38 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 17. 1903. 
©Inamental {Trees anb Sbrubs. 
Winter Flowering Shrubs. 
When counted up, there is quite a large number of hardy 
shrubs which open their blossoms in midwinter, and the 
majority of them are showy. In addition to being showy, they 
are subjects which may be used for large and small gardens 
alike, for none of them are very large growers. December is 
perhaps the worst month for flowering shrubs, but stilt there 
are one or two. -During the early part of the month flowers can 
be found on Arbutus Unedo, while towards the end of the 
month Jasminum nudiflorum makes quite a bright effect. In 
mentioning this plant, it may not be out of place to call atten¬ 
tion to its value for other purposes than that to which it is 
usually put, i.e., covering walls or trellises. Planted against 
an old tree-root in conjunction with ivy or Berberis Aquifolium 
it makes a lovely effect, the golden blossoms intermixed with 
tire green leaves of the ivy or mingled with the bronze of the 
Berberis leaves being charming. Another method of culture 
worth trying is to plant it against some rough tree branches 
10 ft. or 12 ft. high, so that the wand-like shoots will arrange 
themselves in a graceful and natural manner; then the pendu¬ 
lous shoots falling in cascades of yellow are very ornamental. 
W1 ion the flowers of the Jasmine are well open we may look 
for blossoms on Chimonanthus fragraus var. grandiflora, which, 
should the weather prove mild, will be at its best by the 
middle of January. Like the preceding plant, this has yellow 
blossoms, but they are fragrant. The Chimonanthus is a 
Japanese plant, closely allied to Calycanthus. Right through 
the winter, but more particularly in January, the autumn 
flowering form of Daphne Mezereum, known as grandiflorum, 
makes its presence known by reason of its delightful perfume; 
and towards the end of the month the type and the white 
variety album commence to open their blossoms, to be at their 
best about the middle of February. 
From the end of November to the end of January flowers 
can be found on the hardy evergreen Clematis, C. calycina. 
This is a very distinct species from the Balearic Islands, 
having been introduced to England upwards of a century ago 
from the island of Minorca. 
Soon after Christmas the Ericas commence flowering, and by 
the middle of January quite a bright display is made by E. 
nrediterranea hybrida, a hybrid between E. camea and E. 
mediterranea. This is followed about a fortnight later by E. 
carnea, a well-known dwarf European species, with reddish 
blossoms. A variety with white flowers is in cultivation which 
flowers at the same time and swells the list. Pyrus japonica, 
or Cydonia japonica, as it is now called, often opens flowers 
in January, but is not at its best until March. 
Loniceras are represented by two species—L. fragrantissima 
and L. Stamdishii. The latter is the most common of the tkvo. 
It is a deciduous species, introduced from China about 1860. 
Hie flowers are whitish, borne in. great profusion, and fragrant. 
The other species is also Chinese, and is the best of the two, 
though it is very seldom seen. It is evergreen, and makes a 
shapely bush 4 ft, or 5 ft. high, and bears a profusion of pure 
white fragrant blossoms throughout January and February. 
About the end of December and early part of January 
Rhododendron flowers begin to appear, though it is rarely that 
they are seen to advantage, a,s they are more easily damaged 
by frost than the other things mentioned. The earliest of all 
Rhododendrons to flower is R. dauricum, a native of Siberia. 
At home it is said to flower in May, and in some places it 
grows in such profusion, as to smother the mountain sides, the 
whole being a sheet of purple during the flowering period. 
Here it flowers earlier, possibly on account of being a warmer 
climate. A peculiarity about it is that the flowers open very 
irregularly, so that if one lot is killed by frost, another lot 
comes on to take the place of those killed on the return of 
mild weather. 
Towards the end of January R, nebleanum will doubtless be 
found to be opening n few blossoms, whilst in February, that 
grand hybrid R, prseoox begins to open its flowers. This 
should really be accommodated in a cold house, as the flowers 
are often injured by frost. It was raised many years ago by 
that skilful raiser of. Rhododendrons, Mr. J. Davies, of Orms- 
kirk, the parents of it being R, ciliatum and R, dauricum. The 
flowers of the hybrid are rosy purple in colour, nearly 2 in. 
acr oss, and borne in great profusion. It is a plant well worth 
growing in nursery quarters to lift and flower in a cold house, 
for, in addition to being an excellent subject for conservatory 
decoration, it can be used effectively for the decoration of 
rooms. 
lire Japanese and Chinese Witch Hazels are justly popular 
shrubs, for they flower well, are veiy showy, and have a very 
quaint appearance by reason of their curious twisted petals. 
The best-known of the winter flowering set is Hamamelis 
arborea, from Jajcan. This has golden blossoms borne in great 
profusion^ and on a bright sunny day it is most effective. H. 
japonica is a species with lighter-coloured flowers, and H. 
japonica zuceariniana is a distinct variety with lemon blossoms. 
The new Chinese species, II. mollis, bids fair to be the most 
decorative of all, but its worth has still to be proved. 
From January until March the green catkins of the male 
form of G-aavya elliptic® find many admirers., while the yellow 
catkins of Willows and Hazels are pretty. Cornus Mas makes 
a brave show when smothered in February with yellow 
blossoms, and might well be planted more extensively than at 
present, especially in plantations and shrubberies. The earliest 
of the Prunus to .flower is. P. davidiana, and flowers of this are 
often open early in February . The Glastonbury Thorn, Craitae- 
gus Oxyacantlia prsecox, produces a succession of blossoms 
throughout winter, but never many at once, while several of 
the Elaeagnus open flowers in January. 
W. Dalmmore. 
Ostcomcles Anthyllidifolia. 
Very few gardeners have: yet made the acquaintance of this 
beautiful but little known shrub, which has small white flowers, 
produced in corymbs much in the same manner as a Hawthorn, 
and belonging, as a matter of fact, to the same family. It is 
more nearly related to the Snowy Mespilus (Amelancliier cana¬ 
densis), but differs remarkably from all of the above in the matter 
of foliage. 
The plant is not regarded as quite hardy, but there is a tine 
specimen of it against a south aspect wall in the Royal Gardens, 
Ivew, where it lias stood for some winters uninjured. At the 
present time the narrow, pinnate leaves are of a rich dark green, 
and cover the wall in a manner quite different from most shrubs 
usually employed for that purpose. The flowers are succeeded 
by berries resembling those of a Hawthorn or Cotoneaster, but 
having longer stalks, so that they are more or less pendant from 
the short leafy spurs. 
The species is a native of India, China, and the Pacific Islands. 
A figure of it is given in the “Botanical Magazine,” t. 7354. 
1 he native habitats do not augur much for the hardiness of the 
plant, and that may account for its being included in the “ Hand¬ 
list of Tender Dicotyledons,” but, judging from its past behaviour, 
I should think it hardier than it gets credit for. The evergreen 
leaves are the strongest argument against this idea of hardiness, 
but provided it is planted against a wall in a sheltered position 
it may yet prove worthy of more extended cultivation on walls in 
prominent places near the doors of dwelling-houses on account 
of its beautiful foliage and red berries. 
At least one other species is in cultivation, but eight of them 
are known toi science. Curiously enough only one of them is 
native to the Old V oriel, namely, that under notice, the rest 
being natives of the Andes of South America. The plant 
described in this note is the only one having pinnate foliage, so 
that it may be taken for granted it is the best and most hand¬ 
some for garden purposes. Some of them are trees, the rest 
being branching shrubs, of which O. anthyllidifolia is the most 
graceful.—J. F. 
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to note that the address of THE GARDENING 
WORLD is now 37 and 38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
