Marcu, 1908 
The cypress is a dignified evergreen in the gardens of 
the South as well as on the Pacific coast 
of unusual colors in winter — brown, red- 
dish, violet, and steel-colored. On _ the 
other hand, their beauty may last for only 
eight or ten years; some require hand trim- 
ming to keep them compact; and they are 
so showy that they ought to be used in formal 
gardens or near houses and not scattered 
about the lawn, as they often are. 
These dwarf cypresses all come from 
four tall-growing species which are also 
obtainable and are worth growing for tall 
specimens. The pea-fruited Japan cypress 
(Chamecyparis pisifera) is distinguished 
by its pointed leaves and small cones which 
are about a third of an inch in diameter. 
Here belong the thread-leaved, feathery, 
and spreading varieties (vars. jilijera, plumosa 
and squarrosa). Of the last there are two 
fine subvarieties, Veitchiz and Sieboldit. 
The former has bluish green foliage which 
holds its color all winter; the latter is darker 
in summer and changes to purplish-green 
in winter. Unhappily the foliage of Sie- 
boldii is likely to die in the centre of the plant. 
The obtuse-leaved Japan cypress (Cham- 
ecyparis obtusa) is distinguished by its 
obtuse leaves and larger cones which are 
nearly half an inch in diameter. Here 
belongs the variety resembling ground pine 
(lycopodioides), which must be given the 
utmost care to keep it in good condition. 
Lawson’s cypress (Chamecyparis Law- 
sonia) can be distinguished from the Japan 
cypress by the gland on the back of the leaf. 
It is the most beautiful of the American spe- 
cies and probably the tallest of all cypresses, 
attaining a height of 200 feet in Northern 
California. It is not reliably hardy in New 
England, and even in the South but few 
forms attain more than eighteen to twenty- 
five feet. It sports so easily that when 
grown from seed there are often found more 
than twenty distinct forms in one batch of 
seedlings. The typical form has ascending 
branches with drooping tips. Some forms 
are pyramidal, others are columnar; some 
are open, others compact; some are very 
pendulous, others less so; while the color 
varies from bright green, yellowish-green, 
ashy, to those with silvery-tipped branches. 
The great merit of Lawson’s cypress is that 
it does as well in the mountains as in the 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
middle and lower sections of the South. 
It is to the South what the Japan cypresses 
are to the North, 7. e., it offers more showy 
varieties suitable for formal gardens than 
any other evergreens. 
The white cedar of our Eastern states 
(Chamecyparis spheroidea) differs from 
the three preceding in not having whitish 
marks on the under surface of the leaf. 
Here belong the heath-like retinospora and 
the variety Andelyensis (which the nursery- 
men call Jeptoclada). Both must be given 
the utmost care to keep them in good condi- 
tion. 
The quickest growing trees of the cypress 
type are the Australian cypresses or Frenelas 
(Callitris). We have frequently had trees 
reach ten feet in height at two years of age, 
but as they start very early in active vegeta- 
tion they seldom survive our spring frosts. 
This tendency to advance growth is the main 
difficulty that prevents many beautiful 
Lawson’s cypress is to the South what the Japan 
cypress is to the North. Not hardy North 
species from the Australian continent being 
successful here. 
The bald cypress or swamp cypress of the 
South is a conifer, but deciduous. ‘This tree 
frequently attains an enormous height in rich, 
swampy lands which are covered with water 
during the greater part of the year. Yet if 
transplanted upon rich high and dry soils it 
grows rapidly, makes a handsome and sym- 
metrical tree whose beautiful foliage is 
exceedingly ornamental. 
THE ABORVITZ TYPE 
There are only two important species 
of arborvite, the American and Chinese, 
the former having horizontal sprays while 
those of the latter are erect. The American 
arborvite (Thwya occidentalis) has many 
varieties, the merits of which are sufficiently 
well known, but they are among the dingiest 
and most disappointing of all conifers in 
winter. 
Fortunately we can grow in the South 
77 
the Chinese arborvitaee which is far more 
beautiful than our native species and quite 
as useful for hedges. The “Cyclopedia of 
American Horticulture” calls the Chinese 
species Tuya orientalis but I prefer to call 
it Biota orientalis — the name by which it is 
commonly known to nurserymen. Among 
the many plants I have introduced none 
has given me greater pleasure than the 
dwarf golden Chinese arborvite (Biola 
nana aurea) which I believe is the best 
golden conifer in cultivation. I have fre- 
quently grown as many as 100,000 of these 
plants at a time and have had the pleasure 
of seeing them hailed with delight in every 
quarter of the country. 
The first golden arborvite made its appear- 
ance some fifty years ago and was of dwarf, 
compact, globular growth, seldom exceeding 
ten feet but it was not hardy North and 
only in the spring was it brightly colored. 
The next great improvement was Biota 
semperaurea. I planted several thousand 
seeds of this and secured Biola nana 
aurea which is not only more compact than 
its parent but probably the hardiest of the 
genus, since it has stood uninjured for 
several years near New York where the old 
aurea usually failed. It has withstood 10 
degrees below zero. In the vicinity of New 
York it turns to a bright copper red by New 
Year’s day — a striking and unique color. 
Itisa miracle of compactness, for the sprays 
are packed as closely as so many sheets of 
paper. It grows about three feet high. 
Two other gems came from that same 
lot of seedlings. Biota aurea conspicua 
is even redder in winter at New York than 
the preceding variety, being quite the most 
conspicuous conifer in midwinter. Its win- 
ter color is not so refined as that of the Colo- 
rado blue spruce, but it is decidedly warmer 
and at a distance it lights up the whole 
landscape. During the growing season some 
of the branches are an intense golden color 
while others are suffused with green. It 
grows six to ten feet high. 
My pyramidal golden Chinese arborvitz 
(B. aurea pyramidalis) is the tallest as it 
attains a height of fifteen or twenty feet. 
The pendulous Chinese arborvitae (Biota pendula of the 
nurseries), a very distinct looKing plant for garden use 
