GARLAND FLOWER (Daphne Cneorum) ON SUNNY BANK, EDINBURGH.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
*Deutzia crenata (Syn. D. scabra) Japan; Saxifrageæ White; Midsummer A bold growing and handsome deciduous shrub, with white blossoms. There is a double-flowered variety, tinged with purple on the outside, known as D. crenata flore-pleno purpurea. Both are beautiful shrubs that will thrive in most soils.
*D. discolor purpurascens China White, tinged purple; late May This has pretty purple-tinged blossoms borne in flattened corymbs, and not, when in the bud state, liable to be injured by late spring frosts.
*D. gracilis Japan White; Spring The best known of all the Deutzias, forming a compact bush a couple of feet high, and bearing masses of its pretty white blossoms.
*D. hybrida Hybrid White and pink There are now several beautiful hybrid Deutzias, viz., hybrida rosea, hybrida venusta, kalmæflora, Lemoinei, Lemoinei compacta, all of which merit a place in gardens.
*D. parviflora China White; end of April and early May An upright shrub 5 feet high, with flattened clusters of white blossoms, very suggestive of those of the Hawthorn.
*Diervilla florida (Syn. Weigela amabilis, W. rosea) Japan; Caprifoliaceæ Rose; Summer A beautiful free-growing, free-flowering shrub, that will hold its own almost anywhere. Its flowering time is in May or early June, but occasionally there is an Autumn display. Beside the original species there are many garden varieties, all of which are beautiful, but there are so many that a selection is necessary. Three of the best are: *candida, white; *Abel Carrière, bright rose; and *Eva Rathke, claret crimson, which lasts in flower more or less from May till the end of the Summer. Other good varieties are: Dr. Baillon, red; Grœnewegenii, rose and white; hortensis nivea, white, spreading habit; Looymansi aurea, golden leaves; præcox, rose, earlier than any of the others; and P. Durchartre, purplish red. In any selection of flowering shrubs some of the Weigelas must certainly have a place.
D. middendorfiana Siberia Yellowish Remarkable among Weigelas for its distinct yellow flowers. Though pretty in itself, it is likely to prove of more value in the production of new varieties by crossing it with the older kinds.
Enkianthus campanulatus Japan; Ericaceæ Dark red A very charming and interesting shrub resembling one of the Andromeda. A tree in its native country. The flowers are pendent and in clusters.
Epigæa repens (Trailing Arbutus, Ground Laurel, Mayflower) Ericaceæ. The most popular of wild flowers in New England Pale white, with pink tint; very sweetly scented; Spring In Bailey's "Cyclopædia of American Horticulture" it is mentioned: "The cultivation of the Trailing Arbutus, especially in districts where it has been exterminated by ruthless 'mayflower parties,' always attracts interest.... Occurs in sandy and rocky woods, especially under evergreen trees, in earliest Spring. Thrives only in humid soil and shady situations. Transplanted with difficulty. Best on north side of a hill in bright, sandy soil, mixed with leaf mould. Once established, it spreads rapidly. Propagated by division of old plants, layers, or cuttings. Seeds are rarely found, but when found may be used, though slow to develop." My experience is that it likes a damp, shady ditch side in peaty soil. Mr. G. F. Wilson planted it near to Shortia galacifolia, and the two were quite happy together.

THE MAY-FLOWER (Epigæa repens). (Shortia galacifolia is the top flower)

