NATIVE SHRUBS 



or hedges of Syringa or Lilac. The buds are 

 interesting in the spring, the foliage is clean, 

 free from insects, and the flowers are massive. 

 They have been great favorites for centuries. 

 Some of the new varieties are exquisitely beau- 

 tiful. 



There are two native Spiraeas, which thrive 

 well under cultivation, and will endure almost 

 any conditions — the Spircea salici folia — Meadow 

 Sweet — and Spircea tomentosa — Steeple-bush. 

 They are widely distributed, and bloom from 

 July to September. Several cultivated species 

 are in such general use, and have so many good 

 qualities, that they may be used to good advan- 

 tage in any shrub border. Spircea thunbergii is 

 one of the earliest to bloom, coming with the 

 Forsythias. It has small single white flowers in 

 bunches of two to four, along almost leafless 

 stems. The summer foliage is airy, light green 

 in color, very graceful in appearance, and light- 

 ens heavy shrubbery masses; the autumnal col- 

 oring is a rich purple bronze, scarlet, and orange. 



Spircea prunifolia — Plum-leaved Spiraea — is 

 more erect and rigid in its habit of growth. The 

 pure white double flowers appear very early in 

 the spring, and remain in bloom a long time. 

 The foliage especially commends it. In midsum- 

 mer it is bright, shiny, clean, and in autumn 

 has wonderfully rich tones of bronze, red, and 



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