290 The Shrubs of America. 



out a fine collection of flowering shrubs, has experienced but 

 little of the gratification to be derived from its possession. 



In a late article on the Forest Trees of America, we gave 

 some statistics relative to the indigenous trees of Great Britain, 

 from which it appeared that the entire number of native shrubs 

 was about one hundred. The number of shrubs was greater 

 than the number of forest trees ; yet of handsome flowering 

 ones the former was quite limited. Nothing among them all 

 could begin to compare with the rhododendrons, kalmias, 

 azaleas, andromedas, &c. The arbutus, heath, virburnum 

 and daphne may be considered as among the best of the 

 British indigenous shrubs ; yet fine as they are they bear no 

 comparison with our American plants. 



It is surprising to see how ignorant our own people are of 

 our native plants. Our collection of native and hybrid rho- 

 dodendrons has just been in full bloom ; and few who saw 

 them could believe that such elegant plants grow in various 

 localities all over New England, often acres in extent. "Are 

 they hardy?" was the repeated inquiry. "Will they stand 

 our winters without the least protection ?" Those who have 

 become familiar with the tender varieties, often seen in green- 

 house collections, never supposed there were hardy ones of 

 equal beauty ; and it was only by repeated assurance that 

 vthey were as hardy as an oak, and had braved the cold of 

 veight or ten winters, that we could convince them of the 

 truth. It is true, hybridization has greatly enhanced the 

 beauty of the rhododendron and azalea ; yet the native R. 

 maximum and catawbiense are in themselves gems of every 

 .-shrubbery. 



tBut rhododendrons and azaleas are by no means all that are 

 elegant among our native shrubs. There are dozens of 

 others, which, if not equally showy, are no less interesting 

 and desirable. It is not our object to go into detail in this 

 article, but we enumerate a few which are yet but little 

 known, they are as follows : — 



Mahonm aquifolium, Ceanothus americanus, Robinm vis- 

 cosa, .and hispida, Amorpha fructicosa, and other species: 

 jSpiras^a hypericifolia, and other species ; Calycanthus floridus 



