IO 



Garden and Forest. 



[June 25, 1890. 



shrub, bearing its blossoms on short, rigid, lateral twigs. The 

 rough dark green leaves harmonize with the stiff character of 

 the plant and form a beautiful, though scanty, setting- for the 

 profusion of snow-white flowers usually produced. These are 

 arranged in more compact and more evenly round "balls" 

 than those of the common species, and they seem of a purer 

 white color. The character of the two species is so different 

 that they should both be grown if possible, but in a small gar- 

 den, where there is only room for one, V. plicatum would 

 generally give the most pleasure. It should be stated, how- 

 ever, that V. plicatum is not so stubbornly hardy as the com- 

 mon Snowball, although it thrives very well in good well 

 drained soil in the latitude of Boston. Both species blossom 

 at the same time, but the Japanese Snowball retains its beauty 

 the longest. 



Far larger and more handsome than the flowers of either of 

 the preceding species are the large Hydrangea-like clusters 

 borne by J "iburnum macrocephalum, a form of a Chinese species 

 of long cultivation in Europe, but whose wild type, with a very 

 few sterile outer flowers, has only recently become known to 

 botanists. The individual flowers of the sterile form are very 

 large, and the clusters or "balls" so great and weighty as to 

 hang like a burden on the plant. This is not so hardy as 

 either of the preceding species, but it can be grown in the 

 climate of Boston. 



Of all Viburnums in the Arboretum, the native Hobblebush 

 ( V. lantanoides), which was figured on p. 535 of the first vol- 

 ume of Garden and Forest, is the earliest to flower, the 

 blossoms expanding during the first days of May. A week or 

 ten days later the earliest flowers of the European Wayfaring- 

 tree ( V. Lantana) open, and about May 20th the Black Haw 

 (V. prunifolium) comes into blossom with large, flat, com- 

 pound cymes of small whitish flowers. The last species is not 

 very hardy about Boston, yet in a very favorable location it 

 will become a small tree. It is as pleasing on account of its 

 bright shining green leaves as for its flowers, which are of 

 short duration and closely imitated in effect by those of the 

 Sweet Viburnum or Sheep-berry ( V. Lentagd), a larger grow- 

 ing, perfectly hardy, well known native plant, which comes 

 into blossom a few days later. 



Viburnum cotinifoluim, a shrubby Himalayan species, comes 

 into blossom during the latter part of May. The leaves of this 

 are soft and downy and have a resemblance to those of V. 

 Lantana, but the flowers differ in being arranged in a smaller, 

 much more convex cyme. The small corollas are of a deli- 

 cate pinkish white colorand have an appearance suggestive of 

 dainty porcelain. The anthers just before shedding pollen are 

 conspicuously large and yellow. The plants at the Arboretum 

 need a good deal of protection in winter, but they are fairly 

 hardy in more favorable conditions. Viburnum Sieboldi 

 (sometimes V. J aponicum in nurserymen's catalogues) is a 

 coarse growing Japanese species which blossoms at the end 

 of May or in early June. The small white flowers in large, 

 flat, rather loose cymes look much like those of Elderberry. 

 The leaves are large, thick and rough, and when bruised they 

 emit an od.or quite disagreeable to most people. Fruit is pro- 

 duced sparingly here, but strong, vigorous plants are procured 

 by grafting on stock of the Arrow-wood ( V. dentatum), a com- 

 mon native species which does not begin to bloom until the 

 middle of June. V. pubescens, another native species, is 

 earlier and loses its flowers by the time those of the Arrow- 

 wood open. As ornamental plants in a shrubbery both of 

 these species are superior to V. Sieboldi, which may be called 

 more peculiar than beautiful. 



The Withe-rods ( V. nudum and V. cassinoides) are so closely 

 alike as to be identical so far as their horticultural value is con- 

 cerned. They are perfectly hardy native plants of great use in 

 shrubberies and for covering waste places. They bloom with 

 the equally useful but more graceful and pretty V. acerifolium 

 near the middle of June. The last species of Viburnum to 

 blossom is V. molle, a plant of generally southern habitat, but 

 which is also found on Nantucket Island, the mildest spot in 

 Massachusetts. It is quite hardy. In foliage, flower and gen- 

 eral appearance it closely resembles V. dentatum, which under 

 the influence of the cool breezes of Cape Ann, only an hour's 

 railroad ride to the north of Boston, blooms a couple of weeks 

 later than it does near this city. 



Arnold Arboretum. J • Or. J . 



Some American Plants. 

 Aristolochia tomentosa is a twining and climbing perennial 

 of the same genus as the Pipe-vine or Dutchman's-pipe (A. 

 Sipho), and resembles it in many ways. The flowers of A. 

