Beautiful Native Trees^ Shrubs, ^'c. 387 



ment of the last century. He was a physician of extensive 

 practice, but assiduously cultivated botany. Numerous stu- 

 dents sought instruction from him, in that pleasing and use- 

 ful branch of natural history. Fagol and the illustrious 

 Tournefort were his pupils. He published several works on 

 botany before the birth of Linnseus, and was one of the 

 great pioneers for that eminent author. 



The six species of the Viburnums are all very appropriate 

 for the borders of groves, and other portions of embellished 

 grounds, from their profuse cymes of delicate flowers and 

 deep green and abundant foliages. Some of these shrubs 

 are known in the country as White Rod, Arrow Wood, 

 Cranberry Tree, and Wayfaring Tree. 



The Cardinal Flower, — Lobelia, cardinalis, — is the unri- 

 valled queen of our herbaceous plants, for its long raceme of 

 brilliant scarlet blossoms is so intensely vivid in color, that, 

 in the bright sun-light, it seems to flash like the scintillations 

 of a flambeau. Although its natural position is in moist land, 

 and usually on the margins of brooks, it flourishes, by cul- 

 ture, in elevated situations, and should be in every garden, 

 it being perennial. 



The Marsh Hibiscus, — l^ib'iscus palustris, — is one of our 

 rarest and most conspicuous native flowers, for the corolla is 

 larger than that of any other indigenous plant, it being equal 

 in size to those of the hollyhock, and of a superb purple tint. 

 This is also a sub-aquatic plant and perennial, but can be 

 reared on high ground. Some twenty-five years since, I 

 found the first of these plants I had ever seen, in a swamp, 

 at the head of Tarpaulin Cove, on Nashawn island. It was 

 in bloom, and I had it taken up with a large quantity of 

 earth and thus transplanted it to my garden. I first, how- 

 ever, divided the roots, and sent half of them to that ever 

 honored and distinguished benefactor of rural industry, John 

 Lowell, Esq., who reciprocated the favor, by presenting me 

 an exotic white species, with a dark eye. I set it out beside 

 the wild plant, and the next season, when they were in 

 bloom, I cut oft' one of the white flowers and inverted it over 

 one of those on the native plant, for the purpose of obtaining 

 a hybrid variety ; when the large pericarp was matured, the 

 seeds were carefully preserved and planted the next spring. 



