154 . A LITTLE BOOK OF PERENNIALS 



Spiraea — (Includes Aruncus, Astilbe, Filipendula, 



Ulmaria) 



There is a large group of herbaceous plants of great beauty known 

 as Spiraeas but which should be properly known by other names. They 

 are characterized by having attractive, airy plumes of flowers, in fact, 

 every garden has a place for a few of them. 



Aruncus Sylvester (Goat's Beard) grows 5 feet to 7 feet tall and has 

 feathery white flowers produced in smaU spikes, forming large heads of 

 bloom. They bloom from June to July. This is the Spiraea Aruncus 

 found in the catalogs. This sort is especially useful for the borders 

 of streams in half-shaded places. 



Asiilbe. The Astflbe resembles the Aruncus superficially in the 

 nature of their feathery flower spikes, but generaUy, as seen in the 

 garden, they are not as taU. Perhaps the most popular group for out- 

 door planting is known as A. Arendsii, this being an improved race 

 derived from hybridizing many other species. The varieties found in 

 catalogs bear rose, hlac, salmon-pink and white flowers. Some of the 

 names are: Geres, Juno, Kriemhilde, and Vesta. The names such as 

 japonica, Davidii and grandis are the species of Astilbe which are the 

 parents of the named varieties. Large quantities of A. japonica were 

 formerly imported to the United States for florist use at Easter time. 

 A federal quarantine prohibits these plants now. The plants in the 

 garden bloom in June, July or August. 



Filipendula. Meadow Sweet. Ulmaria. The commoner species 

 known as the Queen of the Meadows, Filpendula Ulmaria, is a tufted, 

 fern-leaved plant. In late June and during July the plants send up 

 flower stalks 18 inches taU, bearing iftasses of white flowers. The double 

 sort, flore pleno, is more showy than the single. F. purpurea {palmata) 

 and its variety elegans have red and pink flowers produced in large 

 clusters, the crimson flower stems growing 3 feet tall. They bloom from 

 June to August. 



Use and Gulture. These plants are exquisite for the border, 

 where they lend a misty charm to almost any combination of peren- 

 nials. They are superb pot plants. Filipendula Ulmaria, because of 

 its dwarf growth, is useful as an edging plant. Gut sprays of all sorts 

 add much to a bouquet in the home. They prefer a rich soil and an 

 abundance of water while in bloom; for this reason they are well 

 planted at the waterside. They are at home in half shade. 



Propagation. The habit of growth by forming dense clumps 

 suggests the easiest method of increasing the plants; that is, by dividing 

 them with a strong knife. 



