HORSE-CHESTNUT (Æsculus Hippocastanum) IN FLOWER.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Amelanchier Rosaceæ   A charming family of spring-flowering trees, graceful in growth, and of moderate stature. There are four species, but dozens of names in catalogues; in fact, the genus is much mixed up in many books and lists.
*A. alnifolia North-West America White; Spring This is usually about 8 feet high; it is very beautiful with its wealth of white flowers in compact clusters or racemes, followed by purple berries. In the Kew "Arboretum" Hand-list no less than ten synonyms are given.
*A. canadensis Canada White; April This flowers about a month before A. alnifolia, and is one of the first trees to greet us with its wealth of snow-white blossom in spring. It should be planted in a free group. Juneberry and Snowy Mespilus are its popular names. Eighteen synonyms are given in the list referred to, the most usual being A. Botryapium. No small garden should be without this lovely small tree; it is between 6 and 8 feet high, spreading, and has purplish fruits, whilst the leaves die off deep golden yellow, so that the Snowy Mespilus has many beautiful phases. There are several varieties, but the species is as beautiful as any.
A. oligocarpa Northern United States, and found in bogs and swamps White; April and May This is quite a dwarf shrub, 3 feet to 4 feet, and the individual flowers are ¾ inch across. As it is found in moist places it should be tried in such positions in Britain.
A. vulgaris Europe White; April This has been in English gardens about 300 years. It is like the Canadian Juneberry or Snowy Mespilus, but not so beautiful. If only one Amelanchier is required, choose A. canadensis.
*Andromeda polifolia (Moorwort) Ericaceæ; widely distributed. Pink; Summer A small shrub about a foot high, with pretty pink wax-like flowers in summer. Moist, peaty soil. See Cassandra, Leucothoë, Cassiope, Lyonia, Oxydendron, Pieris, and Zenobia.
*Berberis acuminata Berberideæ; China Bronzy yellow Evergreen shrub with red young wood. Introduced by Messrs. Veitch.
*B. Aquifolium (Ash Barberry, Syn. Mahonia Aquifolium) Introduced 1823. Spread widely over the western side of North America from Nootka Sound southwards. Yellow; early Spring, dark green leaves of Summer have a purplish tinge after frost A common, but handsome evergreen shrub, reaching a clothed height of 3 to 5 feet, and with dark green pinnate and leathery leaves. The flowers are bright golden; they are succeeded by berries, purple when ripe, which add to the ornamental features of the plant. It is one of the best shrubs for growing under trees, and in many places is planted for game cover. Distinct varieties are fascicularis, which is usually 2 feet to 4 feet high and has narrower leaflets of a duller green than the type.
*B. buxifolia (Box-leaved Barberry, Syn. B. dulcis) Chili Yellow; April and early May An upright evergreen bush 5 feet high, clothed with small box-like leaves, and bearing drooping blossoms borne on unusually long stalks. It is not so handsome as B. Darwinii or B. stenophylla, but flowering before them is on that account valuable. A dwarf variety (nana) is a pretty rock-work plant.
B. concinna Himalaya Pale yellow A little deciduous shrub not more than 18 inches high, and with silvery undersides to the leaves. It needs a sheltered spot in good soil.
B. congestiflora var. hakeoides Chili Bright yellow A large interesting bush, with masses of flowers. Rare.
B. aristata Himalaya Yellow A strong-growing deciduous shrub, somewhat after the style of the common Barberry, but chiefly remarkable from the bright red of the young bark, which thus forms a fine winter feature.
*B. Darwinii (Darwin's Barberry) Chili Orange yellow; May This ranks with B. stenophylla as the most handsome of all Barberries; and, indeed, it is in the very front rank of flowering shrubs. It is of bold, wide-spreading growth 6 to 8 feet high, and the masses of dark evergreen leaves serve admirably as a setting to the clusters of orange-coloured blossoms which are at their best in May. The purple berries are very attractive towards the end of the summer. This Barberry forms a delightful lawn shrub, particularly in a fairly moist soil.
B. empetrifolia Chili Yellow; Spring A little evergreen bush less than 2 feet high, and flowering about the same time as B. Darwinii. With this just-named species it shares the parentage of B. stenophylla, which is unsurpassed in the entire genus.
B. nepalensis, Syn. Mahonia nepalensis Nepaul Yellow The stateliest of the Ash Barberries, forming a specimen 6 feet high, and regularly furnished with long compound leaves. It is, however, tender, except in the West of England and Ireland, where, in a moist, fairly open soil, it does well. Even there a sheltered spot should be chosen for it.
B. repens, Syn. Mahonia repens North America     ,, Related to B. Aquifolium, and, like that, will do well in shady spots. It is dwarfer than the other just mentioned.
*B. stenophylla Garden form Yellow; Spring This is a hybrid between B. Darwinii and B. empetrifolia, and a shrub of rare beauty. The slender arching shoots are very graceful, and during the flowering period are completely wreathed with golden blossoms. Standing singly on a lawn, or near water, it is delightful. It should be in the smallest collection of flowering shrubs.
*B. Thunbergi China and Japan Pale yellow and red; Spring A spreading shrub 3 or 4 feet high, with flowers not particularly showy, and borne on the undersides of the shoots just as the young leaves are expanding. The bright-red berries are very showy, but they are surpassed by the brilliant scarlet of the decaying leaves.
