~GAZINE

. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, INC . * April 1963 AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY A nnion of the American Horticultural Society and 'the American Horticultural Council 1600 BLADENSBURG ROAD, NORTHEAST . WASHINGTON 2, D. C.

For United Horticulture *** to accumulate, inaease, and disseminate horticultural information

B. Y. MORRISON, Editor Directors JAMES R. HARLOW, Managing Editor T erms Expiring 1963 MARY W. l\L HAKES Editorial Committee Maryland GRETCHEN HARSHBARGER J OPIN L. CREECH, Cliiiit.tnan Iowa FREDERI C H EUTTE W. H. HODGIL .. Virginia W. H. HODCE FREDERIC P. L EE Maryland CONRAD B. LINK ALBERT J. I~VI N C CURTIS MAY New York

FREDERICK G. MEYER T erms ExtJiring 1964 R . C. M :LEN ' ''' ILBU R H. YOUNCMAN Ohio P. H . BRYDO N OfJicerrs California CARL '''' . FENNINCER PR ES IDENT Pennsylvania HENRY T. SK INNER JOHN E. GRAF District of Columbia Washil1g(on, D, ~.: GRACE P. W ILSON

FIRST VICE- PRES ID ENT RA Y C. ALI_EN T erms Expiring 1965 Mansfield, ()'hio HAROLD EpSTEIN ".;. New York SECOND ",' ICE-PRESIDENT FRED C. GALLE Georgia FRns ·W. W ENT FRED J . N ISBET . St. L ouis, Misso!-lri North Carolina J. FRANKLIN STYER ACTINC SECRETARY-TREASURER perm sy lva n ia GRACE P. W ILSON" DONA I.D WYMAN Bladensburg, Ma!)lland Massaclwse tl;

The AmeTican Flo'rticultural Magazine is the offi cial publica ti on of the American Horticultural Society and is iss ued fOUl··times a yea r during the quaners commencing with January, April, July and October. It is devoted to the dissemination of l<;now ledge in the ci ence and art of growing ornamental plants, fruits, vegetables, and [elated subjects. Origina l papers increasing the hi sto ri c~ l , va rieta l, and cultural knowledges of plant materials of economic and aes theti c importance are 'welcom ed and wi ll be published as earl y as possIb le. The Cha irman of the Editoria l Committee. should be consulted for manuscript specifications. R eprints '~ ill b/ furnished in 'accordance with the following sc hedule of prices, p lus post· age, and should be ordered at the time the . ga ll ey proof is returned by the author: One hundred co pies-2 pp $6.60; 4 pp $12. 10; 8 pp $25.30; 12 pp $36.30; Covers $12.10.

Entered as second class matter in th e post office at Baltimore. Maryland J in accord ance with th e Act of August 24, 19 12. Additional entry for Washing ton , D.C., was authorized July 15, 1955, in accordance with the pro­ vis ions of Section ] 32 .1 22, Posta l Manual. A subscription to The American H otticu lt l.lral Magazine is included as a benefit of membership in the American H orticultura l Society, Individual Membership dues being $6.00 a year. APRIL. 1963

FORMERLY THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE VOLUME 42 • NUMBER 2

Contents

N ew Achimenes for Indoor Gardens PAUL ARNOLD ______67 Landscape Architecture-The Invisible Art ] AMES FANNING ______.. ______73 Tulips For The Home Garden BARBARA BLACK ______76 The Natal Plum HAROLD F_ WINTERS ______.. ____ 92 Rooting and Night-Lighting Trials with Deciduous Azaleas and Dwarf Rhododendrons C. J- WEISER and L T . BLANEY______95 The Morton Arboretum E. L . KAMMERER ______101 A Book or Two ______105

The Gardeners' Pocketbook Montanoa- An Attractive Genus. ALEX D. H AWKES ______110 Ipomoea wolcottiana-A Tree Morningglory. P. K. SODERHOLM and M. H. GASKINS ______III Two Dissimilar Members of the Aristolochia Family, Native of California. MABEL SyMMES ______11 3 Delayed Appearances. B. Y. MORRISON. ______116 Poncirus trifoliata) the Trifoliate Orange- A "Dividend" Tree. EDGAR DENISON.______116 Two White Petunias for Greenhouse Display. DONALD G. H UTTLESTON. ______120 Plants and Abnormal Weather Conditions, Houston Area, 1961-1962. FRA NK PIERATT ______123 Ornithogalum saundersiae. B. Y. MORRISON ______124 Butcher's Broom- Ruscus aculeatus. ELIZABETH LAWRENCE. ______125 A risaema serra tum. FREDERICK G. MEyER ______126 Notes on Hymenocallis, the Spider Lilies, ALEX D. HAWKES ______126

A PRIL COVER ILLUSTRATION [ P e n ~a nd - ink Dra wing by EDGAR W. DEN ISON]

Poncirus trifoliata in full flower See Page 11 6 for a " revisited " account of th e Trifoliate Orange, a n unusual small tree recommended for restricted areas of suburban plots.

Copyright, © 1963 by T he American H orticult!lral Society, I nc. NETHERLANDS FLOWER-BULB INSTITUTE

Tulip 'Artist' Coloring is exceptionally delicate, shading on the outside from green at the base to rose and apricot at the edges of the twisted, sharply sculptured petals. Inside, green shades to cream at the center and salmon-rose at the edge. Color passes entirely green as the flower ages. See Page 76 for a new experience in tulip growing. New Achimenes For Indoor Gardeners

PAUL ARNOLD*

A new plant to grow indoors was intro­ der fluorescent lights with African Vio­ duced in 1778 to British conservatories lets and other gesneriads, or in a home and heated greenhouses by William For­ greenhouse-has increased enormously sythe. This importation from Jamaica during recent years. In the southern was enthusiastically received because of states, of course, Achimenes are grown its very many bright scarlet flowers on a out of doors on shaded porches and ter­ plant about twelve inches tall. Its partic­ races. ular merit was the habit of blooming continuously for many weeks in late sum­ New Achimenes Hybrids mer and fall when plants in fu ll flower American hybridizers of Achimenes are scarce. Easy to propagate and simple have been busy creating new varieties. in its cultural demands, Cyrilla pulchella, Some beautiful and interesting plants as it was named by L'Heritier, was soon were raised by the late Eric Wetterlow. at home in the collection of every seriou~ a florist of Manchester, Massachusetts. gardener in England. Lyndon Lyon, the celebrated African The British physician, Patrick Browne, Violet breeder in Dolgeville, New York, had first described this plant and named and Karl F. Borges, an amateur grower it Achimenes minor in 1756 in his His­ in Fernandina Beach, Florida, have pro­ tory of Jamaica. In 1786, Scopoli pub­ duced attractive new hybrids that are lished the name Buchneria coccinea for now commercially available. Geo. ''''. the same plant. Eventually, the generic Park Seed Co., of Greenwood, South Car­ name Achimenes and the species name olina, announced two new hybrids in coccinea were joined as valid names un­ 1962. Cytological studies of the GESNER­ der the rule of priority. IACEAE at Cornell University recently Dr. Browne had written, "This little have yielded a by-product bonus of out­ plant has a great deal of beauty and ele­ standing new achimenes which may even­ gance ... and richly deserves to be cul­ tually be released to a waiting world of tivated in all the flower gardens in Amer­ interested gardeners. ica." Almost two hundred years would Perhaps the most outstanding of recent pass before A. coccinea and its cousins American hybrids is 'Wetterlow's Tri­ from Mexico and Central America would umph: a 1957 introduction of House of become popular indoor plants in the Plants, which has enormous bright pink United States, but that time has now ar­ flowers in profusion on compact plants. rived. The face of the flower is embossed in In 1962, some twen ty U. S. dealers ad­ most unusual fashion, suggesting a cam­ vertised achimenes by n amed varieties eo. The well-named Achimenes 'Peach and twen ty additional growers listed Blossom' from Carl Borges is an attrac­ either seed mixtures or unnamed dor­ tive new color and, although the flowers mant rhizomes. A few small growers to­ are of moderate size, they are borne in day offer dormant material by color only; profusion on plants ten inches tall. Two white, purple, red, blue, etc. Three deal­ A. coccinea hybrids, 'Coral Gem' and ers have extensive offerings of forty or 'Crimson Tiger: have tiny "semi-dou­ more varieties; J. M. Apperson, Albert ble" flowers showing petaloid develop­ Buell, and House of Plants. The number ment of the stamens. These products of of indoor gardeners in this country who Geo. ,"'. Park Seed Company make an grow A chimenes-on a window sill, un- interesting addition to 'Vio1acea Semi­ Plena: the only previously known semi­ • Mr. Arnold h as accumulated in Binghamlon, New York, for study in connection with his duties as Inter· double Achimenes with deep-purple naliona1 Registrar for the GESNERIACEAE, excluding trumpet-shaped flowers that have been Sa;lltpauliaJ the largest collection of Achimenes) private or public, known at the present time. popular since the 1850's. Two Achimenes [671 68 THE AMERICAN HOR TICULTURAL MAGAZINE

Achimenes patens The true species fr.om Mexic.o, with a l.ong spur at the basal end .of the tube .of its brightly c.ol.ored fl.owers, has .only recently been cultivated in the United States

a~cIaimed in England last year, 'Shirley Yin,' produced by crossing an Achimenes Flreglow,' an A. coccinea hybrid, and with a Smithiantha, was grown by Mrs. 'White Dwarf' (also called 'Shirley Dwarf J. D. Batcheller of Durham, New Hamp­ White' and 'Shirley White Compacta'), shire, and will be available on a limited apparently are not new plants but in­ scale in 1963. Other bigeneric hybrids in stead are new synonyms for plants dis­ which the Achimenes parentage domi­ tributed by Suttons ten years or more nates over the Smithiantha characters ago. have been produced in England and are A beautiful bigeneric hybrid 'Kuan offered by Butcher's, Shirley, Croydon. APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 69

Success in plant hybridizing, of course, The Growing Popularity depends on the quality of the parental of Achimenes stocks available for breeding. The cross­ European enthusiasm for this tropical ing of Achimenes species to produce hy­ American plant a century ago was not brid varieties started in England in 1842 matched in the United States. Mean­ and rapidly spread to Holland, Switzer­ while, two World Wars with restrictions land, France, and Belgium. During more on growing ornamental tropical plants in than sixty years of cultivation, A. cocci­ Europe due to food necessities and fuel nea (recently revealed as a natural tetra­ shortages, brought about a dearth of ploid) had never sported. It remained Achimenes until the current revival of the only known species until September interest. In the decades before 1947, 1841 when three new Achimenes flow­ growers in India, particu.larly in. Benga.l, ered in the hot house of the Royal Horti­ continued to grow Achzmenes 111 theIr cultural Society in London. Plant breed· outdoor cultures, but in the United ers began to glow with anticipation. States representative collections c(:>uld b: These new arrivals were A. rosea (later found only in the southern states, 111 G.ah­ judged to be only a Guatemalan varia­ fornia, Mississippi, and Florida particu­ tion of A. coccinea), A. pedunculata with larly. The situation changed in 1947 orange flowers, and A. longiflora with when Barnes Importers of East Aurora, blue or violet flowers of exceptional size. New York, offered nine varieties, import­ These three species had been forwarded ed from Van Tubergen in Holland. from Guatemala by Theodor Hartweg, When they discontinued the business in a famous plant hunter sent out by the 1952, Barnes Importers were listing twen­ Horticultural Society of London to ex­ ty-four Achimenes varieties and the cur­ plore the New World for ornamental rent upsurge of interest in growing and plants. collecting Achimenes in the United States With A. longifioTa providing blue, lav­ was well under way. Today there are ender, or white flowers of large size hav­ avid growers and collectors of Achimenes ing more or less yellow in the throat, varieties in all parts of the United States, added to A. coccinea whose scarlet flow­ from Maine to Florida, from Minnesota ers were already at hand, plant breeders to the Gulf states and particularly in had all three primary colors wi th which Oklahoma and Missouri, and on the to work. Additional yellow flower and West Coast from Alaska and the Gulf variant form possibilities were provided Islands of British Columbia to Southern by A. peduncu1ata and the arrival soon California. afterward of A. patens and A. grandiflora Achimenes plant collecting has enor· added to the genetic possibilities. The mous appeal because of the great varie~y results can be followed in dealer's cata­ of plants available. The flowers come 111 logs of the time. every color and col?r . combinat~on imaginable. They vary 111 SIZe from tmy By 1850, Bass & Browns of Sudbury, A. misera flowers less than a quarter of an Suffolk, were listing thirty-six varieties of inch across, to huge A. longiflora hybrids Achimenes. William Bull of Chelsea, exceeding two inches in diameter. They London, listed twenty-three varieties in offer a variety of forms from short-tubed 1860, and his list increased to sixty-one spreading corollas with wide open varieties in 1876. Perhaps the listings of mouths to long, megaphone-shaped flow­ Louis Van Houtte, the famous nursery­ ers with narrow limbs. The plants range man of Ghent, are the most revealing of in habit from upright dwarfs only six the enormous enthusiasm for growing inches in height to tall plants rising and hybridizing Achimenes which took thirty to thirty-six inches above the place in Europe a century ago. A sam­ ground. pling of Van Houtte's catal.ogs show t~e Most of the Achimenes hybrids now in following numbers of Achzmenes vane­ cultivation were derived from A longi­ ties: flora and are easily identified by the long, 1842 5 varieties downward-bent tube, the distinguishing 1845-1846 13 varieties characteristic of that species. A plethora of A. longiflora hybrids is a natural re­ 1849-1850 48 varieties sult of early recognition by plant breed­ 1858 67 varieties ers of the excellent characteristics of this 1898 45 varieties obliging species. Robert Fortune, before 70 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

Achimenes flava Altlwugh widely distributed in Mexico, this species with bright yellow flowers was not introduced commercially until 1962 APRIL 1963, VOLUlV!2 42, NUMBER 2 71 he left his position as Superintendent of dered why Dr. Lindley was so harsh in the R.H.S. Garden to become famous as his judgment of this little plant. !he A. a plant hunter, wrote the following t.rib­ misera plants in their own collectIon.' far ute to A. langiflam in the Transactwns from unattractive, were often admired. af the Royal Horticttltural Society for Prof. Moore cleared up this mystery in 1841: 1962. The plants grown in the United States and in Europe in recent years un­ "After twenty years of importation der the name A . misera are really A. of novelties, here is one which yields wanzewicziana. The real A. misera is, to nothing except the Wistaria (Gly­ indeed, an insignificant plant and scarce­ cine) sinensis. More beautiful than ly worth cultivating. This situa~ion ~a!lle the gayest of our stove herbaceous to light when Prof. Moore studied hvmg plants, as easy to cultivate as the material of both A. mtsera and A. wars­ commonest of perennials, more zewicziana brought back from Mexico in prodigal of flowers, except during the Fall of 1959. Further investigation the few months when it sinks into showed that, due to a century-old error, its winter's rest, this Achimenes lan­ Dr. Lindley's "mere weed" and the larger giflara is an invaluable gift by the and more attractive plant A. warszewic­ Society to everyone who has a warm ziana have incorrectly been considered greenhouse." synonymous. Prof. Moore pointed out the error in The Gloxinian, November­ Old Species Reintroduced December 1962 and stated that the de­ To Cultivation scription ~f A. misera in his book "Afri­ can Violets, Gloxinias, and Their Rela­ During the past ten years, dealers in tives" applies to A. warszewicziana in­ the United States, in Europe, and in In­ stead. dia have listed A. 'Patens Major: which others, noting that the flowers were of only moderate size, have abbreviated to Old Species New to Cultivation 'Patens.' This was done, apparently, One old species, A. andrieuxii, was without realizing that the plant in the diagnosed by DeCandolle in 1839 from trade bears Ii ttle resemblance to the spe­ dried specimens and named for the man cies of that name. Prof. H. E. Moore, who collected the plant near Oaxa~a , Jr., Director of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Mexico. This lovely dwarf plant With Hortorium at Cornell University, col­ a continuous production of bell-shaped lected living material of A. patens in the violet-colored flowers, seems never to Mexican states of Morelos and Michoa­ have been cultivated, either in Europe can during 1959, so now the true species or in the U.S.A., during the past century. is available in this country, it would Thanks to the Cornell University expe­ seem for the first time. The real A. dition to Mexico in October 1959, this patens is a far s~pe~ior plan.t ~o t~e ~ul­ oversight has been corrected. One dealer tivar 'Patens MaJOr. The dIstmgUlshmg predicted in .his 1962 price list that A. mark of A. patens is the long, slim sp.ur an drieuxii will soon become the most which projects from the calyx, opposIte widely grown Achimenes on window sills the tube of the flower. and under fluorescent lights, along with Two years after A. patens arrived in African Violets, because it performs so England, George U. Skinner sent an well in three-inch pots. Achimenes with small white flowers from Conrad V. Morton of the U. S. Na­ Guatemala in 1848. Dr. John Lindley tional Museum at the Smithsonian Insti­ diagnosed it and gave it the name A. mis­ tution, studies New World GESNERIACEAE era and further condemned it in the as a relaxation from his botanical spe­ Jaurnal af the Horticultural Society of cialty, the fern family. In 1936, Mr. Mor­ London in these words: "This plant, ton diagnosed from dried material four though bearing the nam.e of an Ac~im­ new species of Achimenes that were not enes is a mere weed WIth small dmgy to come into cultivation for a quarter of whi(ish flowers speckled with purple in a century. These were: A. flava, the only the inside, of no (horticultural) interest species known to have bright yellow whatever." flowers; A. obscura, well-named because Recent growers of A. misera. (material the small, uninteresting flowers are un­ from Kew Gardens) have sometImes won- derneath the leaves; A. bella, a rare and 72 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE beautiful species resembling the woolly described species but he did not describe A. ehrenbergii; and A . fimbriata, a hair­ it until June 1962 Baileya (Vol. 10, No. less species with white flowers, variously 2) under stimulation of live material re­ patterned with violet and edged with a ceived from the Bailey Hortorium. Be­ fringe from which the name was derived. cause it belongs to the Dicyrta Section Dr. Moore collected live material of all of the genus Achimenes, A. woodii will four species in 1961. The yellow flower­ probably not interest the average grower ing A . flava was introduced to horticul­ any more than A . candida and A. misera, ture by the House of Plants in 1962 and two other members of the section having is now offered by several dealers. The small white flowers. The one-half inch buttercup yellow flowers have captured diameter flowers of A. woodii have a tube the interest of Lyndon Lyon and other light violet in color outside, with a yel­ hybridizers and some crosses have been low stripe on the bottom. Inside the tube made with A. fla va at Cornell University. is violet with two yellow stripes covered The other three species have not yet with violet spots. been commercially released, since their Collectors and growers consider the identity was not established until the new species, A. ce ttoana, the most excit­ Fall of 1962, but material has since been ing achimenes discovery of the present distributed to interested growers and it century. This is a plant with flowers of can be expected that A. bella and A. fim­ more or less typical achimenes shape, but briata, which have great horticultural the leaves, occurring in threes, are long, merit, will be offered by both American narrow, not very conspicuously notched. and European dealers as soon as stocks They are reminiscent of willow leaves. can be built up. Prof. H . E. Moore, Jr., first collected Another old species, described by C. V. A. cettoana in the Mexican state of Chi­ Morton in 1938 from dried material but apas in October 1959. It was discovered never introduced to cultivation, is A. dul­ in flower long after other species of cis. Dr. Moore and Dr. Bunting of the achimenes had ceased blooming. Intro­ Bailey Hortorium brought back living duced to cultivation at Cornell Univer­ material of this species in 1961 from the sity in Ithaca, New York, this attractive state of Michoacan, Mexico, where they new species produced flowers in profu­ found plants still in flower in September. sion from early June 1960 until late This is a tall species, with two-foot stems autumn, with some flowers still opening bearing large, milk-white flowers with a in December. pale yellow blotch on the lower side of The flowers of A . cettoana are ame­ the inner surface of the tube. People who thyst violet (RHS Color Chart 35 and have seen A. dulcis in flower at Cornell 35/ 1) to heliotrope (RHS Color Chart University during the late summer of 636) with a pale spot at the throat, a 19?2 ~onsider it an attractive plant de­ color outstanding among other bluish­ spIte Its stature. It, too, has been re­ flowered achimenes. On the A.H.C. leased to dealers who are now building (Nickerson) Color Fan, a reading "strong up stocks prior to commercial release. violet" Munsell 2.5P 4/ 9 has been ob­ tained. The flowers are of medium size, S.pecies New to Science and about 1 ~ inch across the face and the Cultivation slightly bent tube is about 1 ~ inch long. Although they occur singly in the leaf Two Achimenes new to science have axils, the flowers of A . cettoana are pro­ recently entered the U .S.A. from Mexico. duced in virtually every axil after the These are A . woodii and A. cettoana. plants begin to flower. The first one has not yet been offered Plants of A. cettoana grow about ten commercially but A. cettoana was intro­ or twelve inches tall, with a minimum of duced in 1962 and several dealers are staking. The scaly rhizomes from which supplying it in 1963. they grow are typical of the average run Although living material of A . woodii of A chimenes, being about one inch in was not introduced to cultivation until length. Propagating stocks were released October 1959, dried specimens collected in 1960 and the first commercial offering by Dr. Carroll E. Wood, Jr., in August appeared in 1962. It can be expected 1948 had been placed in the U. S. Na­ that several dealers will offer this splen­ tional Herbarium. Mr. Morton subse­ did new Achimenes with its excellent quently determined that this was an un- decorative qualities in 1963. ED'''ARD L. BARNES, ARCHITECT

vVhite-on-white-in this case birch trunks against wood siding, is always a pleasant color combination. In the illustration, trees have just been planted and the flagstone set. The next move will be to cover the bare ground with turf, making the area usable right away.

