Trees and Shrubs Worth Plant- 

 ing For Their Conspicuously 

 Ornamental Fruits* 



By E. H. Wilson, 



Arnold 

 Arboretum 



ABUNDANCE OF MATERIAL AVAILABLE TO GIVE BRIL- 

 LIANCY AND CHARACTER TO THE AMERICAN GARDEN 



The bluish-black berries of 

 the native Sheep Berry hang 

 on till spring 



In fall and winter the white 

 Snowberry fruits enliven the 

 shrubbery 



[Editors' Note. — This is the fifth article in Mr. Wilson's series. It touches 

 upon a subject that must make a strong appeal at this period of the year as some sug- 

 gestion of the latent possibilities for garden color from fruits may be seen almost any- 

 where. A visit to the Arnold Arboretum, near Boston, any time in late summer, fall or winter reveals somewhat sadly the lack of general 

 appreciation of this class of material. Why do not our enterprising nurserymen more thoroughly realize that the garden has attractions at all 

 seasons of the year instead of being so calmly content with the spring effects? We know the American amateur is hungry for better things, as 

 the correspondence arising from this series of articles has abundantly proved again. Next month's article will discuss "Autumn Tints"] 



LOVERS of woody plants who 

 live in eastern North America 

 enjoy certain advantages over 

 their British compeers and for 

 these the much abused climate is re- 

 sponsible. In New England and the north 

 generally, we are denied the wealth of hardy 

 evergreen plants which thrive in Old Eng- 

 land and the variety of plants which will 

 grow out-of-doors is less, but there are com- 

 pensations. The plants that do thrive here 

 grow more rapidly, flower more freely and 

 fruit very much more profusely than they 

 do on the opposite side of the Atlantic 

 Ocean. Nothing strikes the horticulturally 

 inclined visitor from Great Britain more 

 forcibly than the wealth of fruit which here 

 develops on the shrubs and trees. Such 

 visitors rind that many old and familiar 

 plants possess a world of beauty heretofore 

 quite unknown to them, and certain it is 

 that all the perfectly hardy woody plants 

 put forth their maximum ornamental 

 qualities in this climate. 



The full value of trees and shrubs for 

 their ornamental fruits is not properly 

 appreciated at the present time, otherwise 

 a more extensive variety would be planted. 

 A great number, as for example : the Honey- 

 suckles, Dogwoods, Viburnums, Crabapples, 

 and Wild Roses, also have strik- 

 ingly beautiful flowers. The utili- 

 tarian spirit has been keen on de- 

 veloping and cultivating trees and 

 shrubs bearing edible fruits, but 

 aesthetic taste has rather neglected those of 

 purely ornamental value. We shall get 

 round to a proper appreciation of these later, 

 and in due time in planting our shrubberies 

 and borders we shall inquire not merely 

 what kind and color of flowers a woody 

 plant has but also the color and character 

 of its fruit. Indeed, to make sure of these 

 facts the tendency to visit notable collec- 

 tions and see for ourselves will grow stronger 

 and less and less will garden lovers be 

 content to accept opinion second hand. 

 The increased love of and for gardens now 

 happily evident in this country will not 

 always be satisfied with the very limited 

 variety of good shrubs and trees commonly 

 purchasable but will insist that those who 

 make a business of supplying these plants 

 keep in stock an all round selection of the 



* Copyright, 19 15, by Doubleday, Page & Co. 



most valuable and really hardy ornamental 

 woody plants. As interest and knowledge 

 increase the intrinsic value of Arboreta will 

 become apparent and the educational im- 

 port of such institutions will receive its 

 proper recognition from a discerning public 

 who will duly appreciate the advantages 

 derived from the experimental testing of 

 the hardiness, adaptability and ornamental 

 qualities of all the available material which 

 has been culled from the uttermost parts 

 of the world. 



Now, every flowering plant produces 

 fruit, and in character and form the variety 

 is infinite. In this article we are only con- 

 cerned with such hardy woody plants as 

 bear succulent fruits all of which on ripen- 

 ing assume more or less brilliant colors. 

 In the development of the flower and in the 

 perfecting of the fruit Nature's objective is 

 definite. It may be set forth as an axiom 

 that in the diversity of form among flowers 

 Nature's endeavor is mainly to insure their 

 fertilization through the agency of the insect 

 world: in the perfecting of the succulent 

 fruit it is toward making it attractive to 



Many of the roses have very brilliant orange or red fruits 

 all winter. In R. Moyesii they are also unusually large and 

 oddly shaped 



77 



birds so as to insure through their agency 

 the dispersal of the seeds. Dame Nature 

 is prodigal but although she apparently 

 cares nothing for the individual she lavishes 

 endeavor on securing the perpetuation of 

 the species and the safety of the race. 



This cooperation invoked by Nature 

 opens up another interesting field. Now- 

 adays people are beginning to appreciate 

 the feathered world and public opinion is 

 aroused to the necessity of preserving our 

 birds. Societies have been formed with 

 this object in view and laws have been 

 promulgated for the furtherance of this 

 purpose. Far and wide the habit is spread- 

 ing of fixing up boxes of various designs to 

 serve as nesting places for our feathered 

 friends. All this is very laudable but some- 

 thing more is necessary since birds require 

 food, and especially during the winter 

 months, as well as houses in which to rear 

 their young. The natural food of a great 

 number of our useful birds is in part or 

 wholly the fruits of plants. Therefore 

 whosoever plants trees and shrubs bearing 

 succulent fruits also provides the birds with 

 a supply of food. 



The United States Department of 

 Agriculture is giving attention to this 

 important matter and in March, 1914, 

 one of the investigators visited the 

 Arnold Arboretum 

 for the purpose of 

 studying the plants 

 growing there which 

 might furnish birds 

 with winter food. "His examination 

 revealed the fact that fleshy fruits 

 of the sort eaten by birds were still 

 hanging on the branches, and in good con- 

 dition, of one hundred and ten species 

 of woody plants and that the fruit on 

 fifteen other species although dry, was 

 still available as bird-food. Of these one 

 hundred and twenty-five species only forty- 

 nine are natives of the United States and 

 only thirty of New England." I quote the 

 Bulletin of the Arnold Arboretum, and it 

 will be remembered that the winter of 

 1913-14 was one of the severest recorded 

 for this part of the world. 



Among succulent fruits black and white 

 and all the colors of the spectrum are repre- 

 sented but, in contrast with flowers, the 



