The NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY APRIL, 1950 The American Horticultural Society PRESENT ROLL OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS July, 1949
OFFICERS President, Dr. Fred O. Coe, Bethesda, Md. First Vice-President, Mr. Frederic P. Lee, Bethesda, Md. Second Vice-President, Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, Washington, D. C. Secl'etary, Dr. Charlotte Elliott, Lanham, Md. Treasurer, Mr. CarlO. Erlanson, Silver Spring, Md. Editor, Mr. B. Y. Morrison, Takoma Park, Md. DIRECTORS Terms expiring 1950 Terms expiring 1951 Mrs. Walter Douglas, Chauncey, N. Y. Mrs. Mortimer J . Fox, Mt. Kisco, N. Y. Miss Alida Livingston, Oyster Bay, N. Y. Mrs. ]. Norman Henry, Gladwyne, Pa. Dr. David V. Lumsden, Chevy Chase, Md. Mrs. Arthur· Hoyt Scott, Media, Pa. Dr. V. T . Stoutemyer, Los Angeles, Calif. Dr. Freeman Weiss, Washington, D. C. Or. Donald Wyman, Jamaica Plain, Mass. HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS Mr. W. E. Walton, Pres., Mr. Harold Epstein, pres. . American Begonia Society, American Rock Garden Society. 1415 Acacia Ave., 5 Forest Court, Torrance, Calif. L ~ rchmont , N. Y. Judge Arthur W . Solomon, Pres., American Camellia Society, Dr. W . L. Ayres, Pres., 702 W. Anderson St., American Rose Society, Savannah, Ga. Purdue University, Mr. Carl Grant Wilson, Pres., Lafayette, Ind. '\merican Delphinium Society, 22150 Euclid Ave., Mr. Wm. T . Marshall, Pres. Emeritus, Cleveland, Ohio Cactus & Succulent Society of America, Dr. Joseph Ewan, Pres., 228 Security Bldg., Phoenix, Ariz. American Fern Society, Tulane University, :M rs. Hammond Crawford, New Orleans 18, La. H erb Society of America, \ Mr. Frank E. Moots, Pres., Bunnydale Farms, American Peony Society, Mantua, Ohio N ewton, Kans. Mrs. Carroll S. Higgins, Pres., Mrs. Frances S. Belant, Pres., American Primrose Society, Midwest Horticultural Society, 2424 N. E. 32d Ave., 101 N. Central Park Blvd., Portland 12, Ore. Chicago 24, Ill. SOCIETIES AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 1949 American Association of Nurserymen, Am~rican Primrose Society, Dr. Richard P . White, Exec. Secy., );[r. Carl Maskey, Secy., 636 Southern Building, 2125 5th Ave., Washington 5, D. C. Milwaukie, Ore. American Begonia Society, Mr. W . E. Walton, Pres., American Rose Society. 1415 Acacia Ave. . Dr. R. C. Allen, Secy., Torrance, Calif. Box 687, Harrisburg, Pa. American Camellia Society, Box 2398 University Station Bel-Air Garden Club, Inc., Gainesville, Fla. Mrs. W . J. Schminke, Treas., Arlington County Garden Gub, 315 N. Beverly Glen, Mr. Wales C. Brewster, Pres., Bel-Air, Los Angeles 24, Cali£.. 3015 Second St., N., Arlington, Va. Benson Garden Oub American Fuchsia Society, c/o Mrs. D. M. Bowen, Headquarters : Calif. Acad. of Sciences, 4244 Burdette St., Golden Gate Park, Omaha, Nebr. San Francisco, Calif. American Iris Society, Cactus & Succulent Society of America, Mr. Geddes Douglas, Secy., Dr. Robert Craig, Pres., 444 01estnut St. , 14326 E. Holt Ave. Nashville 10, T enn. Baldwin Park, Calif.
Publication Offi ce. 32nd and Elm Ave., Baltimore. Md. Entered as secon d-class matter J anuary 27, 1932. at the P ost Office a t Baltimore, Md., under the Act of August 24, 1912. California Garden Clubs, Inc., Holly Society of America, Mrs. Wm. D. Shearer, Pres., Charles A. Young, Jr., 533 South Wilton Place, Bergner iVIansion, Los Angeles 5, Calif. Gwynn's Falls Park, California Horticultural Society, Baltimore 16, Md. Miss Cora R. Brandt, Secretary, Iowa Rose Society, 300 Montgomery St., Wm. H . Collin s, Sec.-Treas., San Francisco 4, Calif. Iowa State Hort. Soc., Chestnut Hill Garden Club, State House. Des lvIoines 19, Ia. Mrs. Bryan S. Permar, Treas., IVIichigan H orticultural Society, 41 Crafts Rd., Mrs. R. W. Summers, Secy., Chestnut Hill 67, Mass. The White House, Bell e I sle, Chevy Chase (D.C.) Garden Club, Detroit 7, Mich. Mrs. Lewis S. Pendleton, Pres., ~ifidwe s t H orticultural Society, 3418 Quesada St., N. W., 100 North Ce ntral Park Blvd., Washington, D. C. Chi cago 24, III. Chevy Chase (Md.) Garden Club, National Capital Dahlia Society, Mrs. Robert Ash, Pres., Mr. Lee M. Clarke, Pres .. 8921 Bradley Blvd., 2440 l"vIonroe St., N. E ., Bethesda 14, Md. Washington 18, D. C. Community Garden Club of Bethesda, Northern Nut Growers' Assn. , Inc., Mrs. L. W. Pogue, Pres., Mr. H . F. Stoke, Pres ., 116 Chevy Chase Drive 1436 Watts Ave., N. W., Chevy Chase 15, Md. Roanoke, Va. Fauquier & Loudoun Garden Club, Pittsburgh Garden Ce nter, Mrs. Wm. F. Rust, Pres., Mellon Park, Leesburg, Va. Miss Jane B. Demaree, Treas. Federated G. C. of Cincinnati and Vicinity, Pittsburgh 32, Pa. Mrs. W. R. Grace, Sr., Pres., Plainfield Garden Club, 7911 Hamilton Ave., Mrs. Victor R. King. Mt. Healthy 31 , Ohio. 826 Arlington Ave. Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, Plainfield, N. J. Walnut and Central Parkway, Potomac Rose Society, Cincinnati 10, Ohio Mr. R. E. Scammell, Treas., 2810 Bladensburg Rd., N. E., Garden Center of Greater Cleveland, Washington 18, D. C. East Boulevard at Euclid Ave., San Francisco Branch, Cleveland 6, Ohio American Begonia Society, Garden Center Institute of Buffalo, Mrs. Wm. Meyer, 1500 Elmwood Ave., 1422 27th Ave .. Buffalo 7, N . Y. San Francisco, Calif. Garden Club of Alexandria, San Francisco Garden Club, Mrs. Charles F. H olden, Pres., 465 Post Street, 100 Rosemont Ave., San Francisco 2. Calif. Alexandria, Va. Takoma Horticultural Club, Garden Club of Danville, Mrs. A. C. Barret, Pres., Danville, Va. 4719 Brandywine St., N. W., Washington, D. C. Garden Club of Fairfax, Welcome Garden Club of the Twin Cities, Mrs. Paul Peter, Pres., Mrs. Norman A. Jardine, Pres. Fairfax, Va. Red Oaks Plantation, Route 4, Garden Club of Virginia, West Monroe, La. Mrs. Frank A. Gi lliam, Pres., West Hills H orticulture Society, Lexington, Va. 5420 S. W. Alfred St. Georgetown Garden Club, Portland 19, Ore. Mrs. R. H. A. Carter, Woodridge Garden Club, 323 1 Reservoir Rd., N. W., Mrs. Alma C. Marshall, Washington, D. C. 1326 Allison St., N. E., Garden Library of Michio-an 'Washington, D. C. M iss Margaret B. Balle: Librarian Worcester County Horticultural Society, White House,' , 30 Elm Street, Belle Isle. Detroit 7, ·Mich. Worcester 2, Mass. The National Horticultural Magazine
Vol. 29 Copyright, 19;0, by TH E AMERICA N HOR'1 ICULT V RAL SO CIET Y ::--Jo . 2
A PRIL, 1950
CONTENTS
Shrubs from the Colorado Rockies II KATHLEEN MARRIAGE ______._ 51
Oriental Magnolias in the South K. SAWADA ______. _.______54
Portfolio of Spring Bul bs : Crocus and Muscari ______. ______.______.______58
Rhododendron Notes : Observations on British Rhododendrons CLEMENT GRAY BOWERS ______. _. ______89
The Gardener's Pocketbook: N o ~·e s 0 11 Palms: T he Saw Palmetto A LE x I-IA 'vV KES ______,, ____ . ______93 Notes on the Behavior of Lily Seeds ALIDA LIVIN GSTO N ______95
Notes 011 F lorida Plants F-I. F. Loa MIS ______.______96 D eu t:;; ia "Magi ci en " ______. ______98 S pi1'a ea t1' ic h ocarp a ______.______100 J.l!! a gnolia Wi lso 17ii ______. ______100
Published quarte rly by The American Horticu ltural Society. Publication office, 32nd St. a nd Elm Ave., Baltimore, Md. E ditorial offi ce, Room 821, Washington Loan and Trust Building, W ashington, D . C' . ContrIbutIOns from a ll members a r e cordiall y invited a nd shou ld he sent to t he Editorial offi ce. A subscription to th e magazine is included in the' a nnual dues to a11 membelis' to non-members the price is five dol1al's a year. '
11 Katllieell Marriage Rubus deliciosus, "Thi11'l-bleben,:/' Shrubs from the Colorado Rockies II
KATHLEEN MARRIAGE
Rubus del'iciosus willingly from seed and transplants Fallugia pa·ra,doxa obediently. "Something old and something new." Rub!('s (B ossekia) d elicios!('s "Thimble Fallug'ia pa,1'adoxa berry" is not new but it deserves a A native of northern New Mexico revival. It has much to recommend it. spilling over the border into Co lorado, Good form, decorative flowers, good a decorative shrub of much individu foliage. hardiness, wide tolerance. It ality, it has slender wand-like ,branches is probably seen at its very best on the of si lvery white which make a good lower slopes of Pike's Peak in porous winter pi'cture against a background of gravel which is always moist below the conifers. Slender leaves are suffi,ciently surface from the melting snow above. restrained to show this white bark even It makes a big well-rounded shrub with vvhen in summer dress. \iVhite single graceful arching branches each bearing open flowers-this too resembling a large sin gle white rose-like flowers and white wild rose-are borne on arching still loveli er half-open buds. gr3!ceful branches and even in hot sum This is one of the very best for shrub mer weather they have a long blooming groupings especially for 'facers' in front season as if loth to stop. June is bloom of erect bare-legged varieties where time but occasional flowers appear at there is room for natural mature de intervals until October. Seeds are tufts velOpl'ilent. It may grow to eight feet of si lver plumes almost as decorative both high and wide. Lewes are simple as its flowers giving its nickname resembling its raspberry cousins but "Apache Plume." smoother and a livelier green. Old vVe Kathleen Mar-riage Rubus delic i os~£s , "Thi111Jb leber?'Y" growing on a SU11my g1'avel slope of Pike's P eak_ Kathleen MG1·riage P cndlem 1'11 picola Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 53 Kathleen Mar1'iage R~I. bus deliciosus, " Th,im,blebe'rry" 54 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL IvIAGAZIKE Apr., 1950 layer this Fallugia flattens into a trailer once in three or four years is all they and does a decorative job of preventing ask in the way of maintenance. Pro erosion. Its eagerness to layer and to moted to the company and the good root seems to restrain ambition to soil of the usual shrub plantings they wards height. r.equire pruning more frequently to For covering bare sunny banks keep up a supply of vigorous young where soi l is poor these Rocky Moun wood and to restrain ambitions towards tain natives are the thing. T hey seem too exuberant growth. to be resi tant to disease and unpalata ble to insects. Removal of old wood Colorado Springs, Colorado. Oriental Magnolias in The South K . SAWADA The popularity of the Oriental Mag ago. Vv'ithout a doubt the magnolia nolia has grown slowly but steadily in was imported from Europe, mainly the United States. The nurseries England and France where the fl ower around Mobil e. Alabama, are growing is most highly esteemed. 