SPIRAEA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



SPIRAEA, 821 



satisfactory in every way on the banks of 

 a stream or pond. It is quite distinct, the 

 inflorescence much branched, and the 

 flowers of a creamy white closely packed 

 on the stems. K. 



S. Filipendula (Drofworf).h British 

 species, i to 2ft. high, with loose clusters of 

 yellowish-white flowers, often tipped with 



Spiraea Aruncus. 



red. When the flower-stems are pinched 

 off, it forms an effective edging plant, its 

 Fern-like foliage being distinct. .The 

 double variety (S. Filipendula fl.-pl.) is 

 useful in the mixed border. Division. 



S. gigantea, recently introduced, may 

 be described as a gigantic Meadow Sweet, 

 growing from 6 to 10 ft. high, with huge 

 palmate leaves and large fleecy bunches 

 of white flowers terminating the tall stems. 

 Its place is in rich bottoms or by water in 

 deep soil. 



S. lobata (Queen of the Prairie] is one 

 of the handsomest of the hardy Spiraeas, 

 and from 1 8 to 36 in. high, with deep rosy 

 carmine flowers in large terminal cymes. 

 It does best in sandy loam in the mixed 

 border, on the margins of shrubberies, or 

 in beds among groups of the finer per- 

 ennials. Similar to S. lobata are the 

 handsome S. Humboldti and S. digitata. 

 Syn. S. venusta. 



S. palmata is a beautiful herbaceous 

 species, and among the finest of hardy 

 plants. It has handsome palmate foliage, 

 and in late summer broad clusters of 

 lovely rosy-crimson blossoms. When well- 

 grown it is 4 ft. high, but often less, 

 and being considered tender, is grown 

 largely in pots ; but it is hardy, succeeding 

 in moist deep loam well enriched by 



decayed manure. It is a fine plant for many 

 positions in large rock-gardens, in borders, 

 or on the margin of shrubberies ; and 

 may be naturalised, as it .is quite vigorous 

 enough to take care of itself. It looks 

 best in masses. The variety elegans is 

 said to be a hybrid ; the flowers pale pink, 

 and altogether inferior to the best forms of 

 S. palmata. A good effect is got by 

 planting the species by the edge of streams 

 or ponds : a mass of lovely colour is 

 presented to the eye, and too-often bare 

 spots are clothed with beauty. 



S. Ulmaria. This common British 

 Meadow Sweet is seldom cultivated, but 

 worse things are often seen in borders. It 

 deserves a place, if only for the sake of 

 variety, in the mixed border, on the 

 margins of shrubberies, or in the rougher 

 parts of pleasure-grounds, where it may 

 be planted with other subjects which do 

 not require much looking after. Almost 

 any soil will suit it, but a moist one is 

 best. The variegated-leaved form is 

 ornamental, the creamy-yellow and green 

 variegation being effective. 



SHRUBBY MEADOW SWEETS. 



S. arisefolia (Spray Bush\ a lovely 

 shrub 8 to 10 ft. high, and I have seen it 

 much higher grown on walls. It is 

 of proved merit and hardiness, and 

 we should seek to give full expres- 

 sion to its singular beauty by careful 

 planting and grouping in the full sun and 

 taking care not to let it get destroyed in 

 the horrible jumble that nurserymen and 

 most other planters give us when they 

 plant a "shrubbery." It is a kind often 

 met with, but mostly in shrubbery thickets, 

 while to show off its beauty to advantage 

 it requires an open position. When 

 isolated it forms a large bush of good 

 form laden during summer with spray-like 

 panicles of small whitish flowers. 



S. cantoniensis (Canton S.} is a 

 slender bush, about a yard high, bearing 

 an abundance of small clusters of white 

 flowers. There is also a beautiful less 

 common double variety. The Plum- 

 leaved Spiraea (S. prunifolia) is repre- 

 sented in gardens by the double variety 

 (flore-pleno), a beautiful shrub, with 

 flowers like tiny snow-white rosettes, in 

 early summer wreathing every twig. S. 

 media, better known in gardens as S. 

 confusa, resembles S. cantoniensis, and 

 therefore need not be included in a selec- 

 tion ; but its variety rotundiflora is 

 pretty. 



S. Douglas! and S. Nobleana are so 

 similar in growth and flower that they may 

 be conveniently coupled, though as they 