Landscape Architecture-The Invisible Art

JAMES FANNING

An architect friend asked me not long ture: What does the landscape architect ago if I could tell him why he so seldom really do? What are the aims and con­ saw good photographs of landscape archi­ cepts upon which he bases his work? tecture. My immediate reply was to the Why should the results of his effort and effect that since most pictures of land­ planning fade away into the mere setting scape architecture are actually pictures for a building? Must a passion for invisi­ of buildings to which landscape is inci­ bili ty be a part of his personali ty or is dental, it was no more than natural that invisibility the inevi table result inherent landscape should have a minor part in in his work? the picture. These are difficult questions to answer, This rather superficial explanation even for a professional who has spent made me realize that the question went many years in the business, because, like a good deal deeper than merely photo­ Moliere's gentleman who had been graphing buildings; it involved, really, speaking prose all his life without know­ the whole concept of landscape architec- ing it, the professional who has mastered r73] 7·1 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

the idiom of any art form operates auto­ cent of such cases, he can immediately matically: He knows what he wants to spot several things that were done wrong­ do and how to do it, but the why behind ly: grades that do not drain properly; it all is too thoroughly absorbed into his trees "saved" but not worth saving; a subconscious mode of thought to be driveway wider than necessary or too easily explained. narrow to be practical. Diplomacy, an­ other of the landscape architect's basic But let's have a try at explaining it. skins, is called for here. You can tell a The landscape architect's primary con­ client that something he pmposes to do is cern is with land. This may seem like wrong, but you can't tell him that some­ laboring an obvious point, but the basic, thing he has already done is wrong: You rock-bottom quality of this concern is can only grit your teeth and think up often lost sight of. Because land is basic: means of correcting the situation as pain­ It is what we walk on; its produce feeds lessly as possible. us; it is, whether clad in living greenery Builders and building architects often or structures of wood and stone, what we pride themselves on keeping trees that look at through most of our waking were growing on a particular piece of hours. It is obvious, too, that wherever land before they started work on it, but man sets his foot something happens to this usually does nothing more than add the land, and it is the landscape archi­ to the landscape architect's headaches: tect's professional responsibility to make Unsuitable species, trees with a short life sure that this something is good, true, expectancy or in locations that cause and beautiful, rather than destructive, unnatural, and ugly. grading or circulation problems- all are liabilities, rather than the assets they are Avoiding the destructive effects of thought to be. changing the earth's surface, then, must be one of the landscape architect's basic All this is by way of pointing out that, skills. This calls for a knowledge of soils, in doing anything to a piece of land, the not only in connection with growing landscape architect is the person whose things, but as materials used in the con­ professional judgment is the fint that struction of terraces, embankments, and should be brought to bear. foundations for roads and buildings. It After the basic problems of land use calls for decisions on where to cut, where have been settled and design and loca­ to fill, and, most important of all, where tion of buildings decided upon, the land­ to leave the earth alone. scape architect's next set of skills comes Development of tracts of neglected or into play: This is in making the combi­ wild land is one of the first and most im­ nation of building and land livable. The portant points on which the training and main problem here is circulation: How Judgment of the landscape architect to get people into and away from the comes into play. Unfortunately, it is one building or buildings, and how to ar­ of the points at which his services are all range the outdoor space so that people too seldom called for, since land develop­ can move about at work or play or con­ ment is usually a financial operation, gregate for games and parties. This conducted only to get the maximum means establishing areas for terraces and profit from the sale of the land, and patios and determining elevations and "aesthetic" considerations are given short surface materials for them; it means es­ shrift. The realization is growing, how­ tablishing routes and grades for drive­ ever, that the aesthetic and practical as­ ways and paths and determining the ma­ pect of land use go hand in hand, and terials of which they are constructed; it there is good reason to believe that in means laying out areas for lawn, flower, the future more and more developments and shrub borders and tree planting; it will be designed to fit people and land means locating and specifying materials together for the best advantage of each. for fences and other types of screens and Every landscape architect is accus­ windbreaks. tomed to being called in to "do" a house The third, and final, step in the land­ after it has been built, the land graded scape design process is what might be around it, and even, probably, a drive­ called exterior decorating. This grow~ way built. In at least seventy-five per- naturally out of the first two steps, sinc~ APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 75

H USON JACKSON, ARCHITECT

A single tree, carefully placed in greensward, is a many-purpose des ~gn element. This plane tree supplies a necessary focal point, reduces sky glare in the ro.oms on both floors, and throws shade on the open deck during the summer. 76 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE it involves "dressing up" the graded moss garden at Kyoto, yet each seems earth, paths, and drives. Here plants play right in its setting and each is an ex­ a major part, although sculpture, water ample of stylistic perfection. features, and other decorative objects Style and fashion are terms quite often have their importance, too. confused in the minds of many people. This final step in the landscape build­ Style is the manner in which an artist­ ing process is, naturally enough, the one any artist-uses the materials of his craft. that meets the eye of the homeowner or Fashion is simply whatever may have a casual passer-by, and this is why land­ high value of appeal to the public at scape architecture may be called an art large at a particular time. Thus a style, of invisibility: the greatest part of the whether that of an individual or of a work is, almost literally, underground group of artists, may become fashionable, and unthought of by anyone whose atten­ but as soon as that happens, imitators of tion may be drawn to a colorful flower the style try to "get on the bandwagon" bed or a handsome tree. and that particular style is immediately But landscape architecture is invisible debased and becomes unfashionable in another, more profound way. This again. consists of the landscape architect's feel­ This is another reason for the land­ ing-call it intuition if you like- for the scape architect to cultivate invisibility. land. Out of this feeling grows a sense His work has to last a long time, and if it of "rightness": a feeling for what belongs is a conspicuous example of any particu­ on a particular site and how it relates to lar passing fad it will, with the passage its surroundings. This results in an effect of time, become simply ridiculous-a dis­ that is, to say the least, unobtrusive: the credit to the artist and his profession. landscape architect's blended skills bring All of this, I suppose, makes landscape forth a blended result in which no ele­ architecture sound like the most difficult ment calls attention to itself. The result profession known to man. Maybe it is, is a harmony in which the constituent but, applying the feeling for the con· elements disappear. tinuity of time that is another indispen­ This is not to say that style has no sable part of his equipment, the land­ place in landscape architecture. Quite scape artist can have the satisfaction of the contrary. LeNotre's tremendous for­ looking to a day in the distant future mal gardens at Versailles are at the oppo­ when someone will look at his handiwork site pole of garden art from the Saihoji and be happy.

Tulips For The Home Garden

BARBARA BLACK *

I cannot remember when I first fell in and I would not want a garden without love with tulips. As a child, we had none them. on our farm in New Jersey. True, I re­ And yet, I have a confession: Even member stiff, formal beds in harsh color though I thought I knew quite a bit combinations at my boarding school in about tulips, from growing them more Pennsylvania and my college in Ohio, than twenty-five years, it was not until but these had nothing to do with me. It the horticultural editor, who encouraged was only after I had my own garden and me to write this article, pointed it out to became personally involved in growing me that I became consciously aware of them that I discovered their charm, beau­ one of their most remarkable and usable traits: ty, versatility, practicality, and ease of "The tulip," he said, "is one of the culture. Now, it is a lifetime love affair relatively few flowers without a profile." How significant- and useful-this is " Garden Editor of the New York World Telegram when you stop to think about it! They and Sun, and regular contributing writer for Popular Gardening Magazine. have no faces; they are equally beautiful APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 77 from any angle. Nor have they any dis­ flagstone patio. Thread them around torted or unattractive backs. They have your pool, under your mailbox, up the no need to turn their faces toward the lamp post. Hide the utility area. Flir:g sun. Consequently, they have no twisted them with a lavish hand around the chIl­ stems, or grotesque shapes, from desper­ dren's play area. Decorate Fido's kennel ate light-seeking efforts to survive. and let gorgeous color come up around Daffodils face only one way. The ver­ the bricks in your barbecue pit." satile chrysanthemum twists and bends I happened to meet the girl who wrote itself toward the light. Azaleas like a pro­ this masterpiece and asked her casually tected back and usually bloom only in where she got her ideas. She replied tha t a half-circle. Dahlias, annuals, and most she lived in one room, had never grown perennials face toward the best light. tulips and had "created" the copy her­ Tuberous begonias point their blooms in self. "My boss tells me to think up as the direction the bud was facing when many ways to plant tulips as I can, so it first poked through the ground, even people will buy more. So I read what if it continues to bloom all summer they say in magazines about other flow­ staring humbly at a blank wall! And ers and adapt it to tulips. It's all r ight. every rose lover knows that you can isn't it?" guide the direction of hybrid tea blooms I murmured, "It all depends on the by skillful pruning, but that a climber dog." will always face its blooms outward from the porch trellis. Exceptiona1 Color Range Tulips, on the other hand, need no One of the most intriguing character­ such guidance. They stand erect on istics of the tulip-from the days of the clean, straight stems, whether they be "Tulipomania" in Holland and England short three-inch botanical species, laden in l634-has always been their wide col­ with heavy double blooms, or thirty-inch or range. This includes almost the en­ Darwins reaching for the sky. The well­ tire spectrum with the exception of pri­ rounded flowers have a uniform appear­ mary blue and its adjacent tints and ance from all sides. Even when planted shades. And even here, the wide range on the edge of deep shade, the shady side of lavenders, orchids, and purples (which of each bloom will look exactly like the are a mixture of blue and red darkened sunny side. by black or tinted by whit€!) give us many This d@sirable trait gives us unpar­ bluish color tones in both strong and alleled opportunities to plant tulip beds muted secondary colors. for maximum beauty and effectiveness. Aside from blue, tulips corne in the Like the bouquet on the dining room other primary colors, red and yellow, table, you can walk all around a tulip and in all their limitless combinations of planting, as opposed to the one-sided ar­ orange, green, and purple. (Yes, there are rangements you see at flower shows. green tulipsl) However, don't get the impression that Also, they have just about the purest I am going completely overboard and rec­ white known to horticulture, plus ommending tulips as the one superlative "blacks" that seem darker than any other plant for the hom€! garden. They are not blossom found in Nature. In fact, some appropriate, of course, for all cultural are almost as dark as the berries on many situations, nor for all decorative prob­ shrubs; Ilex c?-enata, for instance. U nfor­ lems. I emphasize my caution because tunately, many amateurs associate tulips there has long been a tendency on the only with harsh, bright primary colors. part of tulip "promoters" to claim too But they can be readily obtained in an much. The general public fails to realize almost complete rainbow of rich, dark how much some of the lurid "releases" shades; delicate tints and pastels; exqui­ on "Where and How to Plant Tulips" site multi-color combinations with fasci­ are the work of some uninformed young nating markings, edgings or shadings gal Friday in a press agent's office. and blends of color; vibrant off-beat I treasure one such release, distributed "jewel" tones which rival real jewels for on behalf of a bulb importer. It said, in texture and depth; and in many muted part: "Throw great masses of color across color tones so gentle and soft that you your lawn and under your trees. Snuggle marvel at the awesome palette granted tulips beneath your shrubs. Slip them one single flower. Whether dark, rich, between the crevices in your walk and blended, vivid, strong, soft, or muted, THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE there is seldom an ugly color in tulips, point and to exemplify my philosophy of and then only in man-made propagations the adaptability of tulips, I want to re­ or combinations. port a recent incident Variety in Form A Typical Misconception of Tulips In recent years, professional horticul­ My phone rang at 9 p.m. A young turists responsible for massive tulip voice reminded me that she was the plantings in parks and in municipal and daughter of old friends, whose wedding botanical gardens have been using a wide we attended four year ago. Now living variety of forms, shapes, heights, and fifty miles away, she wanted my advice textures to beguile the public. There­ about a box of tulips just received from fore, it would seem that there is li ttle Holland. Since their marriage, the young excuse for amateurs not being aware of couple had studied in Europe and, hav­ the wide selection available for their own ing acquired graduate degrees, they had gardens. The fact that so many of us do only recently returned, purchased a home not know this is a sad commentary on and were eagerly starting their first gar­ our powers of observation, or lack of den. The tulips, purchased last spring, imagination. How can we fail to notice were their first acquisition. the magnificent extravaganza of the Par­ "I was terribly anxious when they rots; the crisp perky Kaufmannianas and didn't come," she said. "This was the Peacocks; the almost needlepoint pre­ only present we gave ourselves-we were cision of the lily-flowering types; the living on a shoestring-and when we sturdy lushness of the doubles; the clean blew ourselves to a hundred Holland feminine beauty of Cottage tulips, and bulbs, it was a big deal for us. Is it too the tall, stately dignity of the sensational late to plant them?" Darwin Hybrids? I assured her that November was the Each year, more and more fine varie­ right time to plant tulips in this area ties come on the market. Any gardener (New York) and asked her what kinds with a streak of pioneering spirit should she had bought. "Fifty red and fifty yel­ expand his tulip planting range. Even low," she said happily. the conventional status seeker, trying so After considerable tactful probing, she hard to make his garden "different" from remembered that the man had called his neighbor's, might well discover this them "Darwins"-"The biggest and best almost endless source of supply for en­ they had." During the subsequent con­ hancing his prestige! versation she volunteered two other sig­ All of these desirable characteristics, nificant facts: (1) "He told us they might plus the comparatively reasonable price live as long as four years, but he recom­ range of top-quality bulbs, add up to one mended discarding them and buying new of the most beautiful and most useful ones every year. We can't afford to do garden flowers available to the amateur that, course, but someone told us that if horticulturist. It is my firm conviction we plant them very deep, they will live that there is not a garden in the land longer. Is two feet about right?" (2) which would not be greatly improved by "The man said to mass them. You should at least some tulip plantings. This nor­ see their fields-acres and acres of tulips. mally applies to all areas of the United Simply gorgeous and the most intricate States and Canada with at least ten weeks patterns, like oriental rugs or church of sufficient cold-about forty degrees windows. But we thought we'd just plant Fahrenheit for proper root growth. Even the fifty red together, with the fifty yel­ in the Deep South, people are learning low next to them, rather than trying to how to provide the necessary "cold treat­ work out a design." ment" in their refrigerators, for a lim­ I was too fond of her to tell her what ited supply of tulips, at any rate. I really thought. Before analyzing this If you happen to be a tulip fan, and brief episode, I'd like to make two re­ perhaps a member of the National Tulip marks: I wish I could select my tulips Society, you may think I am over-enthu­ straight from Holland growers, on the siastic and belaboring the obvious, name­ spot. And, in starting a brand-new gar­ ly, that the vast majority of amateur den, I envy the opportunity these kids home gardeners do not fully appreciate have for challenging fun and adventure. the potentialities of this adaptable flow­ I made plenty of mistakes when I started er for their own use. To illustrate this my first garden. APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 7!)

