296 THE GARDEN MANG Aza Na 
JUNE, 1916 
Of broad-leaved evergreens we have 
tried two, English Ivy (Hedera helix) 
and Evergreen Bittersweet (Evonymus 
radicans); in each the small-leaved 
forms are the best. Neither likes flat 
work on the ground and prefers to tum- 
ble up in bunches or climb up the tree- 
trunk. Still they. will exist in dark 
damp corners where any other vine 
would go on a hunger strike. The Ivy 
has greater endurance, from New York 
southward, but the Evonymus makes a 
more dense cover. A true ground cover 
is our native Running Strawberry bush 
(Evonymus obovata) but it refuses in 
dense shade, is frankly deciduous, and 
balks so much that the weeds get ahead 
of it. 
The two most common deciduous 
vines used as ground cover are Hall’s 
Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica var. 
Halliana) and Akebia (Akebia quinata). 
Each makes a tangle of stems, and flow- 
ers but little, and, as the shade becomes 
more dense above, will slowly die out. 
If either can reach the lower limbs of 
the tree it will quickly scramble to light 
above and then there is trouble. The 
one perfect woody ground cover is yet 
to be discovered, but Evergreen Bitter- 
Sweet is in the lead as yet. 
Among perennial herbs the range is 
greater. Our forefathers found help in 
Lily-of-the-valley and Myrtle, and you 
can hardly improve on them to-day. A 
third favorite was Moneywort (Lysi- 
machia Nummularia) and “Creeping 
Charlie” has learned to toddle along 
under the roadside trees choking out the 
The question of exposure to sun is to be considered. Under deciduous trees as 
grass. You had better try “Money” or 
Myrtle if you have had trouble in mak- 
ing the grass take hold. 
A PERENNIAL GROUND COVER 
The perfect perennial ground cover 
comes from Japan. Though useful in 
many places the Japanese Spurge 
(Pachysandra terminalis) is the true 
friend of the gardener under trees. 
Where even Myrtle has refused Pachy- 
sandra will stay forever green, even if 
it grows but slowly. Unless water 
stands upon the soil in winter this herb 
will hide all bare spots. If you haven’t 
seen it, order a dozen plants from any 
nursery and watch their growth. There 
is an American species, from the Al- 
leghanies (P. procumbens), but as 
it is not evergreen its virtues are as 
nothing. 
There is not much more to offer after 
Pachysandra has been introduced. 
Nearly as good are the Wild Gingers, 
not the common one (Asarum cana- 
dense) of Northern woods, for that is 
deciduous and insists on rich woods, 
but the species from Europe (A. euro- 
paeum) whose round dark green leaves 
spring from a creeping rootstock, and 
one from the mountains of Virginia (A. 
virginicum) which makes clumps of 
evergreen foliage. 
If you want large evergreen leaves 
consider the Megasea Saxifrages (Saxi- 
fraga cordifolia, S. crassifolia, S. ligu- 
lata), all much alike in a general way. 
They are not too hardy in the Northern 
states, they want a little sun in spring, 
here, low evergreens may be used if given light and due care 
and they refuse altogether to swim 
in winter. 
of any plant—no light, no food, no 
water all summer, and wet cold feet all 
winter. 
The best deciduous herbs for cover, 
after Lily-of-the-valley, are the Water- 
leaf sisters (Hydrophyllum virginicum, 
H. canadense, H. appendiculatum). The 
last may be biennial, but it seeds freely, 
and you can’t tell “which from t’other” 
unless you are a botanist. 
parted leaves are the chief attraction, 
as the clustered bluish flowers are 
somewhat hidden by the foliage. They 
would not grow under Elm, but prefer — 
such trees as Ash and Maple. 
For delicate leaf effect I insist on 
Crown Vetch (Coronilla varia), for 
though it won’t flower as it does in open 
meadows still the slender stems and 
small leaves give a pleasing mat of 
green until frozen by winter. 
Ferns of course you have, and the 
amount of moisture in the soil decides 
the sort to use. 
kinds get trodden upon or flattened by 
the lawn mower or the family dog, so 
I’d prefer the stiff erect ones, and omit 
the evergreen fellows also, for they 
grow more as specimens than in mass. 
The Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinna- 
momea), Clayton’s Fern (O. Claytonia), 
Ostrich Fern (Onoclea Struthiopteris) , 
and for great sods of fern the Hay- 
scented Fern (Dennstaedtia punctilo- 
bula) which you find in the catalogues 
or dig from the woods under the com- 
mon scientific name of Dicksonia. 
Native ferns and Lily-of-the-valley have solved the problem under this fine Beech 
tree in a Massachusetts garden 
It’s too much to expect. 
The five- — 
The small and delicate 
