DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERING SHRUBS. 469 



SPIRiEA. 



Spiraea hypericifolia. — Hypericum-leaved Spiraea, or, 

 St. Peter's Wreath. — This is a very elegant shrub, pro- 

 ducing its numerous small white flowers in long garlands, 

 upon the delicate curving branches of the plant. The 

 bush, when in flower, has the appearance of being covered 

 with a light fall of snow. The foliage is elegant ; it is in 

 flower in May and June ; grows about four feet high ; the 

 extremities of the branches are sometimes winter-killed ; 

 easily j^ropagated by suckers, divisions of the root, or by 

 layers, as all the species are. 



S* opulifolia. — Nine-Bark. — "An ornamental native 

 shrub, found from Canada to Georgia ; from five to seven 

 feet high, distinguislied for the abundance of its showy 

 heads of flowers, and for its conspicuous fruit. The stem 

 is rugged, with loose, gray bark, easily detached, and fall- 

 ing ofi*. Flowers in hemisj^herical heads, on a short stalk, 

 — each flower on a slender, downy thread ; white, with a 

 rose tiuge." 



S. salicifolia. — The Queen of the Meadows. — ^This is a 

 very pretty native shrub, from two to four, and sometimes 

 six, feet high, with terminal heads of neat, white, some- 

 times rose-tinted flowers, in June and July. 



S. tomentosa. — Steeple Bush, — Hard-Hack. — This is a 

 very common, leafy shrub, from two to five feet high, 

 growing in wet ground, and distinguished in the flower- 

 ing season for its long, tapering spire of purple flowers. 

 A few years since, we ordered all the handsome Spiraeas 

 from England, excluding all that we possessed. When 

 they came into flower, we found among them, this old, 

 familiar country friend. It is, however, handsome when 

 cultivated and pruned of the previous year's stems, which 

 disfigure it very much, when growing in the pastures. 



S. prunifolia plena. — Double Plum-leaved Spiraea. — This 

 is one of the most desirable species or varieties of the Spi- 



