716 PICEA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



PICEA. 



bluish silver tint of the young branches on the 

 undersides, but which are upturned so that the 

 whole tree has a silvery appearance. It is 

 very hardy and thrives best in a stiffish soil. 

 It should not be in a too sheltered place or it 

 will commence growth too early and be liable 

 to injury by late frosts. Somewhat similar to 

 this spruce and often confused with it is P. 

 Alcockiana, also from Japan, but inferior as an 

 ornamental tree, being of a dull green more 

 like the common Spruce. 



P. EXCELSA (Norway Spruce). This is too 

 common to need description, forming as it 

 does beautiful woods in most parts of the 

 country. It is a quick growing tree but too 

 short-lived to be of great value for ornament. 

 It is a mistake to plant it on high exposed 

 places or in very light soil. In most sheltered 

 valleys it is a beautiful tree when seen in 

 masses. There are many forms of it, a good 

 number of which are mere monstrosities not 

 worthy of the garden, especially the so-called 

 golden and silvery varieties. The dwarf forms, 

 such as those named Clanbrasiliana, Gre- 

 gory ana, pygniaa are suitable for planting in 

 bold rock gardens. The North American 

 white and black Spruces, /'. alba and P. nigra, 



Picea Morinda. 



are too much like P. exceha to be of any great 

 value here. 



P. DOUGLASI (Douglas Fir). Among the 

 noblest trees of the West American forests, this 



is undoubtedly one of the most valuable trees 

 ever introduced, both for ornament and timber. 

 It is now such a common tree being largely 

 planted, especially in Scotland, for timber, 

 and may be at a glance distinguished from other 

 conifers by its dense soft green foliage on pyra- 

 midal trees a hundred or more feet high in the 

 oldest specimens. It should be planted only 

 where the soil and situation are suitable, and 

 not in exposed places, as it thrives best in 

 sheltered valleys or woods, but it will live in 

 all soils ranging from light sands and gravels to 

 moderately stiff clay. There are several 

 varieties of the tree, that known as the 

 Colorado variety being considered the hardiest. 

 The glaucous form is an extremely handsome 

 tree, more rapid in growth than any other 

 silvery conifer. Varieties of this tree, taxifolia^ 

 Standishi, pendit'a, &c., are not remarkable, of 

 far greater importance being the natural 

 variety from the Rocky Mountains. 



P. MENZIESI (Menzies Spruce). In places 

 where this Spruce thrives it is a very beau- 

 tiful tree because of the bluish silvery grey tone 

 of its needle-like leaves. In a damp climate 

 where the soil is deep and moist it grows into 

 a handsome tree, but in dry soils it soon 

 becomes in a w r retched condition. This Cali- 

 fornian Spruce is also known as P. sitchensis. 



P. MORINDA. No other Spruce has such 

 gracefully drooping branches as this Hima- 

 layan tree, which is also known well by its 

 other name P. Smithiana. It is worthy of a 

 place among the finest ornamental trees, but 

 must have a deep moist soil more heavy than 

 light, and the position not too sheltered. Under 

 these conditions it flourishes in the bleakest 

 parts of the eastern counties, where some of 

 the finest examples of it exist. 



P. ORIENTALIS. This Caucasian Spruce 

 has somewhat the appearance of the Norway 

 Spruce, but it is a smaller growing tree with 

 much shorter leaves and branches, and is more 

 suitable as a garden tree as it is of denser growth 

 and retains its lower branches. It is of a deep 

 glossy green, and on this account, and its 

 dwarfed growth, is especially suitable for 

 grouping with the larger conifers. It is very 

 hardy and thrives best in moist soils. 



P. POLITA (Tiger-tail Spruce). This is a 

 comparatively recently introduced Japanese 

 tree, but judging by the largest trees in various 

 parts of the country it is a Spruce that will 

 make a tree of the future in these islands. It 

 is a decidedly handsome tree of very rigid 

 pyramidal outline, and with leaves the stillest 

 and sharpest-pointed of all, which renders it 

 cattle proof. It stands exposure well and is a 

 tree for high windy places. 



P. PUNGENS. An American Spruce that is 

 proving itself a most valuable tree for this 

 country, as it is very hardy, quick in growth, 

 and withstands exposure in high lying places 

 better than any other. It is most generally 

 known in gardens by the variety glauca, which 

 is perhaps the most silvery of all conifers, the 

 whole tree being like a cone of frosted silver. 

 The Spruce is largely raised from seed in order 