ERINACEA PUNGENS.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Erinacea pungens Spain; Leguminosæ Blue; May and June Somewhat resembling the dwarf-growing Genistas is this extremely rare and pretty little shrub. It grows very slowly, and seldom attains a height of 9 inches, spreading out in a mat-like mass rather than growing in an upward direction. The branches are short, stiff, and spiny, and what few leaves there are are small. The pea-shaped blossoms come from the axils of short, spiny branches, and are blue. This plant has been in cultivation for a great number of years, never, however, having become at all common. This is no doubt due to the great difficulty there is in propagating it. Seeds appear to be the only means of increase, and these are borne very sparingly even when the plant is growing under natural conditions. It has been said to be a tender plant, but it has withstood several winters out of doors at Kew without injury. Plants are to be seen there near the Temperate house, and they flower every year.
Escallonia illinita Chili; Saxifrageæ White; Summer A neat evergreen shrub 4 to 5 feet high, with pretty white flowers. It is only in mild districts, such as the South and West of England, that the Escallonias are seen at their best.
*E. macrantha (Syn. E. Ingrami) Chiloe Crimson red; Summer The finest of all the Escallonias, and one of the hardiest. It is a free-growing shrub over 6 feet high, clothed with rich green shiny leaves, and the bright-coloured fuchsia-like flowers are freely borne. It is a good wall-plant, and stands the sea-breeze well.
E. langleyensis Hybrid Rose carmine Raised by Messrs. J. Veitch between E. sanguinea and E. philippiana. It has small, dark-green leaves, and an abundance of brightly coloured flowers. A good shrub.
E. montevidensis (Syn. E. floribunda) Montevideo White Grows from 8 to 10 feet high, and bears its clusters of white flowers in great profusion. It is too tender for planting except in the extreme West of England and in Ireland.
*E. philippiana Valdivia White; Summer Will succeed as a bush in the neighbourhood of London, where its small white flowers are borne in the greatest profusion.
E. punctata Chili Deep red; July A much-branched evergreen shrub 5 to 6 feet high.
E. rubra Chili Red; Summer and early Autumn Differs from the last in the absence of spots on the young leaves, in the flowers being rather lighter in colour, and borne for a longer period.

ESCALLONIA PHILIPPIANA (Kew).

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Exochorda grandiflora China; Rosaceæ May; White See p. 2.
*Forsythia (Golden Bell) intermedia Oleaceæ; hybrid between F. suspensa and F. viridissima. Represents the two parents Yellow; Spring This is a charming early shrub. It may be either grouped or trained, but one has to be careful not to make it too stiff. It is quite hardy, and a bush.
*F. suspensa (Syn. F. Fortunei and F. Sieboldi) China Yellow; Spring A graceful and beautiful rambling shrub, now well known. It succeeds well in London—that is, if given anything like favourable conditions. A fence fully exposed to the sun in a London backyard is clothed with it, and each recurring spring the Forsythia flowers profusely, and forms an object of great beauty. Immediately the season of blooming is past the plant is severely pruned, the old and exhausted wood being cut out and the vigorous shoots spurred back to within three or four eyes of the base. This results in the production of long, wand-like shoots, which are allowed to develop at will, hence they dispose themselves in a loose and informal way, and being from the position of the plant thoroughly ripened, the spring display is in every way satisfactory. When autumn pruning is done the best portion of the flowering wood gets cut away.
*F. viridissima China Yellow; Spring Quite a bush, and very handsome when in full bloom. Likes full sun and air.
Fraxinus Ornus (Flowering Ash), (Syn. Ornus europæa) Mediterranean region and Orient Creamy white; late May This is a very charming lawn tree with luxuriant panicles of flowers, and foliage like that of the common ash. Angustifolia, latifolia, and variegata are varieties.
F. floribunda (Syn. Ornus floribunda) Himalaya White; Summer Rather tender, but very vigorous and handsome.
Fuchsia.—Though the genus Fuchsia is an extensive one, most of them are of more value in the greenhouse than outdoors—that is to say, throughout the greater part of the country. Still there are a few quite hardy Fuchsias, for, even if cut to the ground during severe winters they soon recover, while in particularly favoured districts, such as in the West of England and the Isle of Wight, they grow unchecked into large bushes, and sometimes make delightful hedges. Few flowering shrubs are more beautiful than F. corallina and F. Riccartoni when in full bloom. The hardiest are:—
*Fuchsia corallina (Syn. F. exoniensis) Garden origin; Onagraceæ Red; Summer and Autumn A plant of more vigorous growth, and with larger leaves and flowers than any of the other hardy Fuchsias. It is very popular in the West of England, but is not nearly so effective when cut to the ground each winter as some of the others are.
*F. globosa Chili Red; Summer and Autumn A free-growing Fuchsia which, if cut to the ground, pushes up long, wand-like shoots that branch out freely, and towards the latter part of the summer are smothered with bright-coloured flowers. In the bud state these are of a globose shape, hence its specific name.
*F. gracilis Mexico Red; Summer and Autumn The name gracilis well expresses the prominent features of this Fuchsia, for, though as vigorous as globosa, it is far more slender and graceful. Where not perfectly hardy the drooping flowers are seen to great advantage when the shrub is trained to a wall, and planted in a permanent bed the old stools will, even in the North of England, pass unscathed through the winter, if protected by a mulch of decayed leaves. Very tender.
*F. Riccartoni Garden Origin Red; Summer and Autumn This has the reputation of being the hardiest of all the hardy Fuchsias. It is in appearance about midway between F. gracilis and F. globosa, and is as good as F. gracilis.
*Garrya elliptica California; Cornaceæ Greenish; Winter and very early Spring A handsome evergreen shrub with very dark green, leathery, oval leaves, about 3 inches long. Its most notable feature is the long, pendulous male catkins, with which the plant is freely draped during the early months of the year. This Garrya is all the better for the protection of a wall in most parts of the country. The male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, the male being, owing to its catkins, by far the most ornamental.