Four Unfortunate Amateur Habits know when to plant olher flowers, nor in Buying Tulips how to do it without destroying their This young couple made no startling initial investment. They were told to mistakes, and those they did make were plant their tulips "deep" if they wished typical of those made by thousands of to preserve them for the four years of Americans. They would probably have life. (Why four?) made the same ones if they had bought They knew nothing of the vital neces­ their tulips at the corner store, any­ si ty of ripening the top foliage so a new where in America. Millions of far more bulb could form to replace the bloomed­ experienced and knowledgeable garden­ out bulb, which dies after blooming. ers behave in much the same way, as far They did not have the slightest under­ as tulips are concerned. I mention the standing of the h azards involved in try­ incident because it illustrates some very ing to plant over their tulips. Nor did common misconceptions about tulips for it even occur to them to label their plant­ private home use. But we must give this ings, or mark off the bed's dimensions couple credit for at least buying tulips. accurately. "We know the difference be­ They made four mistakes: tween red and yellow. We won't need markers." First: They invested in only one type To their everlasting credit, however, of tulip-the Darwins-which limited they did firmly repudiate the suggestion their spring garden to a very brief period that they dig out the bulbs and discard of bloom, probably a maximum of two them for new ones at the end of the first weeks. season. Second: They selected a May bloomer (New York metropolitan area). Their An Alternative Plan for a Hundred­ early "spring fever" in la te March, all of Tulip Purchase April, and early May must go unreward­ Here is what I would have done if I ed with spring color. had been given the opportunity to pur­ Thi1-d: They chose only two colors. I chase a hundred plump, crisp, fresh doubt that this attractive girl would top Dutch tulip bulbs in the growing field of a red dress with a yellow hat, or vice a famous Holland nursery: versa. Despite the magnificent color spec­ In the first place, I would have planned trum available at this obviously large my purchase on the basis of EIGHT nursery, they apparently were pre-condi­ weeks of continuous bloom. This "Eight­ tioned to the idea that "tulips come in "\Veeks-of-Bloom" applies to all areas harsh bright colors" and made the com­ where tulips can be grown and is based mon error of selecting the two fighting­ on selecting varieties which bloom in est "hot" colors known to man. As a early, middle, and late season. comment on the apparent lack of advice I would start my selection by allo­ from the salesman, Dutch salesmen prob­ cating eighty of the bulbs for this pur­ ably assume that Americans like primary pose-ten for each week-to give me con­ colors-because so many buy them. tinuous bloom from late March through (Speaking of the common fa 'ux pas of all of April and into late May. My selec­ planting horrendous color combinations tion would not be limited to eight types together in tulip beds, have you ever seen of tulips, however; it would range a bed of brilliant orange-red Emperor through more than a dozen different clas­ tulips mixed with mustard-colored Alys­ sifications and, of course, innumerable sum saxatile, white Candy tuft and sheets named varieties in an inexhaustible se­ of mauve-colored Phlox subulata grow­ lection of colors. Thus, my allotment of ing together in a suburban planting, eighty tulips, for eight consecutive weeks with a yellow Forsythia directly behind? of bloom, would give me much leeway. Yet, planted alone, or in the correct color Given a persuasive salesman and sur­ combinations, all of these innocent rounded by massive displays of solid col­ plants are delightful.) or, a less determined purchaser might lis­ Fourth: The hundred tulips were to ten as he said, "Ten of each, Madame, be "massed" in the young couple's best is the absolute minimum you will need garden for a maximum two-week period for massed effect." But-after many years of bloom. The couple had no plan for of being gullible, foolish, susceptible, using the same ground the remaining stupid, and just plain ignorant-I have fifty weeks of the year. Nor did they at last reached the stage where the per- 80 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE suasiveness of salesmen cannot influence to take me to his head man. To him, I or change my determination to make up would frankly admit my ignorance and my own mind. seek his advice in helping me to decide So, on this imaginary spree, unshaken what unusual varieties to get for my by the overwhelming masses of blooms, "special gift" to myself-two of each, of I would smile politely and say: "I am not five special kinds. I should explain here buying for effect. I am buying for pleas­ that-even though I have never been in ure and I wish to extend my pleasures as Holland-I have made it a yearly habit far as possible. I want as many different to treat myself to a few rare, new, or un­ kinds of top-grade bulbs as I can possibly usual bulbs, "for trial." They are also afford. So let's start with your earliest for exhibition. if they prove successful. botanical species. I want five each, of And, if they turn out to be sturdy, prac­ your two best varieties. Let me see them tical and beautiful, I buy more each fol­ in bloom, please." lowing year until they become "old On this basis, I could select-inside timers" in my garden. my eighty bulb limit-not only two very Each amateur tulip buyer, of course, fine botanical species for late March but should also take his own terrain, climate also: Early Singles, Early Doubles, Men­ and local conditions into consideration. dels, Triumphs, Lat€ Doubles (peony­ I like the species, dwarfs, miniatures, and flowering), Cottage, Darwins, Breeders, naturalized varieties for my rock gar­ Parrots, Lily-flowering, Darwin Hybrids, den and also for my half-shaded "wild" Rembrandts, Multiflowering, or various garden, near the entrance to our prop­ rare new introductions! erty. It is fun to have tall Red Emperors This would give me sixteen little bags around the bird bath-they stand almost of bulbs. Some of the bulbs would be as high as the basin itself-to watch even larger than eggs, others as fascinating as before the snow is off the ground. And, the turkey-red, inch-across, round bulbs near them, at the base, I like Peacocks, of the white species Tulipa tthrkestanica. those fascinating, multiflowering, multi­ All would be crisp, clean, sharp in their colored little beauties. It is well to con­ vitality and potential life. Each bag sider what other flowers will be in bloom would contain five bulbs for a lovely during a particular period. In late May, grouping. Each pair of bags (for each of for instance, with iris and lilacs in full the eight weeks) would contain a combi­ flower, the Darwins nearby should h ar­ n ation of colors, textures or forms, which monize in pastel shades. And, early in would bloom at the same time for har­ April, when the rich-colored hyacinths mony or contrast. (Actually, one of each take over, the tulips should accent their pair would be planned to start a few colorings. days ahead of the other; so first one Actually, I have more than fifteen hun­ blooms, then both together, then the sec­ dred tulips at present, not counting a ond alone, gradually leading into the quart of nubbins which I shall plant in next pair for the following week's trenches to start propagation all over blooms.) again. I have more than a hundred dif­ Now, let's return to our daydream. I ferent varieties for my eight weeks of still have twenty bulbs to buy! bloom, to which must be added my six I would set aside ten of these-in pots of forced bulbs, which give me add­ groups of five each-to make two pots ed weeks of indoor bloom in the winter. of bulbs for forcing indoors during the colorless months of January and Febru­ Tulips Are For Keepill,g ary. Properly cured, these bulbs will be I do not believe that tulips are "an­ useful for outdoor planting the following nuals" to be discarded for new ones each season; although it is not possible to year. Nor do I believe they will last force the same bulbs twice. I would prob­ "four" years-or for any other arbitra­ ably select five Mendels and five Tri­ rily determined period. I do not know umphs, which are best for forcing, and (on the basis of my own experience) that choose varieties not too tall for flower they last longer if they are planted pots, and which would harmonize in col­ "deep" in the ground and never dug out. or with other early varieties next season. But I do know they will not die if prop­ This leaves a final ten bulbs and thou­ erly dug out and stored. sands of varieties from which to choose. I somehow manage to accumulate At this point I would ask my salesman tulips by hoarding-i.e. taking care of APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 81 them, curing them properly, sorting From November until Decoration Day, them intelligently, labelling them care­ my tulips hold the ground-planted in fully, planting them properly, and by every available space in my "digging giving them as much TLC (Tender Lov­ areas." Then they relinquish their claim, ing Care) as I can. Yet, as you will see thereby providing plenty of free, dig­ when I tell you about my cultural meth­ gable land in which I can immediately ods, I manage all this with only two big plant annuals, summer bulbs, roots, and "Do's" each year-one in late spring, the tubers, as well as many other types of other in the fall-and only ordinary gar­ plants which might be n eglected if I did dening care during their Eight-Weeks­ not h ave all this "empty" land. Thus, of-Bloom - plus brief potted-plant-care from June to November, my double-duty for the forcers in the winter. space en ables me to fill the garden with From my own experience, the eighty an assortment of blooming plants that bulbs for the Eight-Weeks-of-Bloom will help contribute to the "year-round color not all "increase" in the same manner. garden." Some will break down into several small­ er bulbs. Some will give back a new bulb Organization of a Double-Duty that is as big, fat, crisp, and perfect as Garden the original-and they may keep up this I have found that a housewife with a amazing feat for a number of years be­ fu1l6me job and no gardening help can fore splitting into two or more. In a few operate a double-duty garden successfully instances, the original bulb, on dying, because it is easier and less compli cated develops from the foliage a number of than a "mixed" type of garden with­ bulblets around one good big- new bulb. like the three trees-"one plant there, Generally speaking, I get back each year one there and one THERE." approximately the original number of We live in suburban vVestchester large-size bulbs, plus a good many "sec­ County, New York, in a colonial house ondary" bulbs and also a considerable on about an acre of land. About half of number of bulblets. this space is taken up by the house, \l\Thile a ny good variety can b e expect­ driveway and my husband's vegetables, ed to develop good "blooming" bulbs for asparagus, strawberries, raspbelTies, ap­ the second or third year, or longer, some ple trees, compost piles, woodpile, and varieties seem to do better than others his double-duty bean-patch, where his in this respect. I know this because I boat rests all winter. Our property is keep each year's bulbs separately. I am shaped like a broad hairpin, with 684 very much attached to the Darwin Hy­ feet of road frontage on two roads which brid 'Gudoshnik'; in fact, it is my all­ join at the closed, corner end. The house time favorite, due to its large flowers, is in the middle, with my husband's ter­ luscious shadings, tall, erect stems, and ritory at the open-end of the hairpin, distinctive coloring. I ch erish it also be­ toward our next door neighbor. My gar­ cause it does not seem to deteriorate­ den, on the opposite side of the h ouse, my 1960, 1961 , and 1962 bulbs gave me is at the closed-end of the h airpin. Be­ blooms that were almost equ ally beau­ hind the house, a high road runs along, tiful. twenty feet above our ground level, and is visible only from our second fl oor How to Have a Year-Round Garden windows. A steep bank, covered with In rhapsodizing over th e value of tu­ ivy, slopes down from the road to our lips as a flower for the average home gar­ ground level and is topped at road level den, I have neglected one important by a stone dry wall. In front of the point. If yo u want a "year-round" gar­ house, a quiet suburban road curves den, plant tulips. The reason why I have around ou r lawn and my garden in a big­ a year-round garden (with the exception sweep, joining the high road at the end of the winter months when color is large­ of the hairpin, where a huge black oak ly limited to evergreen foliage, berried marks the junction and the n arrow end shrubs, and colored barks) is because I of our property. grow so many tulips that it gives me It was natural, therefore, for me to dig plenty of room for other fl owers, for a horseshoe garden, averaging twenty which I would not otherwise have room. feet in width around this hairpin curve, This so unds paradoxical but it is the with a fi ve-by-eigh t-foot lily pool at the simple truth. apex as a focal point. Shrubs and trees 82 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE line most of the low road for privacy. June, then back to tulips the following On the other side, beneath the steep fall. bank, is the sheltered rose garden which The remaining digging areas are jam­ we dug four feet deep (for drainage) the packed with tulips each November. Since year we moved in, in 1938. the perennials are in clearly defined A few years ago, I gave myself a fifty­ areas, and all the flowering shrubs, lilacs, foot-long digging bed between the roses azaleas, grandifiora roses, astilbe, hosta, and the steep useless bank, with a waist­ and other sizable "permanent treasures" high building-block wall in front, to also have their well-defined positions, I contain the soil. The digging area is have no fear of disturbing a forgotten from three to four feet wide and I can plant when I get out the digging fork sit on the wall to plant, walk along its and turn over the soil. "Dig we must" is top to rake, or work comfortably while my slogan when plantings tulips-and standing on the ground in front. It saves also in plan ting the summer garden many a backache, is protected by the which follows in the same soil. This is bank behind, and gets sun in front. An the secret of my easy system. Instead of ideal tulip bed! slipping bulbs and summer plants in be­ The roses still live in their original tween various perennials, as is so often bed. The peonies, which circle the entire recommended, I plant them ONLY in horseshoe in the middle, have never been freshly-dug, uncluttered soil. moved, separated, or even dug up. The entire fifty-seven peonies still bloom The Second Half of the Double­ happily every year, although, of course, Duty Digging Garden the plants have broadened and their blooms tripled. The lily bed is still in The culture of tulips is only part of a the same place, on its bed of wood ashes; double-duty digging garden. Laying out although the bulbs are dug up and re­ the garden properly in the first place to planted every few years. And the orien­ allow for rotation, varied cultural needs, tal poppies have never left their first and for changing decorative effects, is all home; or been disturbed in any way. part of the same picture. The plants that The high-shade area beneath the giant follow the tulips include many tender black oak belongs to the columbines, bulbs, roots, tubers, and all the annuals lupines, canterbury bells, foxgloves, which can be in the ground only part of sweet william, and day lilies. Naturalized the year. Dahlias, for instance, must be daffodils and other spring bulbs bloom dug out each fall at frost time and re­ behind the half-circle of peonies, later planted each spring. Why waste all win­ hiding the dying foliage of bulbs. The ter long the land they use only in the latter are dug up, when necessary, and re­ summer? planted in the same half-shade area. The Annuals are a natural for the year­ day lilies behind the peonies send their round garden; they fill in the color tall, slender stems and beautiful flowers scheme during late summer and early above the peony foliage in July and Au­ fall, and are good for cutting and for gust, but otherwise are hidden from view. outdoor living. Since chrysanthemums The open digging areas, including the must either be separated each year, or new fifty-foot wall bed, takes up a large grown fresh from cuttings, I plant my part of the long horseshoe in front of best ones in the freshly dug digging gar­ the peonies and also one large, wide area den, vacated by the tulips around Deco­ behind them where we dug out an old ration Day. Come November, the tender twenty-foot hedge of lilacs a few years mum varieties (spoons, quills, spiders, ago. And another digging area is adja­ etc.) are dug up intact and moved to the cent to the poppies, near the roses. All cold frame, while the hardy ones are tol~, I have five large d.igging areas, moved any old place until spring. This whIch I keep free of perenlllals and other clears the land for tulips. Some chrysan­ permanent plants for the purpose of hav­ themums are in the perennial area as mg a year-round garden! Since tulips well, but once the tulips are gone, early should not be planted more than three in June, it is a temptation to plant them or four years in the same soil, I "rest" there. ~me of these areas each year, by planting So you see why I never underplant my 1 t to young pansies and sweet william in tulips. I don't need to. I've got a better the fall, using it for other plants next way. APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 83

Spring Care for a Tulip Garden stems in water from the tap as hot as it So now, let's get to work: Assume that will run, and set the bucket in a cool, it is April-a good starting point for a shady place, where it will not freeze. spring flower. Every inch of my tulip Then cover the entire bucket with a ground will be bursting with little green large plastic bag and hold it in place by shoots, except that the earliest of my tucking the ends under the bucket. If Eight-Weeks-of-Bloom will already be in you prefer, you can place bulbs for exhi­ bloom, beguiling the neighbors with bition in tall milk bottles, or similar spring's return. From this point on, here narrow-necked containers, and tie plastic is the procedure I recommend: bags over them. The bags should not touch the petals. I sometimes carry my Clean off the tulip bed as early as pos­ exhibits straight to the flower show in sible. (It should have been raked clean such containers. in the fall.) Your bulbs may be up sev­ For ordinary enjoyment of well-condi­ eral inches before the ground settles, so tioned tulips, however, the newspaper be careful. The crisp leaves and flower method works beautifully: Lay your stems are fragile and easily broken. Push blooms diagonally across a few sheets of back (with gloved hands) any heaved­ opened newspaper. Turn up the bottom out bulbs. Pick up twigs and leaves by over the stems, and roll the paper into hand. Pull out over-wintered weeds and a cone shape. Set the bottom of the cone, lightly loosen caked soil around the rolled in a pail to hold the stems bulbs with a hand cultivator, if you can straight, in a few inches of water with do it without harm. the blooms exposed and untouched. The Fertilize all tulips as early as possible. water will soak up through the paper. I do this when they are a few inches high, Or-for exhibiting-wrap each separate using liquid fertilizer with the sprinkler bloom in Saran wrap, or a similar "cling­ nozzle on the watering can. I stand over ing" wrap, before you make your cone. the bulbs and drench the leaves and soil. Gently curve the blooms inward, with (A good general soluble fertilizer, not too your hands, to close them almost into high in nitrogen, is best, although the buds, as you apply the wrap. Then roll standard 5-10-5, or 6-10-4 soluble types the full length of the stem in the news­ work fine.) paper and carry your bucket to the show. As your bulbs come into bloom, pick (3) Tulips open their buds by day and and enjoy them. I am diabolically op­ close them by night for five days. There­ posed to precise, single rows of tulips after, they stay open and continue which no one dares pick for fear of spoil­ blooming for various lengths of time, ing the "soldiers-on-parade" effect. Tu­ depending on the variety, weather, age lips do lend themselves to mathematical of the bulb, and other conditions. For patterns and formal plantings in geo­ exhibits, select those which are opening metric designs, but the single file method, for the first or second day, so they won't so frequently used, can look very sad­ open too wide and be floppy. Although like a child with a tooth missing! tulips wt shortly after opening will ,l\Thatever your type of planting-geo­ usually last a week in a vase, they often metric, or in swoops or groups-plant bloom for a much longer period in the them close enough so that it won't be garden. Despite this, pick them freely noticed if ONe is missing. I pick mine and enjoy them. constantly-bouquets for the office, for Police your tulip bed regularly. Col­ neighbors, for guests, for the house. Lit­ lect spent blooms carefully. Break off tle blooms from five to eight-year old seed pods at once. If faded blooms have bulbs are perfect for making nursing fallen, gather up the petals as you do home bouquets in quantity. with roses to prevent Black Spot, and Tips in picking tulips: (1) Cut above burn. the first (top) leaf, if possible. But never Don't cultivate or disturb tulip beds. cut lower than below this one top leaf, Other than to clean up dead blossoms, even for the flower shows. Let the leaves don't cultivate the bed until after the stay on the plant to help promote growth tulips have finished blooming-in this of the new bulb for the following year. area this is about the third week in May. (2) Always "condition" your blooms over­ Above all, don't attempt to "underplant" night. The best method-if you plan to early, whether or not you plan to remove exhibit-is to place the selected flower the bulbs. 84 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

Generally speaking, the third week in Work gently, carefully. Leave a bit of l'vlay is the time to begin-to-get-ready-to­ soil clinging to the roots, shaking off the start-to-commence getting your tulips out surplus. L ay the bulbs of the same va­ of the ground! But "wait-on-the-weath­ riety, age, and color on several thick­ er." Suit your own convenience, letting nesses of newspaper. Roll it up, label the leaves ripen. You can afford to wait with a large, clear number (as explained a few days. But don't procrastinate too later) and stand the bundle upright­ long, for your earliest tulips are quite with all green leaves intact-in a basket yellow by now and you will soon not be or carton , bulbs down. The newspaper able to find them. Some of the late ones should not cover the green tops entirely, may be finishing their final burst of glory. but should hold them firmly, in their But about Decoration Day, get going. normal position. A dozen bulbs can be T his is the time to dig out tulips! easily wrapped in this manner in each Before you protest, "Bu t the man told bundle of newspaper and stood upright me ..." let me h astily explain that I without fear of breaking apart. Wrap am n ow ready to put in my annuals, them as you wrap the cornucopias for dahlias, tuberous begonias, chrysanthe­ conditioning cut flowers, but be careful mum cuttings, etc., and I want that land to double wrap the entire root system at back for the summer. I'm grim about it. the bottom. One good trick is to slip a Mother's Day is our "las t frost date" and vegetable bag over the bulb end for add­ I have n ow waited two weeks past this ed protection at the bottom. deadline. So it's TIME! Set the filled baskets in the shade. Keep Furthermore, I have kept records over them off the ground by resting them on the years and I have found that the long­ sticks, stones or bricks, with an inch of er I put off this chore after Decoration air space beneath; this prevents visita­ Day, the higher percentage of lost tulips tions by slugs. L eave the bulbs undis­ I will have. I mean LOST. From now turbed for two or three weeks, until all on, it becomes increasingly difficult to the foliage turns yellow find the bulbs, or to dig them out intact. In the meantime, prepare the digging If they remain in the soil, they will be garden and replant. R ake and break up endangered by my digging operations for soil that was n ot turned over by the re­ the "summer" garden. I have beea moval of the bulbs. I do not dig over through this gruesome business of deep the beds at this time, since soil-condition­ planting, too. Once I went down eight­ ers, fertilizers, and humus are turned un­ een inches and lost nearly all the bulbs­ der in the fall, when it is cooler. Now and those that did come up again had utilize the freshened land for your an­ such long, spindly white pipestems the nuals-gladiolus plantings at two-week following year, with inferior blooms, that intervals, dahlias, and all your Ii ttle sum­ they weren't worth saving. My bulbs go mer treasures, tender plants and, pos­ in trowel-deep and are easil y removed sibly, even to sink potted house plants. by the first heave of my trusty digging If the bed consists of good fertilized, fri­ fork. Sometimes I miss a tulip bulb and able soil in full sun, set out your seed­ have found it again in the fall, when re­ lings and cuttings without fear of cutting planting the bulhs which have been dor­ into spring bulbs. Your tulips are safe! mant all summer. The one fo und in the Use a work table, bench, or wheelbar­ ground is sodden, heavy, dark, and old­ row to clean up the ripened bulbs. Keep looking. varieties separate by handling each Collect supplies first. A digging fork, rolled-up bundle separately. Keep track stacks o[ old newspapers, indelible or of the label number. Remove all dried grease pencil, bushel baskets or grocery tops and destroy by burning. These are cartons in your wheelbarrow or wagon. not for the compost pile. Leave "clumps" And gloves! of n ew bulbs intact for now, shaking Starting with the earli est blooms, fork off the lose soil only. Now transfer each out each group or variety. (This is a bunch of bulbs to a clean paper bag, or picayune distinction: If you have three plastic vegetable bag with holes. Trans­ "groups" of the same variety, purchased fer the label number carefully, with in­ the same year, store them in one bunch. delible pencil. Old nylon hose may also But I have four years worth of 'Gudosh­ be used. nik,' so I store them for each year, even I have found it good practice to pro­ though it's all the same variety.) tect my bulbs from disease by putting a APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 85

