364 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



SPIK^A 



like a moist, loamy soil, and thrive near 

 water. They may be increased by dividing 

 the rootstocks in autumn or spring or by 

 sowing the seeds as soon as ripe in cold 

 frames. 



Hbrbacbgtjs Spir^as 



S. Aruncus (Goat's Bea/rd). — A bold 

 and beautiful herbaceous plant, 3-5 ft. 

 high, native of North Europe, Asia and 

 America, with thrice pinnate leaves a foot 

 long, and lance-shaped oblong or ovate 

 lance-shaped serrated leaflets. Flowers 

 in June and July, white, dioecious, in many 

 slender spikes thrown well above the 

 foliage. Arnericana is a variety in which 

 the interrupted male flowers are scarcely 

 larger than the female ones, and the plant 

 in some parts of the world, e.g. the 

 Japanese Alps, attains only 1 ft. in height. 

 The variety triternata has thrice ternate 

 leaves, often covered with an ashy down 

 beneath. 



CiMure and Propojgation. — This is a 

 fine plant for massing in the herbaceous 

 border or for planting in beds by. itself on 

 the grass. It flourishes in both open and 

 sunny situations and also in shade, pro- 

 viding there is always plenty of air, and 

 the plants are not suflocated with over- 

 hanging branches of trees or placed too 

 close to other plants. It may be increased 

 by division in September or early in 

 spring, or seeds may be sown as soon as 

 ripe in cold frames, or in the open border, 

 afterwards pricking off the seedlings the 

 following spring when large enough, and 

 in mild weather. When the plants are 

 coming into bloom it will Be found useful 

 to give them a good mulching of weU- 

 rotted manure and also frequent and 

 liberal waterings with liquid manure. 



S. astilboides. — A distinct and graceful 

 Japanese species, resembling 8. Aruncus 

 but dwarfer and with smaller and looser 

 leaves and leaflets. Flowers in summer 

 in white spioate panicles. The variety 

 Jloribunda is superior to the type and 

 produces finer trusses of blossom. 



Culture da. as above for S. Aruncus. 

 A fine plant for the edge of a pond or 

 stream. Although perfectly hardy it is 

 now grown extensively under glass during 

 the earlier months of the year as a pot 

 plant for table and room decoration, for 

 which purpose its graceful habit and firee- 

 dom of flowering make it very suitable. 



S. csespitosa. — A tufted species 6 in. 

 high, native of the United States, with 



small sUky entire leaves ; lower ones in a 

 rosette, spathulate, the upper ones linear, 

 minute. Flowers in summer, in dense 

 spiked racemes. 



Culture dc. as above for S. Aruncus. 



S. digitata.. — A Siberian herbaceous 

 perennial closely related to the N. Ameri- 

 can S. lohata, from which, however, it 

 differs in having the terminal leaf-lobe 

 more rounded, and the other segments 

 more numerous and narrower, and more 

 or less hairy beneath, especially along the 

 nerves. The flowers are pink or almost 

 white. 



Culture Sc. as above for 8. Aruncus. 



S. Filipendula (Dropwort). — A native 

 of the British Islands, 2-3 ft. high, with 

 smooth, interruptedly piimate leaves, 4- 

 10 in. long, and deeply cut, serrate leaflets. 

 Flowers in June and July, white or rosy 

 outside, J in. across, in loose, panicled 

 cymes. There is a good double-flowered 

 variety called flore plena which is very 

 pretty. Its flowers have been likened to 

 snowflakes, and are very useful for 

 bouquets and other floral decorations. 



Culture dc. as above for 8. Aruncus. 

 The double-flowered variety is best in- 

 creased by division only. 



S. kamtschatica. — A native of Kam- 

 tschatca 6-9 ft. high, with palmately lobed 

 leaves about 6 in. wide and 4 in. long, 

 having channelled and coarsely hairy 

 stalks, furnished with 2 leafy stipules at 

 the base and a numb3r of irregular leaflets 

 along the whole length. The white, 

 sweetly scented flowers arebornein corym- 

 bose heads. This species is also known 

 as 8. gigantea in some places. 



Culture (tc. as above for Spircea 

 Aruncus. Near the banks of lakes, ponds, 

 or streams this fine ornamental species 

 attains its greatest height. It is perfectly 

 hardy even in frozen water. The hardy 

 flower border is scarcely a suitable place 

 for it. 



S. lobata [Queen of the Prairie). — 

 This is a smooth herbaceous perennial 

 2-8 ft. high, native of North America. 

 Leaves interruptedly pinnate ; end leaflet 

 very large, 7-9-parted, lobes incised and 

 toothed, stipules kidney-shaped. Flowers 

 in June, deep rosy-carmine in large 

 terminal cymes. The variety albicans 

 has pale rose-coloured flowers. 



Culture Sc. as above for S. Aruncus. 

 This species prefers a somewhat shaded 

 situation. 