GENISTA (Ulex) HISPANICA. SPANISH FURZE.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Genista Leguminosæ ...... A popular group of shrubs, allied to the Cytisus, and delighting in dry sandy soils. A group of the finer species is very rich in colour when in flower.
*G. æthnensis Slopes of Mount Etna, in Sicily Golden yellow; July and August This Broom is perfectly hardy near London. It is one of the rarest of shrubs in gardens in spite of its beauty, and it flowers in July and August, a season when even inferior flowering shrubs are not plentiful. It has a rather gaunt, yet not inelegant habit, and assumes a somewhat tree-like form when old, being often reduced to a single stem at the base. It carries, however, a wide head of thin cord-like, arching or pendulous branches, with little or no foliage except when the wood is quite young. The flowers are of a rich golden-yellow, and during the series of hot summers we have experienced in recent years have been especially abundant. It would, indeed, be difficult to find a shrub better adapted for hot, light soils than this, a fact that is amply proved by the way it succeeds at Kew. It is a good plant for associating with medium-sized evergreens, which hide its bare stems and render it more effective when in flower. It grows 10 feet to 14 feet high, and is thus one of the tallest—if not the tallest—of the Brooms hardy in Britain. It ripens seed freely, and is best propagated by that means.
G. cinerea South-West Europe Yellow; July This is a shrubby plant for the rock-garden in sunny places.
*G. hispanica South-West Europe Yellow; July A dwarf and charming shrub, 1 foot to 2 feet high, and when in bloom covered with flowers. One of the best of its race.
G. monosperma Sicily White Not well known but interesting. Sandy soil. Tender.
G. pilosa Europe, England Rich Yellow; May and June A prostrate plant for the rock garden. Ordinary soil.
*G. radiata Central and Southern Europe Yellow; Summer Very beautiful when in full flower on the rock garden, and will even succeed in a rough wall.
G. sagittalis Europe Yellow; May and June Another dwarf species for rock garden.
G. tinctoria Britain Yellow; July and September The double variety flore-pleno and elatior are finer than the species. Elatior makes quite a bush and is very attractive when in full bloom.
*G. virgata Madeira Yellow; June and July This must attain a certain age and size before it displays its full beauty, small plants flowering sparsely or not at all, while older specimens are a glorious sight during the period of flowering. Thoroughly hardy in at least the southern half of England, self-sown seedlings of it having been known to spring up in considerable numbers under old plants in sheltered positions. In a shrubbery or wood it makes a brilliant blaze of yellow. It succeeds in almost any soil or situation provided it is not too heavy or wet. Under favourable conditions it reaches a height of 16 feet to 20 feet, with rather straggling branches, every little twig of which is covered with flowers in season. The leaves are about half an inch in length, and covered with white, silky hairs on the under side and a few scattered ones on the upper surface. Easily raised from seed. Excellent for barren land.

THE SPANISH FURZE ON ROUGH SLOPE.

