BEAUTIFUL DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS 



391 



of the other North American kinds, the leaves assume 

 in autumn brilliant colours. The flowers are of varied 

 shades. 



A. OCCidentale (A', occidentah). — This is the species that 

 Mr. Waterer has used so freely for hybridising with the 

 early kinds; and as A. occidentale flowers late, the season 

 of the hybrids is happily prolonged. This is a shrub that 

 one should see more frequently in English gardens. It 

 has been in a measure overlooked, but its glossy foliage 

 and sweetly-scented white or yellow flowers are too 

 precious to lose, and, unlike the majority of the deciduous 

 Azaleas, blossom and leaf are together. It is worth 

 growing for its fragrance alone, and the delicately- 

 coloured trusses, arranged upon the table or elsewhere, 

 scent the apartment. 



A. pontiea. — This name is retained here, but it may be 

 mentioned that it is now called Rhododendron flavum. It 

 is a native of the Black Sea region, and forms a handsome 

 bush about 6ft. in height, and in the middle of May 

 is laden with bright yellow flowers. This has given 

 rise, with other species, to a host of beautiful garden 

 forms. 



A. Vaseyi. — This species is little known at present, as it 

 has not been introduced many years from North America. 

 It comes from North Carolina, and makes a free, pleasing 

 bush, covered with flowers early in May. The colouring 

 is very charming, pink, changing to pure white with age, 

 and it is certainly a shrub that should be in all gardens of 

 any size. It has proved quite hardy, and begins to bloom 

 early, sometimes even in its second year. 



A. viSGOSa [the Swamp Honeysuckle). — In moist soils this 

 grows with considerable vigour, and its pink-tinted 

 flowers are very sweetly scented ; they expand rather later 

 in the season than the majority of hardy Azaleas; indeed, 

 it is the last of all to bloom, expanding even as late as the 

 month of August. This species also has been much used 

 fir hybridising with other kinds, and the result is a race 

 of delicately-coloured flowers, rose, white, and other 

 pleasing shades. 



To make the nomenclature of the Azaleas quite clear 

 are given the chief species, with their true names, according 

 to recent classification : 



True Name. 



ovata 





Rhododendron ovatum. 



arborescens 





,, arborescens. 



calendulacea 





,, calendulaceum. 



pontiea 





,, flavum. 



indica 





,, indicum. 



ledifolia 





,, ledifolium. 



linearifolia . 





,, linearifolium. 



nudiflora 





,, nudiflorum. 



occidentalis 





,, occidentale. 



rhom bica 





,, rhombicum. 



serpyllifolia 





,, serpvllifolium. 



pontiea 





,, sinense. 



Vaseyi 





,, Vaseyi. 



viscosa 





,, viscosum. 



Berberis. — There are deciduous and evergreen Barberries, 

 both groups proving valuable shrubs lor the pleasure 

 ground, for the sake in a large measure of their showy 

 fruit and finely-coloured leaves in autumn. Of the true 

 deciduous kinds the chief are : 



B. Thlinbergi. — This is one of the most important of the 

 entire family. It is a dense twiggy bush, with slender 

 arching shoots, from the under-sides of which the bell- 

 s'taped reddish brown flowers hang in great profusion. 

 These flowers make their appearance simultaneously with 

 the little roundish leaves. The berries, which ripen in 

 autumn, are small but bright sealing-wax red in colour. 

 A brilliant autumn feature is furnished by the decaying 

 Laves, which change to a glowing crimson before they 

 drop. It is quite hardy, and worth growing only for its 

 luilliant colouring in autumn. 



B. Vulgaris (the Common Barberry). — This is a native of 

 Britain, and a well-known and highly-ornamental shrub. 

 The drooping racemes of yellow flowers render it attrac- 

 tive in the spring, while the orange scarlet oblong-shaped 

 berries are even more showy. There is a purple leaved 



