ON HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. 



283 



or border culture ; it grows upwards of 3ft. high, and from June 

 to August produces dense plumes of feathery white flowers. The 

 variety floribunda is rather 

 dwarf in habit, but bears 

 larger plumes. S. Filipendula 

 flore-pleno (Double Dropwort) 

 is a low-growing plant with 

 fern-like foliage and branch- 

 ing panicles of creamy-white 

 double flowers, which are 

 suitable for cutting. It 

 reaches a height of 2 ft., and 

 is to be seen at its 

 best during June and 

 July. S. palmata (Fig. 

 165) is a hand- 

 some plant, de- 

 lighting in marshy 

 ground, near the 

 banks of streams, 

 ponds, &c, and 

 also growing luxu- 

 riantly in damp, 

 shady borders ; 

 it grows 2 ft. 

 high, and bears 

 large heads of 

 crimson flowers 

 from June to 

 August. A 

 white variety 

 is also grown. 

 S. Vlmaria 

 (Common 

 Meadow- 

 sweet) is a 

 plant enjoy- 

 ing similar 

 situations to 

 the last-men- 

 tioned spe- 

 cies • it grows 



2ft. and upwards in height, and yields heads of white flowers 

 from June to August. The variety flore-pleno has sweet-scented 

 double white flowers, whilst aurea or aureo-variegata has golden 

 variegated foliage and creamy-white flowers. 



Statice is a genus of very graceful plants suitable for the 

 rockery or mixed border. S. Gmdini grows from i^ft. to 2ft. 



Fig. 164. — Spiraea Aruncus. 



