Hardy Ornamental Flowering Trees and Shrubs Part 19

Aurore-de-Royghen.

Baron G. Pyke.

Beaute Celeste.

Bessie Holdaway.

Belle Merveille.

Bijou des Amateurs.

Cardinal.

Charles Bowman.

Comte de Flanders.

Decus hortorum.

Due de Provence.

Emperor Napoleon III.

Eugenie.

Fitz Quihou.

Glorie de Belgique.

Gloria Mundi.

Gueldres Rose.

Honneur de Flandre.

Imperator.

Jules Caesar.

La Superbe.

Louis h.e.l.lebuyck.

Madame Baumann.

Marie Verschaffelt.

Mathilde.

Meteor.

Nancy Waterer.

Ne Plus Ultra.

Optima.

Pallas.

Queen Victoria.

Reine des Belges.

Remarquable.

Roi des Belges.

Roi des Feux.

Sinensis rosea.

Sulphurea.

Triumphans.

Unique.

Viscocephala.

Double-flowered Rhododendrons:--

Bijou de Gendbrugge.

Graf Von Meran.

Heroine.

Narcissiflora.

Louis Aimee Van Houtte.

Mina Van Houtte.

Ophirie.

Van Houttei.

RHODOTHAMNUS.

RHODOTHAMNUS CHAMAECISTUS (_syn Rhododendron Chamaecistus_).--Ground Cistus. Alps of Austria and Bavaria, 1786. A very handsome shrub, of small growth, and widely distributed in Bavaria, Switzerland, and elsewhere. Planted in peaty soil and in a rather damp, shady situation it thrives best, the oval-serrate leaves, covered with white, villous hairs, and pretty rosy flowers, giving it an almost unique appearance.

It is a charming rock shrub and perfectly hardy.

RHODOTYPOS.

RHODOTYPOS KERRIOIDES.--White Kerria. j.a.pan, 1866. A handsome deciduous shrub, and one that is readily propagated, and comparatively cheap. It is distinct and pretty when in flower, and one of the hardiest and most accommodating of shrubs. The leaves are handsome, being deeply serrated and silky on the under sides, while the pure white flowers are often about 2 inches across. It grows about 4 feet in height, and is a very distinct and desirable shrub.

RHUS.

RHUS COTINUS.--Smoke Plant, Wig Tree, or Venetian Sumach. Spain to Caucasus, 1656. On account of its singular appearance this shrub always attracts the attention of even the most un.o.bservant in such matters. It is a spreading shrub, about 6 feet high, with rotundate, glaucous leaves, on long petioles. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, but the feathery nature of the flower cl.u.s.ters, occasioned by the transformation of the pedicels and hairs into fluffy awns, renders this Sumach one of the most curious and attractive of hardy shrubs. Spreading about freely, this south European shrub should be allowed plenty of room so that it may become perfectly developed.

R. GLABRA (_syns R. caroliniana, R. coccinea, R. elegans_, and _R.

sanguinea_).--Smooth or Scarlet Sumach. North America, 1726. A smaller tree than the last, with leaves that are deep glossy-green above and whitish beneath. The male tree bears greenish-yellow flowers, and the female those of a reddish-scarlet, but otherwise no difference between the trees can be detected. R. glabra laciniata (Fern Sumach) is a distinct and handsome variety, with finely cut elegant leaves, and a dwarf and compact habit of growth. The leaves are very beautiful, and resemble those of the Grevillea robusta. It is a worthy variety.

R. SUCCEDANEA.--Red Lac Sumach. j.a.pan, 1768. This is not often seen planted out, though in not a few places it succeeds perfectly well. It has elegant foliage, each leaf being 15 inches long, and divided into several pairs of leaflets.

R. TOXICODENDRON.--Poison Oak or Poison Ivy. North America, 1640. This species is of half-scandent habit, with large, trifoliolate leaves, which turn of various tints of red and crimson in the autumn. It is quite hardy, and seen to best advantage when allowed to run over large rockwork and tree stumps in partial shade. The variety R. toxicodendron radicans has ample foliage, and is suited for similar places to the last. The leaves turn bright yellow in the autumn.

