Attention is called to another Chinese plant, Spiraea Henryi, now flow- 
ering in the Shrub Collection and perhaps the handsomest of recent addi- 
tions to the large number of Spiraeas now cultivated in gardens. S. 
Henryi is a tall, hardy, vigorous shrub with wide-spreading arching 
branches which on the upper side are covered with large flat clusters 
of white flowers. Among the Chinese shrubs in the collection of these 
plants on the south side of Bussey Hill Hydrangea xanthoneura and 
its varieties are in flower; these with H. Bretschneideri from northern 
China are the earliest to flower of all the Hydrangeas which are hardy 
in this climate. 
In the Shrub Collection two of the latest of the Bush Honeysuckles 
are in flower and are beautiful now and later in the season when the 
fruit is ripe. These plants are Lonicera Ledebourii from the Pacific 
coast region and L. involucrata , var. serotina from the mountains of 
the interior of the continent. The long slender flowers of these two 
plants are bright yellow more or less tinged with red, and they are sur- 
rounded by large, leaf-like dark red cups which remain under the large, 
black, lustrous fruit. This particular group of Honeysuckles contains 
some of the hardiest and most beautiful garden shrubs which have been 
brought into the Arboretum from western North America, a region 
which has produced few plants which are hardy in this climate. 
One of the decorative objects in the Shrub Collection is the large 
plant of Halimodendron argenteum, called Salt-tree because it inhabits 
the saline steppes near the river Irtish in Siberia. The pale rose-col- 
ored, pea-shaped, fragrant flowers, which are produced in great abund- 
ance, are borne in short clusters, and their delicate beauty is height- 
ened by the color of the leaves which are covered with a pale silky 
down. The plant remains in flower during several weeks. 
Among vines of recent introduction Periploca sepium , a native of 
Korea, is worth consideration. This is a plant with slender stems, 
small pointed dark green and very lustrous leaves, and axillary clusters 
of long- stalked flowers in which the strongly reflexed, dark brown sepals 
are the conspicuous feature. It can now be seen, covered with flowers, 
on the eastern side of the Shrub Collection. 
The Himalayan Lilac, Syringa Emodi, or as it is sometimes considered 
a variety of the Chinese S. villosa, is now covered with flowers. This 
is not an occurrence of every year for this species is not perfectly hardy 
and the ends of the branches and the flower-buds are often killed in 
severe winters. It is a large, broad shrub with large leaves light yel- 
low green above and silvery gray and covered with soft white hairs 
below, and long narrow clusters of small white fragrant flowers. It is 
the last of the true Lilacs to bloom and from all other Lilacs it differs 
in its light yellow foliage. 
Conspicuous plants now in flower in the roadside plantations are the 
North American Viburnum dentatum and V. cassinoides and the Japan- 
ese V. dilatatum , a species with very large, slightly convex clusters 
of creamy white flowers which are followed in the autumn by small bright 
red fruits. Other conspicuous plants are the North American Cornus 
rugosa and C. racemosa , the European C. alba , and two native Roses 
Rosa lucida and R. humilis. The flame-colored Rhodendron (Azalea) 
calendulaceum now makes a brilliant show, and the Laurels ( Kalmia ) 
are in full bloom. The Laurels can most easily be reached from the 
South Street or from the Walter Street entrances, and should be visited 
within a few days. 