'liVe have seen nearly a quarter million yo ung mag occasionall y some large plants in the nolias annually, yet this does not meet gardens of the old French settlements half of the demand. T hese young plants in southern Louisiana. The owners of are wanted 1110stly by northern or east these plants claim that these magnolias ern gardeners and very few stay in the were imported from France by their South. \ 7I,T e slD uthern gardeners have ancestors. The writer imported a few been busy with camellias and azaleas magnolia plants from France in 1914. during the last decade; therefore, we These plants are now 30 feet high Witil have paid little attention to other a 30 feet spread, and trunks 24 inches things. However. once we realize the in diameter. beauty of the magnolia, especially inter There are some decidious magnolias mixed wi th camellias and azaleas, we native to this country, such as M. shall see a big movement in the plant 11w.c1'ophyllal, M. p,)wG1'/1ida.ta, M. Fm ing of this plant throughout our south seri, M. t1'ipetala, and lVI. (J,cu111JVnata. ern gardens. But the ori ental varieties are much su Oriental Magnoli as grow in a wide perior for garden planting. The su range of climate, some varieties grow periority is because of the following as far north as Massachusetts and W is facts: consin, but as a rule, magnolias grow 1. Oriental vari eties grow much small best in mi ld climate, rather humid at er in size than American varieties. mosphere. and acid soil. From these 2. Oriental magnolias are more pro requirements, our southern garden is fuse bloomers. the true host of this plant. 3. Oriental magnolias bloom before There is no record when these mag the leaves appear in 1110st species. nolias came to this country. Judging There are several varieties of oriental from some of the large plants seen, the magnolias in southern gardens. Vv' e introduction must have been a century see most frequently M. lilifiora. M. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE ss Soulal11,geana and lVI. SOu.lQ,17geana va,r . t.epals. T he fl ower is somewhat 17igra, toll ow in popularity. It is seldom li ly-ty pe and then it opens into that one sees Nl . de 'I 'I ~{da t a, or 1YI . stel a saucer fo rm. T he color of the lata . fl owers range from cl ark pur The writer classifies the oriental pli sh pink to nearly white. It magnolias as tollows : blooms in February and March 1. Magnolia liliflO1'a and its group. in southern gardens. Magnolia. lilift om is a very co m b. MagIWl-ia A l e xandn'na has mon variety. It grows bush type caused much confusion. T he and has many stems coming hom wri ter obtained thi s variety from the groun d. The fl ower is lily several nurseri es and everyone shaped with six tepals colored with of the fl owers diffe l:ed. W hat the deep purple on the outsi de and writer now call s iVI. Ale,'t'a.nd1'·i'lw whi te on the inside. T he leaves are was recomm ended by the late rather small and of a thin texture M rs. Dan DeBaillon of Lafay compared to other varieties. ette, La. She was well versed on 2. M a,gnolia S ooblangeG1w and its oriental magnoli as. She found group. this variety in central Louisiana a. M. Soulangea(lw is very popular and it came from F rance many because of its hardiness and pro years ago under the name M. fu sion of bloom. It has been said Alexalndril1a. T hi s variety is that this vari ety is a hybrid of more vigorous in growth and M . denudata and M. lilifiom. It attains a larger size than M. S ou was originated by Chevalier la17.g ea1w . The large fl ower has Soulange Bodin of F romont nine tepals. Most of the blooms near Paris. H e used the seed of are dark purplish rose outsicle M . denudataand the pollen of and whi te on the inside of the M. liliflom. It was said that the petals. These bloom at our first bloom. of this hybrid ap nursery two to three weeks peared in 1826. Many horticul later than M. Sou.la;.ngeama and tUl-i sts and plant bree ders in usually escapes the danger of E urope used thi s same method, late freeze. The fo liag.e is also thus many hybrids were origi slightly larger than M . Sou nated such as M . Ale:randrina, 'langealw . The vari ety with M. L enl1e£, M . a111ab·ill:S, M . SO'bt more white in t he blooms is langeana. alba superba, and oth called M . Ale-'t'am,d"ina alba. ers. Also many seedlings of e. iVI agl1,olia m:g1'a. is sometimes these hybrids brought a great classifi ed as M . liliflora 1fbigm. range of colors and growth hab T hi s is because it has six tepals. its that we see today. Most in this group has nine pet Due to hyb ridization of M. als. This hybrid is dominated by denudata and M . liliflora, the characteri sti cs of M. iiliflo1'a. M . Soulangeal1a. owns interme The exad origin of this mag di ate characteristics of both par noli a is unknow n. It is supposed ents. It grows in a tree shape that one parent of thi s variety but it is not so broad as M. is iVI. denudata var. pu.rpul'a denuda,ta. The leaves are in ter scens, the purple variety of lVI . mediate and the fl ow er has nine de11.uda.ta. It was said that it 56 THE N ATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr. , 1950 was originated by a J apanese the Oriental varieties. There are nurseryman and introduced to many fine seedlings. E urope by John Gould Veitch b. ilII. denu,data, var. elonga.ta is one in 186l. This is an excell ent va of the best seedlings of M. denu riety fo r ga.rden planting. It data. The flower is slightly has a lily-shaped flower and larger than the pure de17udata. blooms a week to ten days later The color of 1110St of these flow than M. Sou.la11g ea na. ers is pure white but a few fl ow d. M. L ennei, although a hybrid of ers occasionally show a faint M. denu.da,ta and M . lilifiora., tinge of pink at the bast of the shows the de1'1!udata characteric petals of the fl ower. tics. The flower is very large c. M. de1'/.udata purpurascens has with nine tepals which are a fl ower described as bluish rosy roundish and broad. The color purple with yellowi sh green an is dark vermilion red to purple. thers. The writer secured from This is the latest of all mag South Louisiana a de1'/.udata nolias to bloom. The leaves are which has an attractive flow er. large and roundish-somewhat It has nine tepals of bright clear crinkled. reddish purple. The color is e. lVI . rustica ru·bra. is a chance much prettier than that of M. seedling of M. L en;n ei and is said Le111n.ei or 111. rust£ca rubra.. It to have originated in Belgium. is said the original plant of this Originally this variety was de variety was imported from scribed as a rich rosy red flow er France. However, it is not cer but today what we call rustica tain if it is the same as the denu r$~bra has flowers of a much data PU1' pu.rascens in Europe. darker purple. R 'v£stica 1'ubm So the writer calls it temporari seems to grow to a larger SIze ly M. denudata p~wpliana . It than the le1'/.1'/. ei. blooms rather early in the sea 3. ilII. denu.data and its group. son. The writer has raised many The wri ter believes that this group thousands of denudata seedlings. is the best of the magnolias. Its The fl owers range from almost origin is central China where these white to nearly dark purple. plants grow up to fifty feet high Several years ago he sent some with spreading branches. of his denudata seedlings to a. 111. denv£datGJ has been known as Georgia. A report on these was lVI. conspicua and Yulan Mag recently received that one of nolia. Its flower is very large them bloomed almost salmon usually measuring 6-8" across. pink flow ers. The flow er opens flat like a large 4. Magnolia stellata and its group. saucer. It is composed of nine This group is also known as the broad petals. The color of this star magnolias. It is much smaller variety is supposed to be pure in every respect-the flower and the white. The leaves are large and foliage. Therefore, it fit s in yard broad. Some measure 7-8" long plantings-and even in small gar and 4-5" wide with very thick dens. texture. M. dem£data produces The fl owers have 12-15 tepals more seeds than any other of which are about 2-20" long. