July, 1919 
Notes from the Arnold Arboretum. 
SUMMER FLOWERING TREES. 
Several trees flower in summer here and 
add to the interest of the Arboretum at a 
season of the year when there are com- 
paratively few flowers or ripe fruits to be 
seen. The most important of these trees 
are the Lindens, a genus of many species, 
the earliest of which begins to bloom about 
the middle of June and the last five or six 
weeks later. Lindens grow best in damp, 
moist, well-drained soil, and the European 
species take more kindly to cultivation in 
this part of the country than the American 
or Asiatic species, the handsomest Linden 
trees planted in the neighborhood of Boston 
being forms of the natural European hybrid 
to which the name Tilia vulgaris belongs. 
There is a large collection of Lindens in 
the Arboretum arranged in the meadow on 
the right-hand side of the Meadow Road in 
which can now be seen specimens of most of 
the species and of several forms and varie- 
ties, many of the trees being now large 
enough to flower. The fact that, with the 
exception of Tilia japonica which is the first 
Linden here to unfold its leaves, none of the 
Asiatic Lindens now promise to be large or 
useful trees in this climate is surprising for 
the trees of eastern Asia usually flourish 
here, and as a rule are better able to adapt 
themselves to New England conditions than 
allied European trees. It is always possible, 
however, that by crossing some of the Asi- 
atic species with the European species new 
and valuable forms may be obtained, for 
hybrids between American and European 
Lindens, like Tilia spectabilis and its variety 
Moltkei, are trees of great beauty and re- 
markable rapidity of growth. 
Sophora Japonica is in spite of its name a 
Chinese tree which has been cultivated in 
Japan for more than a thousand years, and 
as it first reached Europe from that country 
was long considered a native of Japan. It is 
a round-headed tree which in Peking, where 
it has been much planted, has grown to a 
large size and looks from a distance like an 
Oak-tree. The leaves and branchlets are 
dark green, and the small, creamy white, 
pea-shaped flowers, which open here in Au- 
gust, are produced in great numbers in nar- 
row, erect, terminal clusters. There are 
also in the collection the form with long 
pendent branches (var. pendula) which 
rarely flowers, and a young plant of the form 
with erect branches (var. pyramidalis) . The 
form of this tree with flowers tinged with 
rose color (var. rosea ) is not in the Arbore- 
tum. The Sophoras are on the right-hand 
side of the Bussey Hill Road, opposite the 
upper end of the Lilac Group. Near them 
the Maackias are growing. They also be- 
long to the Pea Family, and the better known 
Maackia amurensis is a native of eastern 
Siberia; it is a small tree with handsome 
smooth, reddish-brown, shining bark, dull, 
deep green, pinnate leaves and short, nar- 
row, erect spikes of small white flowers 
which open here soon after the middle of 
July. There is a form of this tree (var. 
Buerger i) in northern Japan which differs 
from the Siberian tree in the presence of 
soft down on the lower surface of the leaf- 
lets. The species discovered by Wilson in 
central China, M. hupehensis, is growing well 
in the Arboretum but has not yet flowered. 
Oxydendrum arboreum, the Sorrel-tree or 
Sour Wood, is a native of the southern Ap- 
palachian mountain forests and the only 
tree of the Heath Family which can be 
grown in this climate, with the exception of 
the Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) and the Rose 
Bay (Rhododendron maximum ) which are 
I shrubs at the north and only exceptionally 
| trees in a few favored valleys of the southern 
mountains. The Sorrel-tree in its native 
forests grows fifty or sixty feet high, but at 
j the north as it begins to flower abundantly 
Slower (Brower 
when only a few feet tall, it is not probable 
that in this climate it will ever attain a con- 
siderable size. It is well worth growing, 
however, for its bright green shining leaves 
which have a pleasant acidulous flavor and 
in autumn turn bright scarlet, for its white 
Andromeda-like flowers erect on the branches 
of spreading or slightly drooping terminal 
clusters, and for its pale fruits which in the 
autumn are conspicuous among the brilliant 
leaves. — National Nurseryman. 
I. S. Hendrickson’s List of 
Twenty-five Best Gladioli. 
In a very interesting article on Gladi- 
oli in the Journal of the International 
Garden Club for December, 1918, I. S. 
Hendrickson gives his selection of 25 
best varieties which we are pleased to 
print herewith together with his de- 
scriptions thereof. It is not often that 
a grower of Mr. Hendrickson’s long 
experience takes time and has the 
courage to select a list of what he con- 
siders the best varieties and, therefore, 
we are especially pleased to present 
this list with his descriptions and notes 
on same : 
Alice Tiplady— Large flower, beautiful orange saf- 
fron color. 
America— Large flower, flesh pink, beautiful. 
Attraction- Deep, dark rich crimson, with a very 
conspicuous large pure white center and throat. A 
most beautiful and attractive sort. 
Baron Hulot—Rich deep color of an indigo shade. 
Cardinal— Perfect flower and spike, very large and 
the brightest, clearest and most intense cardinal- 
scarlet yet seen. Very rich and showy. 
Dawn (Groff's)— Strong, vigorous grower. Flowers 
salmon, shading to light ; claret stain on lower petals. 
Desdemone— Immense flowers of ashy-rose color, 
striped violet ; large dark red blotch edged with 
ivory-white. 