GENISTA MONOSPERMA.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Gordonia Lasianthus (Loblolly Bay) Virginia to Florida; Ternstrœmiaceæ White; July A sub-evergreen shrub 6 to 8 feet high, bearing beautiful white flowers like single Camellias. It needs a sheltered spot and a moist peaty soil.
G. pubescens Georgia and Florida White Of rather smaller growth than the preceding, while the leaves are pubescent underneath. The flowers, too, have the tuft of yellow stamens more pronounced than in G. Lasianthus. Both need the same treatment.
Halesias (Silver Bell, or Snowdrop trees) Styraceæ ...... This is a beautiful family of flowering trees, named after Dr. Stephen Hales. The flowers are like the snowdrop in shape, hence the name, and there are two distinct sections, American and Asiatic. The Halesias like a rich, moist, loamy or peaty soil. Although often trees of considerable size in their native homes, they mostly retain a somewhat shrubby character in this country. All the species, however, except H. parviflora, can, by pruning away the lower branches, be made to form small trees.
Halesia corymbosa (Syn. Pterostyrax corymbosum) Japan, in the province of Higo White, tinted with pink or yellow; Spring Mr. Bean writes in The Garden, May 19, 1900, p. 361, about this species as follows: "I do not know if there is any authenticated instance of its having flourished in Britain or even in Europe, most plants so called being H. hispida. It was first found on the mountains of the most southern of the main islands of Japan, in the province of Higo, and may possibly not be quite so hardy as H. hispida. Judging by pictures and dried specimens, its racemes, whilst having much the same general character as that species, are shorter, broader, and more branched, and the flowers are not so numerous on the branches of the racemes, and the fruits are more downy than bristly. The flowers have the same one-sided arrangement on the racemes."
H. diptera South-eastern United States White; late Spring Not a common species, and dwarfer than H. tetraptera. The flowers are white, Snowdrop-like, and are borne on slender pendulous stalks as in H. tetraptera; they differ, however, in having the corolla almost lobed to the base. Very distinctive is the seed-vessel, which has but two prominent wings, the other two being only rudimentary. Whilst not perhaps equal in merit to H. tetraptera this species appears to have been undeservedly neglected. Its dwarf bushy habit will also render it more suitable for some positions; it loves abundant moisture at the root. It blossoms rather later than H. tetraptera.
H. hispida China and Japan. Introduced about 1870 White This belongs to the Asiatic group of Halesias, and is very distinct from the American species. It is a vigorous shrub, a small tree with large oblong leaves, and small flowers, which are very numerous on the raceme, which is 4 inches to 8 inches long. One striking peculiarity of the raceme is that the flowers are arranged on the upper side only of its branches (a somewhat similar arrangement is seen in Freesia flowers). The seed-vessels are covered with bristly hairs. Mr. Bean says, "Whilst perfectly hardy at Kew in the open, it blossoms more freely on a wall. The finest specimens I have seen of this Halesia are growing near a carriage-road leading to Mr. Gumbleton's house and garden at Belgrove, Queenstown." It flowers in this country in June.
H. parviflora South-eastern United States. Introduced in 1802 White; end of May This is invariably a shrub. It is represented in the Kew collection by a large bush, which flowers as a rule with great freedom towards the end of May each year. The arrangement of the flowers is more racemose than fasciculate, and whilst they are very abundant they are not so large as in H. tetraptera or H. diptera. They are white and Snowdrop-like. The seed-vessels are only slightly and unequally winged. On the whole, therefore, the species is easily distinguished from its two fellow American species. The grace and abundance of its bloom make it well worthy of cultivation wherever a variety of hardy shrubs is desired.
*H. tetraptera (Common Snowdrop tree) South United States. Introduced by a London merchant named Ellis in 1756 White; May A beautiful tree. Whilst according to Prof. Sargent it occasionally attains a height of 80 to 90 feet in its native country, it is seldom more than 20 feet high in the British Isles. Its flowers are like pure white Snowdrops, hence the popular name. The seed-vessels are 1½ inches to 2 inches long, and have four prominent wings that transverse them lengthwise.
H. t. Meehani This originated as a seedling in Meehan's Nursery, Germanstown, Philadelphia. White A very handsome and distinct variety, with shorter flower-stalks, and thicker and more coarsely wrinkled leaves than the type.

SHOOT OF SNOWDROP TREE (Halesia tetraptera).