few grains of SpeTgon at this time, or pulling out by the roots. Fork out and less than Ys teaspoonful of sulfur dust, in store all dahlias and other summer bulbs, each storage bag to prevent disease. Tu­ roots, or tubers. Rake the garden clean lips do not need constant spraying, but I find it simplest to apply my recondi­ this one annual preventive is excellent. tioning material immediately after this Store the bags loosely in a carton on raking, even though I may not get to the a high shelf in the garage, or other cool digging until later. First, I mix equal place, out of the sun, where they will be amounts of bone meal with dried cow safe from rodents, excessive humidity and manure and spread it over the raked moisture. The temperature of the stor­ land. Then I throw on many wheelbar­ age place need not be controlled. If rew loads of our thoroughly seasoned, your cellar or basement is cool in sum­ two-year old, sifted compost. My entire mer, that is satisfactory provided it is not digging garden gets at least two inches humid. The idea is that your tulip bulbs of this rich, black, homemade humus are now resting. By letting them remain every autumn. dormant, they last longer. \t\Then weather permits and the ground If you have the room, you can let the is not too wet, I turn the soil over with baskets of bulbs ripen in your garage. or my digging fork and rake it smooth. This shed, rather than under a tree. Never should be done, preferably, a couple of dry them in direct sun, or in relative weeks before one is ready to plant-to darkness, or the ripening green leaves give the ground a chance to settle and will not have time to mature and send the conditioners time to be thoroughly their nutrients downward to form the assimilated. However, no harm's done new bulb. In case early June is excessive­ if you must plant immediately after ly wet, and your baskets are completely digging. soaked, dry the bulbs off on flats or trays Sort and clean the bulbs. Your bulbs, for a few hours before storing. Light remember, were stored "intact," without rains will do no harm and the bulbs will taking off roots, husks, bulblets, etc. Now, ripen naturally. Just don't put your working with one bag at a time to keep bulbs away sodden wet. your varieties separate, rub off the dead This ends the spring care of your roots, husks, and soil. Place all tiny bulb­ bulbs. They now should be in complete lets no larger than a fingernail in a can, dormancy. or throw them away if you cannot carry out my suggestions on that. But keep the Autumn Care of Tulip Bulbs small bulbs; they will make wonderful I won 150 bulbs, as an award from the sources for cut flowers, massive displays, National Tulip Society, seven years ago, garden therapy, etc., for many more and they arrived at Thanksgiving, in a years. huge box decorated with overseas stamps. With good varieties, I place the larger A note inside said, "We did not send bulbs back in the bag, complete with these sooner because we were afraid label, ready to plant. The second size you'd plant them too early." This is a may go in another bag for a less con­ good point to remember. spicuous place; or may be planted right Plant Madonna lilies as soon as re­ with the large ones, in the same group­ ceived, daffodils as early as you can get ing, for a more colorful effect. If I plant delivery, along with hyacinths and little them separately, I number these, too, to bulbs. Leave the tulips until the last, keep track of older bulbs. although any time during November will Prepare a bucket of rooting mixture. do. I wait until frost has killed all the If you have a great many bulbs, you will annuals, and the chrysanthemums have need more than a bucket-but it is a had a chance to complete their best simple matter to prepare more when you blooms. Then I clean up the whole gar­ run out. I use three types: (I) Ordinary den and prepare for winter. builder's sand, (2) half-and-half sand and Prepare the digging garden thorough. sphagnum peat· moss, and (3) sphagnum ly in the fall, before planting tulips. peat-moss. All are equally good, easy to This is the time for your once· a-year dig· use, readily available, and satisfactory. ging-up, turning-over and reconditioning For many years, sand was my standby. of the soil. Since a tulip bed maintains I like it because a small handful clings two gardens a year, such conditioning is to the newly-formed roots and helps them essential. Remove and burn all annuals, to take hold before a hard freeze. It also 86 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE has a certain sterilizing effect in the soil, Work around the digging areas, plant­ to discourage bugs and grubs, as well as ing in your most desired locations first, rot. Also, when I dig the bulbs out, the with the best bulbs. Remember, how­ sand helps the bulb "break free" more ever, to plant your earliest varieties in easily. Then I discovered that peat moss areas near the house, driveway, or patio is an excellent soil conditioner and very where they can be seen and enjoyed from useful in setting out seedlings, cuttings, your windows. As with crocus and other and tender plants, because it creates de­ early bulbs, you will enjoy having your sirable conditions for root growth. It is first spring flowers where you can reach not a fertilizer, but it is a good starting them readily; or where visitors can see medium, and adds organic material to them while your "main" garden is still the soil. Therefore, when I am lucky snow-covered, or too muddy to visit. enough to have a bale of peat, I mix it Speed up the planting operation by half-and-half with the sand. planting grade-three bulbs in wide, open Some of my less countrified friends in­ trenches. Using a string and stakes, spade sist they cannot get ordinary builder's out straight trenches, trowel-deep and sand, or have no place to store it. For about seven inches wide. Put about an such friends, I recommend that they use inch of planting mixture on the bottom, straight sphagnum peat-moss as a tulip then set in three rows of bulbs, two to planting medium, even though I insist five inches apart, in two-inch rows. This that, horticulturally speaking, sand is a gives you a massed display of smaller basic requisite for success with tulips. flowers, wonderful for cutting. And the Starting with your Number One dig­ bulbs will be found readily in the spring. ging area, take wheelbarrow, light shovel, Chart and label all your plantings. rake, trowel, bags of your best bulbs, and Perhaps I have been repetitious about the sand, peat or sand-and-peat mixture. the need for labeling varieties? But if YOll Don't forget a pillow or old rug for one's wish to exhibit, accurate identification is knee and gloves. I suggest you use either mandatory; and even if you don't, you'll one of two planting methods: (1) Shovel want to know what is planted where, for out the loose soil about trowel deep, from your own satisfaction, and to be able to an area about the size of your opened answer the questions that will be asked! arms. (Or a section of a border, if you Some chart and record system is neces­ are planning a straight border.) Spread sary and the simpler the better. I chart an even one-inch layer of the planting each garden section, (for all my plants) , mixture over this area. Kneel on your on laundry shirt cardboards. I outline pillow and press the bulbs into the layer each group in ink and give it a number, so that they stand upright about five then list the correct name of each vari­ inches apart. Shovel the soil back over ety opposite the number. them and continue your next "grouping" The stake in the garden may say only: -after marking the bed with a wood or "6 I A, '62," but when I look at the chart, metal label. (2) Layout in the ground I see that I bought six each, of ten vari­ an "arm-circle-full" of bulbs in one va­ eties in 1962, and labelled them I A, '62 riety, grouping them attractively in a through X A, '62. The chart reminds me formal, or informal arrangement. Kneel where I located them. When I cut for on your pad, take a bulb in your left exhibiting, I merely look up my "I A," hand, and dig a hole trowel-deep in the on my 1962 bill, and find that these six soft earth with the trowel in your right bulbs happen to be 'Eros', late, rose­ hand. Now, pour a trowelful of the root­ colored doubles, which I hope will bloom ing rr.ixture into the hole with each bulb. in time for our May tulip show! This sounds like petty detail, but it is My system is very Rube Goldberg. I important. The protective planting me­ have twenty-four new bulbs now which I dium should be under and around the call "2 SP 1, '62" through "2 SP 12, '62," bulb, for faster root development, pro­ for instance, because I have the amateur tection from disease and easier digging­ collector's habit of buying only two of a out next spring. Also it holds the bulb kind when I cannot afford more. The e1"ect while you throw soil back over it. "SP," of course, means "Special"-two It also promotes aeration and helps the bulbs, in 12 varieties, (numbered on my bulb start a good, strong root system. chart with their correct names), in 1962! Drive a stake, or label marker, to Last year, I bought several hundred mark the group, and fill in the hole. white, plastic, permanent labels, which APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 87

can be written on with a soft pencil and 10. Lily Flowering; May-flowering which will not disappear all winter. Next 11. Darwin Hybrids; May-flowering spring, when I dig the bulbs out, I plan 12. Rembrandts (Broken Tulips), Mul­ to place these little white stakes right in­ tiflowering, Viridiflora, and Greigii; to the newspapers, while the bulbs are May-flowering ripening; and hence into the plastic bags for the summer with a far more syste­ Description of Typ1ical Tulip matic (and easier) labeling system than Varieties in Each Type I have had heretofore. FORCERS: Before describing the tulips I like best, Eight Weeks of Progressive Bloom in each category, here is a list of varieties lowe a great deal-both in acquired -selected from the 12 types-which are knowledge and in my collection of tu­ suitable for forcing indoors. This extends lips- to Dr. and Mrs. Louis Kacmaryn­ the bloom period from January (and ski of New Rochelle, New York; both even Mid-December) through March. are active members of the National Tu­ The varieties named have strong, erect lip Society and tulip hobbyist par excel­ stems, are not over-tall and are recom· lence. They prepared the following ta­ mended by experts for forcing: ble of bloom, although I have added my Mendel: 'Her Grace,' 19" white, widely­ own favorites within the categories they edged with pink; 'Pink Gem', 16", pure originated and developed over these white edged with soft pink; 'John Gay' many years. (new), orange-red; 'Beauty of Volendam', Although, technically, there are sixteen 16", feathered and flamed violet on a classifications of tulips, we have com­ white ground; 'Weber', white and pink; bined the last four to simplify this dis­ 'Mirjoram', 21", red with yellow edge; cussion. These twelve major types will 'White Sail', 16", opens creamy-white, provide approximately eight weeks of changes to pure white quickly, (can be progressive and continuous color in the forced to bloom by Dec. 25th.) tulip garden. I say approximately be­ Triumph: 'Bandoeng,' 18", dark ma­ cause tulips, being a work of Nature, are hogany-red, faintly-edged with yellow, not subject to production line schedul­ (can be forced to bloom from Jan. 15th ing-they do not bloom "every hour, on on); 'Preludian', pink; 'Rhineland', or­ the hour," or anything like it, in the ange yellow. average amateur garden. Early doubles: 'Ma[(~chal Niel,' 12", The time of blooming of each type is canary yellow; 'Scarlet Cardinal,' 11 ", affected by local conditions-terrain, the good orange scarlet (can be forced to kind of spring, the kind of winter, and bloom by Dec. 15); 'Peach Blossom,' 12", a dozen other factors. Furthermore, con­ good rosy-pink, very erect with full dou­ ditions that will hurry up one type will ble flowers (can be forced to bloom by hold back another type. So the approxi­ end of February); 'Orange Nassau,' 12", mate blooming dates shown below for orange; 'Murillo Max,' 12", delicate rose, the New York area, may vary by a week All of these are suitable for the garden, or two. The wonder is that so many too. I have found it interesting to buy types so often hit these dates right on the 8 (5 for forcing, 3 for the garden) to nose. compare the blooms. The second year, Type, Approximate Bloom Date the five forcers are added to the garden group for outdoor planting. (Care of 1. Botanical Species and Species Hy­ forcers at end of article.) brids; Late March, Early April 2. Early Singles and Early Doubles; Twelve Classes of Tulips Mid-April 3. Mendel; About April 20th Botanical Species and 4. Triumph; About April 25 Species Hybrids 5. Late Doubles (peony-flowering); T. kaufmanniana selections: These Early May short-stemmed beauties bloom very early 6. Cottage; May-flowering in a wide range of colors and forms, fre­ 7. Darwins; May-flowering quently multi-colored, and/ or multi­ 8. Breeders; May-flowering flowering, with stripes, spotted or mot­ 9. Parrots; May-flowering tled effects. I have always planted mine 88 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

in the regular digging garden; but re­ Early Singles and Early Doubles cently I learned that these may be a type Early Single: These are useful for bed­ of tulip I could safely leave undisturbed ding purposes, or for garden borders. in the ground for many years. So, next They do not have the size of bloom and year, I shall experiment and plant half length of stem of the May flowering of each variety in my "perennial" garden types, so may be effectively planted in -probably the rock garden-and the front of the late types. VaTieties: 'Cou­ other half will be dug out as usual. leur Cardinal', 12", cardinal-red, erect Should be interesting to compare the habit, lasting qualities good, in cultiva­ blooms the next spring. Favorite vari­ tion since 1815; 'Keizerskroon', 15", scar­ eties include: 'Stresa', 10", golden yellow, let and yellow; 'Prince Carnival', 15", with orange-red bands on outside of seg­ fragrant, red and yellow. ments, interior yellow, with red mark­ Early Double: Discussed under fOTCed ings at base; 'Johann Strauss', 8" white bulbs. flower with cream center, exterior flushed with red; 'Waterlily', 6", creamy-white Mendel marked with slight carmine-red centers, These, too, are discussed under forced opening with points like a waterlily. tulips. But I have found that 'Her Grace' Peacock: (dwarf) These are really an is particularly lovely in the garden and "Elite Mixture" raised from crossing T. is good for garden-show exhibition. In gl-eigii with T. kanfmanniana. They are the garden, Mendel tulips bridge the sea­ very short with sturdy stems, and come in son between the Early Singles and the an incredible range of colors, forms and Triumphs. markings, with several blooms to a bulb and all making a gay rainbow pattern in Triumph a low bed, in early spring. These tulips are admired for their T. fosteTiana: These are the incom­ strong, tall stems and vigorous habit. parable Bokhara tulips, found growing They flower immediately after the Men­ wild on the mountain slopes of the Asi­ dels in self-colors, bicolors, flushes, stripes atic desert, tall, with large flowers and and margins. In addition to the Tri­ brilliant colors. Best known are: 'Red umphs discussed under forced tulips, Emperor', 16"-20", with colossal blooms 'Bruno Walter', 18" deep brownish-or­ on erect stems, orange-scarlet, base black, ange, is a lovely garden variety, which bordered yellow, sturdy grower, one of blends well with other muted colors. earliest to bloom; 'White Emperor' (Pur­ Late Doubles (Peony Flowered) issima) as large in stem and bloom as 'Red Emperor,' but with a feeling of Some authorities indicate that the Late more delicate loveliness. I plant them to­ Doubles are really Double Triumphs and gether, as they bloom at the same time. their characteristics are similar. They in­ T. clusiana, 9", (The Lady Tulip), clude new colors, sturdy habit, strong often called the Peppermint Stick, outer stems, and very beautiful flowers. They petals cherry-red, inner petals white, will not object to some shade. Varieties: violet base. 'Eros', 22", a clear old-rose and a good thick double; 'Mount Tacoma', 22", T. acuminata (T. COTnuta, T. steno­ looks like a large, double Chinese peony, p etala), 18", called a "spider" due to its lasts well when cut, peerless white; 'Clara unusual shape, primrose-yellow suffused scarlet, very hardy. Garder', 18", clear pink with light lilac­ purple inside, white base, double flowers T. ma1-jolettii 18", creamy-white flushed and great substance; 'Gold Medal', 18", pink, edged rosy-red (late flowering and deep golden-yellow, good cut flower. long-lasting, one of several botanical spe­ cies which flower in late April and early Cottage May.) I am very fond of Cottage tulips, be­ T. pmestans 'Fusilier', 10", multi­ cause of their clean, crisp blooms, tall, flowering, orange-scarlet dwarf, produc­ straight stems and long period of bloom, ing several flowers on each scape. both in the garden and for cu tting. They T. turkestanica, 8", multiflowering, are good for exhibiting, with many fine with 5 to 9 flowers on a scape, creamy­ varieties from which to choose. Among white with green and bronzy flush on my favorite varieties are: 'Mrs. John T. exterior. Scheepers', 34", pure yellow, truly a APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 89 giant, with long oval-shaped blooms, Parro'ts highly recommended; 'Dreaming Maid', I find these gorgeous flowers with their 26", deep lilac-mauve merging into sil­ heavily lacina ted petals very fascinating very-white at margin of petals; 'Princess to grow. They are effective in the garden Margaret Rose', 21", yellow-edged with and for arrangements as well. They last bright scarlet; 'Rosy Wings', 24", a lus­ well in water. Parrot tulips with lacini­ cious salmon-pink, changing to pink, ated petal segments are sports having flowers long and open to great size; risen from various groups of cultivated 'Henry Ford', 20", deep pink changing to tulip. Varieties: 'Fantasy', 22", soft rose cherry red on white base; 'Advance', 24", with gaint stripes and featherings of ap­ orange-scarlet, overlaid with a dusty ple-green on outer petals, a sport of the shade, fine grower. Darwin 'Clara Butt', free flowering; Darwins 'Texas Gold', 16", a sport of 'Inglescombe Yellow', with the same golden yellow Darwin tulips are May-flowering and color; 'Blue Parrot', 24", flushed steel­ fill a great need in the garden, when blue, large flowers; 'Orange Favorite', the early spring flowers are gone and 22", orange-scarlet tinged with old rose early perennials not yet in bloom. Self­ with faint featherings of apple-green on colored, with long upright stems, they outer petals with yellow base. are showy and long-lasting in the garden and when cut. Here are a few I like out Lily-F lowering of the hundreds of varieties on the mar­ These I love with their elegant, slender ket: 'Aristocrat', 30", violet-rose with stems, topped by pointed, reflexed petals. lighter edge, splendid carriage, bulbs last Val-ieties: 'Captain Fryatt', 24", (an olel over well; 'Clara Butt', 25", soft pink, favorite) dark ruby-violet with violet­ flushed with salmon-rose, base whi te, blue base, they look maroon-red in the with small blue-gray markings; 'Niphe­ garden; 'White Triumphator', 30", pure tos', 29", soft lemon yellow; 'Smiling white longish-shaped, lofty height; 'May­ Queen', 28", satiny-pink with flush of time', 20", purplish-violet broadly-edged rose-pink on outer petals; 'Sweet Har­ white; 'Queen of Sheba', 20", deep scar­ mony', 26", lemon yellow, edged with let-brown broadly margined yellow, long ivory-white and yellow anthers, very shaped flowers ; 'Mariette', 26", delicate beautiful; 'Insurpassable', 28", large lilac salmon pink, beautiful texture, noble flowers on tall sems; 'Magier: (Sky), bearing; 'Marcellina', 24", rich salmon­ 26", white, splashed with soft purple at pink overlaid with rosy sheen. edges of petals. Darwin Hybrids Breeders As I mentioned earlier regarding These are large tulips, with huge 'Gudoshnik', I have discovered from ex­ flowers, in rich shades and tints of au­ perience that my Darwin Hybrids are tumnal purple, gold, bronze-orange, yel­ good keepers and hold up year after year. low, soft copper and combinations of They have strong stems, cut well and such colors. Of vigorous growth, and per­ never droop in the garden. My favori tes fect proportion, they are not enough are: 'Gudoshnik', 26", creamy-peach used in the garden. Varieties: 'Georges faintly streaked and dusted with rosy-red Grappe', 34", soft mauve with a clear on outer petals; 'Holland's Glory', 22", blue base, recommended for exhibition a warm scarlet; 'Empire State', a huge, because of huge flowers and long stems; tall, clear red; 'Ballet', new, yellow; 'Or­ 'Dillenburg', 26", salmon-orange, shaded ange Sun', 22", orange, new; 'Dover', or­ with rose, of great beauty and substance, ange red, new. blooms late; 'Papago', 32", deep brown­ ish-red and rich scarlet-red inside with a Rembrandts and Other yellow base; 'Chappaqua', 32", cherry­ Special Types pink flower of perfect form; 'Indian Rembrandts: In the early days, as far Chief (Meyerbee), 34", reddish-mahog­ back as 1554, the most desirable tulips any flushed with purple; 'Louis XIV', were those called "broken." The more 32", rich purple, heavily flushed, golden­ this type was provided with a feathered, bronze at margin of petals, inside bronze, flaked color scheme and an ornate pat­ shading to bronzy-purple and lilac, glob­ tern of the flower, the more expensive ular flowers of gigantic size. were the bulbs. Those which were 90 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

