FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
8l 
of these trees either isolated or in 
groves. A group of three, indifferently 
planted in poor soil at Ormond, only 
lived a few years, attaining a height of 
ten feet, but Prof. Nehrling of Gotha, 
Florida, informs me that he has several 
beautiful young specimens, perfect col¬ 
umns of dark green, the tallest of them 
at least twenty-five feet high. They re¬ 
quire good fertilization. 
Evidently a number of the evergreen 
cypress will grow well in Florida if plant- 
in good ground or soil made good. 
Retinosporas or Japan Cypress do not 
flourish, probably we are too far south. 
Oriental Arborvitaes, of which hand¬ 
some specimens may be seen in Jack¬ 
sonville parks and elsewhere, have grown 
well at Ormond on well prepared soil, es¬ 
pecially the variety known as Aurea 
Nana. Rosedale Arborvitae, said to be 
a hybrid of Retinospora and Oriental 
Arborvitae. Though planted in half 
shade, does no better with us than the 
Retinosporas. 
Some species of the genus Podocar- 
pus may do well in Florida. They are 
evergreen trees and shrubs, yewlike in 
their appearance. 
The late Edmund H. Hart, of Federal 
Point, had a fine specimen of the broad 
leaved Podocarpus. With its dark green 
foliage it was strikingly ornamental. He 
reported it as very hardy against sun 
and frost. Podocarpus Japonica and 
Podocarpus Koraensis were planted No¬ 
vember, 1903, at Ormond, in well pre¬ 
pared soil and partial shade. They have 
grown slowly but thriftily and look 
healthy and happy. 
Of evergreen shrubs, I have had ex¬ 
perience with but few and those quite 
well known. 
Pittosporum Tobira—the dark green 
and the variegated varieties grow well 
6 
with us as thoroughout the lower south, 
making the air heavy with fragrance the 
latter part of March and early April. 
A strong grower, the root area of a large 
bush extending fifty feet from the plant. 
It is perhaps our best exotic shrub, 
growing rampantly on a rather poor soil 
with Oaks in close proximity. 
Jasminum humile or revolutum from 
Northern India, puts forth its yellow 
fragrant blossoms early and often and 
grows well in spite of rabbits which gnaw 
the bark occasionally. 
Rhaphiolepis ovata. This Chinese 
shrub, with almost circular coriaceous 
leaves and white blossoms—not fragrant 
—blooms in March and April. It grows 
slowly but surely and promises well. 
Viburnum odoratissimum, makes a 
dense, compact bush, with leaves of a 
light, vivid green and white, fragrant 
flowers in April. A specimen growing 
here for many years was badly scorched 
in freezes of 94-5 but does not appear 
to have suffered since with plenty of clay 
in the soil it is one of our best ornamen¬ 
tals. 
Illicium anisatum or Anise Seed Tree, 
native of Japan, makes a tall, stately 
shrub with fragrant leaves of sassafras 
odor, the small saffron-colored blooms 
are not conspicuous. This shrub threat¬ 
ens to become naturalized, some speci- 
ments more than holding their own in the 
midst of oak scrub. 
Illicium Floridanum is mentioned in 
English publications as the finest and 
most showy of the Illiciums said to be a 
native of Florida, but I have never hap¬ 
pened to meet any one who^ had seen 
it. Prof. Nehrling had a fine specimen 
planted on the shore of Lake Audubon, 
but it was destroyed a few years since 
by overflow from the lake. 
Acacia Farnesiana, the well known 