R. TYPHINA.--Stag's Horn Sumach, or Vinegar Tree. A native of North America (1629), and a very common shrub in our gardens, probably on account of its spreading rapidly by suckers. It is, when well grown, a handsome and distinct shrub or small tree, with large, pinnate, hairy leaves, and shoots that are rendered very peculiar by reason of the dense hairs with which they are covered for some distance back. The dense cl.u.s.ters of greenish-yellow flowers are sure to attract attention, although they are by no means pretty. R. typhina viridiflora is the male-flowered form of this species, with green flowers.

R. VENENATA (_syn R. vernix_).--Poison Elder, Sumach, or Dogwood. North America, 1713. This is remarkable for its handsome foliage, and is the most poisonous species of the genus.

All the Sumachs grow and flower freely in any good garden soil, indeed, in that respect they are not at all particular. They throw up shoots freely, so that increasing the stock is by no means difficult.

RIBES.

RIBES ALPINUM PUMILUM AUREUM.--Golden Mountain Currant. The ordinary green form is a native of Britain, of which the plant named above is a dwarf golden-leaved variety.

R. AUREUM.--Buffalo Currant. North-west America, 1812. In this species the leaves are lobed and irregularly toothed, while the flowers are yellow, or slightly reddish-tinted. It is of rather slender and straggling growth. R. aureum praec.o.x is an early-flowering variety; and R. aureum serotinum is valued on account of the flowers being produced much later than are those of the parent plant.

R. CEREUM (_syn R. inebrians_).--North America, 1827. One of the dwarfer-growing species of Flowering Currant, forming a low, dense bush of Gooseberry-like appearance, but dest.i.tute of spines. By May it is in full flower, and the blooms, borne in large cl.u.s.ters, have a pretty pinkish tinge. The foliage is small, neat, and of a tender green that helps to set off the pretty flowers to perfection. It is a native of North-west America, and perfectly hardy in every part of the country.

Though not equal in point of floral beauty with our common flowering Currant, still the miniature habit, pretty and freely-produced pink-tinted flowers, and fresh green foliage will all help to make it an acquisition wherever planted. Like the other species of Ribes the present plant grows and flowers very freely in any soil, and almost however poor.

R. FLORIDUM (_syns R. missouriense_ and _R. pennsylvanic.u.m_).--American Wild Black Currant. North America, 1729. This should be included in all collections for its pretty autumnal foliage, which is of a bright purplish bronze.

R. GORDONIANUM (_syns R. Beatonii_ and _R. Loudonii_) is a hybrid between R. aureum and R. sanguineum, and has reddish, yellow tinged flowers, and partakes generally of the characters of both species.

R. MULTIFLORUM, Eastern Europe (1822), is another desirable species, with long drooping racemes of greenish-yellow flowers, and small red berries.

R. SANGUINEUM.--Flowering Currant. North-west America, 1826. An old inhabitant of our gardens, and well deserving of all that can be said in its favour as a beautiful spring-flowering shrub. It is of North American origin, with deep red and abundantly-produced flowers. There are several distinct varieties as follows:--R. sanguineum flore-pleno (Burning Bush), with perfectly double flowers, which are produced later and last longer than those of the species; R. sanguineum alb.u.m, with pale pink, or almost white flowers; R. sanguineum atro-rubens, with deeply-coloured flowers; R. sanguineum glutinosum and R. sanguineum grandiflorum, bearing compact cl.u.s.ters of flowers that are rosy-flesh coloured on the outside and white or pinky-white within.

R. SPECIOSUM.--Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry. California, 1829. A Californian species, remarkable for being more or less spiny, and with flowers resembling some of the Fuchsias. They are crimson, and with long, protruding stamens. As a wall plant, where it often rises to 6 feet in height, this pretty and taking species is most often seen.