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) Hamamelideæ Orange-yellow; Winter A charming tree when in flower. It blooms early in the year, the precise time depending upon the weather. When the leafless shoots are studded with the golden-yellow, narrow-petalled flowers, with their crimson calyces, it is very pretty. It is also worth using with some shrub like Gaultheria procumbens as a groundwork. It enjoys an open situation, and is not very particular about soil.
*H. arborea China
H. japonica Japan Pale yellow; Winter An interesting shrub, of which *Zuccariniana is a well-known variety.
H. mollis Japan Bright yellow This is a rare Witch-Hazel, with very broad and large leaves, and wavy brightly coloured, fragrant flowers.
H. virginica Eastern North America Pale yellow; Autumn For many years this species was the only Witch-Hazel in cultivation. Being spread over the eastern side of North America from Canada to the Southern United States, it naturally attracted the notice of the earlier colonists, and it was, in fact, introduced to Britain as long ago as 1736. During the last twenty or thirty years, however, new species have been discovered and brought home from China and Japan. They surpass this old American species in garden value, and are, indeed, amongst the most interesting and attractive of the shrubs that flower in the early part of the year. H. virginica, on the other hand, is at its best in autumn. It has the narrow, twisted, bright yellow petals which, with but little variation, are characteristic of all Hamamelis flowers. The flowers cover the younger branches in close, dense clusters. It is a sturdy shrub, almost a small tree, and has leaves very like those of the English Hazel (Corylus).
*Hibiscus syriacus (Tree Mallow, Syn. Althæa frutex) China; Malvaceæ White; blotched red An upright growing deciduous shrub 6 feet high, is particularly valuable from the fact that it flowers towards the later part of August, when so few hardy shrubs are in bloom. It needs a well-drained, loamy soil, that is, however, not parched up at any time, and a spot fully exposed to the sun. There are many varieties of this, ranging in colour from white to purple, both single and double flowered forms being represented. Celestes, blue, and Totus albus, white, are the best.
*Hippophaë rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) A British shrub, chiefly in the south and south-east coasts; Eleagnaceæ Flowers inconspicuous; yellowish A beautiful somewhat spiny tree, or rather shrub, to plant by the side of a lake, pond, stream, moat, or anywhere a free spreading shrubby growth is desired. But it will succeed as well inland as by water. A splendid group may be seen near the pond at Kew, and for many years has made a beautiful winter picture in the gardens. Every winter the wood made the previous year is thickly cased with the bright orange-coloured berries, which remain on the branches all the winter, but later on, if hard frosts are experienced, they lose most of their brightness. It must not be forgotten that the flowers are unisexual, i.e. those of one sex only are borne on a tree. Male trees therefore do not produce berries, and to get fruit a female and male must be near. In each group, say of about half-a-dozen plants, one plant should be male and the rest female. This is of the utmost importance, and see to it before the plants leave the nursery. The Sea Buckthorn is a large shrub or small tree. A very pretty standard tree results from keeping it to a single stem and removing the lower branches. The leaves are very charming in colour, a silvery grey. The male plant is of more upright growth than the female.

HYDRANGEAS.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
*Hydrangea Hortensia (the Hydrangea, Syn. H. hortensis) China and Japan; Saxifrageæ Deep pink; Summer and Autumn Better known throughout the greater part of England as a greenhouse plant than as an outdoor shrub, but in the extreme south and west it is very handsome in the open ground. The huge heads of flowers make a great display. There are several varieties, some of them being often regarded as distinct species, the most notable of which are: Lindleyi, with the large sterile flowers limited to a few around the outside of the cluster. They are pink, tinged with blue. Mariesii is a very handsome Japanese variety, with large sterile flowers, pinkish mauve. Nigra or cyanoclada has purplish black stems, and is very notable on that account. Rosea has all the flowers sterile, and of rich rose colour. Stellata has the sterile flowers double and star-like. Thomas Hogg has white blossoms.
*H. paniculata Japan Creamy white; Autumn A handsome shrub that may be grown as a dwarf bush or as a standard.
H. var. grandiflora     This is far more popular than the type, and is grown largely for flowering under glass as well as in the open ground. In this the huge pyramidal-shaped heads are composed entirely of sterile blossoms. If to be kept dwarf it must be pruned back hard when dormant, and only three or four shoots allowed to develop.
H. petiolaris (Climbing Hydrangea) Japan Creamy white; June and July A free-growing climber, that attaches itself to a wall by means of aerial roots after the manner of ivy. It has flattened clusters of flowers. Being so distinct from all the rest, it at once attracts attention.
H. quercifolia North America White A shrub about a yard high, with large lobed leaves. The flowers are less showy than some of the others. It needs a moist soil and a very sheltered spot.
H. radiata North America White The flowers of this are not at all showy, but the leaves are clothed on the under sides with a dense white felt-like substance, which renders it very noticeable when ruffled by the wind.

