AuvcusT, 1908 
seldom. attaining more than ten feet, and 
those who are familiar with it only in this 
condition, can scarcely form an idea of the 
beauty of these tall mountain-grown trees 
when covered with innumerable white 
flowers about one inch long and resembling 
a snowdrop. 
The most interesting small-flowered trees 
of July are the two known as “ Japanese 
varnish trees.” This name is_ properly 
applied to Sterculia platanifolia, which is 
also called Chinese or Japanese parasol. 
At the South the Sterculia attains a large 
size and has large panicles of yellowish 
white flowers, which exhale a honeyed 
fragrance that attracts enormous quantities 
of bees as they contain much honey. This 
tree also has showy green bark and very 
large maple-like leaves (palmately lobed). 
One of the few blue flowered trees is Vitex Agnus- 
castus ; not always hardy in New England 
Tt is not hardy north of lower Virginia. It 
has a very singular fruit composed of four 
upright leaves about three inches long, on 
the edges of which are borne pea-like seeds. 
The hardy varnish tree (Ke@lreuteria pun- 
iculata) is literally covered with long clusters 
of yellow flowers each half an inch long. 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
The foliage assumes a bright-crimson tint 
in autumn. The leaf is composed of four 
to seven pairs of leaflets and the fruits are 
triangular bladders two inches long, red 
first, later brown. 
Clouds of tender pink are produced by 
the tamarisks, which have long slender 
sprays of minute flowers and feathery 
cypress-like foliage. They must not be 
confused with the tamarack, or American 
Tam- 
larch, which is not showy in flower. 
The red bud’s flowers are produced all along the 
branches. Compare with whole tree below 
arix Gallica and Odessana grow to a height 
of fifteen to twenty feet, are hardy in 
New England, and are especially desirable 
for city lots, where they do not seem to 
suffer from the effects of dust or smoke. 
T. Japonica is the most graceful and its 
growth is quite compact, which cannot be 
said of most species, but it is not quite hardy 
north of New York. T. hispida, var. esti- 
valis, has the longest flowering period. It 
begins to bloom as early as June, and its 
carmine-pink flowers frequently last until 
autumn. It forms an elegant small tree. 
A very interesting type of inflorescence is 
the huge panicle of the aralia family, with 
its numerous umbels of small yellowish 
flowers. The best tree of this family for 
the South is the Hercules club (Aralia 
spinosa) which in rich woods at the South 
ab ead 
For seaside and for smoky towns the tamarisk 
is exceedingly satisfactory. Flowers pink and 
feathery 
often reaches a height of twenty feet, but 
usually remains a small tree in the average 
garden. It has magnificent compound 
leaves two to three feet long, bipinnate and 
composed of a great number of leaflets. 
Its prickly stems add to its striking appear- 
ance. It is native as far north as Tennessee 
and hardy as far as New York. The 
Chinese angelica tree (Aralia Chinensis) 
is much like it but has leaves sometimes four 
feet long and is nearly hardy in New England. 
There are so few trees with blue flowers, 
that the chaste tree (Vitex A gnus-castus) is 
well worth a trial, although is it not always 
able to withstand the cold winters of New 
England. Its long spikes of very small 
light-blue flowers are produced from June 
until late autumn, thus lasting during a 
longer period than most of our flowering 
trees. There are several forms which differ 
in the shade of the flowers, ranging from 
dark-blue to lilac, pale-rose, and white. All 
have fragrant foliage and grow to a height 
of fifteen to twenty feet, though they are 
commonly shrubby in the North. Vitex 
incisa is hardier, but less showy. 
os ts a . ae 
2 cerita erwin “tal ere Satis Sorgen * 
a 
~ 
No flowering tree or shrub is more loved than the lilac 
Every branch of the red bud bursts into flower in spring 
