perhaps in Japan where the leaves of many of the native trees and 
shrubs assume brilliant colors before they fall. 
The autumn color of a few plants is already brilliant. The earliest 
of the American trees to change the color of its leaves is the Red or 
Scarlet Maple, Acer rubrum. On specimens of this tree growing in 
swamps the leaves are now often bright scarlet, while on trees grow- 
ing on higher and drier ground the leaves are still bright green or only 
slightly tinged with red. The so-called Water Willow, Decodon verti- 
cillatuSy often known as Nesaea, is a native of all the region from 
Maine to Florida and Louisiana, and is a shrub with arching stems 
growing only in the wet, often submerged borders of streams and ponds 
where it often spreads into broad thickets. By the borders of the ponds 
in the Arboretum the leaves of this plant are already bright scarlet, and 
for a few weeks the plants will be conspicuous among the green sedges 
and swamp grasses with which they are associated. 
The leaves of some of the forms of the so-called Virginia Creeper of 
eastern North America are already bright scarlet. The earliest to 
adopt its autumn dress and now in brilliant color is Parthenocissus 
vitacea. This plant rarely has adhesive discs at the ends of the ten- 
drils, and therefore cannot attach itself to the trunks of trees or to 
brick and stone walls, like Parthenocissus quinquefolia which is often 
sold in nurseries as Ampelopsis Englemannii. There are many forms 
of the Virginia Creeper which can be seen on the trellis near the en- 
trance to the Shrub Collection from the Forest Hills Gate. 
A few of the fruits which ripen in early autumn are already con- 
spicuous. There is perhaps no shrub more beautiful in the autumn 
than one of the American Cornels, Cornus rugosa, or, as it is some- 
times called, C. circinata. It is a tall, broad, round-headed shrub with 
greenish branches and round, oval, dark green leaves; the flowers are 
not more showy than those of the other Cornels, but the clusters of 
light blue fruits on red stalks make them objects of much interest and 
beauty. There are a number of these plants in the Cornel Group at 
the junction of the Meadow and Bussey Hill Roads, and there are great 
clumps of it among the Hickories and in other parts of the Arboretum. 
The red Osier Cornel, Cornus racemosa, often called C. stolonifera or 
C. candidissima , is also beautiful at this season, for the leaves are 
beginning to turn dark red and the plants are covered with abundant 
clusters of white fruits on bright red stalks. This plant has been 
largely used in the Arboretum; it spreads rapidly into large, dense clus- 
ters, and with its good foliage, abundant flowers and beautiful fruits, 
few shrubs are more desirable for park and roadside plantations. 
The fruit of some of the new Chinese Cotoneasters is handsome and 
the autumn coloring of their foliage is often splendid. Most of these 
plants are perfectly hardy, and among them are certainly some of the 
most valuable garden shrubs of recent introduction. They can be seen 
in the special Chinese Collection on Bussey Hill and in the Shrub Col- 
lection, and deserve study with reference to the autumn garden. 
The Arboretum will be grateful for any publicity 
given these Bulletins. 
