28 
Early American Azaleas. Four species, now called Rhododendrons, 
are in flower, R. canadense, the Rhodora, of which there are only a 
few small plants in the Arboretum, R. Vaseyi, R. nudifiorum and 
R. roseum. Of these R. Vaseyi is the first to open its clear pink or 
occasionally nearly white flowers. The Arboretum plants in large masses 
along the Meadow Road are still small but have been covered with 
flowers during the past week. On the lower side of Azalea Path R. 
nudifiorum and R. roseum growing side by side with numerous individ¬ 
uals can be compared. On different plants of R. nvdifiorum the flowers 
vary considerably in color, and on a few plants are nearly white. For 
most persons R. roseum with the deep rose-colored flowers is a hand¬ 
somer plant and perhaps the handsomest of the American Azaleas with 
the exception of R. calendulaceum with its yellow or flame-colored 
flowers. The fragrance of the flowers of R. roseum is only equalled 
among Azaleas by that of the summer blooming R. viscosum of north¬ 
ern swamps. 
The first Roses. Three Asiatic species of Rose are the first to flower 
in the Arboretum, Rosa Ecae which opened its first flowers on May 21 
one day before those of R. Hugonis and R. omeiensis. Rosa Ecae is 
still rare in gardens. A native of Afghanistan and Turkestan it is a 
large fast-growing shrub, with small lustrous leaves, strongly and pleas¬ 
antly fragrant throughout the season, and pale yellow flowers about an 
inch in diameter. The flowers are paler in color, slightly smaller, and 
less crowded on the branches than those of R. Hugonis but it is a more 
vigorous and satisfactory plant and the persistent and unusual fragrance 
of the foliage greatly adds to its value. Rosa omeiensis which is com¬ 
mon on the mountains of western China, gets its name from Mt. Omei 
one of the sacred mountains of the Empire. It is a hardy, fast-grow¬ 
ing shrub with erect stems covered with bright red prickles and white 
fragrant flowers hardly an inch in diameter which are followed by hand¬ 
some red fruits on elongated yellow fleshy stalks. In its native country 
this Rose sometimes grows to a height of twenty-five feet. A good 
hedge for New England gardens might be made with it. 
Wisterias. There are no flowers this year on the Chinese and Japan¬ 
ese Wisterias on the trellis on the south side of the Shrub Collection, 
but an old plant of the white flowering Japanese W. fioribunda which 
has been allowed to ramble at will on the trees and shrubs on the left 
hand side of the Valley Road close to the Centre Street Gate is covered 
with flowers and is one of the most beautiful objects in the Arboretum 
during the last days of May. 