"Broken Darwins" were called Rem­ "not later than the middle of May," I brandts, with stripes of lilac, purple, or have competed in many so-called "tulip" red on a white ground. The Bizarres and shows during the 3rd and 4th weeks of Bybloemens were "Broken Breeders." For May, missing full classifications of long­ many years, I grew Rembrandt tulips since departed tulips at which my viridi­ without knowing the variety name-Ill Roras were the only tulips exhibited. On lilac-purple tones on a white ground. one such occasion, the judges refused to They eventually deterioriated and I did give me any award, whatsoever, although not replace them, although I loved their my blooms were in perfect condition. great, rich beauty and size (short stems, My "virus" was the talk of the show! I large Rowers). But I found that Rower might add that I have never had any of show judges were antagonistic to all my other tulips "catch" any disease, or broken tulips! In fact, there is consider­ virus, from my beloved viridifloras. An­ able controversy about all broken tulips other excellent variety, incidentally, is having a virus. I am not competent to 'Artist', lon, in color combinations of judge. At present, I am trying out one terra cotta and green. new Rembrandt variety, 'American Flag', 28", brilliant deep red with broad How to Plant and Force Tulips marbled white lines and markings and Tulips are forced to bloom ahead of am looking forward to starting a new their regular schedule by planting them collection! in ordinary clay pots and subjecting T. greigii. This is a magnificent red, them to a prolonged period of cold, then or scarlet tulip of the same series as T . bringing them into indoor temperatures fosteriana from Central Asia, but easily and light. distinguished from all other species by Allow a MINIMUM of ten weeks of the prominent dark, mauvish-purple cold (at least 40 ° F.) before pots contain­ mottled and streaky markings on the ing bulbs are brought indoors. Pots may broad leaves. The stems are stout, up to be brought indoors successively after 2 feet tall. The Rowers are large, open­ that. Allow an additional five weeks un­ ing to a wide cup, with the tips of the til full bloom. I have six pots and bring segments reflex ed, but they are not in them in at two-week intervals, which plentiful supply and varieties are give me continuous bloom from the time limited, 'Pandour', 10", is of short height, the first bursts into bloom. If you start with large wine-red Rowers of fine poise your ten weeks in early October, you will and with the characteristic marked and have bulbs in bloom for Christmas. How­ mottled leaves. I am growing them as ever, since we usually have plenty of gay an experiment. holiday color, I plant my forcers in No­ T. viridiflom. I have grown these vember and aim for blooms by mid-Jan­ "green" tulips from many years and am uary. You can continue forcing until very enthusiastic about them, except for Easter. one thing. Sometimes judges have turned Plant five bulbs per "bulb pan/' about down my most exquisite and perfect 7" across the top. Provide usual crockery blooms and written on the back of my or pebbles for bottom drainage in clay entry card, "This Rower is diseased," pots. Make enough soil mixture for all which makes visitors look at me as the pots you plan to use: Bone meal, though I had leprosy. I have been told dried cow manure, peat moss, compost on high authority that viridiflora tulips and garden loam in a rich humus mix­ do not have a virus; but the controversy ture. Set the bulbs upright, flat side to­ goes on. The variety 'Greenland', 20", wards the outside of the pot) so that the has luminous deep old rose petals with tips are just below the soil surface, at a broad green central band, disfused the same distance. Leave one·-half inch creamy-yellow edging, the interior a space for watering. Water thoroughl'y. 'Mother of Pearl' sheen. Long lasting, (I water twice again, in the next few the bulbs keep for years and. I like them, weeks.) not only for their rare beauty and long­ Sink the pots in a protected place. Dig lasting qualities in the garden and in the a trench below frost level, and cover with house, but also because they are usually sand topped by leaves. Or sink in the the very' last tuliI?s to bloom. Although cold frame. Or place the pots in cartons the NatIOnal TulIp Society recommends or bushel baskets, filled with leaves and that Tulip Shows in this area be held covered with burlap or canvas on an un- APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 91

heated sun porch or garage. The idea is pear. But when they are permitted to go to let the bulbs get cold, but not to dormant out of the ground, they can be freeze. used again for many years. Sort them My method is to place the pots in a into various sizes. The large bulbs and clockwise circle (numbered on a chart, secondary size can then be planted again matching grease pencil numbers on the straight into the garden. But there will clay pots) in a window well outside the always be a sizable collection of small kitchen window. They rest on a bed of bulbs and/ or bulblets, which are too loose, fluffy leaves, with more dry leaves small for planting immediately. Al­ over them. I cover the leaves with an old though some of them might bloom, oth­ piece of sturdy canvas to prevent exces­ ers will develop only one leaf and no sive wetness, or matting, and to keep out flowers, giving a spotty effect in the gar­ heavy snows; rhododendrons shelter den. But you can save them by trying them from above. Another possible place the following methods: is under thick evergreen shrubs, or trees, 1. Plant them in a wide trench, about with heavy foliage to protect them from 4 inches deep, which has had superphos­ deep snow, in boxes or baskets, filled phate added during the soil preparation, with leaves to prevent freezing. in addition to the usual bonemeal, dried A t the end of ten weeks of cold, bring cow manure and compost. Spread an in the first pot. Place in a dark, cool inch of your planting mixture (sand or closet for a week or so, watering enough peatmoss) in the bottom of the trench to keep the soil damp (this time may be and place the bulblets upright in it, shortened in late winter when the bulbs quite close together. Fill in trench with are already sprouting). When the shoots earth. are up about 2 inches, bring into sun­ 2. If flower buds appear, break them light and warmth. Water regularly. off directly beneath the bud. Allow no While blooming, keep out of direct sun­ buds to mature into flowers. Permit the light. After blooming, cut off seed pods foliage to mature naturally. and leave all the foliage intact. Set the pot in a light, inconspicuous place and 3. Feed in early spring with complete keep on watering until the leaves die fertilizer; nitrogen, phosphorus, and pot­ down naturally. If you let them dry out ash. at once, no new bulbs will be formed. 4. Leave the bulbs in your propa­ Then, remove dried foliage and store gating bed all summer and repeat the pot and bulbs until fall planting time. treatment a second year, including super­ Plant bulbs in garden thereafter, since phosphate in the fall, the fertilizer in bulbs for forcing can be used only once spring and nipping buds. for that purpose. 5. The NEXT year, let the flower buds form. These will be big blooms, How to Develop Small Bulb-lets from big bulbs. Dig out, in June, dry Into Big Bulbs and store, as you do with your regular When bulbs are left in the ground, beds and start over in your propagating they deteriorate and eventually disap- trench with another set of bulblets. 92 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL lVIAGAZINE

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRI CULTURE

Carissa grandiflora The Natal Plum

HAROLD F. WINTERS*

Of the many tropical and subtropical many poisonous plants, the fruits are fruits called "plums" by English-speak­ edible and by some described as deli­ ing residents of the tropics, the Natal cious. It is native to the coastal region Plum or Carissa, Cm·issa grandiflora A. of Natal where it is called "amatun­ DC., is most striking in appearance. Al­ gula," but is also found far inland even though grown for the edible fruits, it is in the Transvaal (12), where it was prob­ valued as a hedge plant and is fruitful ably introduced as a hedge plant and for even when kept trimmed. It is useful as the fruit. Although normally a bush, a landscape subject on properties close the plant may reach a height of 15 to to the ocean because of its tolerance to 18 feet. salt spray and resistance to damage by The Natal Plum is said to have been wind. introduced into Florida by Theodore L. The glossy dark-green opposite leaves Mead in 1886, but David Fairchild (1) are broadly ovate and obtuse to mucro­ of the former Office of Foreign Seed and nate tipped, thick, and leathery, 1 to 2 Plant Introduction (now New Crops inches long. Each flush of growth is Research Branch) of the United States terminated by two forked spines, 1;2 to 2 Department of Agriculture gave the inches in length. The white tubular greatest stimulus to growing it in this flowers are born in cymes or singly at country by importing a large quantity the ends of the main branches and on of seeds from the Botanical Garden at the short laterals. They are delightfully Durban, Natal, where he had seen the fragrant with the odor of jasmine. The plants growing and tasted the fruit for 2-inch corolla is composed of five ovate the first time in 1903. From this impor­ lobes twisted to the left in bud. Five tation, P.I. No. 11734, several thousand stamens are inserted inside the slender plants were grown and distributed by inch-long tube. A clavate stigma sur­ the Plant Introduction Garden located mounts the superior two-celled ovary. at Miami, Florida. Plants of this and subsequent introductions were distrib­ The nearly spherical to ovoid fruits uted for testing in Florida, the Gulf may obtain a diameter of 11;2 inches and Coast area, and California. Reports a length of nearly 2 inches. They are from several of the cooperators indi­ of an attractive cerise-red color when cated considerable interest in the plant ripe. A smooth soft skin encloses the from 1910 to 1915 (5,6, 8). The greatest reddish pulp in which are embedded a success in its cultivation was obtained few to several thin circular seeds. The in southern Florida and in the warmer pulp exudes a white milky latex when parts of California. In this country the cut or bruised. Flavor of the fruit varies plants tolerate temperatures as low as from sweetish to tart depending upon 25 ° to 27 ° F., with an occasional report maturity and variety. The partly ripe of survival after a low of 22 °. Much of fruits make excellent jelly and fully ripe the credit for the popularity of the Na­ ones delicious sauce, tasting very much tal Plum is due to Edward Simmonds, like that made from cranberries. Fresh Superintendent of the i'vIiami Plant In­ fruits usually are too tart to eat out of troduction Garden when it was intro­ hand or for dessert unless sprinkled with duced. Mr. Simmonds not only tested sugar. As a component for fruit salads and propagated the introductions but they add a sprightly flavor and color ac­ carried on an extensive correspondence cent. about the plants distributed. His re­ Although the Natal Plum belongs to ports constituted an extensive file on the the Apocynaceae, a family containing subject. Departmen tal officials also con­ tributed in other ways to the informa­ .. Horticulturist, New Crops Research Branch. Crops tion concerning the subject. The dis­ Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland. cussion about the genus Carissa included [9 3] 94 THE AMERICAN HOR TICULTURAL MAGAZINE by L. H. Bailey in The StandaTd Cyclo­ of flowers borne on different plants. One pedia of H oTticultuTe was prepared by form, which was said to be functionally S. C. Stuntz (11), Botanical Assistant, and male and never to bear fruits, was gen­ the separate article on "Natal Plum" by erally larger and structurally different in F. W. Popenoe (7), Agricultural Explor­ having larger anthers and stamens much er, both with the former Office of For­ longer than the style. In the functionally eign Seed and Plant Introduction, Wash­ female form, the stamens were of the ington, D. C. same length as the style but the anthers were smaller and never seemed to con­ At present perhaps more use is made tain pollen. In a study of seedling pop­ of the plants as ornamental shrubs than ulations made in California, Schroeder for fruit production and dwarf forms confirmed the occurrence of heterostyly. with shorter spines have been selected. His experiments indicated that distinct The dark green foliage, dense bushy benefits result from cross-pollination in habit, attractive flowers, and fruits make nearly all cases. The 'Frank' variety was it ideally adapted for planting as hedges. mentioned as being a poor cropper at In addition, the spiny branches form an times, although it produces pollen. This impenetrable barrier to trespassers. Spec­ partial self-sterility was thought to be of imen plants are included in botanical a genetical or physiological nature. collections throughout southern Florida 'Torrey Pines,' a very fruitful type, was and California and in the Bahamas (4) found to bear abundant pollen. Most of and West Indies (2). the other individuals lacking pollen were In a study of composition of tropical found to produce fruit when cross-polli­ and subtropical fruits, Stahl (10) found nated by hand. fruits of the Natal Plum to average 23.4 grams in weight with a specific gravity In their native habitats, species of of 0.96. They also averaged 7.0% seed, CaTissa are thought to be pollinated by 6.5% skin, 86.5% edible pulp, 81.4% species of night-flying insects, especially moisture, 1.8 % citric acid, 1.6 % oil, 0.5% hawk-moths and by tiny beetles the size protein, 0.3 % ash, and a total of 6.0 % of thrips (3), but in this country little at­ sugars. The acid value, 1.8 per cent, was tention is paid to the flowers by insects. greater than in most of the fruits tested The Natal Plum may be propagated other than citrus. by seeds, cuttings, or grafting. The seeds Although little horticultural attention are removed from the fruits and planted has been given the Natal Plum in com­ in pots or flats of a well-drained com­ parison with many other plant introduc­ post mixture. As the seedlings develop tions, a few superior varieties have been they are transplanted to other pots or selected in California and Florida. Us­ fiats. When well established they are ually selections were made for superior moved to field nurseries. Seedlings often size of fruit and ability to bear. One of start to produce fruit during the second the most prolific bearers in Florida was year. Propagation by soft-wood cuttings named 'Gifford' for Dr. John C. Gifford is possible with bottom heat, but a more of Coconut Grove. An "extra sweet" va­ sa tisfactory method was developed by riety is presently being advertised for Edward Simmonds at the old Plant In­ sale by a Florida nurseryman. The troduction Garden on Bricknell Avenue 'Alles' (Chesley) variety is mentioned by in Miami. The terminals of young Schroeder (9) as a shy bearer in Califor­ branches were sliced and broken over, nia. Irregular fruiting behavior is thought but left attached to the parent plant. In to be the reason the Natal Plum has not about two months, when callus had been more widely planted as a commer­ formed at the break, the cuttings were cial .fruit in this country. Seedling pop­ removed and rooted readily in ordinary ~latlOns are extremely variable in fruit­ outdoor sand beds with light artificial mg. Many of the seedlings will not fruit shade. The Natal Plum may be propa­ at all and usually only a few in a given gated by layering and this method is population will fruit well. used where only a few propagations are U!lfruitfulness of CaTissa seedlings has needed. Propagation is also possible by received the attention of botanists in shield budding on seedlings during the South Africa, where the Natal Plum is spring. The plants are not particular as of commercial importance. Wood and to soil type but perform equally well on Evans (13) reported observing two kinds the sand or limestone soil of southern APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 95

Florida or the adobe soils of southern References California. Excessive soil moisture is 1. Fairchild, D. The World Was My Garden. detrimental to growth of the plants. 494 pp. illus. New York, 1938. 2. Kennard, W. C., and H. F. Winters. Some Several species of Carissa have been Fruits and Nuts for the Tropics. Misc. Pub. introduced for trial in the United States No. 801, Agr. R es. Service, U.S.D.A ., 135 pp., besides C. grandiflora. Of these, one of iIlus. 1960. the most interesting is C. edulis Vahl, a 3. Marloth, R. The Flora of South Africa. Vol. 3, Sect. 1 (1932) p. 61. London. 1932. straggling evergreen shrub native to 4. Morton, K. and J. Morton. Fifty Tropical tropical Africa. It bears dark-green Fmits of Nassa'u. 118 pr', illus. Coral leaves 3 inches in length and white or Gables, Fla, 1946. purple flowers, also jasmine scented but 5, Mowry, H., L. R . TOY, and H . S. Wolfe. (Revised by G. D. Ruehle) Miscellaneous smaller than those of the Natal Plum on T ropical and Subtropical Flm'ida Fruits. axillary or terminal inflorescences con­ Fla. Agr, Ext. Servo Bul. 156-A, 116 pp., taining five to ten flowers each. The ill us. 1958. fruits are globose or oblong in shape, 0.5 6. Popenoe, F. W. Tropical and Subtropical Fruits in California. J oumal of the Royal to 0.75 inch in diameter, and dark pur­ Horticultural Society 39, Part 2: 332-337. ple to black at maturity. The Karanda, 1914. C. earandas L. a dense spiny shrub of 7, Popenoe, F, W. Natal Plum. p, 2114 in India, has fruited in southern Florida. The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, 3 v. , edited by L. H. Bailey, New York. 1935. It forms an evergreen thorny shrub 8. Popenoe, F. W. Manual of T ro pical and smaller than C. edulis. The small dark­ Subtropical Fruits. 474 pp., illus" New green leaves are elliptical to ovate and York. 1920, the fragrant white flowers are produced 9. Schroeder, C. A. Heterostyly and sterility in Carissa grandiflora. Proc, Am, Soc. Hort. terminally on branchlets. The globose Science 57:419-422. 1951. fruits are about 1 inch in diameter and 10. Stahl, A, L. Composition ot miscellaneous red or purple-black when mature. In tropical and sub-tropical Florida fruits, Fla. India the fruits are picked green for Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 283, 20 pp. 1935. pickling and are considered the best of 11. Stuntz, S, C, Carissa. p , 664 in The Stand­ m'd Cyclopedia ot Horticulture, 3 v., edited all Indian fruits for tarts and puddings, by L, H . Bailey. New York. 1935, when ripe. They can be eaten as dessert 12. Verdoorn, I. C. Edible wild fruits Of the fruits or used to make jellies and pre­ T ransvaal. Bul. No, 185, Dept. of Agr. and serves. Each fruit contains two or three Forestry, Plant Industry Series No. 29, small seeds embedded in the reddish Union of South Africa. 1938. 13, Wood, J. M. and M. S. Evans. Natal plants. pulp. Propagation is the same as for C. V. I , Pan 1, pp. 14-15 and Plate 14. Dur­ grandifiora. ban, 1898.

Rooting and Night.. Lighting Trials with Deciduous Azaleas and Dwarf Rhododendrons c. J. WEISERl and L. T. BLANEy2

Rhododendrons and azaleas are east, gardeners in this sheltered region among the most spectacular and mag­ can grow successfully many of the ten­ nificent of our flowering shrubs. They der species and an almost innumerable are especially so on the Pacific Coast list of cultivars. from San Francisco northwards through Until fairly recently nurserymen prop­ Oregon into British Columbia. Blessed agated rhododendrons by layerage or by by the moderating influences of the pre­ graftage upon a seedling rootstock. Since vailing winds off the adjacent Pacific the first method is slow and the number and sheltered by high mountains to the of plants obtainable from a mother plant is small, and the second method 1 Assistant Professor, Departmef\t of Horticulture, University of Minnesota, St. Paul I, Minnesota. requires a supply of rootstock plants 2 Associate Professor, Depar tment of Horticulture, Oregon State University, CorvalliS, Oregon, and skillful handling, nurserymen must 96 THE AMLRICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE perforce charge prices which are often more and longer roots in a shorter time prohibitive to people with limited budg­ when treated with boric acid in combi­ ets. Consequently, many gardeners who nation with indolebutyric acid. would like to grow these beautiful In the light of these favorable experi­ plants either do not, or accede to an ences, the trials whose results are dis­ extent much more limited than would cussed here were carried out. Trials otherwise be. This is especially true of were conducted at Oregon State Uni­ the magnificent new deciduous azaleas versity in 1958-59 for the purpose of which are more difficult to increase by (a) finding out if deciduous azaleas and cuttage and to grow into a saleable plant dwarf rhododendrons could be rooted than are most rhododendrons. in appreciable numbers from cuttings Since the advent of root-inducing and (b) testing the effects of several chemicals and mist propagation, the supposedly stimulating treatments on rooting of cuttings of rhododendrons the subsequent growth of the rooted has become a commercial commonplace. cuttings. Deciduous azaleas, on the other hand, still defy attempts to propagate cheaply Deciduous Azalea Rooting Trial and easily by cuttage. If the cuttings Cuttings of 14 cultivars and four spe­ are taken at the proper time, are treated cies of deciduous azalea were used in with rooting hormone, and placed un­ rooting tests in the spring of 1958. A der mist, deciduous azaleas will root total of 467 softwood cuttings were satisfactorily within a reasonable time. taken during the first week of June after The stumbling block has been that the the flowers had faded but before the rooted cutting generally failed to grow new growth became too woody. The and eventually died. Kraus (3) in basal leaves were removed and the three­ 1953 reported in this journal his obser­ to four-inch long tip cuttings were vations that deciduous azalea cuttings, soaked overnight with their bases im­ when taken early in the growing season, mersed in one of four water solutions be­ rooted readily and grew if the terminal fore "sticking" in the sand rooting me­ buds were pinched out. Then the lat­ dium. The solutions were (a) water eral buds sprouted and the rooted cut­ (control), (b) 50 parts per million in­ tings successfully established themselves. dolebutyric acid (IBA) , (c) 50 parts Not long afterwards, Doorenbos (1) re­ per million boric acid (B), and (d) 50 ported that seedling rhododendrons un­ parts per million IBA + 50 parts per der constant illumination grew continu­ million B. The cuttings were rooted un­ ously and came to flower in about half der intermittent mist with 75 ° F. bottom the usual time than when grown un­ heat for a total of four months. The der the natural prevailing daylengths. mist was on 15 seconds out of every Since then we have reported (7) on ex­ three minutes during the daylight hours. periments in which deciduous azalea At the end of five weeks some cultivars cuttings were grown to a marketable had rooted appreciably; others took size in less than a year from the time of twice as long. Table 1 summarizes the taking the cutting. This was accom­ rooting percentages for all cultivars af­ plished by takiI'lg the cuttings in June ter four months. when the flowers were fading, treating Table 1: Summary of rooting l"esponse of de­ with indolebutyric acid, rooting under ciduous azaleas mist, pinching out the terminal buds after the cuttings had rooted, and main­ Treatment Average per cen t taining them under constant illumina­ rooting tion. "Vater 48 Hemberg (2), a Swedish plant physi­ IBA 78 Boron 56 ologist, first reported in 1951 that boron IBA plus Boron 74 greatly stimulated the growth of roots on bean cuttings. Canadian workers Under the condi tions of these tests, the (4) subsequently reported that the root­ highest percentage of cuttings rooted ing of softwood cuttings of black cur­ after treatment with IBA. Boron did not rant and geranium was stimulated by enhance the effectiveness of IBA. Boron boric acid. 'i!\Te have also shown that when used alone was more effective than clematis (5). and English holly cuttings water alone but it was much less effec­ (6) rooted m greater numbers and with tive than was IBA alone. The responses APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 97

of the various cultivars and species are vegetative growth for the season had shown in Table 2. It is to be seen that reached its full length and the new the cultivars and species varied widely leaves were expanded to almost mature in their rooting response and ease of size. Following the removal of several rooting. But the results certainly suggest basal leaves, the tip cuttings were given that many of these plants root readily the same four treatments as the decidu­ enough to make propagation by cuttage ous azaleas except the concentrations of practical. 'Bullfinch,' R . austrinum, both the indolebutyric and boric acid 'Avocet,' 'Irene Koster,' and 'Kraus 55- were 100 parts per million instead of 50 8,' which rooted quickly and in high parts per million as before. After treat­ percentages, are particularly well adapt­ ment the cuttings were rooted in flats ed to this method of propagation. containing a mixture of acid peat, per­ lite, and sand at a ratio of I: 1: 1. Mist Dwarf Rhododendron Rooting Trial and bottom heat were supplied as for In July of 1958, 1240 softwood cut­ the azaleas. tings were taken from II cultivars and A summary of the percentage of root­ two species of dwarf rhododendrons. At ed cuttings after 110 days is shown in this time, following flowering, the new Table 3.

