BEAUTIFUL DECIDUOUS 



TREES AND SHRUBS. 



389 



A. glutinosa, A. incana, A. japonica, A. maritima, 

 A. nilida, A. oregona, A. orientalis, A. pubcscens, 

 A. serrulata, and A. subeordata. 



Amelanehier {Snowy Mespilus). — The Amelanchiers are 

 charming flowering trees, still called in some books by the 

 old name of Mespilus. There are four distinct species 

 given in the Kew list, and a host of synonyms. Thus 

 A. Botryapium of catalogues is A. canadensis (the June 

 Berry), which, though it will attain a height of 30ft. or 

 so, flowers in great profusion when much smaller than 

 this. The branches are slender, and in early spring 

 smothered with pure white blossoms. The berries when 

 ripe may be mixed with soil or sand and kept damp till 

 the spring, when they must be sown. It can also be 

 increased by layers, put down in the autumn. Although 

 the Canadensis is the chief species, there are others, such 

 as A. alnilolia, A. oligocarpa, and A. vulgaris with its form 

 named cretica ; of each species there are many varieties. 



Amorpha friltiCOSa {the Bastard Indigo of Carolina). — 

 This is a distinct shrub, which pushes up strong shoots 

 from the base to a height of 6ft., and clothed with 

 pinnate leaves. The flowers, which are borne in closely 

 packed terminal spikes, are small, but of an intense 

 shade of purple, against which the bright yellow pro- 

 truding anthers stand out conspicuously. Like other 

 leguminous shrubs, it will hold its own better than many 

 subjects in sandy soils. The flowers are borne during 

 the latter part of July. This Amorpha pushes up suckers 

 freely, which may in the autumn be taken off with their 

 roots ; another species is A. canescens. 



Amygdalus {the Almond). — The Almonds are now 

 grouped with the Primuses, but they are set out 

 here, as the popular botanical names have been too 

 much in vogue to eradicate at once. But the true names 

 as at present recognised are given also. The Almond 

 is too well known to describe. Its misty pink bloom 



is a herald of spring. We may search for Snowdrops 

 and early spring flowers when the Almond flowers open 

 shyly in the gusty March days, too often to suffer from 

 cold winds and frosts. 



A. Communis is the name of the ordinary species, and 

 there are several well-marked varieties. Amara, or the 

 Bitter Almond of commerce, is of note for the sake of 

 its large and beautiful flowers, which are deeper in 

 colour than those of the ordinary species. Closely allied 

 to this is the Sweet Almond (A. dulcis), which is even 

 earlier in flower than the variety Amara. A very 

 charming variety is called flore-pleno, which has 

 almost double flowers, and these resist winds and 

 frosts more strongly than the frail petals of the 

 single Almonds. Their rich rose shade is welcome ; 

 indeed, it is a tree to make a group of for 

 its beauty in the early year. Macrocarpa is a very 

 important variety, altogether bolder and larger than the 

 common Almond, while the flowers are nearly 3m. 

 across, white, tinted with pink in the centre. Pendula is, 

 as the name suggests, a pendulous variety. 



A. Davidiana. — This Chinese species is one of the most 

 recent acquisitions to the family, and the earliest of all 

 to unfold its flowers. It is a more slender plant than 

 the common Almond, and its rose-coloured flowers are 

 much smaller, but borne in such profusion that the 

 branches are completely wreathed with them. The 

 earliest flowers are often borne before January has left 

 us. There is a variety (Alba) with white blossoms. 



A. nana is a dwarf bush about lyd. high, with pink 

 flowers freely borne while the branches are still 

 leafless. It is a pretty little bush that when once 

 established pushes up suckers freely. This can be pro- 

 pagated by suckers, and A. communis by seeds, while 

 this lalter serves as a stock for the others, which may be 

 grafted in spring, or budded in August. 



This is the present classification of the Amygdalus group : 



Prunus Amygdalus 

 ,, var. amara 

 ,, ,, dulcis 



,, ,, macrocarpa 



,, ,, persicoides 

 Davidiana 



Amygdalus communis. 



,, ,, var. amar and A. amara. 



,, ,, ,, dulcis. 



,, ,, ,, macrocarpa. 



,, ,, persicoides and Persica amygdaloides. 



P Davidiana = Amygdalus davidiana and Persica davidiana. 



P. nana . . . . = ,, nana. 



P. Persica = Persica vulgaris and Amygdalus Persica. 



Amygdalus prunifolius flore pleno. 

 = ,, prunifolius flore albo. 



Persica foliis rubris,. Persica atropurpurea, and Amygdalus atropurpurea. 

 The chief species or synonyms, compiled from the Kew list, only are given. One cannot make these changes 

 nomenclature too clear, otherwise information given is likely to prove misleading. 



var. flore roseo pleno 

 ,, flore albo pleno 

 ,, foliis rubris 



Aralia SpinOSa {Angelica Tree). — This pushes up stout, 

 spiny stems to a height of a dozen feet or so, while the 

 huge divided leaves are wide-spreading, and impart to 

 the plant quite a sub-tropical aspect. It is also well 

 worthy of consideration as a flowering shrub ; the 

 large terminal plume-like panicles of creamy white 

 blossoms are borne late in the autumn when few other 

 shrubs are in flower. Pieces of the root cut up into 

 lengths of 6in. to cjin. and planted in light and sandy, 

 but at the same time fairly moist, soil will soon form 

 plants. 



Ash. — See Fraximus. 



Azalea. — Although the hardy Azaleas are now placed 

 amongst the Rhododendrons it seems that it would 

 be unwise to remove them to that genus in this alpha- 

 betical list, as likely to confuse the general reader. But 

 it must be remembered that the Azaleas, once kept 

 distinct, are now merged, and rightly so, into the 

 Rhododendron family. The hardy Azaleas are un- 

 rivalled for effect amongst the deciduous shrubs, and 

 smothered with blossom before the leaves have developed. 

 Of late years Mr. Anthony Waterer has raised beautiful 

 forms at Knaphill, and the "Knaphill" race of Azaleas is 

 rich in beautiful colours, from white, through yellow, orange, 

 and buff, to crimson, scarlet, and flaming tones, which create 



glorious pictures in the garden in the late spring and 

 early summer. The shrubs should be planted in groups, 

 when the rich colouring of the flowers is most effective, 

 and in autumn the foliage turns to warm tints, crimson, 

 brown, purple, and other shades intermingling, making 

 the bushes almost as beautiful in their autumn dress as 

 when covered with blossom in spring and early summer. 

 New hybrids are being raised, as, for instance, between 

 A. mollis or the Ghent or hardy forms, and the late- 

 flowering sweetly-scented A. occidenlalis has been 

 crossed with A. mollis, with the result that a distinct and 

 fragrant group has arisen. Seed may be raised in beds 

 of well-prepared soil and just covered with a little sand. 

 Keep the beds moist and shaded till the young plants make 

 their appearance. Layering should be done as soon as pos- 

 sible after the leaves drop, and layers will take two years to 

 root sufficiently for removal. Grafting, which is principally 

 employed for the increase of the choicer varieties, is a 

 delicate operation, best carried out towards the latter 

 part of the summer. The plants need to be kept close in 

 the propagating house about a couple of months before a 

 union is complete. The hardy Azaleas, or Ghent as 

 they were formerly called, because so many hybrids were 

 raised in the neighbourhood of the old Belgian town, 

 have originated by crossing the native North American 



