On the History of the Introduction of Woody Plants Into North America
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On the History of the Introduction of Woody Plants into North America Al fred Rehder This is one of the very few popular articles that Alfred Rehder ever wrote. While initially written in English in the early 1930s, it was never published because American horticultural magazines considered it too technical. Faced with this rebuff, Rehder published the article in Germany in 1932. In 1936, the Arboretum librarian, Miss Ethelyn M. Tucker, translated the article back into English for publication in the National Horticultural Magazine. While our knowledge of the history of the introduction of plants has increased considerably since Rehder’s time, this work is still of value because it provides a firm foundation for future studies. The introduction of North American woody at since pioneers in a strange land have a hard plants into Europe has been treated frequently, struggle for existence and are forced to seek while of the introduction of woody plants first to assure for themselves the necessities from other countries into North America of life, and only with increasing wealth and almost nothing has as yet been written. It security of possessions do they find leisure to will, therefore, be appropriate to give here a think of beautifying their surroundings. brief sketch as to when and how foreign and The first fruit tree introduced into the New also western American woody plants reached World was the peach, which as early as the the gardens of eastern North America, as well 16th century was brought into Florida by the as to mention the earliest and the most impor- Spaniards; from there it spread west and north tant gardens and arboreta. and was planted by the white settlers as well The history of the introduction of ligneous as by the Indians. The introduction of woody plants into North America may be divided plants in the North began in the first half of into three periods, the first of which embraces the 17th century. The first account of this we the time from the arrival of the first European find in Josselyn (New England Rarities Dis- settlers up to the middle of the 18th century. covered, published in 1672; and Account of This period is characterized by the fact that Two Voyages to New England in 1638 and the introduction of European woody plants is 1663, published in 1674) where he mentions restricted chiefly to fruit trees and other use- the apple, pear, quince, cherry, plum, and bar- ful plants with the addition of but a few berry as thriving in New England; he men- ornamental shrubs. This is not to be wondered tions also Salvia of ficinalis and remarks that Artemisia abrotanum, rosemary, and lavender Volume 6(4, 5): 13-23, 1946. were not suited to the climate of New 24 England, which shows that their introduction garden stand today, preserved in their original was attemnted, but was successful only in the form. The second man is Robert Prince. who southern states. Of ornamental shrubs he in the year 1730 founded a nursery in Flush- mentions only the rose. We can, however, be ing, Long Island, which has been managed almost certain that some other ornamental continuously through five generations of the shrubs, such as the lilac, snowball (Viburnum same family. Although in the beginning opulus f. roseum) and box had already in the intended only for the raising of fruit trees, the second half of the 17th century been found management gradually broadened to include here and there, as in the garden of Van Cort- ornamental trees and shrubs, and since 1793 landt in Croton on Hudson established the nursery has been continued under the shortly after 1681, and in that of Peter name Linnean Botanic Garden. From the cata- Stuyvesant in New Amsterdam (New York) logues which were issued it is evident what which was established somewhat earlier; but foreign trees and shrubs were in commerce at as to what other plants these gardens may that time; from the catalogue of 1790 the fol- have contained we have no knowledge. The lowing plants may be mentioned, though only sources of information concerning the garden the English names are given: Cotinus cog- plants of this period are very few and unrelia- gygria, Koelreuteria paniculata, Colutea ble ; it is, however, to be assumed that some arborescens, Laburnum anagyroides, Populus native ligneous plants also were cultivated, nigra var. italica, Viburnum opulus f. sterile, especially shade trees such as sugar maple, Hibiscus syriacus. In the earlier Prince estate elm (Ulmus americana), red oak, and farther still stand the oldest specimens in America south Catalpa. Here, too, it may be men- of the cedar of Lebanon and Atlas cedar, tioned that in the year 1645 Endicott, Gover- Paulownia, the copper beech, Asiatic magno- nor of Massachusetts, introduced Genista lias, and others. tinctoria as a dye plant, which