Table 2. Effect of Treatments on Rooting of Deciduous Azaleas Per Cent Rooting General Category Cultivar or Species Water IBA B IBA+B Average Mollis C. B. Van Nes 0 75 40 60 42 Hybrids Kraus 55-8 + 100 86 100 100 96 Mrs. Oliver Slocock 67 83 67 83 75 Alice de Steurs 17 33 0 33 21 Ghent Altaclarensis 100 100 89 89 94 Hybrids Nancy Waterer 50 62 13 75 50 Unique 40 75 20 33 41 Sang de Gentbrugge 57 71 0 43 43 Occiden tale Kraus 55-12+ 0 100 100 100 78 Hybrids Irene Koster" 0 80 0 100 53 Knap Hill or Aurora 0 40 0 40 20 Exbury Hybrids Bullfinch" 56 100 89 100 86 Avocet" 0 100 75 100 69 Satan 0 67 44 44 40 Miscellaneous R. occidentale selection" 7I 100 100 100 93 Species and R . serrulatum 100 100 71 100 93 Selections R. schlippenbachii 0 17 17 0 9 R. austrinttm" I 100 100 100 100 100 • Indicates varieties which had rooted appreciably after five weeks.

Table 3. Effect of Treatments on Rooting of Dwarf Rhododendrons Per Cent Rooting Cultivar or Species Water IBA B IBA+B Average Thorn WiUiams 67 57 80 43 59 Temple Belle 21 66 90 57 57 Wilbar 77 75 80 88 80 Blue Diamond 80 85 85 90 85 Royal Flush 40 67 17 50 43 Blue Tit 59 78 94 90 81 Bowbells 100 79 90 94 90 Jock 71 87 95 97 88 Elizabeth 80 100 88 85 88 Unique 68 70 67 80 71 Fabia 48 67 88 79 7I R. racemosum 30 0 7 26 3 R. augustinii 38 20 II 22 23 Treatment Averages 55 66 72 70 98 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

Table 4. Shoot Growth of Deciduous Azaleas Under Prevailing Daylengths and Constant Illumination Under Prevailing Daylengths Uncler Constant Illumination Av. Av. No. Number Av. Av. No. Number Stem Av.No. Main of Stem Av.No. Main of Cultivar Length Shoots Shoots Plants" Length Shoots Shoots Plants" (inches) (inches) Kraus 55 -S 11.9 4.1 1.6 10 67.1 13.3 3.2 10 Bullfinch 0.9 1.3 1.2 11 36.1 5.2 2.S 13 Al tacl arensis 0.1 1.0 1.0 4 27.3 4.3 2.4 S Kraus 55- 12 11.5 2.3 1.5 6 26.5 2.0 1.9 7 R. occidentale 16.0 7.1 2.2 9 41.5 7.4 3.0 10 R. se'Tulatum 6.6 3.5 2.0 4 22.2 5.0 2.3 3 Average S.4 3.4 1.6 T. 44 39.5 6.5 2.7 T. 51 • At end of experiment.

Table 5. Shoot Growth of Dwarf Rhododendrons Under Prevailing Daylengths and Constant Illumination Under Prevailing Daylengths Under Constant Illumination Av. Av. No. Number Av. Av. No. Number Stem Av.No. Main of Stem Av.No. Main of Length Shoots Shoots Plants" Length Shoots Shoots Plants" (inches) (inches) Blue Diamond 9.7 4.3 1.9 15 26.3 6.7 1.9 24 Jock 7.9 3.4 I.S 30 19.3 2.7 2.0 27 Blue Tit 14.5 6.9 2.6 IS 25.S 5.S 2.3 19 Unique 1.6 1.3 1.3 20 7.6 1.6 1.6 20 Average S.1 3.S 1.9 T.S3 19.9 4.2 1.9 T. 90 • A t end of experiment.

All of the cultivars rooted quite well, azaleas and dwarf rhododendrons taken while the two species, R . racemosum and in June and July can be rooted by Oc­ A . augustinii, were shy rooters. Boric tober, but there still are problems to acid alone appeared to be the best over­ consider further. For example, these all treatment with a combination of IBA small rooted cuttings often grow very lit­ and boric acid running a close second. tle during the fall and winter months Some evidence of basal injury on the even under favorable greenhouse condi­ rhododendrons suggested that the con­ tions. Besides delay in getting speci­ centration of the rooting treatments at mens to a marketable size, this lack of 100 parts per million was too high. But, growth contributes to high mortality in spite of the possible injury, all three when the small plants are set out in the chemical treatments were considerably field the following spring. In the inter­ better than the water control for both est of finding some way to stimulate azaleas and rhododendrons. growth in the greenhouse during the These results demonstrate that a wide winter to overcome these disadvantages, range of the deciduous azaleas and rooted cuttings were taken from the dwarf rhododendrons root very success­ rooting trials on November 1, 1958, and fully from cuttings. With further re­ subjected to several treatments calcu­ finemen t of rooting techniques, it is like­ lated to stimulate their growth. The ly that the success indicated by these small rooted plants of selected cultivars limited trials could be improved con­ were grown in a soil and peat mixture siderably. It also appears that boric (1: I) in three-inch clay pots and were acid which is much cheaper and more given one of the following treatments: readily available than indolebutyric (a) removal of the dormant terminal acid, may have application as a rooting buds, (b) 30 days or (c) 60 days of chill­ agent for these plants. ing at 40 0 F ., (d) two soil applications The preceding results have shown one month apart of 200 parts per mil­ that softwood cuttings of deciduous lion potassium gibberellate, and (e) no APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 99

Fig'ure 1 (above) shows Azaleas and Figure 2 (below) shows Rhodo­ dendrons grown at prevailing daylengths (left) and at prevailing daylengths plus low intensity light all night (right). 100 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE treatment. Half of the plants of each leas, rhododendrons, and their hybrids cultivar in the preceding treatments to shorten the breeding cycle to about were grown under the prevailing day­ half of the time normally required. lengths and the other half were given In summary, it has been shown that constant illumination by extending the softwood cuttings of many of the cul­ day from sundown to sunup with low tivars of azaleas and rhododendron test­ intensity (150 foot-candle) fluorescent ed rooted very well. Indolebutyric acid light. These treatments were the same enhanced this rooting in most cases. for both the azaleas and rhododendrons. Boric acid, which is much cheaper and more readily available that the former, The plants were treated and grown in 0 0 was also an effective rooting agent and the greenhouse at 65 to 70 F. They deserves further testing. There is con­ were supplied with nitrogen fertilizer siderable variation between cultivars in and sprayed periodically for aphid con­ the time required for rooting and the trol throughout the growing period. On percentage rooting. Of the various May 22, 1959, 204 days after the start of treatments tested as growth stimulants, the experiment, growth response data night-lighting only was effective. Aza­ were recorded to evaluate the effects of leas grown with night-lighting produced the various treatments. It was found almost five times the length of new that only the constant illumination stimulated growth, all other treatments growth as those grown at prevailing day­ lengths while the increase with rhodo­ were ineffective. As shown in Tables 4 and 5, however, night lighting was a dendron was almost 2Y2 times. A com­ very effective growth stimulant, especial­ bination of adapted cultivars, proper ly for the azaleas. rooting treatments, and night-lighting makes it possible to root and grow de­ A graphic illustration of the growth ciduous azaleas and dwarf rhododen­ response to night lighting is shown in drons from cuttings to good sized plants Figures 1 and 2 which were drawn from in one year. the averages presented in Tables 4 and 5, respectively. References The hobbyist or professional inter­ 1. Doorenbos, J. Shortening the breeding cycle ested in azalea or rhododendron culture of Rhododendron. Euphytica 4:141-146, 1955. 2. Hemberg, T. Rooting experiments with hy­ could make good use of the striking pocotyls of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Physiologia g:row.th response of these plants to night Plantamm 4:358·369, 1951. lrghtmg. Inasmuch as the response is 3. Kraus, C. J. Rooting azalea cuttings. The basically a photoperiodic one and not National HOTticultural Magazine. 32:163- 164. 1953. photosy?theti~, it is likely that light of 4. Murray, H. R., C. D. Taper, T. Pickup, and lower mtensIty and shorter duration A. N. Nussey. Boron nutrition of softwood than that used in this trial would be cuttings of geranium and currant in rela· just as effective. For example, either tion to root development. Proceedings ot the AmeTican Society tor Horticultural Sci· incandescent or fluorescent light of 30 to ence 69:498-501. 1957. 50 foot-candles intensity for a few hours 5. Weiser, C. J. Effect of boron on the rooting in the middle of the night would per­ of dema tis ell tti ngs. N atU?·e 183: 559·560, haps give growth comparable to the 150 1959. 6. Weiser, C. J. and L. T. Blaney. The effects fo?t-ca~dle all-night exposure used in of boron on the rooting of English holly cut­ thIS t~Ial. More work is required to tmgs. p'·oceedings ot the Ame,·ican Society establIsh these minimum limits. As an tor HOTticultural Science 75: 704-710. 1960. example of the usefulness of this tech­ 7. Weiser, C. J. and L. T. Blaney. Constant illumination stimulates growth of softwood nique, Doorenbos (1) has used low in­ azalea cuttings. O,·egon Ornamental and tensity night-lighting on seedling aza- Nursery Digest 4 (2) :1, 4, 1960. APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 101

A view from the newer section of the Arboretum Center

The Morton Arboretum

E. LOWELL KAMMERER *

In 1874, a young man of nineteen, as the Morton Arboretum, for practical, while accompanying his father on a visit scientific research work in horticulture, to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, be­ and agriculture particularly in the came so impressed by that newly founded growth and culture of trees, shrubs, and tree collection that he voiced a dream to vines by means of a great outdoor mu­ some day establish a similar arboretum seum arranged for convenient study of in the middle-west. every species, variety, and hybrid of the Joy Morton, eldest son of J. Sterling woody plants of the world able to sup­ Morton, Nebraska pioneer and states­ port the climate of Illinois .. . in order man, and the founder of Arbor Day, to increase the general knowledge and lived to see his youthful aspirations come love of trees and shrubs, and to bring true. For, in the fall of 1921, he founded about an increase and improvement in the Morton Arboretum near Lisle (sub­ their growth and culture." urban Chicago), setting aside and endow­ Mr. Morton could scarcely have vis­ ing two hundred acres of his country ualized at the time the growth, both in estate as the first unit of an arboretum size and prestige, which was to follow. bearing the family name. Thus was cre­ Today, forty-one years later, The Mor­ ated, to quote from the original declara­ ton Arboretum covers an area of 1375 tion of trust, "a foundation to be known acres, h as a living woody plant collection of approximately five thousand species, · E . Lowell Kammerer, h orticultur ist, Curator of Collections, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois. hybrids, and varieties, and is served by a 102 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE phy ical plant consisting of three mod­ regular snow cover cannot be depended ern buildings, a new greenhouse, and a upon. Total annual precipitation aver­ unique staff residential development ages about thirty-four inches, occurring which not only provides living quarters mostly as showers in May, June, and Sep­ for employees, but serves as a landscape tember. There is an approximate thirty demonstration area as well. percent variation from year to year above and below the average, however. Very The Site wet and very dry periods are also experi­ Favored by an exceptionally choice enced from time to time. The average site, not only from the standpoint of ex­ relative humidity ranges from 72 to 75 isting native woodland, varied topogra­ percent in winter, and from 64 to 68 per­ phy, and soils, but also with regard to cent in summer. accessibility to the entire Chicago region, According to the new Plant Hardiness the Arboretum affords ideal condi tions Zone Map published in 1960 by the U. S. for growing, testing, and displaying orna­ National Arboretum, in cooperation mental plants. The limitations of the with the American Horticultural Society, collection are climatic rather than geo­ the Morton Arboretum lies in Climatic graphical, with the objective being to Zone 5b. This designation is based on grow representative specimens of all the the approximate range of average annual woody plants of the world which will minimum temperatures, which for this tolerate the climate of northern Illinois. zone vary from -20 to -10 degrees Four major "soil types" are represent­ Fahrenheit. ed in the Arboretum, upland prairie, upland timber, terrace, and late swamp General Plan and bottom-land. The pH range repre­ The system of plant arrangement with­ sented varies from 5.0 to 7.0, indicating in the Arboretum is planned to be prac­ a circumneu tral classification. ticable and useful. Trees and shrubs are planted in generic groups with no at­ Climate tempt at strict taxonomic sequence; in ~ continental climate prevails in the Reographical groups according to native ChIcago area, one noted for its warm habitats; and where potential forest val­ humid summers, cold winters, and its ue exists, in test forestry plots. There are sudden and wide extremes. Tempera­ also landscape plantings to demonstrate ture records kept since the late 1920's the aesthetic uses of woody plants. show a range from -30°F. to 105 °F. Visitors to the Arboretum will sense Hot summer winds, predominantly of the natural beauty of the grounds and south-westerly direction, have an adverse the pleasing way in which introduced effect upon many plants, as do cold west, plantings have been blended into the northwest, and northeast winter winds. natural background. The native 'wood­ Deep frost penetration, resulting from lands have been left largely undisturbed, the .freque~t absence of snow covering and the characteristic oak openings and ~u~mg penods of severe cold, is also in­ sunlit meadows, so typical of northern Junous. Illinois, kept intact. Although twenty-five miles west of Lake Michigan, the Arboretum neverthe­ Buildings' less lies within the range of its influ­ ence. This shows up in several ways; in The Arboretum Center its moderating effect upon temperatures, The Arboretum Center, located ad­ as in winter when it often prevents ex­ jacent to the east entrance into the cessive and prolonged cold, and in sum­ grounds, is a two-story structure of Lan­ mer, when it frequently depresses high non stone housing the administrative temperatures. It may also prolong the offices, information center, library, and frost-free growing season, which in this herbarium, in addition to the facilities area is normally 160 days, extended oc­ of the new wing. casionally to 180. The lake exerts a The newer section of the Center in­ s~ig.htl~ negative total influence on pre­ cludes the offices and laboratories of the CIpItatIOn, somewhat decreasing the Research Wing, class rooms, and the Jean amount of rainfall in summer, increas­ Morton Cudahy Memorial Auditorium ing it in late autumn and winter. Snow­ and Rotunda. This semi-circular glass fall is increased appreciably, although a pavilion centered on the Hedge Garden APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 103

is the focal point of the curved hall­ This demonstration planting, practi­ way connecting the old building and the cal in concept and of pleasing landscape new. Opening off the Rotunda is an au­ appearance, is arranged to show the ditorium seating one hundred people. hedge potentialities of various woody plant materials. These trial hedges are The Thornhill Building twenty-five feet in length, and at pres­ The Thornhill Building, located on ent over a hundred and twenty-five ex­ the west side of Route 53, a half mile amples of clipped hedges and more than from the west entrance, was erected from fifty informal (un clipped) materials are funds willed to the Arboretum by Mar­ included. The formally sheared trees garet Gray Morton. Opened in 1942, it along the central axis are Washington is largely devoted to the Arboretum edu­ Hawthorns (Crataegus phaenopynm~) . cational program. The building occu· pies the site of "Thornhill," the original The Garden of Old·Fashioned Roses Morton residence, whose library it in­ Cabbage, Damask, Moss, French, and corporates. This room, panelled in various rose species are the predominant bleached English Oak, is furnished much feature of the Rose Garden located be­ as it was when occupied by the founder. tween the upper and lower levels of the The large lecture room wi th full Hedge Collection. This garden was in­ length windows looking out into the Ar­ spired by the plan of the Holly Garden boretum and to the valley beyond is fur­ of the Governor's Palace at -Williams­ nished as a lounge, but may be convert­ burg. ed to seat two hundred and fifty people. The lower floor is devoted entirely to The Ground Cover Collection educational use, with class rooms, a bo­ tanical laboratory, and an exhibition Ground Cover plantings consisting of hall. seventy-five materials adaptable to vari­ ous soil and moisture conditions, and to The Redwood Building different degrees of shade or sun, line the In an oak grove northeast of the pathway bordering the north side of the Thornhill Building is the Redwood Hedge Garden. Anyone with ground Lodge, a rustic structure providing facil­ cover problems will find this outdoor ex­ ities for nature study and craft work, in­ hibit a valuable source of information. cluding dining and dormitory accommo­ The Flowering Crabapples dations for students attending the Na­ ture Seminars. An adjoining outdoor A collection of more than a hundred classroom supplements the indoor fa­ and sixty species, cultivars and hybrids cili ties. of Flowering Crabapples provides a pro­ fusion of varicolored blossoms in spring Greenhouse and Propa'gating Units and a colorful fruit display in autumn A new three-range greenhouse serving and winter. The original collection on the propagating, research, and educa­ Simonds Road, having outgrown its loca­ tional departments is located south of tion, has been supplemented by an en­ the Research Wing, convenient to the tirely new group on Forest Road east of nursery beds, propagating frames and the Frost Hill Loop. lath house. The Lilac Collection Special Planting Features Although there is lilac bloom in the Arboretum from late April until early The Hedge Garden July, the major display occurs in mid­ The only formal planting within the May when the so-called French hybrids Arboretum grounds is in the tree-en­ are at their peak. There are more than closed Hedge Garden, extending along five hundred varieties in the present col­ a half mile axis to the east of the Ro­ lection, with new ones being added as tunda of the Arboretum Center. Two they become available. Following the levels are devoted to hedges with the hybrids, the species types and the Pres­ Garden of Old Fashioned Roses occupy­ tonae hybrids carryon until the .I apan­ ing the section between them, and repre­ ese Tree-Lilac concludes the display in sentatives of the various Coni ferae out­ early July. The hybrid lilacs are planted lining the upper extension. in color groups adjoining the Hedge 104 THE AMERICAN HOR TICULTURAL MAGAZINE

The Old Fashioned Rose Garden

Garden axis on the north and along an other Ericaceae in this area. A breeding extension of the Ground Cover Path. program to develop lime tolerance is The species border Forest Road. contemplated. The Nature Trails Education Three well marked Nature Trails, the Aims Forest Trail (featuring wild flowers, The aim of the Educational Program trees, rocks, etc.), the Evergreen Trail, has been, not mere accumulation of in­ and the Thornhill Train (emphasizing formation, but rather the sharpening of plant identification), offer pleasing les­ perception and the deepening of under­ sons in natural history at all seasons of s tanding. This aim has been furthered the year. Each trail has its work sheet, by the unique character of a student and guide books are available for the body of which the only entrance require­ Forest and Evergreen Trails. ment is interest. In order to better serve teachers, group Research leaders, and camp counsellors, constant In a research program much expanded efforts have been made to perfect new by the new laboratory and greenhouse techniques, tools, and teaching methods, facilities, the Arboretum is concerned utilizing original ideas in charts, work primarily with plant problems encount­ sheets, games, and so forth. ered by the layman. The effects of filling and grade changes on established trees, Courses of Instruction as well as investigations to determine The Educational Program of the Mor­ how trees can be made to live under re­ ton Arboretum, carefully planned' and sulting conditions, are typical projects. divided to fit adults and children, works Of special interest at the present time is through several media. Organized a study being made to determine the courses throughout the year cultivate a cultural techniques necessary for the suc­ knowledge of nature. Life histories, cessful cultivation of rhododendrons and habits, associations, folklore, and identi- APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 105 fication are all considered, with special A walled outdoor reading garden is to be emphasis placed upon trees, shrubs, and an unusual feature of the plan. Dedica­ wild flowers. Birds, mammals, rocks, and tion is set for September 1963. ferns are not neglected. Courses in adult and junior leadership help teachers, Herbarium parents, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, junior The Herbarium, with its insect-proof, foresteFS and others to become proficient steel storage cases will eventually house in nature study and teaching. A series of pressed specimens of all woody plants gardening classes is offered twice a year, hardy in northern Illinois. At present, and in winter there are two five weeks' the collection has fifteen thousand sheets. courses devoted to Landscaping the These are filed systematically according Home Grounds. to botanical families. In addi tion, there is the nucleus of a collection of indige­ Plant Information nous flora, including ferns, grasses, her­ At the Reception desk in the Arbo­ baceous, and ligneous plants. retum Center information may be ob­ tained about woody plants (trees, shrubs, Location and vines), ground covers and hedges­ The Arboretum is located in suburban their selection, culture, and uses. Ques­ DuPage County twenty-four miles west tions pertaining to care and maintenance, of the Chicago Loop, one mile north of hardiness, and adaptability, pests and U.S. Highway in Lisle and three miles their control, sources of supply, and south of Roosevelt Road (alternate U.S. other problems are also answered. 30) in Glen Ellyn. Both entrances are on State Highway 53 one quarter mile Librar')' north of the Route 53 exit of the East­ Plans have just been completed for the West Tollway. addi tion of a new library wing to the By rail the Arboretum may be easily Arboretum Center. To be known as the reached by the suburban service of the "Sterling Morton Memorial Library," it Burlington R.R. (Union Station) to will provide facilities for housing the en­ Lisle. Cab service is available to the tire library in one centralized location. Arboretum from the station.

