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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



October, 1915 



The Cotoneasters are hardy small shrubs that bear fruits in profusion in fall and all 

 winter. (C. disticlia; fruits crimson) 



colors are usually pure. Vari-colored fruits 

 are almost non-existent although among 

 crabapples, plums, cherries and their kin 

 the color may vary on different sides of the 

 same fruit. Yellow colored flowers are 

 very abundant but yellow fruits are de- 

 cidedly rare among hardy northern plants. 

 In flowers botanists do not regard mere 

 color as of distinctive importance but with 

 fruits in general it is of considerable and 

 often significant value. 



In eastern North America, even for the 

 cold climate of New England, there is 

 available a vast array of woody plants 

 which bear succulent bright colored fruits. 

 A great many are native and others have 

 come from Europe and Asia and more 

 especially from China and Japan. Of 

 shrubs the most important family hardy in 

 the north-eastern part of North America is 

 probably the Honeysuckle family which in- 

 cludes not only Climbing and Bush Honey- 

 suckles but that beautiful group known as 

 Viburnum and also the Snow- 

 berries (Symphoricarpos) and 

 Elderberries (Sambucus). This 

 family is closely followed and 

 perhaps equalled by that of the 

 Rose which includes trees as 

 well as shrubs. The more im- 

 portant members are the Haw- 

 thorns (Crataegus), the Crab- 

 apples (Malus), the Rowan 

 (Sorbus), Plums and Cherries 

 (Prunus), Blackberries and 

 Raspberries (Rubus), Coton- 

 easter and the Rose itself. In 

 these two families black and 

 white and all the cardinal colors 

 except green occur. Next in 

 order may be placed the Dog- 

 wood family and the single 

 genus Cornus has black, white, 

 red, and blue fruits on its dif- 

 ferent species. The Gooseberry 

 and Currants (Ribes) have not 

 only black, white, red, yellow, 



purple, and wine- 

 colored but also 

 green or greenish 

 fruits. The only 

 other hardy shrub I 

 can think of with 

 greenish -colored 

 fruit is the native 

 Leatherwood (Dirca 

 palustris). Perhaps 

 the most popular 

 family of berried 

 plants is that of the 

 Holly (Ilex) which 

 has red, black and 

 yellow fruits. Then 

 there are the Bar- 

 berries with red, 

 black and purple 

 fruits: the Spindle- 

 tree (Evonymus) 

 and Waxwork (Ce- 

 lastrus) which belong 

 to the same family, 

 have white, pink, 

 red and orange col- 

 ored fruits which open and display the seeds 

 with their orange or scarlet covering. The 

 Ivy andRhamnus families mostly have black 

 fruits: the Mulberry and its ally the Hack- 

 berry (Celtis) black, white, red and orange 

 colored fruit. The Spice Bush {Benzoin 

 aestivale) has scarlet fruit and its ally the 

 Sassafras, black fruit seated in a scarlet- 

 colored cup. The Elaeagnus and its allies 

 have red or orange- red fruits: the Blue- 

 berries (Vaccinium) black, blue-black and 

 red fruits. The native Persimmon (Diospy- 

 ros virginiana), has orange-colored and the 

 Tupelos (Nyssa) mostly blue-black fruits. 

 The Asiatic Corktree (Phellodendron) has 

 black and many of the Sumachs (Rhus) red 

 fruits. Lastly, mention may be made of 

 Symplocos paniculata, a native of the Far 

 East, which has clear turquoise-blue fruit. 

 Our September article dealt with climb- 

 ing plants so they are excluded from what 

 follows and our attention is concentrated 

 on trees and shrubs. Perhaps it will con- 



duce to clearness if we divide our subject 

 into groups denoted by color but it is well 

 to remember that such grouping must 

 often be a little arbitrary. 



RED FRUITS 



Under this general heading may be classed a 

 large and attractive group whose conspicuous and 

 handsome fruits are striking at any season but are 

 especially so in winter. Among native trees and 

 shrubs undoubtedly the most beautiful are the 

 Hawthorns (Crataegus) whose decorative value is 

 not fully realized. The number of species is very 

 great and some are low shrubs and others large 

 trees; the fruit varies greatly in size and in the 

 length of time it remains on the branches. In a 

 group so large selection is onerous but the six which 

 follow though equalled by others are not surpassed 

 by any. The so-called Washington Thorn {Cra- 

 taegus cordata) is a slender tree, 20-35 f ee t tall, with 

 a small and shapely crown and clusters of small 

 scarlet shining fruits which ripen in October and 

 remain on the tree without much change in color 

 until the spring. In C. nitida, which is a large tree 

 with spreading slightly pendulous branches, the 

 scarlet fruits are of medium size in drooping clusters, 



In the spring many of the Cotoneasters are very handsome for their white bloom like 

 small hawthorn flowers. (C. hupehensis, a new Chinese plant) 



The scarlet fruits of Cotoneaster salicifolia fairly glow with 

 warmth 



ripening in October and remain on the trees until 

 winter is far advanced. A remarkably handsome 

 species is C. Arnoldiana with large bright crimson 

 fruits ripening about the middle of 

 August and falling early in September. 

 This is a small tree with ascending 

 and spreading branches and slender 

 very zigzag branchlets which form a 

 broad irregular crown. C. sucadenta 

 is a shrub or small tree with a broad 

 irregular head and drooping clusters of 

 moderately large, globose, bright scar- 

 let fruits which ripen about mid-Sep- 

 tember and remain on the branches 

 until beginning of November. An- 

 other shrub or slender tree is C. pru- 

 inosa with horizontally spreading 

 branches and large, sub-globose 

 purple-red fruits in clusters ripening 

 late in October and remaining on the 

 branches until about end of Novem- 

 ber. The Cockspur Thorn (C. crus- 

 galli) is a moderate-sized tree with 

 rigid, spreading branches and droop- 

 ing clusters of fairly large sub-globose 

 dull red fruits which ripen late in 

 October and remain on the branches 

 until spring. Mention must also be 

 made of C. punctata which has droop- 

 ing clusters of large sub-globose fruits, 

 dull red or bright yellow in color and 

 which ripen and fall in October. 

 This well-known Hawthorn is a moder- 