*B. vulgaris (Common Barberry) Europe Yellow; Spring The common Barberry is an ornamental deciduous shrub 8 to 10 feet high, and is valuable from the fact that it will thrive in dry, stony soils. Apart from the pale-yellow flowers in spring, the scarlet berries are very showy, and by some are used for preserves. There are many varieties, the best being the purple-leaved (purpurea) and white-fruited (fructu albo).
B. wallichiana (Syn. B. Jamesoni, B. Hookerii) Himalaya and China Sulphur Yellow; June A dense evergreen bush, with dark green spiny leaves and pale yellow blossoms. It grows 4 or 5 feet high.
*B. Wilsonæ China Rich golden colour A fine shrub, the leaves changing to an intense crimson colour in autumn. Spines an inch long.
Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
*Buddleia Colvillei Himalaya; Loganiaceæ Rosy crimson; June A beautiful tree, reaching a height of 30 feet in its native country, but it is hardy only in the extreme West.
*B. globosa (Orange Ball tree) Chili Orange yellow; Midsummer A deciduous shrub, 10 to 12 feet high, with long, willow-like hoary leaves, and flowers borne in globular clusters about midsummer. It is perfectly hardy in warm soils in the South of England, and is much admired.
B. japonica, Syn. B. curviflora Japan Lilac; August This has several well-marked features, forming as it does a deciduous shrub about 4 feet high, with curiously winged stems and long curved spikes of blossoms.
B. variabilis China Rosy purple, Yellowish throat; Midsummer A free-growing shrub, 6 to 8 feet high. The variety Magnifica was introduced by Messrs. Veitch from Central China; rich rose purple. Prune well back each autumn. Veitchiana is lighter in colour and flowers a fortnight sooner.
Cæsalpinia japonica Japan; Leguminosæ Canary yellow; Summer A very interesting shrub, rambling and with long flexible shoots with red prickles. The leaves are a foot long, and of a pleasing green; the flowers, which are in partially erect racemes, are about 1 inch across, and bright canary yellow in colour, against which the reddish anthers are conspicuous. It must not be planted where it is likely to get smothered. It has stood out unharmed for many years in the Coombewood Nursery (Kingston).
*Calycanthus floridus (American Allspice) North America; Calycanthaceæ Purplish red; July A deciduous, much-branched shrub from 5 to 6 feet high, well worth growing for its highly fragrant flowers, about a couple of inches in diameter. It needs a fairly cool, moist soil.
C. occidentalis (Californian Allspice) California Crimson Much like the preceding, but of more vigorous growth with larger flowers.
Cassandra calyculata (Syn. Andromeda calyculata) North America White; April and May An evergreen under-shrub, growing from 1 to 2 feet high. The shoots are arching, and the waxy Lily-of-the-Valley-like flowers are suspended from the undersides in considerable numbers. It is a pretty but by no means showy shrub, and needs moist, peaty soil.
Cassiope fastigiata Himalaya; Ericaceæ Pink; Summer A pretty little erect growing shrub about a foot high, suggesting a Club Moss or a small Conifer, with tiny bell-shaped blossoms. It is suitable only as a rock-work shrub in moist, peaty soil.
C. hypnoides Siberia White Even smaller than the preceding, and needs the same treatment.
C. tetragona North America and Northern Europe White The tiny scale-like leave of this are arranged in four rows, thus giving the branches a curious square appearance. Succeeds under the same conditions as the others. The Cassiopes are difficult to grow.
Catalpa Bignoniaceæ   This genus of large deciduous trees is represented in both the eastern and western hemispheres, and contains about a dozen species. Only five of these are at present in cultivation in Britain or are known to be hardy, two being natives of North America and three of China. The Catalpas are some of the most striking and beautiful of all hardy trees, both in regard to foliage and to flower. The leaves are large and bold in outline, and the flowers borne in large terminal panicles towards the end of summer. Catalpas love a rich soil and abundant moisture. They are particularly well adapted for planting on the margins of ponds and water-courses. All the species have this peculiarity: they never form a terminal winter bud. In consequence of this, every shoot branches at its apex into two or three every spring, with the result that the trees naturally acquire a broad, spreading habit. This is especially apparent in the case of isolated trees growing on lawns—a position, it may be mentioned, in which Catalpas are seen to exceptional advantage. In the forests of North America, where they are drawn up by other trees, the Catalpas occasionally attain to heights of 50 feet to 100 feet. In gardens it may sometimes be advisable to help them to reach a moderate height, by keeping them to a single lead when young. All the species can be increased by cuttings of the roots, or of the fairly matured leafy growths.