A Book or Two

Month by Month in the Greenhouse in other sections would adjust schedules accord· ingly. The names of plants are given as a com­ Gomen Richards. Published by Pageant Press, mon name and/or a scientific name-interchange­ Inc., 101 Fifth Avenue, New York 3, New ably and not correctly designated by the type York. 1962. xiv + 239 pages. Illustrated. $4.95. used in printing. Some names are not accurate. (Library) . The description of the pests is rather casual and such that they could not be identified easily The author has taken the months of the year or accurately. and outlined regular work to be done that month Because of the organization of the book, a plus specific directions on many plants. The reader would need to check the 12 chapters to plan ts are discussed in several groups as those learn the culture of a specific plant. The month for greenhouse, the bulbous types and the cuI· to month calendar id€a may interest some begin· ttae of plan ts that would be started indoors but ners with a greenhouse but for persons with ex­ used in th€ garden. perience this arrangement does not offer much The book is based on conditions as would be help. found in the Northeastern states so that persons C. B. L.

(Books available for loan to the Membership are designated: (Library). Those not so designated aTe in private collections and are not available for loan. Books ar.:ailable for sale to the Memb~r. shfP aTe designated with the special reduced price and a.re subJect. to the usua~ change of pr~ce Without notice. Orders must be sent through the Amencan Horticultural Society accompanied by the proper payment. Please allow two to three weeks for delivery. Those not designated for sale to the Membership at reduced prices can be purchased through the Society, however, at the retail p"ices given. In these instances the full profit is received by the Society to be used for increased services and benefits of the Membership.) 106 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

Andre LeNotre, Garden nance is often a deciding factor in design of home or other properties, .the basic plan th~t Architect to Kings will be enternally fine, enlivened seasonally, IS Helen M. Fox. Crown Publishers, Inc., New as important as in the grand style. How often York. 1962. 176 pages. Illustrated in black­ do we achieve it? and-white and color. $7.50. Mrs. Fox gives a warm picture of the man anu his times, not glossing over the factors that ale All students of landscape architecture are now considered as evil socially and describes his aware of the changes in style that developed as works chronologically, showing various degrees the influence of the Italian designers of formal of development and growth. For thiS we are gardens moved north to other parts of the con­ grateful, but we must add a word .of a~precI­ tinent and was modified by the men who worked ation for the way in which the book Itself IS pro­ on somewhat different terrains and for "clients" duced, a lovely thing, that is far more than a of far differen t character than those of the Ital­ mere ornament for the library table. ian beginnings. B. Y. M. This book is essentially biographical, as re­ lated to Le Notre himself, and historical, as it descri bes his life and times, as well as the series of really stupendous gardens he was privileged Meet Flora Mexicana to create. The times were perilous enough and came ahead of revolutions; the "clients" were An Easy Way to Recognize Some of the enormously wealthy and prodigal, but human More Frequently Met Plants of Mexico enough to suffer from pangs of envy iN displays, as Seen from the Main Highways and living in a social atmosphere that called for M. Walter Pesman. Dale S King, Publisher entertainments on such prodigal levels that only 6 Shooter Canyon, Globe Arizona. 1962. 288 huge gardens could permit them. pages. Illustrated. $4.00 and $5.00 paperbacks. Mrs. Fox, who has loved the work of LeNotrc $6.00 cloth. (Library). for many years, and has dwelt on his accomplish­ ments for many more years before she under­ Mr. Pesman has produced a delightful and took any task of writing, has brought together original book about the roadside flora of Mex­ in her present book a magnificent series of pic­ ico. Meet Flora N[exicana is a non-technical tures of the old gardens as illustrated in their work with a scope that covers some of the show­ own times, a vivid text to recreate the atmos­ iest and most unusual plan ts to be found as one phere of the time and of the social activities, travels along the principal roadways of the coun­ but has also g·iven a warm and intriguing pic­ try. In the words of the author, "vVe realized ture of the man himself. that many other tourists would want informa­ From a family that was essentially a family of tion about the very plants that attracted our attention, mainly those along the highways," and gardeners and living· in a circle that incl~ded many of the principal gardeners of the time, so the present volume was born. The role of the author's enthusiastic wife in the project is aptly Andre grew up within all the knowledge of hl~ time. Early in life he showed skills in drawing expressed by an appreciative husband in the with the result that for a time he thought of be­ accolade "Blessings on a wife who is a front-seat coming a painter. All learned during his train­ driver!" On three trips to Mexico, Mrs. Pesman ing periods in the studios became an inherent was chauffeur and catalyst to her husband in part of his thought and mind. Later when he had various ways. decided to follow his father's profession, for al­ Two hundred and seventy (270) original line though not so called, it was in fact a profession drawings illustrate the work, aJl made on the wi th all the rules and tenets of such a form, he spot by the author. The book might be criticised went to work under the most skillful of auspices, for incompleteness, but this is not a comprehen­ and with men who carried the traditions of the sive technical flora. As the title indicates, read­ time. ers are only introduced to the Mexican flora and, in this way, the author hopes to whet appetites His marriage was within the circle and was and stimulate curiosities. Perhaps this will en­ most felicitous. His own mature life continued cou rage others to do better, since this is the first in growth in every sense of the word and hi~ popular book of the area to be published. eventual opportunities for royal patronage came The author divides Mexico into 11 floral zones, when he was truly "I·eady." His character seems i.e. desert, mesquite and grassland, thorn forest. to have been such that he could deal with any tropical evergreen forest, etc. Once a person lo­ problem in his field and at the same time win cates his location on the colored fold-out map, the confidence and approval of his patrons. From he determines an unknown plant by reading the them as well as from his own sensibilities, he short descriptions for the appropriate floral zone, built up a home that was well filled with the and then compares it against the illustrations. treasures of his time. Each plant is provided with a Spanish and Eng­ Although it is almost improbable that any lish vernacular name, as well as a Latin bI­ time will ever corne again when work of the nomial name. A bibliography of literature, plus style then dominant will find a place in our liv­ an index of plant n ames, and a printed rule in ing, the study of his work and plans shows basic inches and centimeters for use in the field, are principles that are as vital today as then. Pos­ useful features of the book. Sibly the one that is most important was his While the work is written for the layman, sense of scale. For any artist who must work on the professional botanist and others will find it the grand scale, the capacity to make the fin­ highly useful, especially those who prefer to ished work seem grand in the overall aspects and travel to Mexico by car. The publishers are to yet not lack in minor charms to be seen ann be highly commended for the pleasing format, enjoyed close at hand, is paramount. Le Notre the very attractive cover, and the relatively mod­ had this superbly. In this time when mainte- est cost of the book. APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 107

The author comes from Denver, where h e is The discovery of California gold also brought widely known as a landscape architect. As a national attention to A. T . Dowd's find, namely, public·spirited citizen of the community, he has the largest tree in the world. Promoters, quick been a prime mover in public landscape proj. to see the profit to be made from exhibiting the ects in the schools and colleges of the state. His trees, helped in the destruction of the giants earlier book, "Meet the Natives," now in the 6th which appeared on display in New York, London, edition, is about Colorado plants. Laurels to and other cities. Later, through the efforts of M. Walter Pesman for being the first to wrile conservationists, protected areas were set up. a h andbook about the plants of OlH good neigh­ This volume lists the protected areas, tree bor sou th of the border. sizes and locations, and there are some nice FREDERICK G. MEYER drawings and photographs scattered through the book. F. P. K.

Success With Clematis .J. Fisk, Thomas Nelson and Sons, 18 East Wild Flowers of the Transvaal Forty·first Street, New York 17, New York. 1962. xiv + 82 + 8 colored plates. $4.00. Cythna Letty. Wild Flowers of the Transvaal (Library) . Book Fund. Text by R. A. Ryer, Inez C. Ver­ doorn and L. E. Code\, Division of Botany. A book for the amateur gardener written in Department of Agricultural Technical Se rv­ a simple direct m anner on the culture of clem· ices. Distributed by Central News Agency, atis. Plan ting is discussed first, then the care, Limited, South Africa . 1961. xiv + 362 pages. pruning, tra ining and pests. Propagation and Illustrated. ' 11.20. (Li brary) . h ybridization are included as well as a descrip­ tion of the species and varieties. Since it is a T his reviewer never ceases to wonder at the book written for gardening conditons in Eng­ series of beautifully printed volumes of flowers land, some adjustments will be necessary in th at continue to emanate from South Africa. adapting recommendations. That country, with a population scarcely larger C.B.L. than that of New York City, has produced a balf dozen outstanding flower books, which easil y surpass in quality and authoritativeness anything of a comparable nature printed in our country. "vVild Flowers of the Transvaal" is just such a You Can Grow Camellias volume and a rare bargain at the price. It con­ Mary Noble and Blanche Graham. Harper tains colored reproductions of over 400 species of and Row, New YOlk 1962. 257 pages (65 nati ve plants in 174 full plates drawn by Cythna black and white photographs, 6 colored plates, Letty (Cythna Lindenberg Forssman) , n ot only and line drawings). $7.50. (Library). South Africa's greatest botanical artist but cer­ tainly one of the world's outstan d in g delineators This is a good, readable text on camellias, of the beauty of plants. Her good fortune h as written in a lucid manner. The contents are been to live in a coun try noted for its floral brought together in Parts, of which there are wealth, and down through the years her colored five. Particularly good are the Parts on Culture illustrati ons have appeared in the technical serial of Camellias and How To Use Camellias, for FloweTing Plants of South Africa, the Cttrtis'5 they have useful information devoid of unnec­ Botanical Magazine of South Africa. Now, the essary complicated methodology. Not too much more attractive species of the Transvaal (in all, space is devoted to species or the history of ca­ 82 families, 282 genera and 423 species) h a\'e mellias. This is good, for the information on been gathered into this gem of a volume pri­ the fonner is constantly enlarging and h as been maril y for the pleasure of fellow flow er lovers. thoroughly examined in more basic texts and the Casual leafing through this volume will point latter h as been fairly well exhausted by now. A out many of South Africa's contributions to listing of cultivars restricted to a sampling of world fuorticulture including among others such the various flow er types rounds out the book. familiar generic friends as Gerbera and Gladi­ In all it is a desirable book for the AHS mem­ olttS, Moraea, Clivia, Gloriosa, Ne?'ine, Kni·phofia, ber to read. A Zoe, and Zantedeschia Cythna Letty'S colleagues J. L. C. (in the Division of Botany of the Department of Agriculture) -and in particular the well-known South African botanists R. A. D yer, Inez C. Ver­ doom and L. E. Codd-h ave supplied precise in­ The Agele'ss Relicts formation concerning the subject of each plate. W. H. HODGE Norman T aylor, St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York 10, New York. 1962. 109 pages, ill ustTated. $3.95. (Library). This is by no means the first book written by Handbuch der Laubgeholze Mr. Taylor. His guides to garden floweTs , wild (Han.dbook of trees and shrubs) flow ers and other gardening books are well G. Krussl1lan. Paul Parey Press, Berlin. 1959- known to the gardening public, as is his recently 62. ll20 p ages, with 384 photograph s, plus revised Encyclopedia of Gardening. numerous text-figures, 2 vols., roy. 8vo. $93.80. In this slim volume, The Ageless Relicts, he covers the history of Seq-uoiadendron gigantea Publication of Krussmann's 2 volume descrip­ and Seq-uoia semtJe·rvirens. The text is easy to tive work on cultivated trees and shrubs (exclu­ read and should appeal to the general reader sive of conifers) is an outstanding accomplish­ with an interest in trees. ment of the P aul Parey Press in Berlin. This is 108 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE the most significant modern work available on on the subject, it may well serve as such for all the subject. For American users, the scope of the but the most academic conchologist. work is enticing, since it includes not only the Covering the major islands of the Caribbean, hardy species grown in eastern United States but distribution maps serve as a guide to the most also a host of warm-temperate plants, such as productive spots for the collector. For the less Drim)Is winteri, Camellia, Raphiolepsis, the .less proficient linguist, a list of useful Spanish hardy Chinese species of Rhododendron, PlttO­ phrases is included. sjJo?'um, Phytolacca dioica, the hardy palms, and Profuse illustrations, both in color and black­ other plants of this class. Of special interest and-white simplify shell identification, and serve and one of the most attractive features of the to point out that to the horticulturist who oc­ work is the inclusion of cultivars or garden vari­ casionally has a fling at arranging flowers, there eties, new and old, listed under the species. This can scarcely be a more colorful or appropriate is the first major European work that treats accessory than some of the shells here shown. cultivars in accordance with the new Interna­ This beautiful book may well open the door tional Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated to a fascinating new companion hobby which Plants. can be enjoyed by the plant explorer who finds This work is quite timely in the inclusi0'0 ~f himself in the islands of the Caribbean. the newer introductions, for example Plens M. FISHER 'Forest Flame', introduced first in 1952 and maples (Acer) from nurseries in the United States. The standard cultivars also are de­ scribed. For example, we find listed 40 cultivars of A. palmatum, the Japanese maple, 43 of A. Manual for Floral Decoration platanoides, the Norway maple, 53 of the in the Home heather, Cal/una vulgm'is, and 68 cultivars of the large-flowered hybrids of Clematis. The book is Seymour Carreno Orange Judd Publishing a storehouse of information of this kind. Company, 15 East Twenty-sixth Street, New Unfortunately, a book of this scope quickly York, New York_ 1962_ xii + 194 pages. goes out of date, inasmuch as many new plants Illustrated. $6.95. (Library)_ with fancy or cultivar names are introduced into cultivation each year. But this shortcoming is A book on Bower arranging and the use ot inescapable and not an objection. Although the Bowers in the home. Many kinds of arrange­ text is written in German, the plant names and ments and uses are given with sketches showing illustrations are intelligible enough for most gar­ how each arrangement is made or used. In many deners and horticulturists with little or no knowl­ cases, step-by-step sketches show how the ar­ edge of the German language. It is surprising rangement is put together_ Separate chapters are how quickly one is able to translate fairly fluent· included to show winter arrangements, holiday ly the short descriptions after a little practice in decorations, and flowers to wear as corsages. recognizing cognates and learning a few key nouns and adjectives. The rather excessive cost of the work is the only major objection. To off­ set this, the 2 volumes are handsomely produced on excellent heavy-weight paper, and the photo­ The American Camellia Yearbook, graphs invariably are a superior feature of the 1962-63 work. Photographs of plants in their native habitat give an impression of some well-known Edited by Joseph H_ Pyron_ American Camel­ species in a way not possible by any other means. lia Society. Tifton, Georgia. 1962 xii + 302 The leaf imprints are a unique feature of the pages_ Illustrated, in color and black and book. These were prepared by the author from white_ $5.00 with Membership. (Library). dried leaves covered with a special ink and then While every yearbook must contain certain pressed upon paper by an ordinary hand laun· sections that are in the nature of annual reports, dry wringer. Specialized literature is cited at the on new clones, new shows, new personal reports, end of each genus. The work was issued in 14 new comments on expert's activities, each an­ parts, each with a separate cover, and the pub­ nual presents certain new materials of great lishers supply cloth binders for each volume. interest not only to the general reader, but to ' ,Vith the present work, plus the author's ear­ specialists in several lines of in terest with lier book on the conifers, Die Nadelgeholze, pub­ camellias. lished in 1960, and Fritz Encke's Blumengart­ In the presen t volume is an extended report nerei, published in 1958-60, we have a useful trio on the researches conducted in Japan by Japa­ umvirate of modern works covering the entire nese botanists on the exten t of the natural dis­ field of ornamental horticulture in the temper­ tribution of the plant currently known as The ate zones, in and out of the greenhouse, all Snow Camellia. For any future investigation of published by the Paul Parey Press. this plant whether it be a true and distinct spe­ FREDERIGK G. MEYER cies or not, the records here given will be in­ valuable. Of interest to the garden reader, how­ ever, is the statemen t that in the area there are to be found not only many variants in nature Caribbean Seashells but many specimens that have been brought into cultivation by persons living in the area, many Germaine L. Warmke and R. Tucker Abbott. recorded in such a way that it would appear that Livingston Publishing Company. August, in Japan, this plant is more often found in culti­ 1962. Illustrated. .$8.95. (Library). vation that Camellia japonica itself. Only a more extended comparison based on closer studies will Despite the modest disclaimer of the authors determine the nature of its differences, and its that this guide is by no means a definitive work possible value to growers in this country. APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 109