Empress of India— Rich dark maroon, almost black. 
A rare color. 
Evelyn Kirtland— The flowers of strong substance, 
are a beautiful shade of rosy-pink, darker at the 
edges, fading to shell-pink at the center with brilliant 
scarlet blotches on lower petals; the entire flower 
showing a glistening, sparkling lustre. Very tall 
spike. Extra fine form and color. 
Fascinator— Splendid large flowers of salmon-pink 
tinted with flames of carmine ; throat blush with car- 
mine lake pencilings ; long well filled spike. 
Fireking— Long graceful spikes, showing half a 
dozen immense blooms open at the same time. Color, 
intense fire-scarlet. More brilliant than Brench- 
leyensis, Cardinal, Mrs. F. King or any other variety. 
Will become the leading cut flower variety of its 
color. 
Florence — Very large flower, bright lilac, large 
white center. Splendid. 
Glory- Each flower petal is exquisitely ruffled and 
fluted. Stalks very robust and produce from eight to 
twelve massive beautiful flowers, which expand wide 
open and are delicate cream pink with a neat crimson 
stripe. 
Halley — The predominating color of these flowers is 
delicate salmon-pink with a slight roseate tinge, 
though the lower petals bear a creamy blotch with a 
stripe of bright red through the center, the whole 
producing a delightful effect. 
La Luna— The large heavy buds open as pale yel- 
low, changing to nearly white when expanded. 
Ligionnaire—A splendid shade of cameo pink with 
crimson blotch edged with pale yellow. Strong spike 
of well set flowers. 
Mary Fennell— Beautiful deep lavender flowers on 
a tall slender spike. Lower petals pencilled with 
primrose-yellow. 
Mrs. F. King- Light scarlet of pleasing shade. 
Mrs. F. Pendleton — The flowers are very large, 
well expanded, of a lovely flushed salmon-pink, with 
brilliant carmine, or deep blood-red blotches in the 
throat, presenting a vivid contrast of orchid-like at- 
tractiveness. It is of the Lemoinei type in form and 
color effect, with a Gandavensis stem, so that it takes 
up water freely and opens up perfectly nearly every 
flower after being cut and placed in water. 
Niagara— In color the flowers are a delightful cream 
shade with the two lower petals or segments blending 
to canary-yellow. The throat is splashed with car- 
mine. and the lower ends of the outside petals are 
also blushed with carmine. 
Peace— Flowers are large, of good form, correctly 
placed on a heavy, straight spike. Beautiful white, 
with pale lilac feathering on inferior petals. 
Schwaben— Delicate pale yellow, dark blotch in 
center. 
65 
Sulphur King— This is one of the most valuable yel- 
low varieties ever produced. It produces a very 
long spike of the clearest sulphur-yellow flowers. 
Scribe— A beautiful, large well-opened flower and 
an enormus spike. Color like the fine old Eugene 
Scribe, tinted white, freely striped carmine. 
Wild Pose A remarkable variety and one that will 
gain in prestige as it becomes known, for it ranks 
with the very best. Color, very bright rose or blush 
tint, exceedingly delicate and pretty, and needs only 
to be seen to be appreciated. In its particular color 
it stands alone. Exceedingly fine for forcing under 
glass. 
An artistic grouping of Gladioli. The dark one is 
Charlemagne, the light Pink Perfection. 
From the garden of T. Dabney Marshall, Missis- 
sippi. Mr. Marshall’s article entitled, “ A Roseless 
Garden” appeared in the February, 1918, issue of 
The Flower Grower. 
A Long Lilac Season. 
Beginning with the Chinese Syringa pu- 
bescens, and ending with that other Chinese 
species, Syringa villosa, or perhaps with the 
tree lilacs which come later still, the display 
may be carried over many weeks. S. villosa 
is fairly well distributed. It makes a fine 
round-topped bush, and its late flowering habit 
adds much to its value. It should never be 
planted for its fragrance, though, for truth 
to tell, the odor is far from agreeable. 
It is quite contrary with S. pubescens, 
this being one of the sweetest of all known 
Lilacs. It is a tall shrub with small leaves, 
and short broad cluster of pale, Lilac colored 
flowers. While not strikingly handsome, it 
is very highly valued for its early flower- 
ing habit as well as its pungent and de- 
lightful fragrance. Unfortunately it is not 
readily propagated, for it never produces 
seeds here and cuttings do not strike as 
easily as those from most other lilacs. 
Among the other excellent lines which 
would seem well worth a place in gardens are 
S. Lutece, red violet ; S. Wolfii, violet purple ; 
S. Waldeck Rousseau, pink ; S. Toussaint 
Louverture, red purple ; S. Maurice de Vil- 
morin, lilac colored ; Congo, dark red purple; 
Macrostachya, pale pink ; Marliensis pallida, 
pale pink ; Justi, pale blue ; Ludwig Spath, 
red purple. 
The Arboretum experts consider that the 
last named, with Philemon, which it much re- 
sembles, are the handsomest Lilacs with dark 
red purple flowers. Marie Legraye still holds 
first rank as the best of the single white 
flowered Lilacs. Some French white flow- 
ered Lilacs have been introduced in recent 
years, but have not been grown in this 
country long enough for their value as gar- 
den plants to be determined.— Horticulture. 
