198 ARALIA 



perhaps the finest of all hardy shrubs with foliage of its particular type. 

 It is hardy enough in all but the colder parts of the country, but still is 

 seen at its best in the milder places: Near Falmouth, some years ago, I 

 saw a tree about 30 ft. high, and as much in the spread of its branches, 



ARALIA CHINENSIS. 



the main trunk 10 ins. thick. In its ordinary shrubby state it makes an 

 admirable ornament for a sheltered lawn, peculiarly effective at flowering 

 time. Easily propagated by taking off small suckers or even pieces of 

 root, potting them, and establishing them in heat. 



A. SPINOSA, Linnceus. HERCULES' CLUB. A native of the south-eastern 

 United States, and very similar to A. chinensis. These two afford one of 

 many instances of an extraordinary similarity between a plant native of North 

 America and another of North Asia, which are yet not absolutely identical. In 

 this case A. spinosa is distinguished by the leaflets being more glaucous 

 beneath and much less downy, sometimes quite smooth beneath, and by their 

 being more distinctly stalked. The stems, too, are better armed with prickles. 

 This American species is not so hardy and vigorous as the Asiatic one, and 

 the two seen in juxtaposition are quite distinct. It is extremely rare in 

 cultivation, and I only saw the real plant for the first time at the Arnold 

 Arboretum in 1910. Even American nurserymen send over A. chinensis as their 

 native spinosa. It is now in the Kew collection. 



Although both these species make finer foliage when grown in rich 

 than in comparatively poor soil, the latter is, I think, to be preferred if 

 healthy, long-lived plants are desired. In rich soil the wood, always soft 

 and very pithy, becomes especially so, and renders the plants very liable 

 to injury by winter cold. 