soon escaped Toward the middle of the 18th century, from cultivation and is now thoroughly wealthy landowners, especially in Pennsylva- naturalized in eastern Massachusetts. nia and Virginia, began to lay out large gardens The second period is characterized by the in which among other things one finds box, introduction of an ever-increasing number of lilac, Taxus baccata, and Salix babylonica. ornamental trees and shrubs, exclusively, Washington’s garden at Mount Vernon, begun however, from European gardens, and may be about 1760, was one of the most important considered as extending from the middle of and contained many American and foreign the 18th to the middle of the 19th century. In trees and shrubs. One other very rich garden this period two men are outstanding figures, was laid out some years later by William pioneers in garden-craft. One is John Bartram, Hamilton on his estate, "The Woodlands," who in 1728 established a botanic garden at near Philadelphia. This estate was later con- Kinsessing near Philadelphia, where he verted into a cemetery, "Woodlands planted and cultivated American trees and Cemetery ;’ in which today many of the trees shrubs, which he had collected in his travels planted by Hamilton still stand, among them extending from Lake Ontario to Florida. He the first Ginkgo in America which was was in active communication with England planted in 1784. Humphry Marshall, inspired and introduced many American plants there; by his cousin, John Bartram, began in 1773 the in exchange he received plants from European foundation of an arboretum in Bradford, now gardens and propagated them in America. Marshallton, in Pennsylvania. In 1785 he pub- Among these may be mentioned the horse lished his "Arbustrum Americanum’ the first chestnut, which probably came to America in work written by an American on American the year 1746. His work was continued by his trees and shrubs. Many of the trees which sons, John and William. Bartram’s house and Marshall planted stand today. The first actual 25 A view of the Elgin Botanic Garden in New York City, established by Dr. David Hosack in 1801. Tbday Rock- efeller Center in midtown Manhattan occupies the site on which the Garden once stood. From the Archives of the Gray Herbanum. botanic garden in America was founded in Elgin Botanic Garden: Vitex negundo var. 1801 by David Hosack in New York under the incisa, Eriobotrya japonica, and Thuia orien- name "Elgin Botanic Garden." In the year 1810 talis. Other eastern Asiatic trees and shrubs it was taken over by the state of New York and listed in Prince’s catalogue for 1828 are Ulmus later transferred to Columbia University, but parvi folia and Wisteria sinensis. In the year was finally discontinued for want of funds. 1806 an expedition under command of Lewis The second edition of the catalogue of this and Clark, sent to the west coast by the garden in 1811 contained many European and United States government, brought back to a number of Asiatic trees and shrubs, among the East the first western American plants, which are Gleditsia sinensis, Malus spec- which were distributed by Macmahon and tabilis, Rosa multiflora, Magnolia liliflora, Philip Landreth, two gardeners in Philadel- Hydrangea macrophylla (H. opuloides), phia ; by far the most important woody plants Sophora japonica, and Aucuba japonica, the so brought were Mahonia aquifolium, Ribes last two grown as greenhouse plants. A second aureum, and Ribes sanguineum. At the begin- botanic garden was established at the begin- ning of the 19th century, a greatly increased ning of the 19th century in Cambridge, Mas- interest in gardening and plant culture, and sachusetts, and still exists at the Botanic especially in the cultivation of trees and Garden at Harvard University. In the year 1818 shrubs, was evidenced through the collection a catalogue of the garden by W D. Peck was of ligneous plants begun in 1800 by the issued listing the following Asiatic trees and brothers Samuel and Joshua Pierce in Long- shrubs not mentioned in the catalogue of the wood, Pennsylvania, and through more than 26 50 years carried on by the family. The garden was initiated, countries which were destined which still contains many of the trees plantedI to enrich American and European gardens by the Pierce brothers is now the property of through a large number of beautiful and valu- Pierre S. du Pont [today it is part of Longwood able trees and shrubs. Up to this time Gardens]. Another well-known collection is America had received eastern Asiatic woody the Painter Arboretum, near Lima, in Penn- plants entirely by way of Europe, with the pos- sylvania, founded in 1825 by the brothers Min- sible exception of a few important trees and shall and Jacob Painter, who extended and shrubs such as Rosa laevigata Michx., which maintained the arboretum up to the time of had previously come direct to America and by their death in the 1870s.