*C. bignonioides (Syn. C. syringæfolia) Introduced from North America in 1726 Creamy white blotched with yellow, and spotted with purple in the throat; July and August This species is by far the commonest and best known of the Catalpas in Britain. It does not often attain a stature of more than 30 feet, although in its native woods it is met with twice as high. The broadly ovate leaves are in healthy trees of mature age about 6 inches long and 4 inches to five inches wide. The flower panicles are erect, branching, and pyramidal, frequently 1 foot in diameter at the base. The flower is 1½ inches across, with a broad bell-shaped base, the reflexed limb being elaborately frilled. The thin, kidney-bean-like fruits are 9 inches to 12 inches long, but in most parts of the country are only produced after exceptionally sunny seasons. The following varieties are in cultivation: Aurea, with rich yellow foliage; nana, a remarkable low shrub, 2 feet to 3 feet high, which never flowers, and can only be regarded as a curiosity; purpurea, with purple-tinged leaves and shoots.
C. Bungei Northern China White, spotted with purple; they, as well as the panicles, are larger than in Kæmpfer's Catalpa Whether the true C. Bungei is in cultivation at the present time is very doubtful. Certainly the plants supplied by some nurserymen under this name are only the dwarf variety (nana) of C. bignonioides. In any case the true C. Bungei has not flowered in Britain. It is a tree 30 feet high, with either entire or lobed leaves; they are 4 inches to 8 inches long, and about three-fourths as wide.
C. cordifolia (Syn.species) United States. It inhabits a more western region than C. bignonioides, and is found in the States of Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas, &c. White, with yellow blotches in the throat; but the purple spots are not so abundant in C. bignonioides, whilst the panicles are large, and appear about a fortnight before. This is probably the finest species of Catalpa, but is not yet well known in Britain. In the United States it is often 50 feet high, and in exceptional cases over 100 feet. Owing to its having been for a long time confounded with C. bignonioides, this species was probably introduced unknowingly, and it may exist in some gardens under the other name. It is said to be somewhat the hardier of the two.
C. Fargesii China. Introduced to France by M. Maurice de Vilmorin, and sent by him to Kew in 1899 ...... Little known of this species yet.
C. hybrida A hybrid between C. cordifolia and C. Kæmpferi. Raised nearly thirty years ago by Mr. John C. Teas in Indiana, U.S.A. White, with yellow and purple markings on the throat In the United States this appears likely to prove the finest of all the Catalpas, exceeding even C. cordifolia in the vigour of its growth and the size of its panicles. Four hundred flowers have been borne on a single panicle. Generally, the plant is intermediate between the two species that share its parentage.
C. Kæmpferi China; introduced by Siebold in 1849 Flowers 1 inch across; reddish-brown and purple markings Whilst this species—named in honour of Engelbert Kæmpfer, who visited Japan in the seventeenth century—bears a strong resemblance to the American C. bignonioides, it is neither so fine nor so ornamental a tree. It has naturally the same rounded habit, but is never so large. The leaves differ in frequently being more or less lobed. Kæmpfer noted this tree in Japan, and until a recent date it was regarded as indigenous to that country. Recent travellers have, however, concluded it to be (like many other popular trees in Japan) of Chinese origin solely. It is frequent in the grounds surrounding Buddhist temples in Japan.

CATALPA OR INDIAN BEAN TREE (Catalpa bignonioides).

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
*Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey Tea) Eastern United States; Rhamneæ Whitish; July and August A deciduous shrub, 3 to 4 feet high, that dies partially back during the winter. The flowers, which are borne in good-sized racemes, are at their best in July and August, and on that account are very valuable. It is one of the hardiest of the Ceanothuses, and in the South of England it will flower as a shrub in the open ground.
*C. azureus Mexico Light blue; July and August This is not quite so hardy as the preceding, and it cannot be regarded as a shrub for the open ground, except in particularly favoured districts. It is, however, a delightful wall shrub. There are many garden varieties of this, mostly of Continental origin, of which may be especially mentioned Gloire de Versailles, blue; Marie Simon, pink; and Indigo, deep blue, very beautiful.
C. divaricatus California Pale blue; May and June Suitable only for a wall. With this amount of protection it will reach a height of 10 feet.
C. papillosus California Blue; May and June Like the last, it is, except in the extreme west, essentially a wall plant; it is one of the best.
C. rigidus California Purplish blue; Spring and early Summer The leaves of this are small and neat, and its charming blossoms are on a wall borne sometimes as soon as April, and are kept up through May to June. It will reach a height of 6 to 8 feet.
C. thyrsiflorus California Bright blue; Summer In its native country this attains to the dimensions of a small tree, but here it is essentially a wall plant. The flowers are in large racemes.
*C. veitchianus California Bright blue; May and June A species with neat dark-green leaves. It forms a delightful wall plant.
*Cercis Siliquastrum (Judas Tree) South Europe and West Asia; Leguminosæ Rose purple, but varies; May and June Throughout May and early June the Judas Tree is very beautiful, being smothered with pretty pear-shaped red blossoms. At Kew it flowers well in numerous places. It grows to a height of 20 feet or more in the Mediterranean region, though in gardens here it is more often represented by bushes of less than half that height. It thrives in sandy loam, and likes plenty of sun and air. The flowers are produced from all parts of the stems, much of the old wood being often smothered with flowering spurs. A variety with white flowers is in cultivation, and this may also be seen in flower at Kew. It is very free, and the flowers are of the purest white. A beautiful variety. In addition to this species, C. canadensis, from North America, and C. chinensis, a native of China and Japan, are also grown, whilst a fourth species, C. reniformis, from Western China, has lately put in an appearance.