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE 57 They are very narrow. In the inal and the other was grafted earl y spring this white star 16 years ago. The fl owers were shaped flower blooms abundant truly gorgeous. They were very ly among the azaleas, camellias, large cup shaped. The color was and other flow ers bushes . There crimson red on the outside and isn't a more charming fl oral di s rosy white in sid e. The writer play than this. The flower color has several plants of thi s vari ety, of this M. stellata is usually pure but they have been injured by white. There are some with the cold every winter and have pinkish tinges on the outside of never produced flowers. the petals and this variety is b. M. Veitchi is one of the hybrid called stella-ta 1'osea. Also one of M. Call1,pbellii and M. denu, vari ety in this group has its pet da,ta. It was ori gi nated by Peter als arranged like a water lily. Veitch at Exeter in 1909. A The writer has a seedling which three year old grafted plant produces flowers which are pur which the writer owns bloomed plish rose on the outside of the last spring. The fl owers are petals and white on the in side. large 6-7" in diameter with nine The petals seem to be much nar tepals. The color is a faint pink rower than others. He thinks ish white with darker lavender that this stella.ta seedling is the pink at the base and at the mid darkest colored fl ower of this ribs of the petals. The leaves variety. are very large. This variety 5. M. C(}Jmpbellii and its hybrids seems very vigorous as a grow a. M. cam,pbeUii is called the king er. of the magnolias due to its mag Beside the varieties above mentioned nificient blossoms. U nfortunate there are 1l{. U1ilsom:i, soulangemna albo ly this variety does not seem supe1'ba, M. B1'ozzoni, M. g-racil'is, M. ,hardy. It also requires a very sa.licijolia, so '"~langeana speciosa, M . long time to produce flowers. It spectabilis, M. Van Houttei, M. Nor is said that there is only one bertiana, M. amabilis and others. How plant of this variety in bloom in ever, those varieties are not yet very this country. It is growing in popular in this country. The writer is the Golden Gate Park in San now collecting possibly those varieties Francisco. The spring of 1949, so he may report about those varieties the writer visited there an d saw in the future. the flowers. There were two plants in blo0111--one is the orig- Crichton Station, Mobile, Ala. Portfolio of Spring Bulbs: Crocus and Muscari There are two schools of thought as As is the case with all plants that to when one should talk about bulbs, flower at the oncoming of Spring, at the ti me when they are fl owering or these flowers run the annual risk of at the time when one should he think being frozen or beaten down by cold ing about hi s order. To a degree the rains. In most cases they survive rea present-day dealer is solving the prob sonably well, although sometimes with lem, for the catalogues offering bulbs broken necks. No matter what the come earlier e31ch season, so that in a temperatures here, there are always short time it will be possihle to take some seed pods that appear later on, to one's autumn catalogue in hand and show that these are hardy creatures look through the plants in bloom in an and as the self-sown corms grow swift other's garden. ly enough to come to fl owering, it is a Since it is not possible to include in 'pleasure to plant the original stocks at anyone issue pictures of all the species the .top of one's hill, if he has a hill, and forms of spring bulbs, so-called, so that each year the parade of seed we are rev iewing here, only the pic lings fi nds a lower and lower level. tures that have been printed in the It has been found here that the magazine many years ago, of the spring corms of such species as C1'OCUS Sie flowering species of HOCUS and some of beri, C. T0 11'Lasi11lia'1~Us and C. f1n perati the grape hyacinths. More and more cOlltinue a happy and fruitful life even gardeners are planting these species in locations that are tree shaded dur rather than the horti,cultural forms that ing the summer. The same cannot be have been developed and the influence said for any of the others shown, as that has n:lOved them to this d·ecision, even where ,they have persisted, they is perhaps more that of the advocates have not fl owered with any profusion of the rock garden than any other. To indeed come nearer giving sample be sure, 1110St of these plants are not b100ms. It has been found also, that from rocky spots in Nature, only from invasive ground covers are practically regions w here they must have a sum sure doom to fl owering strength. The mer rest and drying and the rock gar atta·cks of rabbits that crop off the den here, that starts so bravely in the leaves in the winter for those that make Spring, sometimes provides the id ea l winter foliage and in the earliest Spring spot fo r this summer resting whether for the others, is by no means fatal. If the gardener wills it or not. anything it wo uld appear to make the The species crocus are more avail plant consider a more rapid production able eCl!c h year and the illustrations that of cormlets, all with leaves and none fo llow are worth looking at again, since with blooms. No particular effort has they show to a li vely degree the differ been made to maintain the soil depth ences in fo r111 and pattern that are to over the corms, whi·ch may also have be had. Only in such speci.es as Croc~iS contributed to the difficulty of produc ve'rl~us pictul'a.tus is the fat fo rm of the ing fl owering sized C0 1"m s. garden crocuses shown in any degree If one plants the species crocus in of fulln ess and that is not strange since the open, the essential problem is to C. vermIs is one of the putative an determine what if any cover shall be cestors of the race. (CoMillll ed 0'/10 page 81) [58) Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 59 Clunde Hope Crocus alatavicus The obder segments a1'e a faint Ca1'tridge B~tff al11wst completely covered with a fine sanding of Cin'IU1lWbon Drab that passes to Dm'k Pu,rple at the base of the tube; th e inner swrfaces a,re a grayish w hite warmed by th e color of th e outer s~(,1'fa.c e s. 60 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr., 1950 Clol£de H ope The flowers aTe abm~t fo ur inches tall, and al,nost bowl-shaped when open in th e S U11. In effect th ey a1'e golden yellow; by Ridg~vay, they a1'e C'ad1nium Orange fading to Orange with lighteT sta111ens, and no 1narkings of awy sod. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 61 Ch.: nde [-l ope (l'OC'US au:re'us su.lphwreus co1!.colol' The name gives the clu e to the color in th.is case t01' the plant is m enly a· paler v ersion of th e t'ype. In our case a m~~ch less vigorou.s plant as well. 62 THE NATIO AL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr., 1950 CIGlIde Hope Crocus balansae "F"om western Asia lVIinor" this ve'ry S11W ll jlowel'ed species has p'roven q'lltite traI1sitol'Y· The color is orange in effec t, by Ridgway between Cadmium, Yellow alld Light CadI1'11ibml, w ith th e bac!?s of the outer seg1'/'l e'n,ts d01'/?el1ed by WM"111 red browns, V al1dy!?e Brown to Bu,r'nt Ul11bcr, all of w hich l'ecalls water COlOI' da'),s. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 63 C/cl1£de Hope Crocus ba,lansa.e Z'Wannenberg The Z'Wal1/1e'nberg fon'N. d·iffers onl'y -in th.e dee per color 'Wh.ich -is Ca,d111iwm Orange. 64 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr. , 1950 Clallde Hope Croc~(s biflorus. One nev er feels sllre whether lhis pale lila.c CI'OCUS with featheri·ngs of lilac purple on the outer backs, is mO're lovely when open to the sun 01' closed to show the 1IJ!1.a/rl?ings. The stam,ens am,d pistil are h'ighly colO1'ed and the1'e 1:S a yellow marking at the base of the tube. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 65 Claude Hope Crocus bijiorus G!rgentcus This differs chiefl,)1 in the more stan'y for11L of th e ope'lI flower. 66 THE NATIO AL HORTICULTURAL IvIAGAZINE Apr., 1950 Cle:llde 11 ope C1'OC'llS bifion~s pusillus C. biflorlls /JI (s-illus, as this shows is la'rgely hiddeN -i'n the welte'r of lea,ves, the I~ illd of millor b('auly for which the cleve'r w1'iter ,invents a willlling ph1'ase 10 the later disappointment of the gGirdene1'. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 67 Claude J-J ope Crocus b'ijlorus Weide·ni This ~'ariet)J of biflorus is 10ng-flowe1'·ing and -its jlowe?'s have a slightly 11'1.0re brill'iant, warlll cr hu e of l·ilac washed ove?' the white. 68 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL :MAGAZINE Apr., 1950 Clal/de H ope Crocus bifiorus W cld eni albblS The favorite white in the ga1'den he1'e. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL IVIAGAZ INE 69 [(athleen Marriage Crocus chrysanthus, Ca1w1'y B'i1'd . One finds diffic?,£lties ill going into det(}jils about the many forms of Crocus chrysanth.?'£s. All are good things with fine constitL£tions, but they a1'e (e n masse' collector's flowers to be cherished f01' the beauties of the 11'Linutiae. 70 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL :,[ AGAZINE pr. , 1950 Claude I-1ope Crocus c h rysa l'lth~{s } E. P. Bowles Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 71 Claude Hope erOOtS chrysanthus, Snow Bird. 72 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr., 1950. Claude Hope Crocus ctruscus. To the visitors here, this looked very 1nuch like a large version of C. Sieberi which is no dispamgem.ent sinCl' the latter is one of the IM/e li est of crocuses. Essenti.ally pall' violet in effpct. Apr.. 