THE GROWING OF THE ORNAMENTAL PLANTS
THE CLASSES OF PLANTS, AND
LISTS - Continued
St. John's wort, Hypericum Kalmianum,*‡ H. prolificum,* and H.
Moserianum.
Small undershrubs, producing bright yellow flowers in profusion in July
and August; 2-4 ft.
Winter-berry, Ilex verticillata.*‡
Produces showy red berries, that persist through the winter; should be
massed in rather low ground; flowers imperfect; 6-8 ft.
The evergreen hollies are not suitable for cultivation in the North; but
in the warmer latitudes, the American holly (Ilex opaca), English
holly (I. Aquifolium), and Japanese holly (I. crenata) may be grown.
There are several native species.
Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia.*
One of the best shrubs in cultivation, evergreen, 5-10 ft., or even
becoming a small tree south; usually profits by partial shade; thrives
in a peaty or loamy rather loose soil, and said to be averse to
limestone and clay; extensively transferred from the wild for landscape
effects in large private places; should thrive as far north as it
grows wild.
Kerria, corchorus, Kerria Japonica. A bramble-like shrub, producing
attractive yellow single or double flowers from July until September;
twigs very green in winter. There is a variegated-leaved form. Good for
banks and borders; 2-3 ft.
Sand myrtle, Leiophyllum buxifolium.* Evergreen, more or less
procumbent; 2-3 ft.
Lespedeza, Lespedeza bicolor.‡ Reddish or purple small flowers in
late summer and fall; 4-8 ft.
Lespedeza, L. Sieboldii (Desmodium penduliflorum).‡ Rose-purple
large flowers in fall; killed to the ground in winter, but it blooms the
following year; 4-5 ft.
Lespedeza, L. Japonica (Desmodium Japonicum). Flowers white, later
than those of L. Sieboldii; springs up from the root.
Privet, Ligustrum vulgare, L. ovalifolium (L. Californicum), and L.
Amurense.‡ Much used for low hedges and borders; 4-12 ft.; several
other species.
Tartarian honeysuckle, Lonicera Tatarica.‡ One of the most chaste
and comely of shrubs; 6-10 ft.; pink-flowered; several varieties.
Regel's honeysuckle, L. spinosa (L. Alberti).‡ Blooms a little
later than above, pink; 2-4 ft.
Fragrant honeysuckle, L. fragrantissima. Flowers exceedingly fragrant,
preceding leaves; 2-6 ft.; one of the earliest things to bloom in
spring. There are other upright honeysuckles, all interesting.
Mock-orange (Syringa incorrectly), Philadelphus coronarius.‡ In
many forms and much prized; 6-12 ft. Other species are in cultivation,
but the garden nomenclature is confused. The forms known as P.
speciosus, P. grandiflorus, and var. speciosissimus‡ are good;
also the species P. pubescens,* P. Gordonianus,* and P.
microphyllus,* the last being dwarf, with small white very
fragrant flowers.
Nine-bark, Physocarpus opulifolius (Spiræa opulifolia).* A good
vigorous hardy bush, with clusters of interesting pods following the
flowers; the var. aurea ‡ is one of the best yellow-leaved
shrubs; 6-10 ft.
Andromeda, Pieris floribunda.*
A small ericaceous evergreen; should have some protection from the
winter sun; for this purpose, it may be planted on the north side of a
clump of trees; 2-6ft.
Shrubby cinquefoil, Potentilla fruticosa.*‡
Foliage ashy; flowers yellow, in June; 2-4 ft.
Sand cherry, Prunus pumila* and P. Besseyi.*
The sand cherry of sandy shores grows 5-8 ft.; the western sand cherry
(P. Besseyi) is more spreading and is grown for its fruit. The
European dwarf cherry (P. fruticosa) is 2-4 ft., with white flowers
in umbels.
Flowering almond, Prunus Japonica.
In its double-flowered form, familiar for its early bloom; 3-5 ft; often
grafted on other stocks, which are liable to sprout and become
troublesome.
Hop-tree, Ptelea trifoliata.*
Very interesting when bearing its roundish winged fruits; 8-10 ft., but
becoming larger and tree-like.
Buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica.
Much used for hedges; 8-12 ft.
Alpine buckthorn, R. alpina.
Foliage attractive; 5-6 ft.
Rhododendron, Rhododendron Catawbiense* and garden varieties.
Hardy in well-adapted locations, 3-8 ft., and higher in its native
regions.
Great laurel, R. maximum*
A fine species for mass planting, native as far north as southern
Canada. Extensively transplanted from the wild.
White kerria, Rhodotypos kerrioides.
White flowers in May and blackish fruit; 3-5 ft.
Smoke-tree (Fringe-tree erroneously), Rhus Cotinus.
One of the best shrubs for massing; two colors are grown; the billowy
"bloom," holding late in the season, is composed of flower stems rather
than flowers; size of large lilac bushes.
Dwarf sumac, R. copallina.*
Attractive in foliage, and especially conspicuous in autumn from the
brilliant red of its leaves; 3-5 ft., sometimes much taller.
Sumac, smooth and hairy, R. glabra* and R. typhina.*
Useful for the borders of large groups and belts. They may be cut down
every year and allowed to sprout (as in Fig. 50). The young tops are
handsomest. R. glabra is the finer species for this purpose. They
usually grow 10-15 ft. tall.
Osbeck's sumac, R. semialata var. Osbeckii.
Strong bush, 10-20 ft., with leaf-rachis strongly winged, the foliage
pinnately compound.
Flowering, or fragrant currant, Ribes aureum.*‡
Well known and popular, for its sweet-scented yellow flowers in May; 5-8
ft.
Red-flowering currant, R. sanguineum.*
Flowers red and attractive; 5-6 ft. R. Gordonianum, recommendable, is
a hybrid between R. sanguineum and R. aureum.
Rose acacia, Robinia hispida.*‡
Very showy in bloom; 8-10ft.
Roses, Rosa, various species.
[Illustration: Fig. 263. Rosa rugosa.]