*Chionanthus retusus (Fringe Tree) Japan; Oleaceæ Pure white; Early Summer This Chionanthus furnishes one of the many illustrations of the close affinity that exists between the flora of the United States and that of Japan, for it is very nearly related to the American Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus), from which, however, it differs in being a smaller and more slender plant, while the clusters of flowers are rather less dense. When in bloom there is no danger of confounding these Chionanthuses with any other tree or shrub, as the pure white drooping fringe-like inflorescence is totally distinct from anything else. They are quite hardy, and not particular as to soil, though a fairly deep loam suits them best.
C. virginica (American Fringe Tree) North America White, narrow, fringe-like petals; hence the name An interesting bush, but taller in its native country.
*Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange Flower) Mexico; Rutaceæ White; Summer, but much depends upon position This is a shrub for warm soils and sunny position, when it makes a big, leafy, glossy-leaved bush, smothered with clusters of white flowers that, from their appearance and fragrance, have earned the shrub the name of Orange Flower. At Munstead in Surrey it grows so rampantly that it has to be cut away to keep it within reasonable bounds. In "Wood and Garden," p. 63, it is mentioned, the month is May; "The Mexican Orange Flower (Choisya ternata) has been smothered in its white bloom, so closely resembling orange blossom. With a slight winter protection of fir boughs it seems quite at home on hot dry soil, grows fast, and is very easy to propagate by layers. When cut it lasts for more than a week in winter."
Cistus albidus South-West Europe; Cistineæ Bright rose; June and July A shrub 4 to 5 feet high, with whitish leaves (hence the name of albidus) and a profusion of blossoms 2 inches across. It needs a dry, warm soil, hence will succeed on sloping banks, but even then, in the South of England, it is apt to be killed by a very severe winter. This last paragraph will apply to the genus Cistus in general.
C. crispus Southern Europe Reddish purple; Summer Reaches a height of a couple of feet, and bears its saucer-shaped blossoms in great profusion. The individual flowers are about 2½ inches in diameter.
*C. ladaniferus (Gum Cistus) South-West Europe White; Summer A bush 4 to 5 feet high, with large, white, solitary flowers. The variety maculatus has a crimson blotch at the base of each petal.
*C. laurifolius (Laurel-leaved Cistus) South of Europe White; July and August A sub-evergreen shrub 5 to 6 feet high, and the hardiest of all the Cistus. Of this there is also a variety maculatus blotched at the base with purple crimson, which forms a delightful shrub.
C. monspeliensis South of Europe White; Summer A compact bush 4 feet high, with flowers about an inch across.
C. populifolius (Poplar-leaved Cistus) Levant White; Summer The leaves of this are very distinct, being heart-shaped and long-stalked, whilst the plant itself will attain a height of 6 feet.
C. purpureus South-East Europe Reddish purple with a maroon blotch This is only suitable for planting in the West of England, but where not injured by frost it is a delightful shrub, a little over a yard high.
*C. villosus Mediterranean region Reddish purple A compact shrub, whose reddish-purple blossoms are about 2½ inches across.

CISTUS VILLOSUS.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Cladrastis amurensis (Amoor Yellow Wood) Amoorland; Leguminosæ Whitish; July A very distinct shrub or small tree, which is perfectly hardy, and has peculiarly greyish-green leaves. The dense spikes of small, pea-shaped blossoms are showy when at their best. This has deep descending roots, and holds its own in sandy soils better than most shrubs.
*C. tinctoria (Virginian Yellow Wood. Syn. Virgilia lutea) North America White A tree, 30 feet high, clothed with large ornamental pinnate leaves, which die off a rich yellow. The flowers are white, and in dense drooping racemes. A fairly moist soil is necessary for this.
Clethra alnifolia United States of America; Ericaceæ White; August and early September In the United States of America the White Alder or Pepper Bush, as Clethra alnifolia is called, occurs as a native over a considerable area; hence several forms exist, but do not possess any strongly marked features, unless it be the variety tomentosa, which is certainly the most widely removed of all from the typical kind. As a rule the flowering period of the common White Alder extends throughout August and a little way into September, at which last-named period the variety tomentosa is just unfolding its earliest blossoms. As the number of flowering shrubs that are at their best during the latter part of September is very limited, the blooming of this variety of the Clethra at that time makes it valuable. The varietal name of tomentosa is derived from the whitish down on the undersides of the leaves, which serves to readily distinguish it from the other forms. The flower-spikes, too, are rather larger, while the blossoms are as in the others—white. The Clethras all form rather loose-growing bushes from 3 feet to 5 feet high, and delight in a moist soil of a peaty nature, such as that in which Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and others of that class flourish.
C. canescens (Syn. C. barbinervis) Japan Milky white; Summer A very handsome species with dark-green leaves and panicles of blossom. Well worth attention, but is yet rare.
Colutea arborescens (Bladder Senna) Mediterranean region; Leguminosæ Yellow; May and June A perfectly hardy, free growing, deciduous shrub, reaching a height of 8 to 12 feet, clothed with pretty divided leaves, and with a profusion of pea-shaped flowers, succeeded by large inflated seed-pods, which form a very noticeable feature. These pods are green, tinged with red. The Coluteas are very useful, as they will thrive in dry sandy soils where many shrubs would perish.
