THE ROMANCE OF OUR TREES 



Such trees I have seen in the forest of central China 

 laden with thousands of flowers, and the spectacle 

 they presented will never be forgotten. In the gar- 

 dens of eastern North America examples of the 

 white Yulan from 20 to 25 feet tall are known and 

 it is a deservedly popular tree. In regard to this 

 Magnolia and also the one next mentioned a point 

 worthy of remembrance is that they have been prop- 

 agated vegetatively, by layering and grafting, for we 

 know not how many centuries. This does not appear 

 to have impaired their constitution and accounts for 

 plants less than a yard high flowering profusely. 



Less hardy than the Yulan but a great favourite 

 in gardens south of Philadelphia is the Purple- 

 flowered Yulan, commonly known as M . obovata, M. 

 purpurea, or M. discolor but correctly as M. lilijlora. 

 It was introduced from China into England in 1790 

 by the Duke of Portland but has not yet been dis- 

 covered in a wild state. It appears to be always a 

 shrub, and its handsome flowers vary somewhat in 

 colour, the finest being a rich wine-red. 



Under cultivation in Europe several hybrids be- 

 tween M. denudata and M. lilijlora have originated 

 and have proved themselves hardier and even better 

 garden plants than their parents. The oldest and 

 best known of these hybrids is M. Soulangeana which 

 originated near Paris. It is a vigorous-growing tree 

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