MY SHRUBS 93 
This great genus makes splendid growth on our shores, and most 
of the Australian and New Zealand species thrive and attain to 
mature size. 
Than P. crassifolium there is no more elegant and beautiful 
foliage shrub in any garden. I have a seedling ten years old and 
10 feet high of most beautiful shape. In spring myriads of little 
chocolate-coloured bells appear among the leaves, and seed ripens. 
P. eugenioides is another New Zealander which attains to great size 
and is too large for a small garden, but a treasure for a big 
one. I have a small piece of the variegated form of this, and 
P. Tobira 1 also have with white variegation—one of the most 
beautiful shrubs I know. The type of P. Tobira has attained 
to full size under an araucaria in a sheltered spot. On Christmas 
Day it was in full flower—every point bright with creamy and 
fragrant umbels. P. patulum is the last of the genus to appear 
with me, and thus far proves a dingy object and leaves me 
cold. But she is young, and may have some surprises hidden. 
There are many other varieties of this beautiful race which I 
have not seen. 
Plagianthus Lyall is another worthy New Zealander which 
has given great delight to friends in my garden. The serrated, 
drooping foliage on bending boughs is beautiful in itself, and the 
snow-white flowers, like cherry blossom, crowd its wands in July. 
There is no more splendid thing in any garden when prosperous. 
With me it stands against a 9-foot wall and has far over-topped it. 
In a hard winter it loses most of its foliage, but is none the worse. 
The ground beneath it was green with seedlings this spring. Other 
varieties of Plagianthus are inferior, so be ‘sure you secure Lyall’s. 
High botanists now doubt if this most notable shrub is a Plagianthus 