*C. cruenta, Syn. C. orientalis, and C. sanguinea. Orient Reddish After the manner of the last, from which it differs in its glaucous leaves, reddish flowers, and deeper-tinted seed-pods. It is also somewhat dwarfer.
Coronilla Emerus (the Scorpion Senna Coronilla) Southern Europe; Leguminosæ Yellow-tinged red; May and June A free-growing bush 6 feet high, with a profusion of pea-shaped blossoms. It needs a well-drained, warm soil.
C. juncea (the Rush-like Coronilla) South of France Bright yellow An erect shrub less than a yard high, with rush-like shoots, suggesting those of the Spanish Broom, and also almost devoid of leaves. When in full bloom it is decidedly pretty.
*Corylopsis pauciflora Japan; Hamamelideæ Primrose; Spring, before the leaves This delightful little shrub, when fully grown, makes a dense bush, with branches 6 feet high. The leaves are small, thin in texture, prettily tinted when young, and again in autumn. The flowers are primrose-yellow in colour and fragrant. They are arranged from two to four together in drooping catkins from every node on the previous season's wood. Though it is quite hardy in other respects the flowers are easily damaged by frost.
C. spicata Japan Also cowslip-coloured and scented A shrub between 3 and 4 feet high, and better known than C. pauciflora. It flowers in spring before the leaves appear.
*Cratægus (Thorns). See p. 376.      

CYTISUS CAPITATUS.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
*Cytisus albus (White Spanish or Portuguese Broom) Spain and Portugal; introduced in 1752; Leguminosæ White; May A beautiful and popular Broom. It grows with great rapidity, and flowers bountifully and regularly. A bush 6 or 7 feet high, in full flower is a delightful picture, and one never seems to tire of it. Group it with the common Broom. It is very cheap and easily raised from seed. Loudon says: "In good soil it is of very rapid growth, attaining the height of 5 feet or 6 feet in three or four years, and in six or eight years growing as high as 15 feet or even 20 feet if in a sheltered situation. Placed by itself on a lawn it forms a singularly ornamental plant, even when not in flower, by the varied disposition and tufting of its twiggy thread-like branches. When in flower it is one of the finest ornaments of the garden." Loudon also says that bees are fond of the flowers.
C. albus incarnatus Variety Pinkish Rare, and not so beautiful as the parent.
*C. Ardoini Maritime Alps Pure yellow; April and May Quite a dwarf Broom, a few inches high. It is a charming Broom for the rock garden, placing it where it can spread out its shoots on all sides. It is happiest in sun and dry soil as the other Brooms.
*C. austriacus (Austrian Broom) Native of Austrian woods, also of Italy and Siberia. Introduced in 1741 Yellow; July and August C. banaticus and C. serotinus are synonyms. The chief value of this Broom is in its late flowering, when its yellow flower clusters are very welcome.
C. a. leucanthus Variety Very pale yellow, sometimes almost white Not important.
C. biflorus Hungary Bright yellow; May This is not so important as the Moonlight Broom, Andreanus, and some others. It grows about 3 feet high, but even in a group it is not imposing.
C. capitatus Found on wood edges in Austria and introduced in 1774 Yellow; June This is also a dwarf and not important Broom.
C. hirsutus Asia Minor and South of Europe. Introduced in 1739 Yellow; June This is another dwarf and unimportant shrub.
*C. kewensis Hybrid between C. albus and C. Ardoini Creamy white; May A most interesting and beautiful Broom, which, as it becomes better known, will be popular in gardens. It was raised in the Royal Gardens, Kew; hence the name, C. Ardoini being the seed parent. It is only suitable for the rock garden, where its slender shoots can spread out and form a mantle of soft colouring, or to make a spreading group on the grass. There is little trace in it of C. albus, except in the flower colouring. This is a Broom for all good gardens.
*C. nigricans Austria Bright yellow; July and August This is also a lovely Broom, so named because it turns black when dried. It should be in the smallest list of beautiful flowering shrubs, and it is singular that it is so seldom seen. The growth is bushy and smothered with flowers in July and August, sometimes before, and lasts a long while in beauty. Sunshine and poor soil bring out its finest qualities. One can scarcely say too much in its praise, especially as it blooms at a time few trees and shrubs are in flower.
*C. præcox Hybrid between C. purgans and C. albus Sulphur yellow; April to May One of the most fascinating of all flowering shrubs. It makes clouds of soft colouring, every shoot hidden with the wealth of bloom; whilst when out of flower there is beauty in the brilliant green colouring of the long slender shoots. It is a shrub to make groups of in the flower garden, grows quickly, does not soon get "leggy," and is very dense. The big groups of it on the grass in the Royal Gardens, Kew, are one of the delights of the spring season there. The ordinary shrubbery is the worst place for it, all its gracefulness is lost, there is no fountain of flowers from the slender shoots. It is best raised from cuttings, as seedlings are apt to reproduce C. albus only. Also well known as Genista præcox.
C. purgans South and Central Europe Yellow Chiefly of note because it is one of the parents of C. præcox, but is of little account for the English garden. It is necessary in a collection, but nowhere else.