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 73 Clallde H ope Crocus etrllscus Zwannenberg The Zwann e/'~b e rg form, is sa:id to d1Ifer chiefly in its da:rker color, but the perianth se.g·l'l'lents a.re , of a.. dijfere'nf form. and give the fio'wel' a dijfere'n.t car riagp a.nd character. 74 THE NATIO~AL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr. , 1950 Claude Hope Crocus Fleischeri , ,' C. Fleischeri p1'obably should be cOJ/sidered G;c .'l!Jitner-blooNI,ing species, for it tried to flower in J anua,ry and had t ,Q be 1'esc'Ued a11d put 1:11tO a cold ho·us.e" which aCCouNts for the very 1Il1,l/ alllra / background of bare eG1,th, Transit01'y, Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 75 Claude Hope C1'OCU.S 'i1nperati A not too flatter'ing pictu,re of the editor's favorite crocus, ca.fe au lait color withoHt, li'ned with p~(1'ple so da,1'k that it is al111wst inky, and a, delightful warm, pill !?ish violet within. 76 THE N AIra AL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI N E Apr., 1950 Claude Hope C roc~~s Sieberi The most prorific of all the species here, seeding almost as ab-u.nda.ntly as chick weed. The flowers looll incredibly fragil e but are quite tough and I'n.du,ring. The color is a p ~£r e pale lavender on the blu e side. A!,>r., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 77 Claude Hope C'rocu.s stella:ris In ge'/'leml effect thi,s might pass for a pale C. Sus,ianu.s, i.1, ifh a pale.r yellow. fo 'r the g1'olfnd colO'/' but l1well the same 0'u.te1' 'markings." 78 THE KATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr., 1950 Clallde Hope Croclls TOllwsinianus After C. Sieberi, tlie II cxt /JIost prolific ill seedlings and like that species tQ/,~gher alld 71I0re clldllring tha'l1 it lIlight look, War1'l'Le1' 7'n colo'r, Apr., 1950 THE NATION AL HORTICULTURAL lvIA GAZIN E 79 CIGl/ de H ope Cro cllS T OIIIQ sillioll/f,S, Ba.rr's Purple B01'r's plfrple is 711u ch li/?e th e t'ype ullf Q dee per color, of 0 fill e red pu,rple ~ '1iC{{_ 80 THE NATIONAL -HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI IE Apr., 1950 Cla1Uie Hope Crocus T011'lGsi11.ianus, T;f/hitewell Pur/Jle W lvil ewell Pur pie is like the last but deeper still in color and at'most as red a purple as one finds j'n the so-called 'Dj./fch C1' OC'U,s' ; the j01'111., howeve1'. is Sta.1'1"),. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 81 PORTFOLIO OF SPRING BULBS able reports as to how far south they (Continu,ed from page 58) have been planted. Virginia, North Carolina, further south in the higher theirs during the summer. In general Piedmont. but are there any coming it would seem here that those that had down to the sea level of the Gulf? One the Ieast in the way of ground covers would doubt that they would relish the have done better than those that have frequent rains of that area, or the often been slowly invaded. What the gentle more meager soil. balance must be here or elsewhere. is The ,section of the genus that is typi an individual problem. fi ed in the illustration of the first Within the span of their flowering shown, is the more commonly known here, the other spring bulbs such as and one that is worthy of considerably sci lias, chionodixas, the little H ya more attention, especially in the species cintlvus aZUlr'e·~tS, puschk-il'"ias, even some that are listed as almost black, as for of Mr. Bate's Iphei01'II, and other odds example M . latifoliwl1'1, with its delight and ends make an appearance as well, ful Concord grape colored basal flow but one has little chance of worry for ers and the few of almost azure color the crocus open to the sun and show at the top. the best effects on sunny days while The problems facing the cultivation the others must show as best they may, of grape hyacinths are problems for no matter the weather. the gardener to make. Once ir\. the There is no problem as to soil. It garden they are usually there forever. should be good, well drained, erring to In this region they are not quite as bad over drainage and poverty if there as the prolific Star-of-Bethlehem, Orni must be an error. Sunny sites insure tlwgalw/11/, um,bella,tu1111,.but nearly. The the bets opening of the flowers. The only enemy is shade, for here they will chief enemies are the rabbit.s that crop not persist long in summer shade, even the leaves. if Spring is bright. Definitely they are How far north the crocus can be not plants for the rock garden. used is not on record here, though it One ha,s to learn whether or not he has been reported that Mr. Skinner has cares about the species that make mops C. alata.vicus at Dropmore in Canada. of leaves in the autumn, that look un How far south they can go is quite an tidy before Spring, though they quick other matter for they are the sort of ly freshen and are soon hidden by thing that must have a winter chill for bl00m. (Possibly these species with flowering. autumn leaf growth are those for the If zephyral10thes did not flower on South to try first, as many bulbs for taller stems and come later, there would that area are those with leaves through be a chance to repeat the pattern of the winter.) the flower faces, but not the color For the gardener who cares about range, but since the South may grow the minor beauties, the forms of M. with plea.sure so many things that flow 11wschatus are delightful not so much er with a degree of safety during the for color as for scent. The colors are winter, it should not begrudge the drab enough in effect though interest North, that one aspect of Spring that ing for close examination, but the fra is peculiar to the scene. grance that is exhaled is quite unique The same problem is true for the and wiJ"l make the addition of one stalk Muscari, for there seem to be no avail- to a small nbsegay of other scentless 82 THE ) Clonde Hope Grape hyacinths, M uscatri armenMCU11'L Among the grape hya.cl: /l,t!7s that are not as 7nM.ch gro~~m as th ey well 1night be, this species gradually has ta/len the place of the bette7' for11'Ls of M. botryo£des a.nd now a.ccording to SOWLe w ill appealr only in its OW1'/, selected fo·rms. Apr. , }.9S0 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 83 Lilian A . CllenrSe}I NI uscari plUlIlOSLt7n The f1'ea.kish forms of the Plume hyacinth an frequently s Jl eered at b'y the k'J1owing, but are 'us~tally enjoyed by those who garden for th e. pleasure they fi 'nd i ii a g1'eat variety of pla nt forms. 8-1 THE NATIONAL HORTICULT 'RAL :-'IAt;AZI~E Apr., 1950 Lilian A . Guernsey .~If uscari phllllOSUI/1 1II0llstrOSIlln PossiMy now ill the time oj Dali and such, these forms will appe(Jjr fioatl>ng i ll the lIIi.d-heavens. alon{J 'C( ,it17 the assO?' ted bits oj unthought thoughts. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 85 Lilian A. G 1~e rnse~y M usca;r'i Pinardi This species is the grape hyaci'l1th that occas'io'I'w,1l3' caines to th e i1n po-rt m,(J,-rk et in the form, of bulbs for eating, an Ital1:an taste, Its pa.le b'b£ff colon with a sl1w,Zl bright violet plume of ste1'ile flowers is am. interesting bit in the early border. 86 THE NATIOI AL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Apr., 1950 Lilian A . Guerllsey NI USCG1'i M assayan'U11't Pushed aside in H ort ~(s as merely a form, it remains when Ol'te can get it a ra.ther nice thing' with more of cleG1' pink in the general coloring than the usual dull hues of these b~tl bs. Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 87 Lilian A. Guernsey Muscari sp. A doubtful pla1'1.t, never idel1tified by the taxonomists, alld included here 01 1ly to remil1d us a.ll that all has not yet been said for th e grape hyacinths. 88 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Apr., 1950 spring fl owers, a master stroke of com tions, ,b ut it does not matter greatl y position. once the procession is started. The It is only fair to confess, however, seedlings will vary slightly in hues but that in so far as I am aware, not one of none so far has been as deep in color t he many persons who have been given as the line introduced and so ld under sprigs of the Musk Hyacinth a·s it is the name of 'Sibirica Spring Beauty.' called, in my garden, and who have This is indeed the old delphinium blue made the apparently proper sounds of of the delphiniums that we once knew praise, - no t one. has ever been found before they became sprinkled over with who bought bulbs later fo r thei r own mauve and lavender and prune and gardening. purple, fo rgetting their unique heritage Under adversity. meaning in general of blu eness in the green-blue categori es. lack of annual tending, the Musk hya This line is to be commended. The cinth is the first to disappear here, fo l white fo rm is lovely enough, but one lowed by the Plume hyacinths and does not yearn for w hite as much as their allies, with the least lovely of the later in the season. grape hya,cinths the most persistent. Earlier than any is Scilla Tubergel'1:i These last in this garden are poor, in fact so early here that it is sometimes small forms of M. botryoides, raised caught by frosts -that ruin not only the from seed from many places in the as rising fl ower stalks but the leaf tips. yet vain search fo r seed or bulbs of any T he blooms which are large are of that species of B ellevalia, the closely. allied aquamarine character that one finds genus; perhaps as uninteresting as only in the later flowering ally, Pusch some of the species