TREES AND SHRUBS IN THE SOUTHWEST 



HI 



TREES AND SHRUBS 



Mr. W. D. Fitzherbert has been recording in The 

 Garden an interesting study he has made of these in 

 the south and west. He knows much of the ground 

 well, and both by knowledge and love of the subject 

 is the best of guides in what is of interest not only to 

 those who live in the extensive districts in which these 

 plants are grown, but also over a large area in Ireland 

 and over a vast extent of our coast lines everywhere. 

 For while we of the more northern country are de- 

 lighted to see these Cornish and Devon gardens, it 

 is instructive to note that one of the best collections 

 is in the north of Ireland, at Castlewellan, and we 

 have much evidence showing that the vast coast line 

 of our islands is favourable to many tender trees and 

 shrubs that will not long endure the climate of the 

 midland country, or even that of a dozen miles from 

 the shore. The following are the notes of the more 

 beautiful trees and shrubs only. 



Anopterus glandulosa. — Tasmania. A vigorous 

 evergreen shrub with dark, shining green leaves,bear- 

 ing long, erect, terminal racemes of white cup-shaped 

 flowers, resembling the blossoms of Clethra arborea, 

 but larger. Tregothnan. 



Acacias. — Australia. In Cornish and SouthDevon 

 gardens many species are to be met with in robust 

 health. A. affinis, very generally confounded with A. 

 dealbata, is the most common. In many cases A. affinis 

 is grown as A. dealbata. The leaves of the former are 

 green, while those of the latter are bluish, and its 

 flowers are less bright in colour. A group of A. affinis, 

 about 3 5 feet in height, was a wonderful sight at Tre- 

 gothnan at the end of March, being simply covered 

 with golden blossom, which was thrown into high re- 

 lief by a background of Ilexes. A. verticillata is an- 

 other handsome species, flowering later in the spring. 

 It is a rapid grower, reaching a height of 1 5 feet in a 

 few years, generally growing in the form of a broad 

 based cone, with its lower branches but a foot or so 

 from the ground. When in flower it is so covered 

 with its pale yellow blossoms that no foliage is dis- 

 cernible. A. armata may be seen as a bush 7 feet high 

 and as much in diameter. A. ovata. — This I have 

 only seen as a bush some 3 feet high, very pretty 

 when bearing its circular, golden flower-balls. A. lon- 

 gifolia. — Another handsome tree with leaves some- 

 thing like those of an Oleander, and bright yellow 

 flowers. A.melanoxylon. — A fine tree. The specimen 

 at Tresco is about 50 feet in height, and there are 

 good examples on the mainland. Pale yellow flowers 

 produced in profusion. Other species I have met with 

 are^. riceana, A. lophantha, A. calamifolia, A. linifolia, 

 A. latifolia, and A. p la typtera, the latter against a wall. 



Aster argophyllus. — Australia. The Silver Musk 

 Tree, with musk-scented leaves and dull red flowers 

 in summer. Three gardens. Height, 12 feet. 



IN THE SOUTH-WEST. 



Banksia grandis. — Australia. Evergreen shrub 

 bearing yellow flowers in dense spikes. B. serrata y 

 red flowers ; and B. Uttoralis. All at Tresco. B.quer- 

 cifo/ia, handsome leaves with white reverse. Abbots- 

 bury. Banksias were at one time in request as green- 

 house plants. 



Benihamia fragifera. — Nepaul. A strikingly 

 handsome evergreen tree, first introduced into Eng- 

 land in 1825, when seed was sown at Heligan, Corn- 

 wall, and where there are now specimens some 6ofeet 

 in height. It is largely represented throughout Corn- 

 wall, being used in some places as a woodland tree. 

 In June, when the leafage is hidden by the widespread 

 platter-like flowers of pale yellow, its effect is very 

 beautiful, especially when thrown up by a back- 

 ground of green foliage. In the autumn the fruits, 

 from which it takes its name of Strawberry Tree, 

 some an inch or more in diameter, become bright 

 crimson. 



Boronia. — Australia. These are almost univer- 

 sally treated as greenhouse plants, but succeed in the 

 open in the south-west. At Tregothnan, at the end 

 of March, two bushes of B. megastigma, planted in 

 front of a wall, the larger of which was about 3 feet in 

 height, were coming into profuse bloom, and already 

 scented the air with the first of their brown-yellow 

 lined drooping cups. B. heterophylla, with its purple- 

 red flowers, was also expanding blooms, and B. 

 Drummondii, B. elatior y and B.polygal<efolia were also 

 growing in the same garden. 



Callistemon salignus. — Australia. There are two 

 forms of this Bottle-brush, one bearing pale yellow 

 flowers and the other crimson. Others are C. lanceo- 

 latus, carmine-flowered, and C. speciosus, scarlet- 

 flowered. These grow well as bushes, specimens of 

 the first-named being sometimes 10 feet in height 

 and as much in diameter. There is much confusion 

 between this genus and Metrosideros, C. lanceolata 

 being almost universally sold as M.floribunda. Callis- 

 temons are to be found in many gardens. 



Camellia reticulata. — This is hardy, but rarely 

 flowers satisfactorily in the open, except in the south- 

 west, where it is grown both against walls and as a 

 bush plant. It is by far the finest of the Camellias, 

 bearing'lovely pink semi-double flowers 6 inches in 

 diameter, with bright yellow spreading stamens. 

 >a ^*. Carpenteria californica. — A well-known evergreen 

 shrub in the south-west, bearing fragrant, white, yel- 

 low-centred flowers. In some gardens it suffers from 

 browning of the leaves ; but this is apparently not 

 the effect of cold winds or frost, as often the most 

 exposed plants are the least affected, and the most 

 sheltered are in the worst plight. The finest speci- 

 men known to me, about 8 feet high and as much 

 through, is growing near Teignmouth. 



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