PLANTING 



3 Viburnum cassinoides. 



H3 or 4 Viburnum dentatum (will reach 10 to 12 feet, but may 

 be restrained easily by gradual renewal from the 



PLANTING 



2693 



3 Viburnum dilatatum. 

 H4 Viburnum Lantana. 

 4 Viburnum Lentago. 

 4 Viburnum Opulus. 

 1 Viburnum Opulus var. ramjin (2 to 3 feet, very dense and 



compact; seldom has flowers). 

 4 Viburnum Opulus yar. sterile, 

 H4 Viburnum prunifolium. 



3 Viburnum pubescens. 



EP2 Viburnum rhytidophyllum. Grows to 10 feet in China 

 but needs protection in Boston and Rochester either 

 by artificial covering or special location providing 

 shade from the winter sun. Even when so protected 

 the flower-buds are usually killed just like those of 

 Andromeda jappnica. 

 4 Viburnum Sieboldii. 



3 Viburnum tomentosum (sometimes larger). 

 3 Viburnum tomentosum var. plenum. 



H3 or 4 Viburnum venosum (V. molle). Similar to V. dentatum 

 but more vigorous with broader leaves, rougher twigs 

 and later bloom. Will grow to 12 feet but easily 

 restrained by gradual renewal from the base. 

 3 Viburnum Wrightii. 

 EeGl Vinca minor. 

 3 Vitex incisa. 

 V Vitis Coignetiae. 

 V Wisteria cbinensis. 

 V Wisteria chinensis var. alba. 

 Gl Xanthorrhiza apiifolia. 

 1 Yucca angustifolia. 

 1 Yucca filamentosa. 



S2 Zenobia pulverulenta (foliage and twigs blue-gray; very 

 handsome). RALPH W. CURTIS. 



Shrubs for the Middle West. 



The most popular shrubs in the Middle West, as in 

 any new country, are usually of foreign origin. How- 

 ever, the native shrubs are beginning to play a great 

 part in restoring and intensifying the characteristic 

 beauty of this region. The dominant feature of middle 

 western shrubbery is not apparent to all. This is 

 largely due to the fact that the Middle West contains 

 no unique species that compel universal admiration 

 like the mountain laurel and rhododendrons, which are 

 the crowning glory of the East. Every shrub of impor- 

 tance native to the Middle West is also native to the 

 East. While the Middle West may rival the East in 

 the luxuriance of its shrubbery, it is poorer in species, 

 both native and foreign. About two-fifths of the middle 

 western shrubs that are in general cultivation bear their 

 flowers in flat clusters. These have been called "sym- 

 bols of the prairie" since they repeat many times on a 

 small scale the great line of the horizon, which is the 

 strongest feature of the middle western scenery, 

 whether wild or cultivated, treeless or forested. Repeti- 

 tion of the horizontal is conspicuous enough wherever 

 hawthorns and prairie crab-apples (Pyrus ioensis) are 

 abundant, owing to their strong horizontal branching. 

 Few shrubs, however, have stratified branches. Their 

 suggestion of the prairie is subtler and less insistent, 

 because it appears only in the bloom. The boldest 

 repeater of the prairie among the shrubs is the American 

 black elder, with clusters 6 to 8 inches across. The 

 viburnums and dogwoods have smaller clusters, rang- 

 ing from 5 inches 

 in diameter 

 down to 2 inches. 

 When wood and 

 prairie meet, the 

 prairie note is 

 sounded more 

 strongly by 

 shrubs with hori- 

 zontal branches, 

 especially witch- 

 hazel, and by 

 juneberry and 

 gray dogwood 

 which, though 3052. Sambucus canadensis. 



erect when young, become intensely stratified when 

 old. This is an important part of the prairie style of 

 landscape gardening. The following lists are therefore 

 classified according to this idea. 



Stratified shrubs. (Those marked * have horizontal 

 branches, at least when old. The others have flat 

 clusters of flowers.) 

 Low shrubs, suitable for foundation planting and 



edging borders: Ceanothus americanus and C. ovaius; 



Hydrangea arborescens; Viburnum acerifolium and V. 



pubescens. 



3053. Spiraea Van Houttei. 



Medium-high shrubs, ordinarily 5 to 6 feet: Cornus 

 Amomum, C. racemosa* (or C. paniculata), and C. 

 stolonifera; Sambucus pubens, S. canadensis, and its var. 

 acutiloba; Viburnum cassinoides, V. dentatum, V. molle, 

 and V. americanum. The last-named is considered by 

 botanists to be the same as the European V. Opulus, 

 but the American form is considered to be freer from 

 plant-lice and is superior in other ways. 



Tall shrubs, suitable for the back of a border, corner 

 of a house, or high foundation: Aralia spinosa*; Cornus 

 aUernifolia* and C. rugosa* (or C. cirdnatd)', Hamame- 

 lis virginiana*; Physocarpus opulifolius; Viburnum 

 Lentago and V. prunifolium. 



Non-stratified shrubs. 



Low shrubs: Amelanchier alnifolia and var. pumila; 

 Dtervilla trifida; Evonymus obovata; Primus pumila; 

 Rhus canadensis (or R. aromatica); Ribes americanum; 

 Rosa virginiana (or R. blanda), R. Carolina, R. humilis, 

 and R. setigera; Rubus hispidus; Symphoricarpos 

 occidentalis and S. orbiculatus. 



Medium-high shrubs: Corylus americana; Evonymus 

 americana; Ilex verticittata; Rhus copattina, R. glabra, 

 and R. typhina; Ribes aureum and R. Cynosbati; 

 Spiraea alba; Symphoricarpos albus. 



Tall shrubs: Aronia arbutifolia and A. melanocarpa; 

 Benzoin sestivale; Cephalanthus occidentalis; Staphylea 

 trifolia; Zanthoxylum americanum. 



The most significant plants in the above list, proba- 

 bly, are sumac and prairie rose. The sumac (Rhus 

 glabra) was undoubtedly the most virile note on the 

 wild prairie, where the summer foliage took on a won- 

 derful gloss. It is still the most gorgeous color in the 

 corn-belt, where brilliant reds are not commonly devel- 

 oped in autumn. The prairie rose, also known as the 

 Michigan or Illinois rose (Rosa setigera), is now much 

 planted beside front doors. The common wild rose of 

 the open prairie is Rosa humilis, which, however, is 

 familiar in the East, while Rosa setigera is decidedly 

 more western in its range. 



The middle western point of view may be indicated 

 by brief notes on a few other species. Ceanothus oratus 

 is thought to be more refined in cultivation than New 

 Jersey tea and has more "western color;" should com- 

 j^bine well with Lilium canadense or L. superbum. 

 i**~Cornus racemosa has been called "sunset dogwood" 

 because in autumn its countless red pedicels make a 

 glow like the characteristic prairie sunset; this and 