of Hyacinths that kiwia. sC1:lhoides or libarnotica as you have been had! For the two genera that give us the will. How far south one might have to greatest amount of 'blue' colors, name go to avoid this, or how far north, is your own guess. ly Scilla and Chionodoxa one cannot say as much in detail, but it would be a Here S 6lla bifoha usuall y considered poor garden of small bulbs that did not as autumn fl oweri ng blooms with the boast a place where these had taken main group, a very small thing of deep over as natives might do, seeding and and slightly purplish blue, that is effec making colonies at will. In my own tive only in masses or else sprigged garden this is done far more freely by over a larger area, one by one. Like Scilla sibilrica than by any other, and S. s1:bi1'1:ca it seeds freely. seedlings of every age gather and T.he chionodoxas, here have never spread about t he now old bulbs first seeded quite as freely as the scillas, but planted, if indeed any of them still sur seed they do and their progenies spread vive. This means, of course, that that out over the area in ever increasing portion of the garden is far from weed circles. Here one has the porcelain ed in the earliest spring but it does not blues as compared ,to the scilla blues tell that it si nks into a sopt of woodland set off in all cases save in S. Sardensis weediness as summer advances, with by a white eye. The careful nursery no large weeds but a small litter of men have isolated and increased a few grass and other not strongly competi in w.hich the blue has given place to tive things. It would be impossible to 'pink' but you may have them as you suggest how long it may take from may have the pink forms of the later seed to flowering under these condi- S d lla cam.p(JJnu.la,ta. Rhododendron Notes CLEMENT GRAY BOWERS, Editor Observatio,tls on Br'btish Rhododen for two days. After this, there were drons three one-day excursions out of Lon don by coach to visit neighboring In the spring of 1949 an important estates and collections in Surrey and conference on rhododendrons was held Sussex. This was followed by a special in England. This meeting was spon ly arranged tour of British collections, sored by the Rhododendron Group of which consumed ten days more and the Royal Horticultural Society-suc covered over a thousand miles in the cessor to the old Rhododendron Asso South and West Country by motor ciation of England. It had previously coach. For the Americans, this was been scheduled for 1940, but was de an unexampled treat, not only because ferred for nine years because of war of the wealth of plant materials and and war's aftermath. This report is gardens encountered, but because of written by one of the very few Ameri the associations made and the warm cans who atten.ded. and gracious hospitality of our British Rhododendrons and azaleas are very hosts upon every occasion. Some 72 important in the minds of British ama persons took .the tour and there were teurs, and many of the bigwigs of horti three motor coaches. Aboard each coach culture are specialists with these plants. was a plant expert from the R.H.S. The English climate permits them to and a trained courier-guide from 0"0 in for Himalayan and Chinese spe- b . Thomas Cook & Son. These specialists cies in a large way. Nowhere 111 North were able to point out all features of America !Can similar conditions be interest along our way. We were usu found except on our West Coast. This ally fortunate in having perfect weather reporter comes from a cold region in throughout. A considerable time was the East, comparable to New England, spent in Cornwall, and we crossed where subzero temperatures prevail in North Wales in order to reach Bod winter and only the "ironclads" sur nant, Lord Aberconway's estate. vive. This circumstance probably colors I shall not catalogue the places vis his judgment. ited or the plants seen. A full record The details of the conference can be appears in the R.H.S. Rhododendron briefly told. The events began on April Year Book for 1949. Rather, I wish 26th with a great rhododendron show to appraise the values, actual and po in the Royal Horticultural Society's tential, of the British Rhododendron Hall on Vincent Square in London, a effort over the last Century as it relates series of lectures by notable speakers ,to the present and future rhododendron an.d a banquet. The show was pre cult of Eastern North America. viewed by Queen Elizabeth, and is re puted to have been the best rhodod.en British gardeners started with Amer dron show ever held. It was most Im ican rhododendrons and azaleas for the pressive, with hundreds of different most part. About one hundred years species and varieties filling the large ago they began to draw away from us exhibition hall and anterooms to ca as exotic species, growable in England pacity. These London meetings lasted but unhardy in the eastern United [89] 90 T H E NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE A pr., 1950 States, began i11tering in from the O ri the botanical species were grouped into ent. H ybri ds were produced. and some their proper "seri es," so one could sur of the brig ht color of our present hardy vey each series and get an idea of its Catawba hybrids came from such E ng whole range. Some later-blooming li sh sources as the \ i\T aterer crosses. fo rms were evidently forced under But many more were produced which glass to make them bloom in tihle for were definitely tender in America. exhibition. The hybrids ·covered a tre Gradually their numbers inc reased, and mendous range and many were quite the prestige of the hardier fo rms dete spectacular, such as t he large yellow riori ated in E ngland to such an extent FaJco1 ~ eri hybrid call ed F ortuHe, whi ch that those so rts whi·ch are considered rated as the best rhododendron in the best in New E ngland today are con show in the judges' opinion. sidered obsolete in Old E ngland and This brings up another point of im unwo rthy of being grown in British portance as regards the complete horti gardens. As additional new species ·cultural merit of some of the "best" hy have been in troduced into E ngland, brids in Britain-those having Awards most of them have also been tried in of Merit and multi-star ratings ill the A meri ca, but with few exceptions have handbooks. Some of these, like F or proved inherently unsuited for E astern tune, are fanciers' productions, growing A merica conditions. O n our W est in mild climates, such as in Cornwall , Coast, they do well. where palms and auracari as thrive out Literall y hundreds of Asiatic rhodo doors. These are not commercial va dendron species grow in Britain. Many rieties at all, for they will not grow in of these are gorgeous. Some of the hy average gardens, even in England. I brids are still more beautiful. O n the am not adverse t o giving awards to other hand, among the botani,cal spe superi or varieties, wherever they may cies, there are perhaps a dozen medi occur, but in making comparisons we ocre kinds to everyone of outstanding must always take account of their limi beauty. Gradually, I believe, the less tations, too. In American contests I attractive sorts are being pushed into hav·e known good varieties , well adapted the di scard, while the best . species, and to the local conditions, to be discredited particularly the superior individuals by the judges because they did not p os ~ withi n those species, are gaining the se~s so many merit stars in the E ngli sh ascendancy. Variation within species is handbook as an inferior competitor. consi derable, and it is to be noted that K nowledge of where they grow best, certain species contain fin e, rare forms and for what purposes, should be that may be qu-i te distinct from the ·coupled with their merit ratings if we rather mediocre run-of-the-mill exam are .to make a perfectly fair evaluation. ples that arise from mixed seed. This In comparing the value of species in is particularly true of such species as Britain and America, or as between the R. A ugustiwii- -the "blue" rhododen W est Coast and the East Coast of this dron-where only ·certain individuals continent, it should be noted that the are truly notable and the rest are poor. behavior of any given kind may vary The increasing signifi cance of the clone, markedly with the ecological conditions rather than of the species as a whole, - climate, soil, etc. F or example, in is the most outstanding fact about E ngland all the plants I saw of our them. R hododendron caroli7Via1'f,Um were 111i s At the rhododendron show, most of ·erable things and utterly unrepresenta- Apr., 1950 THE NATIO AL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 91 tive of the rather beautiful display that ciety's W isley Gardens and those at the that species can make in our East. O n E diburgh Botanical Garden. These are the other hand, R. DaV'idson-ial/f/(U1IJ1{)" much more up-to-date and considerably which makes a very poor showing on more interesting than the rhododen Long Island, was t ruly lovely in Eng dron dell at Kew Gardens which carry land. Obviously, the merits of R. c(])YO a prepondeilance of the varieties of fifty linia.nu.111, cannot be correctly evaluated years ago. in E ngland. On private estates, such as Exbury, Har·diness is another term that is the de Rothschild place in Hampshire, evaluated differently in Britain than in or at Lord Aberconway's in Wales, the Eastern United States. W inter