HYDRANGEA PETIOLARIS. A GROUP IN WOODLAND.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Hypericum Androsæmum (Tutsan, Syn. Androsæmum officinale) Europe; Hypericineæ Yellow A free-growing deciduous shrub from 2 to 3 feet high, with a mass of small flowers, but not very showy. It will grow in the shade better than many other shrubs.
H. aureum North America Yellow; July and August Reaches a height of about 4 feet. The orange-yellow flowers, about 1½ inches across, have a large and conspicuous mass of yellow stamens in the centre.
*H. calycinum (Rose of Sharon, St. John's Wort) Levant Yellow; July to Autumn Forms a dense mass a foot high, while the golden-yellow flowers are quite 3 inches across. The long hair-like stamens are very numerous and attractive. It will both grow and flower well in shady spots.
H. elatum (Tall St. John's Wort) North America Yellow Grows 4 to 5 feet high, and is very robust. The flowers, however, though freely borne, are only about an inch in diameter.
H. hircinum Europe Yellow; Autumn When roughly handled the leaves of this species have an unpleasant goat-like odour, but it is decidedly ornamental, forming as it does a bush a yard high, while the flowers are bright yellow.
*H. hookerianum (Syn. H. oblongifolium) Himalayas Yellow; Autumn Rather more tender than some of the Hypericums, but a showy kind. It grows over 4 feet high, and has clusters of large golden flowers.
*H. moserianum Garden hybrid Yellow; early Autumn A hybrid between H. calycinum and H. patulum, and one of the most desirable of all the St. John's Worts. The slender branches are graceful, and terminated by clusters of rich golden-yellow flowers a couple of inches across.
H. patulum Japan Yellow A delightful little shrub, but even in the south of England it is liable to be killed by a severe winter.
H. prolificum North America Yellow Grows 3 feet high, and bears its clusters of blossoms very freely. The individual flowers are about an inch across.
H. uralum (Syn. H. nepalense) Himalayas Yellow Somewhat in the way of H. patulum, and like that species rather tender.
Itea virginica Virginia; Saxifrageæ White; July A freely branched rounded shrub, from 3 to 4 feet in height, and has small spikes arranged in much the same way as the shrubby Veronicas. It is a favourite of the Red Admiral butterfly (Vanessa Atalanta). It is quite hardy, but needs a moist peaty soil.
Jamesia americana Rocky Mountains; Saxifrageæ White; April and May A somewhat upright shrub, 4 to 5 feet high, with oval-shaped leaves and a great profusion of terminal clusters of pure white blossoms. It is quite hardy and needs a cool moist soil.
Kalmia angustifolia (Sheep Laurel) North America; Ericaceæ Bright purplish red; end of May A delightful little evergreen shrub about a couple of feet high, with bright-coloured, saucer-shaped blossoms. All the Kalmias prefer cool damp soil, especially of a peaty nature— indeed, conditions favourable to Rhododendrons suit them well.
K. glauca North America Purplish pink Flowers two or three weeks earlier than the preceding, and is somewhat dwarfer, but is equally desirable.
*K. latifolia (Mountain Laurel) North America Pink; May through Summer This forms a large rounded bush from 6 to 8 feet high, clothed with handsome, bright-green foliage, while the flowers are pink and wax-like. It is a desirable subject to associate with Rhododendrons, which, except in flowers, it much resembles.

KALMIA LATIFOLIA. A GOOD SHRUB FOR PEATY SOILS.

Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
Kœlreuteria paniculata China; Sapindaceæ Yellow; June and July A small picturesque tree 10 to 15 feet in height, with ornamental pinnate leaves, and large terminal panicles of bright yellow flowers, very distinct.
Laburnum (Cytisus) vulgare (Golden Rain or Chain) Loudon writes: "A native of Europe and the lower mountains of the South of Germany, and of Switzerland, where it grows to the height of 20 feet or upwards. It was introduced in 1596"; Leguminosæ ...... There is no need to praise the laburnum; it is one of the most beautiful of all trees, and its countless flowers make a shower of gold in early summer. It seems strange to read that the laburnum is not a native, for it is so general in gardens, and is even used in hedgerows in some parts of the country. We have in mind a hedgerow in Berkshire with laburnums rising above the thorn, and a pleasant sight this is in late May and early June. Laburnums grow so freely almost everywhere that they are somewhat overdone in gardens, but it is so beautiful a tree that many would say: "I don't mind how many laburnums I have in the garden." Mr. Goldring, writing in the "Gardeners' Magazine" about laburnums, says:—

"Besides the common way of growing the laburnum as a shrubbery or plantation tree, it may be put to various other uses. It is a beautiful covering for a wall on the north, east, or west sides. In some old gardens one meets with huge trees of it covering large areas of wall, and affording a lovely sight at flower time. This is a common way of growing it on the Continent, and in some of our old botanic gardens it may be seen trained against a wall as a host for the wistaria, which flowers about the same time, and produces a lovely contrast of colour.

