate leaves like those of the 

 Mountain Ash, and terminal 

 clusters of white flowers 

 streaked with purple red. It 

 is hardy in the mildest parts 

 of the kingdom, and may be 

 raised from seeds, layers, cut- 

 tings, or grafting on stocks of 

 the Common Horse-chestnut, 

 to which it is closely related. 

 Yucca gloriosa. This is 

 the best of the hardy Yuccas. 

 It grows over 6 ft. high, and 

 has dense rosettes of evergreen 

 grey -green sword -like leaves 

 up to 3 ft. in length, above 

 which tower the thick branch- 

 ing spikes of white or greenish- 

 white bell-shaped flowers re- 

 sembling inverted Tulips. One 

 of the best forms is recurvi- 

 folia (fig. 449), but there is 



also a narrow-leaved form called angustifolia. Y. filamentosa is similar 

 in appearance, but is recognized by having the edges of the leaves frayed 

 into white thread-like filaments. The flower spikes often attain a height 

 of 8 ft. There are forms known as flaccida, with softer recurving leaves, 

 and one with blue-green narrow leaves called glaucescens. Yuccas flourish 

 in rich loamy or good garden soil, and are increased by suckers and seeds. 



Fig. 449. Yucca recurvijolia 