good natural conditions enha nce the temperatures in Britain are not low as value of the rhododendrons. T he oak compared with t hose of New E ngland, woodlands-sort of an open oak grove but spring frosts persist equally late. -at Exbury a re nearly perfect, as, T here was a killing frost in London indeed, they are also at Bodnant, Tow last May 12th-while I was there-aft er Co urt, Leonardslea, Caerhays, Pen er many fl owers had bloomed and the jer6ck and many other places we vis Rhododendron Show was past. This ited. T his makes for good backgrounds did not kill the plants, but it ruined all as well as superb growing conditions. flower buds that were not frost-resist It is noteworthy, however, that even in ant. Hence, frost-resistant of fl ower these seemingly perfect natural settings buds is a criterion of hardiness in E ng where native rhododendron soil pre land, instead of minimum winter tem vails, the best gardeners bring in still peratures which, in New E ngland, con more peat and add it to the soil. Fur stitute our means of measuring hardi thermore, they repleni sh it periodically. ness. I fo und evidence of this same thing Cultural conditions fo r rhododen almost pure peat soil enriched with fe r drons are excellent in the South of tile humus-in the Dutch nursery beds England and all along the West Coun at Boskoop, H olland, where the rhodo try to Scotland. I am told that the dendrons and azaleas were growing VI/est Coast of Scotland is very mild lustily. In the light of this evidence, indeed and te nder varieties will grow plus prior observations of pure peat in there beatl tifully. T he East side of the rhododendron beds at Rochester, England is a different story. T here the N . Y, I am led to believe that one can- people have difficulti es with the climate, . not use too much peat (or si milar ma even when they fix the soil. T he whole terial) in the growing of these plants. coun try is only about as large in area In the eyes of a hybridist, the good as New York State. T he commercial new species of rhododendron in Britain growers are seeking valrieties which' offer great possibilities fo t"t he improve will grow over a wide range of condi ment of A merican races. T his does not tions, hence they lean toward the old imply that we shall have rhododendrons W aterer types, but the kinds they have like those of E ngland except on our produced, like the beautiful red Britan West Coast. But it does mean that cer nia, are still not reliably hardy in our tain good, new "bl oQ d" is available for Northeast. the improvement of our "ironclad" Of the collections which are on p ub Eastern species, such as R . 1awxim.u111/" lic view, I would place in the forefront R. Ca.tatWbiense and R. car 0 linia11u.111 , those ' at- the Royal Horticultural So- a long time but feasible work. . 92 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL ~vIAGAZINE Apr:, 1'950' It \Va;; 111 Cornwall that we saw old gions, for the Ghent azaleas are funda plants of Rhododendron Grrb01'eu'/ll , mentally American in "blood" and, about sixty feet tall and as much in when grown on their own roots, our diameter, covered with trusses of bright deciduous azaleas can endure a lot of red fl owers from top to bottom-an im cold. At Edinburgh, large beds of vari pressive sight. There we saw also cer colored Ghent hybrids were interplant tain tree rhododendrons, such as R. ed with the English wild squill or blue Faicon.eri, with si ngle stems or trunks bell (Scilla nuta,ns) , as is sometimes' a foot or more across. I am told that done in tulip beds, which gave a de when these trees are cut down the lightful complementary undertone of plants to not "break" again at the base blue to the color effect of the planting .. from adventitious buds as do the shrub I am convinced that we in New Eng by sorts. There is only one stem, and land and the North can do almost as when that is removed the plant is fin W\ell as the English with deciduous ished. azaleas if we will only learn the right The alpine and rock-garden rhodo kinds to use and propagate them by dendrons are seen at their best in the layerage, as in England, or by seeds. Royal Botanical Garden at Edinburgh, A final impression that I derived Scotland, where the world's largest col from the newer species of rhododen-· lection of these plants reside. There dron in Britain is that. judging by the are literally hundreds of different spe great amount of variation among indi-· cies, beautifully planted and maintained. vidual seedlings, some forms will even their colors covering the whole range tually be sorted out which, without hy of rhododendron hues, from almost bridization, will themselves be much blue through lilac, purple, pink, red and hardier than the " run of the mill'" yellow to white. Several are most at which we have been trying. This gives tractive. Some are truly unique. The me hope that forms will arise among colors of many of them are very re some groups which can safely endure petitive. however, especially the great Eastern American conditions. We can preponderance which are lilac-colored find these, not by following British ex and otherwise somewhat unattractive. amples, but by making our own, and Many of these, in my opinion, wi ll this is already being done in certain never get far in the horticultural trade. quarters with signs of success. A fine Deciduous azaleas in Britain are ex demonsration is the work of the late cellent. Kurumes seem to do well in NIL C. O. Dexter on Cape Cod with some places, and there are some others torms of the Fortunei Series. of that sub-series. But I saw nothing The British are magnificient gar abroad to compare with the famous deners and are aided by a congenial azalea gardens of our Lower South, or climate and a garden-minded public. our Kaempferi azaleas or our Glenn Without one single native British spe Dale hybrids. In England the big show cies, the rhododendrons of the world is produced by the Ghent and Molli s have gone to Britain and fl ourished like hybrids, and these were truly wonder the proverbial rabbits of Australia. If ful, particularly Slocock's new im another rhododendron tour, like that proved forms of Knap Hill deciduous of 1949, is ever offered, I can recom azaleas. These were better than any mend it heartily to my rhododendron thing I saw in Holland. This is very minded countrymen. heartening to us who li ve in cold re- CLEMENT GRAY BOWERS. The Gardener's Pocketbook {;; N otes 01~ the Pal'J1I/,s ,Serenoa. is a I~lonot~pic genus, the 2, Saw Palwtetto Sel'enoa l'epel'1S sl11gle speCIes, now known as S. rep ens, Small being a highly variable palm of O" re garious habit, which forms very l:rge Perhaps the commonest of all native and thIck colonies. Typically the plants palms in Florida is the handsome and are virtually without trunks, though in interesting Saw Palmetto, a plant whose certain phases the caudex may reach a distribution ranges from the lower part height of as much as 7 meters, and the ,of South Carolina and southeastern plant superficially resembles a slender Mississipp~ to the Florida Keys, and species of Sa-bal. In the acaulescent form whose vanances often cause both the the caudices are frequently branching casual plantsman and taxonomist seri as they creep along the ground, so that ous difficulties, Due to the noble efforts they form a tangled mass, with the leaf of Dr. L. H. Bailey, dean of contempo crowns rising a:bove them ,to form an rary palm students, the nomenclatorial almost impenetrable thicket. These problem of this palm has at last been palm colonies are a favorite haunt of straightened out, and a few notes con snakes, particularly the highly ven cer~ing it, with the accompanying illus emous rattlesnake, and should always tratIOn, may be of interest to readers of be entered with extreme caution during thi-s serial. hot weather, when the reptiles are The palm which we know as Serenoa prone to take cover in the copious repens Small (in ]OURN. N. Y. BOT. shade. GARD.27 (1926) 197) was originally The palmate attractive leaves are of described by William Bartram in 1791 three color variants, so that a large (TRAVELS, 61) under the names colony will seem to be composed of ,C orypha rep ens and C. obliqua. In 1803 three .different palms; bright glossy Micha~x (FL. BOR--AMER. 1 :239) green I'S the most frequent hue, with a ,called It Ch.aIJllUJ;e1'OPS serrulata, and in pretty yellowish-green and handsome 1830 Schultes and Schultes (SYST. bluish-glaucous color the less common VEG. 7 :1486) gave the name S(T;bal ones. The leaves are more or less or serrulata to our plant. Further syno bicular in general outline, and usually nyms which have accrued are Bmhea slightly less than a meter across. The serrulata 'Wendland (lin K~rchove, slender generally spiny-margined pe PALMIERS (1878) 235), and Sere tioles are connected at the greatly en noa serrulata Nicholson (ILL. DIeT. larged base with a complex brown or GARD.3 (1887) 423) ; the last-named reddish-brown web of ,fibers which com being the nomen by which this palm is often and erroneously called even to pletely clQaks the upper portion of the day. The original generic name (dedi rough trunk. Usually the leaf-segments cated to Sereno Watson) was given by are stiffly spreading, though certain Dr. ] . D . Hooker (in Benth. & Hook., forms are encountered in which they are GEN: PL. 3 (1883) 926) as Serenaea, somewhat drooping; they number from ' but later in the same volume of that nine to a dozen on each side of the leaf epic work on the kinds of plants (p. and measure about 3 cm across basall/ 1228), the name's orthography was The inflorescences of Serenoa r epens ·corrected. usually do not exceed the foliage, and [93J 94 THE NATIO AL HORTICULT URAL MAGAZI NE Apr., 1950 Hank Yotmg T he write?' examining a flowering clump of the Saw Palw/'etto (Serenoa repens S7nall), at the Fai'rc hild Tropical Ga1'den, Coconu ,t G7'ove, F lO1--ida. consist of a single reddish-brown main black or blui sh frui ts about 2.5 C111 axis about a meter in length which long and 1. 