OUR NATIVE PLANTS. 147 



success. Some may grow among rocks or stones, and thus re- 

 quire to be grown like Alpines, but are much easier to grow and 

 propagate ; then again we have some plants that are small and 

 delicate, or grow only in certain situations, and therefore cannot 

 be grown successfully under general culture ; while others being 

 natives of Southern or Western States are not hsirdy under ordi- 

 nary circumstances, but if planted and protected in the same way 

 as Alpine plants they will flourish well, and thus many valuable 

 and showy plants will be added to the list of those for out-door 

 culture in our climate. 



Precaution must be taken that no such plants be admitted 

 among alpines as have running rootstocks, which spread with 

 rapidity among the stones, overrunning the more delicate plants ; 

 and as it is much more difficult to keep a place clean where these 

 rootstocks have worked in than ordinary ground, it is sometimes 

 necessary, in such cases, to take up the stones and clear up every 

 particle of roots, to get rid of such an intruder. 



Among the valuable Alpine and Rock Plants we have the Ane- 

 mone alpma, which grows about a foot high, with very large white 

 flowers ; A. narciss{flora, eight inches high, with from three to 

 five white flowers on a stem ; A. nemorosa, a pretty vernal bloomer, 

 with white flowers ; A. mtdtijida, having small purplish flowers, 

 and A. patens var. Nuttalliana, which has large purplish and yel- 

 low flowers. 



Delphinium nudicaule has a tuberous root, grows six inches high, 

 and has red flowers. D. cardinale has flowers of the same color, 

 but they are much larger and are produced on branching stems 

 four feet in height. 



The genus Saxifraga includes many valuable plants, such as S. 

 oppositifolia, of trailing habit, and covered with large purple 

 flowers in the spring, and S. aizoides, of a sedum-like habit, and 

 having yellow flowers. S. ccespitosa forms large masses of bright 

 green foliage, and white blossoms in early spring ; while S. Aizoon 

 and S. Jiagellaris form neat rosettes with their thick leaves. The 

 common S. Virginica is also showy in the early spring, when 

 it produces great quantities of white flowers. 



The little Tlialictrum anemonoides is very prett}". 



TrolUus laxua has large pale yellow flowers. 



Rhexia Virginica is a very beautiful plant ; it grows six inches 

 in height, and has large purple flowers. There are several species 

 of this genus, all worth cultivating. 



