58 HARDY ORNAMENTAL 



of pinky, rose, or purplish flowers before winter is past, 

 and while the branches are yet leafless. Few perfectly 

 hardy flowering shrubs are so popular as the Mezereon, 

 and rightly so, for a more beautiful plant could not be 

 mentioned, wreathed as every branch is, and almost back 

 to the main stem, with the showiest of flowers. It likes 

 good, rich, dampish soil, and delights to grow in a quiet, 

 shady nook, or even beneath the spread of our larger 

 forest trees. There are several very distinct varieties, of 

 which the white-flowered D. Mezereum flore albo is one 

 of the most valuable. The fruit of this variety is bright 

 golden-yellow. D. Mezereum autumnale and D. Mezereum 

 atro-rubrum are likewise interesting and beautiful forms. 



D. PETKJEA (syn D. rupestris). Rock Daphne. Tyrol. 

 This is quite hardy in the more sheltered corners of the 

 rock garden, with neat, shining foliage and pretty rosy 

 flowers, produced so thickly all over the plant as almost 

 to hide the foliage from view. At Kew it thrives well in 

 peaty loam and limestone, and although it does not increase 

 very quickly is yet happy and contented. It is a charming 

 rock shrub. 



D. PONTICA. Pontic Daphne. Asia Minor, 1759. This 

 is much like D. laureola, but has shorter and more oval 

 leaves, and the flowers, instead of being borne in fives like 

 that species, are produced in pairs. They are also a richer 

 yellow, and more sweetly scented. 



D. SEKICEA (syn I), collina). Italy and Asia Minor, 

 1820. This forms a bush fully 2 feet high, with evergreen, 

 oblong, shining leaves, and clusters of rose-coloured flowers 

 that are pleasantly scented, and produced in April and 

 May. It is quite hardy, and an interesting species that is 

 well worthy of more extended culture. There is a variety 

 of this with broader foliage than the species, and named 

 D. sericea latifolia (syn D. collina latifolia). The Daphnes 

 should be transplanted in autumn, the soil best suited 

 being that of a cool, moist, loamy description. 