5 cm in diameter which are gives rise to numerous lateral clusters, edible, and are greatly reli shed by bi rds all of wh i'ch parts are covered by loose and small ani mals. Each fruit contains sheathi ng bracts. These side clusters a single light brown seed about 1.8 cm in turn are composed of numerous long which is smooth and rather dull in fuzzy rachillae whi ch bear a large num appearance. ber of fragrant, singularly attractive The genus Serenoa is easily distin flowers, and are generally sharply guished from the alli ed Sabal Adanson drooping in nature. T he blossoms are (FAM. PLANT. 2 ( 1763) 495) by almost always sessile, about 6 mm in several characters: the leaf-petioles are length, and pale yellowish-whi te in typically armed with spines in Se1'enoa, color. T he petals, which refl ex upon and unarmed in Sabal; the leaf-blades opening, exceed the tubul'ar toothed possess a midrib in the latter genus; calyx slightly, and are in turn exceecled and the fruits of Se1'enoa are oblong, by the stamens and pistil. T hese fl ow not globular or pyriform as in Sabal, ers are fo lJ owed by highly variable and are di stinctly pul py, whereas the Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 95 other genus bears only scant pulp, en that is "germinations at any time of the closed within a papery shell. year within a period of four to six The Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, weeks when sown under normal con is among the most typical plants of ditions," (In my experience it often many regions in the Southeastern takes much less than fo ur weeks.) United States, where its immense co Delayed germination. "Germination lonial aggregations frequently cover delayed for several months to a definite acres, with many thousands of individ period of the year when sowed under ual specimens li ving in close proximity. standard conditions." It is a handsome sma ll palm, and is These are the lilies whose germina readil y transplanted in to cultivation, tion I have found to be epigeal and im where it t hrives under almost all cul mediate. All the trumpets (regale, Sa1' tural conditions. gel~tiae, centifoliU1'JIL, F o 1'1%OS(JfJ1Ul11" Alex D. Hawkes vV alliC'hiaJN~£m, longifionm/' and their Co::on L1 t Grove, Florida. hybrids), T. H . Havemeyer seedlings and AureJian seedli ngs, all the Asiatic Notes 011 th e B ehavior of Lily Seeds Martagons I have tried (pw/1f/,ilull/11, and In a world daily growing more com its varieties, D £.cI'LMtrei, Ce1'JlLUU11/11" cal phcated and where few things are losum., (JfJ'1'ldJbile, lVIaxil%owiczi:i, X Max really what they seem, an apology is wi ll, Davidii-W-illmottiae, H enryi, ti due for departing from the comfortable, grinum when fertilized with Maximo fam iliar listing of lily seeds as " quick" wiczii or u.1%bellatul%. The upright con and "slow" germinators, never-the-less COlO1' and Dauric'bm~ fronl. Asia, but not here are the observati ons of one ama their neighbor of like fo rm Tsingta~£ teur over a period of more than ten ense, surprisingly the American upright years. The sc ientific definitions are bor Philadelphio£11'[. though that is not its rowed from Mr. Comber's article in the reputati on and the other Americans are Lily Year Book of The Royal Horti hypogeal. The strange exotic N epa cultural Society for 1949 (page 86 et tense. seq.), the list of lili es observed is my The germination of Lihum cGlndid'll1111/, own. is always epigeal and usually delayed, First of the definitions: "Epigeal but a lily domesticated for so many Genn-ina.tion" corresponds more or less thousand years has lost its stable habit. toO "qui ck" in our seed catalogues. " Here PY1'enaio£l% and p011liJ.pOni££1% are truly the cotyledon absorbs food from the epigeal and delayed, I have never been endosperm of the seed, elongates rapid able to procure seeds of chalcedonicum ly, appears above ground, becoming true to name. The C a1'd1:ocrinul1'/'s are green and leaf like, frees itself from the epigeal and delayed but wi ll not be remains of the seed and takes on the reckoned among lilies J1luch longer. functions of a leaf. " Subject to hypogeal and probably " H ypogeal G er11'lJvna.tio-n." "The coty immediate germination, since they re ledon remains in the seed, under quire no cooling··off peri od before groulld, transfers the food from the en showing top-growth, are all vari eties dosp€rm .' to the hypocotl, and there of. speciosu.1'1'/, except pu.nctat£.l%, 11'I,ona forms· a tiny bulb from ' the center of delphMln and its ally Szp.vitsianU1%, the ·which emerges the first true leaf." Mq.rtagons proper (the type) albul'JIL, These two main categories have two wta.n,ia,{!>, and Daill1'[,[], tic'lI£1%i ~lb 'Ul11/, is no modificatioO ns. Immediate germination, ticeably quicker) , some at least of the 96 THE NATIONAL H ORTI CULTURAL MAGAZI NE Apr., 1950 California mountain lili es such as K el bul b scales; the arrangement o-E leaves; loggii, P(};rryi, Washingtonian11£1n; from variation in the weight of seeds and the experi ence I cannot speak of pa'l' way they germi nate. dalil7bWIII. but its offspring the Belling W hat will thi s revolution accom ham hybrids make their leaves quickly. pli sh.? For one thing, it should give Hypogeal and normally much de hybridizers an :indicati on of ' whi ch layed are all varieties oE GfbWatu'l'JIi , 'rubel crosses are nl:on~ likely to succeed, tbe hml., japoniCu,111 though once I heard p rogeny of two dosely rdated species japo'i'llic'Wm described as both qui,ck and is usually graceful, vigorous and fertile; easy, a statement in complete contra still , Lysenko is not the only advocate diction to my experience and all that I of wide crossing and the perennial op ever read 0 11 the sub ject but made by a ti mi st wi ll always try improbable com voice not easily disregarded; one of the binations, someti mes with spectacular speciosums, variety p·u.nctat1£111; cana resul ts. It is interesting that Dr. F . L. dense, Gmyi, SUp e1'bu 111, H umboldtii. Skinner's seri es of PhiladelphicUlm 111Liclviganense; ts'i·ngt(};uense. dau1'1:c1w1 1 hybri. ds represent the only T here are many lilies oE which I can thoroughly authenbcated cross between not speak usuall y because I have not an A meri can lily and a species from fo und seeds, sometimes because I have Asia. So remote geographi cally both not gotten round to tryi ng them. Soon these lili es germinate epigeally and im I hope to know about lI'l.edeolo·id'es, mediately; philadelplvicU.111 with the b·u,lbifenmL, more of the Cali fornians, possible exception of its obscure ally, Balw1'ianu11t. A highly appreciated gift Catesbei is the only A merican species of some of Dr. Rock's recent seed col to do so. H anso'i'lii is indiffe rent to the lection in China consists entirely of pollen of its neighbor tS1:ng ta:L£e1'I;Se but epigeal and immediate kinds but their has di stingui shed descendants by the identi ty is concealed under numbers. fa r-away European Martagons. Some Balkan species are hi dden behi nd Types of gerrnination are not related the iron curtain . Had anyone ever had to present-day climates, all can be viable seeds of Lili·u,1'Il H ansoni? fo und in the nati ve lili es of a little T he hyb ri ds usually conform to the country like Japan, but what of the seed parent but come to li fe more re mysti,cal subject, the origi n and di stri luctantly : u11lLbeUatu1% is thought to be bution of species? Do we catch a a hybrid and is poor and erratic in ger glimpse of remote ages when Asia and mination with me, seeds from the F i America were one, and the same alpine esta hybrids behave even worse, but fl ora fl ourished on the Pyrenees and tig1' im£11'L - da~wicu111' crosses are full oE the Himalayas? vitality; at the moment a pan of seeds ALIDA LIVINGSTON fro m a 1nonadelph u.1I/IL -candidu111, cross Oyster Bay, N. Y. shows characteristi·cs intermediate to both parents. Noles of Florida Plants T he standard classificati on of lili es is In the last issue of the magazin e, based on the shape of the fl owers their 'Pages 41-46 for which there were no most conspicuous but may be their least more th'an capti ons, M.r. Loomis who significant feature. It is likely that ,took the excellent pictures, sends the soon there will be a new classification fo llowing notes in reply to the editor's taking account of more revealing family plea. characteri stics, such as the shape of Tetmzygi.a bicol01' is one of the few .Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 97 R. L. Taylor ( See page 98) Deutzia .. M agicien" 98 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Apr., 1950 Melastems native in the U. S. It grows well adapted to the site. T he leathery in profusion in the rocky pineland fo liage is described in the specific name. south of thi s Garden where it makes a T he fl oweri ng season was from De shrub or small tree, and has been used cenJber through January wit h clusters locally as an ornamental shrub. the of ' ripe fruit remaining on the vine panicles of fl owers showing all the from March through June. year with the main fl oweri ng in early Na·ude(]) escul e1 ·~taJ) a large-l eaved summer. T he fl owers are fo llowed by vine-like shrub lO r small tree required bla-ck fruits much sought after by birds. considerabl e room for full development I notice that in the DeCandolle r,efer De'utzia "Magicien. " (See page 97.) ence, the underside of the leaves is During the peri od w hen Lemoine spoken of as golden ; in ours it is silver was working with the deutzias, a time rather than gold. It is an excell ent after the then newly introduced West grower fo r us. Chi nese species came into ct11ti vation, Our two s·peci mens of C011'l,bretum n'1any named clones were selected and S1neath11wnnii were killed by the hur some came into commeFcial channels. ri cane of 1945 when inundated by sea Among the species themselves, very water. The plants seemed well adapted fe w introduced by the Division of to thi s region but apparently cou1d not P lant E xploration and Introduction stand that rough treatment. The fl ow proved to be cold hardy enough to ers are not so striking as in other mem warrant general propagation, with seri bers of t he genus such as C. grandi ous dying back to the ground each W ilq~ ftora) coc6neaf) farinosa) etc., being, as ter. Since even the most hardy deut I recall them, small amI yell owish-green zias are likely to lose the tips of all but fo llowed by rather striking seed new growths in winter and present a po ds. It bloom.ed in March and April. shabby aspetc in Spring, these more Gu.aiacum officin.ale while native tender plants were not worked over. throughout the West Indi es grows After the very mild winter of 1949- well here fl owering annuall y in May 50, a number are fl owering very well when the bushes or small trees tIn t on such branches as survive d and represent it here are completely cov among them the hybrids of D. longi ered with light blu e fl owers, fo llowed folia Franch . of which we figure here by orange-yellow fruits produced in "Magicien. " No printed record has showy abundance. T he foliage appears been fo und of the other parent. not to :be attacked by any disease or D . longifolia itself is described as a insects and the plants are used both shrub up to 7 feet wi th the usual ex for fl owering and fo liage effects. T he foliating bark and roughi sh leaves; the exceedingly hard wood contains a nat rather large fl owers are des·cribed as ural oil t hat makes it parti,cularly use "tinted light purple." ful fo r shi ps' bearings bei ng better than "Magicien" here grows only moder any metal or othew wood since it is ately well under the nursery condi self-lubricating a11 d not affected by sea tions. with defi nitely unright growth to water. 5 feet and with co rymbs as shown in Tournefortia scabm. Our s in g I e the natural 'sized photograph. The plant of this species was also a victim fl owers that open widely, show as a of the 1945 hurricane. It had grown tinted whi te, the warmth coming from as a dense gray-green vi ne on one of the under color of dull pinki sh purple the supports on the 'Fill ' and seemed on the reverse of the petals. The color Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 99 R . L. TWJ' lor (See page 100J Spiraea trichocarjJa .,; " i ( 1 ~ ~: ... ' 100 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Apr., 1950 effect on the shrub is greater since the one-third natural size, was raised fro111 color of the unopened buds is the same seed bought from the late T. D . H at but appears deeper in tone. field of Wellesley, Mass. If this plant and its sister seedli ng Contraste woul d grow more happily kiagN,oha WilsOJli 1' (Fin. & Gagnep.) further south and nat di splay too many Rehd. (See page 101. ) of the less happy characteristics of T hi s fin e plant that Mr. Sawada many deutzias, the general shabbiness mentions on page 57 was purchased except at fl oweri ng time, they would several years ago from M r. Carl Eng make a great contribution with more li sh, J r. , and planted in Mississippi color than in any deutz ia commonl y where it promptly died and here out cul tivated. side of Washington, D . C , where it is Sp'iraea t?'ichoca.rpa Nakai. (See page now flowering. According to R ehder 99.) it was introduced into cultivati on in 1908. He cites P late 9004 in Curtis Althoug.h in texts at least, thi s Ko Tean species does not stand close to Botanical Magazine and a 1923 note the familiar Van Houtte spirea, the in Revue H orticole. gardener can eas,ily visualize the bush Since it belongs to the group with habit if he recalls the fi ne fountain-like lVI. Sieboldii K. K och, lVI , obova,ta carriage of the latter. Like it, the bush Thun., lVI . globosa H ook. & Thoms. it grows to about 6 feet with an even would be interestililg to see the entire g reater spread. group. T he leaves that are longer and more T he photograph was taken on June suggestive of those of S . ca.?'btoniensis fi rst but the plant had been in fl ower in style if not in color, do not suggest fo r several weeks and there are fl ow those of Van Houtte's plant. T he ers still to come. This late fl oweri ng fl owers are borne along the overarch presents a great a-dvantage over the ing stems in m uch the same fashion most welcome but hazardous early and are freely produced after the sec blooming of the hliflora and denudata -o nd year on each new shoot. The pet groups. als are not quite pure white and this with the green that shows through the The photograph gives a good pres inflorescence, g i v e s a slightly less entation of the fl ower in natural size. snowy look to the bush. The color is white, set off by the cen Here the advantage of the KoreatJ tral mass of stamens and pistils. The plant over the others is its somewhat latter, the mass of carpels are Pale later fl owering, so that it is rarely Yellow Green ; the stamen circle is -caught even by a very late frost. more showy as the anthers (unopened) This plant was given great advertis are Rose P ink. ing about twenty-five years ago and The fl ower is scented, with a fra -one wonders what has befallen the grance that is undefinable but distinc plants then sold. T hat shown in the ti ve among that of the magnolias known picture, in a fl owering branch at about to the w riter, Apr., 1950 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 101 R. L. Taylor (See page 100 ) Magnolia Wilsonii 102 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Apr., 1950 Kathleell Marriage For no reason that the edi,tor now C ol'l'l.ill.g. knows the cut above was mi slaid when The report is that the work on and the magazine was being made up and for the long expected "azalea" issue is beginning to take sha.pe. The editor whil e it should be in the January pages was able to get this year a photograph with Mrs. Marriage's artide, rather of R. Nla1~iesii) one more member of than omit it entirely. it is here as a the series to which R. reticulatu111, be lively postscript for the whole, a re longs. minder tha.t we perhaps fo rget the na There seems to be a sure promis.e tive beauties at hand in our search for that January 1951 will bring a wonder ful issue devoted to penstemons under the exotic and the unknown. Apologies the leadership of the American Penste- are due to M rs. Marriage and to the 111 0n Society. Mrs. Edward Bahb is Fendlera itself. that are gladly written. the energeti,c and gifted Secretary. The American Horticultural Society I NVITES to membership all persons who are interested in the develop ment of a great national society that shall serve as an ever growing center for the dissemination of the common knowledge of the members. There is no requirement for membership other than this and no reward beyond a share in the development of the organization. For its members the society publishes THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE, at the present time a quarterly of increasing importance among the horticultural publications of the day and destined to fill an even larger role as the society grows. It is published during the months of January, April, July and October and is written by and for members. Under the present organization of the society with special committees appointed for the furthering of special plant projects the members will receive advance mate rial on narcissus, tulips, lilies, rock garden plants, conifers, nuts, and rhodo dendrons. Membership in the society, therefore, brings one the advantages of membership in many societies. In addition to these special projects, the usual garden subjects are covered and particular attention is paid to new or little known plants that are not commonly described elsewhere. The American Horticultural Society invites not only personal member ships but affiliations with horticultural societies and clubs. To such it offers some special inducements in memberships. Memberships are by the calen dar year. The Annual Meeting of the Society is held in Washington, D. C., and members are invited to attend the special lectures that are given at that time. These are announced to the membership at the time of balloting. . The annual dues are five dollars the year, payable in advance; life membership is one hundred dollars; inquiry as to affiliation should be ad dressed to the Secretary, 821 Washington Loan and Trust Building.