Use of Native Plants for Ornamental Planting 
By L. P. Jensen, Missouri 
THE native plants of North America have long been 
appreciated and planted in Europe. Miller in 
his English "Gardeners Dictionary," edition of 
1750, describes" and recommends a large number. Mar- 
schall, in his "Planting and Rural Ornament," Vol. 
II, 1796, which volume is devoted entirely to descriptions 
of' trees and shrubs suitable for ornamental planting in 
England, includes most of the American native materials, 
planted in this country today. Hirchfeld, in his "Theorie 
der Gartenkunst," Vol. 11, published 1780, gives a list of 
the principal trees and shrubs for ornamental planting in 
Germanv. which includes a long list of American ma- 
terials. ' As an introduction to this list, he says : "The 
trees and shrubs in this list are in part native of Germany, 
in part introduced from other countries, particularly 
North America. The latter are particularly adapted to 
our climate and their rapid growth and great variation 
make them invaluable in our plantations. How poor we 
should be if we were deprived of these valuable materials." 
Poor indeed they would be when we consider that in 
all of Europe there are only about 85 species of trees, 
while we have ; n North America more than 400 species. 
Great Britain has less than a dozen native species of trees. 
We Americans were very slow in coming to an ap- 
preciation of our valuable native planting materials, and 
have depended too much on exotics for our plantations. 
This, however, is rapidly changing. 
Andrew Jackson Downing, with all his love of plants, 
utilized but few native plants in his designs, and these 
were mostlv trees, judging from his writings in the 
"Horticulturist," 1846 to 1850, and his "Landscape 
Gardening and Rural Architecture," published in 1841. 
The beginning of the appreciation and use of our 
American native planting materials, may be said to date 
back to the designing of the Central Park of New York 
City in 1857, by the'late Frederick Law Olmsted. Pro- 
fessor F. A. Waugh, in "The Landscape Beautiful," says: 
"Olmsted discovered the native flora. Though artis- 
tically less important than other contributions of Olmsted, 
this was the most revolutionary of his innovations. 
Downing was a collector of plants, with a fondness for 
exotics. Gardeners everywhere where planting Japanese 
magnolias, purple beeches and Camperdown elms. Olm- 
sted turned boldly, and not without violent opposition, to 
the commonest roadside shrubs. He adopted the outcast 
weeds. Peter after his vision could not have been more 
completely converted to what had previously been thought 
unclean. 
"Up to this time, strange as it may seem, American 
plants had been more used in Europe than here. With 
the richest indigenous flora of any country in the world, 
we were still planting the species and varieties of Euro- 
pean nurseries. We may remark further that this use of 
the native flora was the one < Mmstedian principle most 
quickly acclaimed and adopted by others. It has had a 
tremendous vogue in this country. 
"The native plants were used in large quantities. Com- 
mon dogwood and viburnums were put in by carloads. 
For the first time in the history of landscape art. plants 
were adequately massed. This principle was not carried 
to an extreme, however ; and, in fact, it has not vet re- 
ceived the development which it merits. 
"Indigenous plants were given their natural environ- 
ment. Up to this time, along with the preference for 
exotics, had gone the gardener's pride of growing plants 
out of their altitude, latitude and longitude. The Alpine 
garden was the gardener's pet, and Downing" himself 
nursed his lonely fig-trees through the cold New York 
winters." 
To be able to make use of our native planting materials 
in our plantations we must first of all have a thorough 
knowledge of the plants, and, secondly, be able to secure 
them, either personally or through nurserymen or col- 
lectors. Not so many years ago this was very difficult, 
but now, owing to a demand created by a few designers 
who realize the value of our native plants, these plants 
are to be obtained from men who make a business of 
growing and collecting. 
In spite of the large numbers of native plants utilized 
annually in American landscape work I dare say that 
there is still a great need of an educative campaign on 
the use of native materials in ornamental planting, par- 
ticularly among the gardeners. Comparatively few gar- 
deners have a wide knowledge of our native plants and 
their use. 
Acre after acre of native plants are being ruthlessly 
destroyed and replaced by exotics, which in most cases 
are absolutely out of harmony with their surroundings. 
1 believe that our American ornamental plantations 
should consist of about ninety per cent, of native ma- 
terial, and the remaining ten per cent, consist of exotic 
material carefully selected to fit the climatic and soil con- 
ditions of the particular part of the country in which they 
are to be planted. 
One of the most important factors in the make-up of a 
designer of American plantations should be a thorough 
knowledge of the native plants in the region in which he 
is working. If his work carries him over a wide territory, 
he must familiarize himself with all of the native materials 
suitable for his work, which is to be found in all of that 
territory. 
Many failures in ornamental planting have resulted 
from utilizing eastern plants for western plantations ; this 
is particularly true iin regards to such plants as rhodo- 
dendrons, kalmias and other broad-leaf evergreens, and 
also many coniferous trees. 
To specify the various uses which might be made of 
our native plants for ornamentation would mean the writ- 
ing of volumes, as this subject is practically inexhaustible. 
Consequently, this short article will only be able to touch 
lightly and superficially on some of the uses which ob- 
servations, experience and study have shown the writer 
to be of value. 
Let us first consider the requirements which will enable 
us to use these plants properly and artistically. The best 
teacher on this subject is nature. We must study her 
first hand, the plant growth along the roadside, along the 
banks of rivers and streams, on the borders of the lake, 
the vegetation of the deep shady woods and of the open 
sunny prairies. We must pick out and store away, for 
future use any little pleasing vista caused by plant 
growth, any pleasing combination of plant material which 
strikes our eye. We must analyze, and, so to say, pick 
to pieces the various materials of these pleasing com- 
positions. 
By studying the nlants in their native environment we 
learn their habit of growth, their requirements as to soil, 
moisture and light. 