*C. purpureus Found in Eastern Europe in exposed situations Purple A delightful shrub when properly placed. Loudon's advice to graft it "on the laburnum standard high" is bad, and has been followed in many gardens. This way of treating the shrub is utterly foreign to its nature; it is a trailing Broom, and therefore should be planted on the rough garden or some bank where it can spread in its own way. We have seen it falling over a boulder and making a trail of purple colouring in May. Rare varieties are albus, white, and one with flowers of rose tint. The famous Cytisus Adami is the outcome of grafting this species on the Scotch laburnum (L. alpinum). This curious graft-hybrid usually excites much interest when in flower, both yellow and purple racemes appearing on the same tree.
C. sessilifolius A native of the south of France and Piedmont, and was cultivated in Britain by Parkinson in 1569. Yellow; May A Broom for a collection, but without the effectiveness of C. præcox, Andreanus, and others.
C. Schipkænsis Introduced White This is a charming little rock-garden shrub, and very rare as yet, but well worth noting for its distinctiveness and freedom.
*C. scoparius (Common Broom) Europe Yellow The hardy Cytisuses are popularly known as Brooms, and the Broom of the waste lands of the British Isles is Cytisus scoparius, which makes clouds of golden yellow in the early summer. Many a dryish bank now flowerless might be made beautiful with this glorious shrub. Where Broom is not plentiful as a wild plant, and therefore generally where the soil is not suitable for it, the soil should be made so; it need only be well drained and open.
*C. s. andreanus Choice variety found in Normandy by M. Ed. André, after whom it is named Brownish crimson and yellow; Spring This varies considerably from seed, and often reverts to the typical yellow Broom. If possible get own root-plants from original stock. A beautiful shrub, which we can scarcely have too much of, but in some gardens it is used too freely. When in full bloom, and the variety is rich in colouring, it is superb.
C. s. pendulus (Drooping Broom) Variety Pale yellow Quite a pendulous variety, but uncommon. It is apparently little known, though so charming when on a bank or rock garden. A group of it in either of these positions would be a revelation to those who know not the value of this family for the English garden.
*C. s. sulphureus (pallidus), (Moonlight Broom) Variety Pale yellow Described by Loudon in his "Arboretum" as C. s. albus, "the flowers white or of a very pale yellow." It is a rare shrub, but should not be so. Mr. Goldring writes of it in "The Garden" as follows: "The Moonlight Brown is a very old variety, as it was described by Loudon sixty years ago, but it is still a rare shrub, not easily obtainable, though it is grown in some of the largest nurseries. Its pale yellow flowers are in beautiful harmony with the rich yellow of the type Andreanus. The only private garden where I have seen it in established mass is that of Mrs. Robb at Liphook, where all kinds of tree and shrub varieties are treasured. I do not know if it comes true from seed, but I fancy not."
C. s. flore-pleno Variety Yellow A so-called double variety in which some of the petals are duplicated, but it is not finer than the type, though it is interesting as one of the few double varieties in pea-shaped flowers.

MOONLIGHT BROOM (Cytisus scoparius var. pallidus).

A HYBRID BROOM (Cytisus kewensis) AT KEW.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Cratægus (Thorns) Rosaceæ   The Cratægus family comprises nearly 100 species and varieties, contains some of the most beautiful of small garden trees, both with regard to the charm of their white, pink, and scarlet flowers, and the scarlet, black, and yellow fruits. Most of the Thorns are either large shrubs or small trees, and are specially suitable for small gardens, whilst none of them require particular attention, as all will grow in almost any soil and situation. Old trees occasionally require to be relieved of small wood and decaying branches, and a good top-dressing of manure is beneficial sometimes to those which flower and fruit freely; but beyond this Thorns need no attention after they have been planted and become established. The species can be increased by seeds, which are obtained by gathering the fruits when ripe, and mixing them with sand. The mixture of fruits and sand should then be put in a heap in a sheltered place out-of-doors, and covered with a few turfs. By the following spring the fruits will have rotted, and the seeds can be separated and sown. A fair proportion will germinate the first year, and the remainder the second. Many of the Thorns can also be propagated by root cuttings. For this purpose healthy, vigorous shoots, as thick as a man's finger, should be obtained in autumn or winter, and cut into pieces four inches to eight inches in length, cutting the end nearest the stem flat, and the other slanting, so that either end can be readily distinguished. These should be inserted upright in the ground, with the tops nearly or just covered; they soon form roots, and grow into strong plants. The genus is found practically throughout the temperate region, from Europe throughout the East and Central Asia to China and Japan, and in North America. One species is found in Mexico—but this, and in fact all the Thorns are hardy in this country.
*C. Azarolus South-East Europe and Asia Minor Pure white; late Spring This grows to a height of about 20 feet. It is very showy, and has pure white flowers followed by large yellow fruits; the leaves are about twice the size of those of the Hawthorn, and rather deeply cut. Cratægus Aronia is a synonym.
*C. Carrièrei A reputed hybrid, but parentage unknown. Supposed to be C. mexicana and C. tomentosa Pure white; late Spring A very handsome Thorn, 12 feet to 15 feet, shapely, leaves large, bright glossy green above, whitish beneath. Flowers appear freely in large corymbs, followed by clusters of pear-shaped green fruits, which hang on the tree until the end of the year, changing finally to dull, yellowish red.