"I have pleasing recollections of seeing it in some old gardens trained over a path as a covered way before pergolas were in vogue in this country. For several weeks such covered pathways are glowing with colour, and for the rest of the summer they afford a pleasant shade. In some of the old Sussex gardens laburnum 'tunnels' are still to be seen, and they are worth imitating in new gardens.

"Of the two commonly grown species of laburnum, L. vulgare and L. alpinum, there are numerous varieties, differing more or less from the types, though the differences in some cases are slight, even from a garden point of view. A laburnum is a laburnum to most people, and nothing more, but there is a great difference between a worthless seedling with short flower clusters of a poor yellow, and the varieties such as Watereri and Parksii which bear racemes fully 16 inches in length, and of a rich-toned yellow. There is, unhappily, in gardens, a preponderance of inferior seedling trees, because they can be raised easily and sold cheaply, but it is better to have one grafted tree of a first-rate variety than a dozen inferior kinds.

"The number of named varieties of L. vulgare enumerated in Continental and English nursery lists exceed a score, and most of them are mere monstrosities of leaf-form or colour, only appreciated by the collector of curiosities. The finest varieties are those named Alchingerii, giganteum, Carlieri, and grandiflorum. Any of these, if true to name, are the kinds to plant. They all bear very long racemes, produced abundantly."
*L. alpinum (Cytisus alpinus), Scotch laburnum Called the Scotch laburnum because a supposed native of Scotland, but this is not true. Loudon says: "It was introduced into Britain about the same time as the other species, 1596." The other species is Laburnum vulgare Yellow This is a well-known tree. Some of its varieties are very beautiful.
L. Watereri Hybrid Yellow We have given this special prominence for the reason it is a hybrid. In Bailey's "American Cyclopædia" occurs this note: "Watereri, Dipp. (L. Parksii, Hort, C. alpinus and vulgaris Wittst.) Hybrid of garden origin, but found also wild.... As hardy as L. alpinum and sometimes considered to be a variety of that species."
L. Adami (Purple laburnum) Graft-hybrid Purple, yellow, and buff This is a remarkable tree, and is named after M. Adam, who grafted Cytisus purpureus on the common laburnum. Loudon says the purple laburnum "is a hybrid between Cytisus laburnum and C. purpureus, in which the flowers are of a reddish purple, slightly tinged with buff, and are produced in pendent spikes eight inches or more long. It was originated in Paris, in the nursery of M. Adam in 1828; it was introduced into England about 1829, and has been a good deal cultivated." We noticed a tree of it in a hedgerow near Burnham Common, Slough. It is a strange tree. Some branches will perhaps bear entirely yellow flowers, like those of the common laburnum and others varied like Cytisus purpureus, by a flower that shows the characters of both parents. It is more curious than beautiful.
Name. Country or Origin and Natural Order. Colour and Season. General Remarks.
*Ledum latifolium (Labrador Tea) Northern portion of North America; Ericaceæ White; late April A much-branched shrub 2 to 3 feet high, and when in bloom covered with its rounded clusters of white blossoms. It needs a cool moist peaty soil,and given this it is very attractive when in bloom.
L. palustre (Marsh Ledum) Northern part of Eastern Hemisphere White, tinged pink Much like the last, except that it is rather smaller, and the blossoms tinged with pink.
Leiophyllum buxifolium (Sand Myrtle), (Syn. L. thymifolium) New Jersey and Virginia; Ericaceæ White; May A compact little evergreen shrub about a foot high. Every twig, however small, bears a cluster of pretty blossoms, in colour white tinged with pink. It is a good rockwork shrub in a cool moist position.
Lespedeza bicolor Japan; Leguminosæ Rosy red; July Sends up stiff annual shoots to a height of 4 feet. The leaves are trifoliate. It needs a warm soil, and is not particularly attractive.
*L. Sieboldi (Syn. Desmodium penduliflorum) China and Japan Reddish purple; September A deciduous sub-shrub that dies nearly to the ground in the winter. From the base are pushed up long wand-like arching shoots to a height of 6 feet, clothed with trifoliate leaves, and bearing large terminal panicles of pea-shaped blossoms. Should it escape the autumn frosts it is delightful.
