740 PHELLODENDRON. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



PHILADELPHUS. 



rather poor soils, but are not particular, 

 doing well almost anywhere, and also 

 in shallow water. The Canary Grass, 

 P. canariensis, is a pretty annual kind, 

 with graceful variegated seed spikes. 

 Syn., Digraphis. 



PHELLODENDRON (Eastern Cork 

 Tree). Hardy summer-leafing trees 

 about 50 ft. high, from China and Japan, 

 spreading in habit, and with large leaves 

 cut into many leaflets. Of quick growth, 

 they soon make a low round head, and 

 thrive in all save wet soils. The bark is 

 thick, light grey, and corky. They are 

 being used in America for street-planting, 

 but are little known in this country. 

 Increase by seeds, and root-cuttings 

 rooted in sand. The Chinese P. amurense 

 is the hardier and more vigorous kind, 

 P.japonicum being perhaps a form of 

 it. 



PHILADELPHUS (Mock Orange}. 

 Beautiful flowering shrubs from the tem- 

 perate regions of the northern hemi- 

 sphere, summer-leafing, and with few 

 exceptions hardy. There are several 

 wild kinds so much alike in flower 

 that some confusion of name has arisen, 

 and no garden need contain more than 

 the best kinds, which are now fairly 

 well known. Of more importance than 

 the natural species are the new hybrid 

 forms, valuable for their neat habit and 

 the fact that they bloom in a small state, 

 whereas the wild kinds seldom flower well 

 until large. These tall kinds are even- 

 tually of fine effect when allowed to take 

 their natural form as masses of 15 to 20 

 feet, loaded with white flowers in May, 

 June, or early July. By growing several 

 kinds we secure a succession of flower. 

 They do best in light and rather dry soils, 

 and some do not bloom freely in rich moist 

 land. Some kinds thrive in partial shade, 

 and all are good town plants, but they are 

 finest when well exposed, and such kinds 

 as microphyllus, Coulteri, and mexicanus 

 enjoy a hot place, the last two being ten- 

 der, save upon a wall. All should have 

 plenty of room to spread and droop, and 

 if they grow too large it is better to cut 

 them to the ground and start afresh than 

 to cut them into ugly forms. Some of the 

 strong kinds form standards if cut to a 

 single stem, while the dwarf erect kinds 

 form pretty hedges, sheeted in white from 

 base to crown. Some of the older kinds, 

 with their strong and heavy perfume, are 

 unpleasant near the house, but the newer 

 kinds are not objectionable. For cut 

 flowers the double kinds are best, the 

 flowers crowded upon slender arching 

 sprays and being more lasting ; the single 



kinds drop quickly unless cut in bud. 

 There is a golden-leaved form of the 

 Common Mock Orange, which retains its 

 colour well and does not burn if planted 

 where it gets a little shade at mid-day. 

 Increase is by suckers, layers, or cuttings 

 of soft wood rooted under glass during 

 summer, or ripened stems inserted in the 

 open during autumn ; these last, however, 

 take about a year to root. The best kinds 

 are as follows : 



P. coronarius (Mock Orange). This kind, 

 with its twiggy growth and heavy perfume, 

 is well known, but less planted now than 

 formerly, or banished to distant parts of the 

 garden, where under good conditions it will 

 reach a height of 10 ft., flowering early in 

 May. Some of its garden varieties are distinct 

 and useful : foliis aureis is the Golden Phila- 

 delphus ; nanus is a dwarf plant, but too shy 

 in flower to be of value ; Satsumi is a grace- 

 ful Asiatic form ; while there are varieties with 

 variegated foliage, and others known as flore- 

 pleno, primuheflorus, and dianthiftorus, with 

 double or semi-double flowers. 



P. Coulteri, a nearly evergreen kind from 

 North Mexico, of fine habit, and distinct in 

 its waxy flowers with a rosy-purple flush at the 

 base of each petal, forming an inner zone of 

 colour. It is somewhat tender and does not 

 flower freely, but by crossing it has given the 

 new hybrid P. purpureo-maculatus, a hardy 

 and free-flowering kind, differing from any- 

 thing hitherto seen in this family. 



P. Falconer!, a new and graceful plant, 10 

 ft. high, of uncertain origin, but probably 

 from Japan. Its pure-white fragrant flowers, 

 of waxen texture and with sharply-pointed 

 petals, are borne freely in June upon wand-like 

 arching stems that droop gracefully under the 

 heavy clusters. 



P. Gordonianus, one of the best kinds from 

 North America, where it is common near the 

 Columbia River. It grows 10 to 15 ft., is of 

 graceful habit, with a profusion of large faintly- 

 scented flowers in July. This kind will do 

 well with a little shade, and its great value is 

 its late blooming. 



P. grandiflorus. The best large-flowering 

 kind and one of the finest of hardy shrubs, 

 reaching a height of 15 to 20 ft. Its 

 numerous flowers measure 2 in. or more 

 across, of a good white, and either scentless 

 or faintly fragrant. There are many forms and 

 slight variations of this plant, differing little 

 in general character, and running one into the 

 other. The forms known as Jloribitndtis, 

 latifolitis, and Zeyheri are all good, and 

 especially laxus, a loosely spreading plant of 

 graceful outline, and not very tall-growing. 

 These forms flower in June. 



P. hirsutus. Less showy than most kinds, 

 the flowers being small and mostly solitary, 

 but they are scattered so freely that a well 

 flowered plant of 4 to 5 ft. is pretty, and its 

 effect distinct from the other kinds. 



P. inodorus, a plant much like P. laxtts, but 