*C. coccinea (the Scarlet Thorn) North America; introduced in 1683 White; late Spring This is one of the most striking of all the thorns; it has large bright-green leaves, and flowers nearly an inch across, and in dense corymbs. These are followed by clusters of brilliant scarlet-coloured fruits. There are several varieties equal to or even finer than the species. One is *Macracantha, which has spines sometimes 5 inches long, and bright scarlet haws, not so large as those of the species, but produced more abundantly. It should be more frequently seen in gardens, and is worthy to rank as a species. Indentata has deeply-cut leaves and bright-red fruits.
*C. cordata (Washington Thorn) North America White; June This is a small tree with thin, glossy, heart-shaped leaves and small flowers, orange-red fruits, not unlike those of C. Pyracantha, and carried late in the year. Birds, however, enjoy them.
C. Crus-Galli (the Cockspur Thorn) North America White; June This is a handsome American Thorn, and one of the most striking of the whole family. It has stout, glossy leaves and formidable spines, these often being from 3 to 4 inches long, and gave rise to the popular name. The brick-red fruits hang on the tree long after the leaves have fallen, and make a bright winter picture. There are several varieties. Arbutifolia has shorter spines and smaller fruits than the type; the leaves are also narrower and duller in colour; linearis has long linear leaves and bright-red fruits. Ovalifolia has large oval shining leaves and bright scarlet fruits, it is rather more upright han the type. *Splendens makes a handsome, shapely tree about 20 feet high, and flowers and fruits very freely; the leaves are rounded, green, and shining, and the flowers pure white, in small corymbs, and followed by bright-scarlet fruits.
C. Douglasii Western side of North America White; late Spring This is a large irregular-shaped tree 20 feet to 30 feet, and has short stout spines about an inch long; the flowers appear in small clusters, and the fruits are small and black. Wood and spines are brown and quite shiny. Rivularis has smaller and thicker leaves, and shorter and stouter wood.
C. hiemalis Probably a hybrid, but origin unknown White; Spring A tree 15 feet to 20 feet high, round shining leaves, and rather large black fruits, which are the first to ripen of the Thorns.
*C. melanocarpa Caucasus White; Spring A very handsome Thorn. It is a small flat-topped tree of medium height, the leaves somewhat like those of the Hawthorn in shape, and covered with a thick grey tomentum; the fruits are small, black, and shining.
C. mollis United States White, with a small red mark at the base of each petal Like C. coccinea, but even handsomer. It is a small tree, 15 feet high, with spreading head, and large firm leaves slightly woolly on the back; the flowers are large, and succeeded by bright-crimson, medium-sized fruit.
C. nigra Eastern Europe White; May This makes a fair-sized tree, and has small black fruit. The foliage is very abundant, deeply cut, and woolly on both sides. It almost hides flowers and fruit.
*C. orientalis Europe White; May A handsome Thorn in fruit. It is a small flat-topped tree, and has large clusters of flowers, the oval fruits being yellowish red. Sanguinea is a very showy variety, with deep ruby-red fruits, but the scarlet colour of the type is brighter.
*C. Oxyacantha (Hawthorn, White Thorn, May) Widely distributed, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa White; May Too well known to describe. It has been divided into two sub-species, viz. C. monogyna in which there is usually only one style in the flowers and one seed in the fruit, and C. oxyacanthoides, where the number of styles is usually three, and from two to four seeds in the fruit. These differences are generally decided. There are other differences also in growth difficult to explain, but can be detected easily by an experienced eye.
C. monogyna (sub-species) ...... ...... This is the Hawthorn of the hedgerows, and there are many varieties. Twenty-eight are recorded in the Kew Hand-list. The most beautiful are aurea, with golden-yellow haws, crispa pendula, a pretty weeping tree; Gumperi versicolor, very handsome deep-red, shading to pink in the centre; laciniata, a handsome tree with deeply cut leaves, sometimes called C. apiifolia, but must not be confounded with North American species of that name. Macrocarpa has larger fruits than the type, oxyphylla, large white flowers and handsome fruits, a round-headed tree. Præcox is the Glastonbury Thorn, supposed to flower at Christmas, but rarely does so owing to frost. This is the Thorn which is associated with the famous legend. *Semperflorens is a good variety, a low-growing tree, which flowers for a much longer period than the other Thorns. Stricta makes a dense upright-growing tree, 30 feet or more high; it grows rapidly, and when in flower is strikingly distinct in appearance.
C. oxyacanthoides (sub-species) ...... ...... This is distinguished from C. monogyna by the styles and seeds as stated above; and also by the larger leaves, flowers, and fruit. All the double-flowered Thorns belong to this section. Atrofusca, a large, shapely tree, of weeping growth; the flowers large, pure white, and the fruits fair sized and abundantly produced. *Flore-pleno albo, the double white Thorn, with purest white flowers. This, like the other double Thorns, rarely fruits. *Flore-pleno coccineo, the double Scarlet Thorn, one of the most beautiful of trees when covered with its scarlet flowers. Very pleasing when grouped with the double white variety or the Laburnum; *Paul's double Scarlet, a well-known and beautiful Thorn. *Flore puniceo, a rich purplish pink, single, and fructu luteo, bright yellow fruits, effective in autumn.