 Sip ho are larger and a little more showy, but are of about the 

 same shape. The most striking difference is in the size of the 



leaf. In A. tomentosa they are about five inches long by four 

 broad and somewhat downy. But in the other, though of 

 almost the same shape and shade of green, they are often a 

 foot long by eight inches wide. These large green leaves are 

 so numerous in both plants as to hide both flowers and stems. 

 Both are natives of rich woods in the northern portion of the 

 southern states. They seem to thrive in light or in heavysoils 

 in the sun or shade, and are quite hardy in this latitude. 



Adlumia cirrhosa (the Climbing Fumitory) is a delicate 

 climbing biennial, not rare in moist or wet woods. Its foliage 

 and flowers are both very neat, and it is a pity that it is not 

 perennial. When near a bush or something to which it can 

 attach itself it often attains several feet in height, and its droop- 

 ing panicles of light purple flowers are continuous from June 

 until October. It needs a light soil, and thrives in both sun 

 and shade. 



Zygadeus venenosus, from the Pacific coast, has a bulbous 

 root and long grass-like leaves. Its flowering stem is usually 

 a foot or more high, almost naked, and bears at the summit a 

 dense short panicle or head of nearly white flowers a third of 

 an inch wide, and having a yellowish centre. It is perfectly 

 hardy in this climate, and will do well in light or heavy soil in 

 the sun. 



Oxalis violacea, the Violet Wood-Sorrel, is one of our pret- 

 tiest wild flowers at this season. It is sometimes found in 

 southern New England, but is more common southward and 

 westward. It generally grows about six inches high, bearing 

 several large violet flowers nearly an inch wide, which are 

 very showy. It can easily be grown in the shade or in a cool 

 partly shaded situation. A light soil suits it, and if it is to be 

 set in a heavy one peat or leaf-mould should be added. 



Brodiaa multiflora and B. coccinea, both from the Pacific 

 coast, come into flower at about the same time. Both have 

 bulbous roots about the same size, with long naked stems and 

 grass-like leaves from the bulb. Their stems are each about 

 a foot and a half high, with their flowers in an umbel at the 

 summit. They are often found growing together, and the 

 bulbs are so near alike that collectors frequently get them 

 mixed if taken up when not in flower. But though resembling 

 each other in these points, they are very unlike when in 

 flower. In B. multiflora the flowers are upright, half an inch 

 wide, three-fourths of an inch long, and bluish purple in color, 

 borne in a close round umbel and on very short pedicels. The 

 flowers of B. coccinea, on the other hand, are drooping, on stems 

 from half an inch to an inch and a quarter long. The flowers 

 themselves are usually an inch or more in length, tubular in 

 shape, and about a third of an inch thick. In color they are 

 deep scarlet for nearly the whole length, or except a short 

 space at the mouth, which is green and white. This last is a 

 very striking plant and valuable for cut flowers. We have 

 the best success with both of these and most other Californian 

 bulbs by setting in autumn and protecting with a covering of 

 leaves. When wintered in a cellar they are inclined to start 

 into growth about the last of February, and this early growth 

 in the cellar weakens the bulbs. They like a fine, well-drained 

 soil and open sunlight. 



Brodia>a stellaris is a little, dwarfish species, only four or 

 five inches high, bearing a small umbel of four to six pale blue 

 flowers, with darker stripes. The flowers are a little more 

 than half an inch wide. It is a pretty species, but its stems are 

 too short for cutting. 



Brodiaa lactcea has almost white flowers, with greenish 

 stripes. The flowers are half an inch wide, in an ample umbel 

 on a naked stem a foot and a half high. Both of these last 

 mentioned should be treated in cultivation like B. coccineaj. 



Tradescantia Virginica, the common Spiderwort, which has 

 been long in cultivation, is a native of moist woods from west- 

 ern New York southward and westward. It is a strong-grow- 

 ing plant, and soon forms dense clumps fifteen to twenty 

 inches high. The flowers are blue, an inch or more wide, 

 with large yellow stamens, which contrast finely with the blue- 

 background of the flower. It is easy of culture and is a valua- 

 ble plant for a shady corner. 



Lilium Bolanderi is a rare species from Oregon, growing 

 from six to twelve inches high, with dark red flowers, having 

 darker spots inside. The flower is a little more than an inch 

 long and about as wide. All the specimens I have seen pro- 

 duced only one terminal flower, and the stem is recurved so 

 that the flower is turned downward. It is one of the smallest 

 species and quite pretty. A light loamy soil seems to suit it best. 

 Allium acuminatum, from the Pacific coast, is usually a low 

 plant, six to eight inches high, with a good-sized umbel of 

 pretty rose-purple flowers. The flowers are half an inch long 

 and about as wide at the opening, on pedicels three-fourths of 

 an inch in length. 



