148 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 



and forms a broad mass of glossy dark green. It 

 thrives equally well in the open and in partial shade. 

 There are forms with white and purple flowers but 

 none is better than the type with its clear blue 

 flowers. 



A very pleasing little evergreen is Pachystima 

 Canbyi, native of the mountains of North Carolina 

 and Virginia, which forms neat little clumps six 

 inches or more high. The foliage is dense, small, and 

 rather shining pale green. The western P. Myrsinites 

 is a taller plant with much larger leaves but the habit 

 is less good and it often suffers in winter. These 

 plants have inconspicuous flowers and are related to 

 the Spindle-trees (Evonymus). 



The Cowberry (Vaccinium Vitis-idaea) is a north- 

 ern, circumpolar plant which grows a few inches high 

 and forms dense, broad mats. The leaves are shining 

 green, the flowers white or pinkish and the fruit dark 

 red. At any season of the year this little plant is 

 pleasing. A closely related evergreen is the Box 

 Huckleberry (Gaylussacia brachycera), one of the 

 rarest of American plants. It is a spreading plant 

 growing from six to ten inches high and has shining 

 green Box-like leaves. 



The Mayflower or Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea 

 repens) common on the borders of rocky woods and 