*C. pinnatifida China and Central Asia Pure white; May The variety *major is the best to grow. It is stronger, and has very large leaves, 4 to 6 inches long, thick and shining. It does not show its true beauty until of some age, but it is a hardy tree of great beauty. The flowers are in large corymbs, and the fruits are of an intense shining red, pear-shaped, and make a bright picture in autumn. This variety is often labelled C. Layi.
*C. punctata East and North America Variable A good garden tree; it is variable, but the accepted type has white flowers and bright red fruits as large as a small Crab apple. Another form has smaller deep ruby-red fruits. Brevispina, striata, and xanthocarpa are varieties, the last mentioned with bright yellow fruits.
*C. Pyracantha (Fiery Thorn) South Europe, in hedges and rough ground White An evergreen Thorn. Introduced in 1629, and a well known shrub. Its charms consist in its dense glossy leaves and brilliant masses of scarlet berries. It can be grown as a bush or trained up a wall or trellis. It is so brilliant when in fruit that the French call it buisson ardent, or Burning Bush. This Thorn should be more grown as a bush, and not confined as it usually is to a south wall. As the fruits are bitter they are not cared for by the birds, and thus make a display through the winter. Lælandi is a variety with larger and deeper coloured fruits.
C. sanguinea Siberia White; May This is not of great garden value, but effective in winter owing to the red bark. Songorica is a variety also with reddish bark.
*C. tanacetifolia (Tansy-leaved Thorn) Levant; introduced 1789 White; May This is rare, and can be recognised by bracts at the base of the fruits. The fruits are very large, yellow, and of good flavour, and eaten in the native country of the tree. The specimen at Kew flowers regularly and abundantly every year.
C. spathulata United States White; May A very distinct Thorn, small, and the leaves are persistent, remaining on until the New Year. The fruits are very small and scarlet.
*C. tomentosa Eastern United States White; June A late flowering and handsome Thorn when its orange-yellow fruits are in perfection, but the birds soon consume them.
C. uniflora North America, and introduced by the famous tree bishop, Bishop Compton, in 1713 Creamy white; early June More curious than beautiful; it is only 2 feet to 3 feet high and has greenish haws.
Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Cyrilla racemiflora Florida to North Carolina, &c. Cyrillea White Quite a shrub, 4 feet to 6 feet high, very rare, although introduced as long ago as 1765. The flowers are in drooping racemes on previous season's growth.
*Daboëcia polifolia, St. Daboëc's Heath (Syn. Andromeda Daboëcia) Western Europe and Ireland; Ericaceæ Rosy purple, bell-shaped; May, and throughout Summer and Autumn A pretty little Heath-like shrub growing about 18 inches high, and producing erect spikes of comparatively large bell-shaped blossoms. It is the most continuous blooming of its class. There is a beautiful pure white variety—alba.
Daphne alpina (Alpine Daphne) Alps of Europe; Thymelæaceæ White; May and June A spreading deciduous shrub, with white, sweet-scented flowers. It grows about a couple of feet high, and is essentially a shrub for the rockwork, as it is particularly happy when the roots are wedged between stones.
*D. blagayana Carniola Ivory white; March and April Like the last, this forms a spreading bush, and is equally at home under similar positions. It is, however, of an evergreen character; the ivory white are very sweet-scented blossoms. It is worthy of a place among the most select Daphnes, but difficult to grow well.
*D. Cneorum (Garland Flower) South Europe Bright rose; May to June A delightful little evergreen, with highly fragrant blossoms. A good proportion of vegetable soil is necessary to its welldoing.
D. Genkwa (Japanese Lilac) Japan Lilac In its flowers this Daphne closely resembles the Lilac, so that it is frequently mistaken for that well-known shrub. It needs the protection of a wall in most parts of England.
D. Laureola (Spurge Laurel) South Europe and North Africa Yellowish green The flowers of this are not particularly showy, but as an evergreen bush some 3 or 4 feet high it is valuable from the fact that it will thrive under the drip of trees, and is one of the few evergreens absolutely rabbit proof.
*D. Mezereum (the Mezereon) Northern Europe Red; early year This is an upright deciduous bush that flowers in February or March according to the season. At that time the still leafless branches are packed for some distance with the pretty fragrant blossoms, so that it may be regarded as the most showy shrub at that time in bloom. There is a variety (alba) with white blossoms, and another (autumnalis or grandiflora) that blooms before Christmas. A cool, loamy soil suits this best.
*D. oleoides (Syn. D. fioniana, Syn. D. neapolitana) South Europe Purplish rose A neat growing evergreen bush about a yard high, whose flowers are often borne throughout the greater part of the year. It is less attractive than some of the others.
D. pontica Asia Minor Yellow A good deal in the way of Daphne Laureola, but the flowers are of a brighter yellow, and are borne in April and May, whereas D. Laureola flowers in February and March.
D. sericea (Syn. D. collina)   Deep pink A compact evergreen 2 to 3 feet high, clothed with dark-green box-like leaves, while the terminal clusters of flowers are borne in early Spring. It prefers a cool, fairly moist, yet well-drained soil.