38 
The Garden Magazine, September, 1920 
Also of the W hite Spruce (P. glauca) there is a diminutive form 
(nana) which has been known for nearly a hundred years. 
The most delightful of dwarf Spruces and a most charmingly 
attractive plant is that being distributed under the erroneous 
name of “ Picea Albertiana.” It is of narrow 
pyramidal growth with short, close set, twiggy 
branches and is densely clothed with almost 
pellucid grass-green leaves of singular delicacy. 
It much resembles the Summer Cypress (Kochia 
scoparia), and for its successful cultivation re- 
quires a moist soil and a shady situation, with 
protection from strong winds. It is essentially 
an alpine plant and is really a dwarf form of the 
western variety of the White Spruce (Picea glauca 
var. albertiana) and has recently been named f. 
conica by Rheder. Its history is simple. In 1904 
Mr. J. G. Jack of the Arnold Arboretum 
collected on the shores of Lake Laggan, 
British Columbia, some seedling plants of 
what he thought was the var. albertiana. 
These he sent home, where they developed 
into the lovely plant above described. 
The Firs have produced but a few dwarf 
forms. The oldest known is the var. hud- 
sonica of the common Balsam Fir, but this 
has very little horticultural value. Of the 
common European Fir (Abies Picea) there 
is a reputed dwarf form; but after a few 
years this is apt to lose its character 
and grow into a tall tree. The best 
pigmy Fir is A. lasiocarpa f. com- 
pacta, which originated in the Arnold 
Arboretum from seeds sent by Dr. C. 
C. Parry in 1873 from Colorado. It 
is a genuine dwarf of compact habit. 
Both interesting and useful are the 
diminutive forms of the Douglas Fir 
(Pseudotsuga taxifolia) f. compacta 
and f. globosa. 
The common Hemlock (Tsuga cana- 
densis) has given rise to several ab- 
normal forms, the most distinct of 
which are vars. pendula and com- 
pacta. The first-named is a compact 
form with closely over-lapping, pen- 
dulous branches forming a broad, 
low round-topped mass. It was dis- 
covered many years ago on the mountains back of Fishkill 
Landing, on the Hudson River, by the late General Howland 
of Mattapan, New York, and by him named Sargent’s Hem- 
lock for his friend and neighbor, Henry Winthrop Sargent. 
General Howland found four or five of these Hemlocks, and 
one of his original discoveries is still living at Holm Lea, 
Brookline, Mass, the estate of Professor C. S. Sargent. This 
variety has been extensively propagated by grafting, but such 
plants grow more rapidly, are of more open, less compact 
habit and less beautiful than the original seedlings. The var. 
compacta is of upright, broadly pyramidal habit, very dense 
and of rather stiff appearance. Both these Hemlocks are 
exceptionally useful garden plants. 
The White Cedars (Chamaecyparis) and Arborvitaes (Thuja) 
supply our gardens with a majority of the dwarf Conifers they 
enjoy. These and the Junipers seem extraordinarily unstable in 
character and when raised from seeds all sorts of abnormal forms 
develop. Some'have round, compact heads only a foot or two 
high, others grow into large globular masses, and some into narrow 
pyramids. They are of much value for the rockery and lawn, and 
for making hedges. Many dozens of such forms have received 
names, and specialists are often at fault indetermining their iden- 
tity. Their number is legion and did 1 attempt to enumerate 
a tithe of them the rest of this article would be a catalogue. 
The Arborvitae of the eastern United States (Thuja occiden- 
talis) has been amazingly prolific in these seminal variants, a 
number of which are valuable dwarfs. Among them the 
forms umbraculifera, recurva nana, Tom Thumb, Woodwardii, 
Reedii and Little Gem are of the best. The Chinese 
Arborvitae (T. orientalis), which has been in cultiva- 
tion in Europe since 1752, has given rise to many ab- 
normal forms paralleling in fact those of the native 
species; but they are less hardy. Of the common 
White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thujoides) however, there 
are two pigmy varieties (ericoides and leptoclada) 
which are very hardy. The Japanese species (C. ob- 
tusa and C. pisifera) have vied with the Arborvitae in 
the production of a multiplicity of curious forms and 
such as obtusa nana, pisifera, and filifera are now 
Their American rela- 
Lawsoniana of the Pacific Slope, has been 
equally prolific though its progeny are more 
tender. But in England and the parts of 
this country favored with a moderate cli- 
mate, the dwarf forms of the Lawson Cypress 
are delightful garden plants. 
I he inherent peculiarity of the above 
Arborvitae and White Cedars to produce, 
when raised from seeds, great variety in 
form, height and appearance, is likewise 
shared by some Junipers. The Red 
Cedar (J uniperus virginiana), itsChin- 
ese relative (J. chinensis), the Com- 
mon Juniper (J. communis), the Savin 
(J. Sabina) and the scaly Juniper (J. 
squamata) are well known illustra- 
tions. In fact, the probability is that 
all tree Junipers develop dwarf forms; 
but the genus is difficult to classify 
and its nomenclature is in a sorry 
state. 
Such dwarf J unipers as J . virginiana 
var. tripartita, J. chinensis var. 
Pfitzeriana, J. communis vars. mon- 
tana and adpressa and J. Sabina vars. 
tamariscifolia and humilisare toowell- 
known to need comment. The typical 
J. squamata is a favorite ground cover 
and its tree form is represented by 
the var. Fargesii. The low spread- 
ing J. virginiana var. reptans is a 
comparatively recent discovery in Maine where it grows on the 
sea coast at Bald Cliff, near York Harbor; the var. globosa, well 
described by its name, is a lovely plant worth a place in every 
garden. The prostrate J. chinensis var. Sargentii, common 
on the mountains of Korea and in Eastern Siberia, less so in 
north Japan, is perhaps the best of all prostrate Junipers that 
are ecological forms of arborescent species. 
Dwarf Yews have been mentioned in a previous chapter and 
there is no need to discuss them here; but there are a few flower- 
ing trees that must not be forgotten. Foremost among these is 
the Fuji Cherry (Prunus incisa) native, as its name suggests, of 
the region round the famed Mt. Fuji. At its best this is a small 
tree occasionally 30 feet tall, but as usually seen it is less than 10 
feet, with twiggy, ascending-spreading branches from near the 
ground up. The petals are pure white and the sepals are reddish 
and long persistent. It commences to blossom when young and 
not more than a yard high and is exceedingly floriferous. 
1 saw it first in the spring of 1914 when travelling in Japan, 
and then and there became its willing captive. It is a quite 
recent addition to gardens, having been introduced to Germany 
by seeds sent from Japan under the erroneous name of Prunus 
pseudocerasus. It is appreciated by the Japanese gardeners as 
the only Cherry they can dwarf and cause to flower in pots. An- 
other dwarf Japanese Cherry is P. subhirtella var. autumnalis, 
LOV ELIEST OF DWARF SPRUCES 
A form of Picea glauca var. albertiana this is fur- 
ther christened f. conica; is really of alpine pre- 
dilictions; likes moisture, shade and protection from 
winds, and deserves to have its preferences regarded 