Leycesteria formosa Temperate Himalaya; Caprifoliaceæ Purplish white, and purple bracts A very interesting shrub, 6 feet high in the milder parts of these isles, but hardy almost everywhere. These flowers are succeeded by purple berries which are relished by pheasants, hence it is planted for covert in some places.
Ligustrum coriaceum (Thick-leaved Privet) China; Oleaceæ White A sturdy evergreen shrub, with very dark-green leaves, thick, about 1½ inches long and roundish oval in shape. It reaches a height of about a yard, and is of extremely slow growth.
L. Ibota (Syn. L. amurense) Japan White; June and July A graceful shrub with long, slender, arching branches, narrow leaves, and white flowers.
L. japonicum (Japanese Privet) Japan White; early July Reaches a height of 6 to 8 feet, and forms a freely branched bush clothed with bright shining green leaves from 2 to 3 inches, oval pointed in shape.
*L. lucidum (Wax Tree) China White; July and August This is the most ornamental of all the Privets in foliage, the leathery dark-green leaves being sometimes as much as 6 inches long, and over two inches wide. It reaches a height of 9 to 12 feet, and has large panicles of white flowers. There is a variety—tricolor, with leaves beautifully variegated, but being tender it needs wall protection.
L. massalongianum (Syn. L. rosmarinifolium) Khasia Hills White The long narrow leaves of this species make it distinct from all other Privets. It is hardy only in the west of England and Ireland.
*L. ovalifolium (Oval-leaved Privet) Japan White This sub-evergreen species is one of the hardiest of all Privets, being much used for hedges, and for planting where little else will thrive. Its small dense clusters of flowers are borne in great profusion, but they (in common with most Privets) possess such a heavy and unpleasant odour as to unfit them for planting near dwelling-houses. The golden form of this Privet, known as Aureum or Elegantissimum, is met with nearly everywhere, particularly in the environs of London.
*L. Quihoui China White; late September A somewhat spreading shrub about 5 feet high, with small leaves and terminal panicles of flowers. For this reason it is worth growing as a flowering shrub.
*L. sinense (Chinese Privet) China White The finest of all Privets as regards its flowers. It forms a sub-evergreen shrub from 12 to 15 feet high, with arching branches, and frond-like arrangements of the smaller branchlets, which are clothed with leaves about the size of those of the Common Privet, and pale green in colour. The white flowers are borne in such profusion towards the end of July that the entire plant is quite a mass of that colour. It needs a well-drained soil.
L. vulgare (Common Privet) Europe White As a hedge plant this is to a great extent superseded by L. ovalifolium, but it is still a useful shrub for rough places. It is one of the subjects that can be clipped into all manner of shapes, hence it is very popular for topiary work.
*Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip tree) United States; Magnoliaceæ Yellow; June The Tulip tree is one of the most beautiful and distinct of all our hardy trees, for the peculiarly shaped four-lobed leaves cannot be confounded with those of any other. It occurs over a considerable extent of country in North America, and when suitably situated attains a height of 130 to 140 feet. Though these dimensions are not reached in this country, specimens nearly 100 feet high are known, and its great value as a timber tree has been demonstrated here as well as in the United States, where it is given the name of the White Wood. The yellow Tulip-like flowers, from whence its popular name in this country is derived, are very pretty, but as a rule borne at such a height that their beauty cannot be seen. They, however, add to the interest and charm of the tree, and with the handsome leafage and the rich yellow hue of the foliage in the Autumn, as well as its thorough hardiness and almost complete indifference to soil and situation, make it one of the most desirable of our large growing trees. There are several varieties, notable among them being integrifolia, in which the distinctive lobes of the leaves are suppressed; aurea maculata, whose leaves are blotched with yellow; and fastigiata, which is of upright growth. These are all interesting, but not equal in beauty to the type.
Loropetalum chinense China; Hamamelideæ Pure white; Winter A very interesting shrub, with long petals, resembling one of the flowers of Hamamelis; they appear 6 to 8 together in clusters at the bract tips. Tender.