THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



07 



beries, a little known relative of another common species comes 

 into bloom. This is the cornelian cherry {Coruus mas) which 

 as anyone familiar with generic names wall perceive, is not a 

 cherry at all, but one of the dogwoods. The red-stemmed dog- 

 woods {Cornus stolonifcra and C. saiiguiiica) are planted 

 everywhere for the warm and pleasing effect of their red bark 

 contrasted with snowbanks, but one wdio knows only these 

 species w^ould scarcely recognize the cornelian cherry as belong- 

 ing to the g"roup. All our native dogwoods have white or 

 creamy flowers which open as the leaves unfold or after they 

 are spread. The cornelian cherry, on the contrary, has bright 

 yellow flowers wdiich appear before the leaves. It forms a 

 round headed shrub some ten feet high and, when covered 

 with its clusters of flowers, is a most conspicuous object and 

 one that adds much to the appearance of our borders at the 

 beginning of the vernal season. Later in the year the flowers 

 are followed by red, purple, or yellow fruits. 



In spring, however, shrubs may usually be depended on 

 to bloom. The great difficulty has always beeii tO' secure shrubs 

 that will bloom after the first burst of spring has passed. Al- 

 though summer flowering shrubs are rare in comparison with 

 those that bloom earlier in the year, a number exist, and one 

 who would give an air of individuality to his grounds should 

 plant them. First in the list of this kind should be placed the 

 rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriaciis) a well known plant of old 

 fashioned gardens that deserves a place in all new ones. Dur- 

 ing July, August and part of September, it is literally covered 

 with bell-shaped, blue, pink or white flowers that rather closely 

 resemble the hollyhock. 



The angelica tree (Aralia Chinensis) and the devil's walk- 

 ing stick {A. spinosa) are two members of the ginseng family 

 that are easy to grow, curious in appearance and practically 

 certain to produce great panicles of creamy-wdiite flowers every 

 August. These plants have few true branches, but they bear 



