72 The Wild Garden 



grew on until the climbers had fairly taken possession 

 of the trees, and they are now too beautiful to disturb ! 

 Some of the Arbor-vitae are overrun with the Moonseed 

 (Menispermum), whose large leaves overlap one another 

 like slates on a roof. Over others, the leaves of the Peri- 

 ploca scramble, and also the Celastrus, and on still others 

 the deep green leaves of the Ampelopsis completely fes- 

 toon the tree; from among the tops of the Sumach the 

 feathery tendrils of the Ampelopsis, and, just now, its 

 deep blue berries, hold full sway. The Apios tuberosa 

 is indigenous, and springs up everywhere as soon as our 

 land is neglected. This also has overrun several trees, 

 and coils up and wreaths each outstretching branch with 

 its little bunches of fragrant brownish flowers. One Hem- 

 lock Spruce has every branch loaded with the Apios and 

 profuse with blossoms. When such strong climbers as 

 Bignonia and Wistaria take possession of a shrub they 

 generally injure it; but the very slender stems of Meni- 

 spermum and Apios die entirely to the ground after the 

 first sharp frost, and the slender stems of the others do 

 not appear to arrest the growth of the Arbor-vitse.' 



But the noblest kind of climbers forming drapery 

 for trees are not so often seen as some of the general 

 favourites mentioned above. A neglected group are 

 the wild Vines, plants of the highest beauty, which, 

 if allowed to spring through the tall trees, which 

 they would quickly do, would soon charm by their 

 bold grace. With these might be associated 

 certain free-growing species of Ampelopsis. In the 

 garden of MM. Van Eden, at Haarlem, I was surprised 

 to see a Liane, in the shape of Aristolochia Sipho 