There is also an interesting report on the value The Daffodil and Tulip of Camellia saluenensis as a seed parent, and a brief report from the Glenn Dale Station, Mary­ Yearbook, 1963 land, on the work of h ybridizing carried on Edited for the Royal Horticultural Society of there under glass with species other than C. Great Britain by Patrick M. Synge and japonica. J. W. O. Platt. 187 pages. Illustrated in color Whether or not these articles are to provoke and black and white. London. 1963. interest in other types of camellia than C. japonica itself, is perhaps an editorial secret, Like all of its predecessors, this follows some­ but certainly anyone reading the descriptions what the same annual pattern. This issue is of given of new japonica seedlings as registered, sad interest to us in this country as we are re­ wonder how soon there may be a glut of some­ minded by excellent articles our loss, through what similar kinds, the sort of state that some­ the deaths of Guy L. Wilson and Lionel Rich­ times works against the total popularity. ardson, from whose work so many wonderful Two in teresting articles are presen ted on the new daffodils have come to us. use of camellias in the landscape plan. Profes­ There are excellent reports on shows, abroad sor Owen's strictures are well taken and should and in this coun try as well as the group of re­ provoke some serious thought among those who ports on shows "down under" in New Zealand, plan to accumulate large collections. Since the Austr~lia and Tasmania. Reports are given also plant is a beautiful thing in itself, it is worthy on Wisley tests and the usual summaries of the of careful placing, not just for its optimum resul ts of voting. growth for the production of blooms to carry off Of special in terest to this reviewer since the prizes in shows, but for the joy of the gardener papers take notice of certain phases of the daffo­ who sees it daily throughout the year. dil world, not too often reported are: Double History is served with two long pieces, one Daffodils, Past and Present by Matthew Zand­ from Plymouth, England, and a much longer bergen, with illustrations from old books and one from New Zealand. curren t photographs of modern sorts; Daffodils The article on Strains of the Color Breaking in a Cold House, by Alec Gray, which is of more Virus is of great interest, now that so many than current interest to this reviewer who has sports are being developed and maintained. The lost all his best Tazetta blooms this season bv difference between a virus-induced sport and a " unusual" cold; and a thought provoking article somatic variation are important and this paper by J. W. Blanchard, called Thoughts and Species. that shows data related to several patterns from Of interest to members in this country were different virus strains is important. the reports written by Michael Jefferson-Brown This, in no way, is an adequate indication of: who came to the States as guest speaker and the value of this issue. All camellia growers who judge for our National Show. He saw many are not members should consider its purchase, things of keen interest to him as well as having unless they solve matters by joining the Society. a chance to meet some of the most excellen t B. Y. M. growers and exhibitors in the American Society. While perhaps it is not seemly that the re­ viewer should mention the fact that he appears among those reported, he breaks the proprieties to take the opportunity to say that nothing he Garden Shrubs and Trees has ever accomplished, little enough, could have S. G. Harrison. St. Martin's Press, Incorp­ been done without the continued aid of a great orated, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, 10, New variety of persons all of whom are as essential York. 1960. 318 pages. Illustrated. $4.95. (Li­ to the whole and more, than anything he him· brary). self might have done or hoped to do. This could not be said in the text, but it is important for This title is a contribution to The K ew the recordl Se1'ies-a set of five volumes planned, edited B. Y. M. and written by members of the botanical staff of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It is a selected listing, arranged by family, of those garden plants which the author considers are of real horticultural merit. A brief horticultural description is given for each species and a short discussion or comment on origin, use, or Other Books Added to the Library cultural observations of the author. It perhaps Tropical Plants and Their Cultivation is somewhat akin to Dr. Wyman's series on trees and shrubs for American gardens but L. Bruggeman. The Viking Press, Inc., 625 from the British viewpoint. Varieties are not Madison Avenue, New York 22, New York. discllssed, however, and since it contains a 1962 (Reprinted). 228 pages. Illustrated. key to the genera as well as a discussion $12.00. (Library) on the plant structure, it probably is best classed as a reference work. Carnations for Everyman It is always good to see the range of plants Montagu C. Allwood. St. Martin's Press, Inc., which merit discussion because each of us has 175 Fifth Avenue, New York 10, New York. different ideas as to what constitutes such a 1962 (Revised and reset, Fifth Edition). 120 plant. For example, for Ilex, only English pages. Illustrated. $3.95. (Library). holly is described and with it the comment that hollies are not so often planted nowadays. American Tomato Yearbook, 1962 Taxus baccata is the only yew in the book, so John "\T. Camcross, Editor. American T o­ one can easily see that the approach is slanted mato Yearbook, 8 Elm Street, Westfield, Ne,,­ toward the British use of plants. Jersey. 1962. 44 pages. Illustrated. $2.00. J. L. C. (Library) . The Gardeners' Pocketbook

Montanoa-An Attractive Genus There are upwards of 25 species of M ontanoa, these dispersed from Mexico In late 1961, I acquired through Fair­ to Colombia. As is so often the case in child Tropical Garden a plant of an un­ the immense Daisy Family (Compositae), usual tropical composite, lab~lled Mon­ the taxonomy of the group is very con­ tcmoa O'mndifiora. I had prevIOusly seen fused, and through our handsome plant this plant in the Garden's collec~ions, here seems to be accurately identified and had admired its impressive dImen­ now as M. bipinnatifida, it is not the sions, unusual foliage, and large heads same thing as M. gmndifiom, which may of showy white blossoms. also be present in cultivation in this Because her property was less cluttered area, though as yet I have not encount­ than my own, I gave the plant to my ered it. It is noted as having very rough­ mother, who had it placed near ~er ly scabrous leaves which are brown-hairy boundary-line, in good rich soil which underneath, and flower-heads with dis­ had been added to the rocky native ma­ tinct ray- and disc-heads, the rays white, terials which are characteristic of our the discs yellow. South Florida gaFdens. Montanoa gmndifiom is, theref?re, ' IVjth only normal attention, this Mon­ closer in appearance to 111. molltsnma tanoa has now attained a height in ex­ (pronounced mo-liss-i-ma) than to the cess of 9 feet, this after only about 9 present M. bipinnatifida, in which the months' growing time. Its spread is al­ disc-flowers are not evident to the casual most as great, and I suspect that an viewer. M. mollissima is again Mexican eventual height and breadth of upwards in origin, and is vegetatively simi~ar to of fourteen feet may be reached. It is now M. bipinnatifida, though more copIOusly (October 1962) in full. blo.o~-and a branched, and with the branches becom­ startlingly handsome object It IS! ing smooth with age, and more stiffly The softly-hairy big leaves, sometimes erect. The 6-inch leaves are stalkless, almost 6 inches in length, are variously lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, toothed, cut and toothed into interesting patterns; white-fuzzy underneath, and very soft to these are set in opposite pairs at inter­ the touch. The long-stalked flower-heads vals up the rather stout stems. The measure about 1Yz inches in diameter, flower-heads measure up to 3 inches and are comprised of about 9 white ray­ across, are pure white (sometimes with flowers, these set around the vivid yellow a faint touch of yellow toward the cen­ disc-flowers. ter), and very much resemble chrysan­ M ontanoa hibiscifolia (pronounced hy­ themums, though they are borne in pro­ biss-ki-f6e-lee-ah), ranging from Guate­ fusion at the tip of each elongate branch. mala to Costa Rica, is one of the tree­ The flower-heads give off a delicate scent like species, often reaching a height of much like that of chrysanthemums dur­ 20 feet. Menningerl calls this a "Hibiscus ing certain hours of the day. Unfortu­ Treedaisy," an appropriate vernacular, nately, the blossoms do not last well since its foliage is much like that of cer­ when cut, but they retain their form for tain kinds of Hibiscus-to 10 inches long upwards of a week when allowed to re­ and often more in breadth, usually deep­ main on the plant, and since additional ly incised almost to the middle, green flower-heads continue to be produced for above and pale and very hairy under­ some time, the show is not a short one. neath-sufficiently attractive to warrant Upon checking the available literature, cultivation of the species. '!\Then bloom­ I have found that my plant is not M. ing-time arrives, tremendous flattened gmndiflom, as it was labelled when re­ masses of flower-heads-the rays pure ceived, but another species, Ai ontanoa white, the disc-flowers bright yellow­ bi1Jinnatijida (pronounced mon-tan-yo. virtually cover the entire tree! These ah bye-pin-ah-tif-i-dah), a native of Mex­ heads measure up to I Yz inches across, ico. The genus is named for Don Luis and remain in good condition for several Montano, a Mexican naturalist and weeks. In its native haunts, this species statesman; because of the use of the tilde is often kept trimmed to shrubby size, so over the "n" in his name, the pronuncia­ that the production of the handsome tion utilized above, rather than mon-tah­ flowers is even more profuse than in the n6-ah, should be adopted. wild specimens. [110] APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 III

I have seen M. hibiscifolia on many oc­ with the quantity of flowers which open casions in Nicaragua, most often in the each day diminishing as the period of mountains near Santa Maria de Ostuma,2 bloom advances into the third or fourth at elevations of about 4000 feet. In this week. region the trees are gregarious, often In 1933 seeds of Plant Introduction covering steep wooded slopes with end­ 103932 were received as I. arb01-escens less ranks of attractive foliage and the from Atkins Institution of the Arnold impressive flower-clusters, these some­ Arboretum, Soledad, Cienfuegos, Cuba. times a yard across! Nine years later seeds of another acces­ Menningerl mentions that in Califor­ sion, P. I. 144004 were received as I . nia, several species of M ontanoa are murucoides from Mexico through Edwin grown, usually as shrubs, but does not A. Menninger, Stuart, Florida. Several indicate what they are, unfortunately, specimens of both introductions were set since they would be of interest. in the field where they received the main­ Montanoas, as a group, are readily tenance and care given the ornamental propagated, ei ther from seed, or from introductions in general. One plant of cuttings of the mature woody branches. each introduction became established, Bottom heat is recommended in both in­ and as a result of a recent study of these stances. Though they are tropical com­ plants both have been re-identified as I. posites, they are rapid growing, and can wolcottiana. be utilized outdoors in cooler areas as Much can be found in the literature showy mass-plantings, if only for the concerning the better known Tree Morn­ unique large foliage, whose form varies ingglory, I. arborescens, but little men­ markedly often within the same species. tion is made of its close relative, I. wol­ Seeds of M. bipinnatifida are available cottiana. Rose [I] describes the latter from at least one commercial establish­ species as "a tree 30 feet high, sometimes ment in this country. I would be inter­ 1 foot in diameter; branches slender, ested to learn of the availability of other somewhat drooping; leaves ovate to montanoas in cultivation in the United ovate-Ianceolate, 3 to 5 inches long, and States and abroad, particularly the shrub­ I Y2 to 3Y2 inches broad, rounded or trun­ by species which seem unknown outside cate at the base, acuminate, glabrous, on of California gardens.-ALEX D. HAWKES, petioles 2 to 4 inches long; flowers in nu­ Post Office Box 435, Coconut Grove 33 , merous short racemes or corymbs mostly Florida. naked; pedicels jointed near the base, Ii ttle if at all thickened upward, 4 to 6 'Menninger , Edwin A., Flowe?'il1g T,-ees of the World, Hearthside Press, New York, 1962, page 106. lines long; calyx 5 to 6 bnes long, gla­ 2See " Notes on the Vegetation of Santa Maria de Ostuma, Nicaragua." by the author, in Tropics Maga­ brous, sepals nearly equal, oblong or zine I: 8-14, figs. 6-8. June 1962. oval, rounded at apex; corolIa white, Ipomoea wolcottiana, broadly campanulate, 2Y2 inches broad, A Tree Morningglory with short thick tube I inch long; cap­ One of the lesser known winter-flower­ sule oblong, 9 lines long, glabrous, 2- ing species introduced by the U. S. De­ valved, 4-seeded, separating into 4 car­ partment of Agriculture's Plant Intro­ pels; seeds oblong, 4 lines long with the duction Station at Miami, Florida, has margins covered with a long reflex coma in recent years provided an impressive longer than the seed." floral display that is without equal dur­ One mature plant of the Tree Morn­ ing December and January. The trees, ingglory is known to be growing near Ipomoea wolcottiana, now fifteen feet Boynton Beach, Florida, but it has tall, are better known as Tree Morning­ flowered only sparingly, and this only in glories. recent years, according to reports. The clustered flowers open each morn­ Riedel [2] c1€scribed a plant of P. 1. ing to almost four inches exposing a pure 103932 growing in Hope Ranch Park, white trumpet in which a dark red spot California, in 1954. This presumably was is visible deep inside the throat. Only a planted in 1938 or later, for in that year single flower in each cluster opens each plants bearing the above Plant Introduc­ day and this closes and falls by evening-, tion number were offered in the Los An­ yet the large size of the flowers and the geles area. These probably were of the great number of clusters produce the ef­ same seed lot as the earliest introduc­ fect of a great mass of bloom_ Flowerin~ tion received at the Plant Introduction occurs over a period of four to five weeks Station, Miami. 112 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

Ipomoea wolcottiana

I. wolcottiana is native of southern number of years, but not until the winter Mexico from Colima to Chiapas and of 1960-1961 did they produce the vast Morelos [3]. There it is called "acote" or bloom with which the species is credited "pajaro bobo." The bark is said to be in its native habitat. Perhaps the hurri­ used locally in the preparation of medi­ cane which struck south Florida in Sep­ cines. tember, 1960 was instrumental in bring­ The Tree Morningglories at the U. S. ing about the bloom, for during the Plant Introduction Station have pro­ storm several large adjacent trees were duced a few flowers each season for a blown over, thus eliminating a dense APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 113 canopy which had long overshadowed 3. Standley, P. C. Trees and Shrubs of Mexico. these trees. That season and the two sea­ Cant. U. S. Nat. Herb., 23 (4) :1203-05. 1924. sons since, the trees have produced a -Po K. SODERHOLM and M. H. GASKINS, lavish display which has attracted con­ H OTticultw'ists) Cr-ops R esem'ch Divi­ siderable attenlion. sion) AgTicultuml ReseaTch Seroice) U. S. The branches of the Tree Morning­ DepaTtment of AgTicultuTe) Miami) glory, upon coming in contact with each Flo?'ida. other, will often entwine and extend vinelike, producing a specimen which is a Two Dissimilar Members of the curious combination of tree and vine. Aristolochia Family, native Several of these vine-like branches have of California become entwined on the limbs of a small This family was given its name by neighboring tree and have extended Linnaeus from the Greek aTisto-locheia, twelve feet or more upon this living trel­ an herb promoting childbirth, like ou.r lis. An annual light pruning h as been own word, birthwort. Our Greek leXI­ found to effectively control this tend­ con, however, says also of locheia that ency, producing a plant of moderately when childbirth is used in connection compact form. This peculiar. growth with flowers, it becomes a botanical habit of the species suggests that It would childbirth, which is "bursting with lend itself ideally to the handiwork of buds," a truly delightful nomenclature, the espalier enthusiast. . . arranged by Linnaeus. Not only are these speCImens attr~ctlve Many writers mention the medicinal in flower, but also when devOld of q uali ties of this family in leaf and root, flowers and leaves. Then the light gray but probably there is much less in our bark causes the trunk and twisted limbs California species than in the larger to stand out in interesting patterns, espe­ more succulent plants of the tropics. cially against a dark green background The Aristolochiaceae, some two hun­ of closely assembled neighboring shrubs dred species of shrubs and climbers are or trees. distributed over the entire temperate Perhaps the reason this speci.es appears and tropical worlds. The largest climb­ so well adapted to south Flor~da IS. that ers, most of them inhabiting the jungles the seasons coincide almost Identically of South America and the tropics are with those in its native habitat. In both unusual and striking. Often they show areas a wet season occurs from May until deep velvety colorings and large curious­ the end of October, with a very definite ly shaped flowers; but our own ATisto­ dry season prevailing the rest of the year. lochia califomica Torr., growing on At the onset of the dry season, the leaves lio·htly wooded hillsides, on stream banks fall and the already swollen buds open a~d borders of lakes, is more modest in before the last of the leaves have fallen. growth, size, and coloring. The trees then remain leafless until the John Torrey (1798-1873), who. named Spr~ng rains urge them into growth it, must have had a plant submItted to aga1l1. him from California, for although he was No seeds have been known to develop a pioneer in bo~any a!ld other natural naturally on the trees at the Plant Intro­ sciences, taught 111 vanous colleges, and duction Station and thus far all attempts wrote "A Flora of North America" with at hand pollination, includin ~ selfing the assistance of his pupil, Asa Gray, yet and crossing with other speCIes, have he himself n either botanized nor visited failed. Numerous attempts to root cut­ California. tings and air-layering have als? fa~le~, For many years a plant of ~Tist?lochia o'iving rise to a challenge which It IS califo1'rlica has b een grow1l1g 111 the hoped will be met successfully as wO.rk Blake Gardens near Berkeley. At the progresses on this most in~erest1l1g speCIes base of an elderberry tree, it sends up of the Morningglory family. long thin, light green, somewhat pubes­ References cent shoots with only an occasional sideshoot, climbing to ten, even to six­ I. Rose, .J. N. R eport on a Collection oE Plants made in the States of Sonora and Cohma, teen feet, often draping over the tree's Mexico, by Dr. Edward Palmer, in the year branches. The alternate light green 1890 and 189J. Cant. U.S. Nat. He1·b., 1 (9) : leaves with petioles one or two inches 343. 1895. . long, are ovate-cordale, one to three 2. Riedel, P. Plants for Extra-lroj)iCIII Regwlls. Calif. Arboretum Foundations, Inc., 1957. inches and even five inches long when a 114 THE AlVIERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE good rainy winter temporarily fills the dens of the foothills of the Sacramento hollow basin in which it grows. Valley region, but only if adequate water can be supplied. Give it deep, loose, leafy The solitary, very irregular flower soil, light shade with plenty of moisture hangs over on a slender peduncle sub­ in season and it should be happy. tended by one or two leafy bracts. True petals are not present. Th~ calyx-tube No leaves show in our picture; it is bends on itself near the mIddle, below deciduous and some people say that for which is a greenish and purple-veined them, it dies to the ground each season. pouch, that narrows sharply form~ng a It can be propagated by division and tube which again bends back on llself, by its copious seeds. opening its lips like a small n:outh, the The greenish flowers washed or lined under lip holding out or foldmg down, with purple are not strikingly beautiful the upper lip divided in two. but have a sprightliness and charm of \IVhen an insect lands on the lower their own. lip, it climbs up toward the odor from Asarum is the only other genus of the the open mouth, drops in .and the two Aristolochiaceae used in gardens. Of the appendages of the upper fold over, lip three species in California, AsaTUm ca.u­ trapping it within. Its frantic efforts to escape Clistributes the bundles of pollen datum Lindl., the Long-tailed Wild Ginger, is also in the Blake Garden; it thoroughly over the lobed stigma,. ~nd then, but not until then when fertiliza­ is a creeper. tion is completed, is the tube opened and Not flaunting large flowers like its big the captive insect released. sisters of the jungles, AsaTUm is recog­ One day as our wagon began its dusty nized as belonging to the same family, only by botanists. climb up Howell Mountain, ~n a sn:all stream that trickled along the mner SIde, The leaves, large cordate-reniform we found our Pipe Vine rooted in the sometimes six inches broad, completely moist soil. It twisted and scrambled over hide the small dark brown-purple flow­ the bushes of the hillside and on an old ers, which lie close to the ground. They barbed wire fence, and was covered with are not pouched as in Aristolochia, but its many little pouches. Again, for a long regular and as you look directly down, distance on the banks of Putah Creek the center looks like a small thimble­ we found it climbing over Cercis occi­ sized cup from which come the three dentalis, the redbud which gave color calyx lobes, at first oblong then gradu­ that contrasted delightfully with the pur­ ally developing into a tail of one· or even plish pouches. two inches long. Jepson's Manual states that its blos­ Asarum is native in moist shaded soming period is March and April. In woods, especially of the Redwood Belt in the Blake garden we happened to record the Coast Ranges down into the Santa its bloom in February in 1934; February Cruz :Mountains. It ranges north to in 1945; April in 1928 and in 1948 (be­ British Columbia and Idaho. ginning to pass) and in March, 1953. In the Blake Garden, there is a patch The Blake plant came from Mr. Ed­ growing as a ground cover in the north munds, who has dealt in native plants, canyon under redwood trees, and also a mostly raised from seed. California now small bit of it is planted at the foot of forbids, except with permit on public the entrance steps where an attached lands, and in private lands only with the hose often gives it drips of moisture. It owner's permission, the collecting of any fills the corner with fresh rich green plant or seed of any kind of plant grow­ foliage and has the added value of taking ing wild. care of i tsel£. Our Pipe Vine is native of the Coast Wild ginger is valuable not only as a Ranges from Monterey to Shasta Coun­ ground cover for any rather dark shaded ty, and in the Sierra Nevada foothills to area in gardens, large or small, but for Sacramento County, according to J ep­ the fact that it will increase there, mak­ son's Nlanual. ing more than was originally planted in Its native habitat indicates where it a fair time.-MABEL SYMMES, Berkeley, can be used best, which would be in gar- California. APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 Il5

PIRKLE JONES

Aristolochia californica 116 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

Delayed Appearances quite good flowering. on the 'Taiwa~.' . After the very cold win ter of 1962 Styrax obassia vaned among the IndI­ viduals, some coming promptly and (January) with the more or less imme­ some slowly, but all are now normal. diate showing of damage to many plants, S. japonica which had been fairl~ uni­ one became cautious about non-appear­ form in growth the year before, IS the ance of various herbaceous things, hop­ most variable, some completely normal, ing for the best. and others so slow as to appear stunted. Cloriosa all through this area showed The plants of S. dasyantha were equally no sign of coming up, although on ca~e­ reluctant to start growth, so much so ful investigation the roots seemed In­ that examinations were made to be sure tact. Only a few species showed up at they had not died. By this time, July approximately normal times, C . roth.~­ 11, all are in growth, but only a portion childiana, C . viresrens, and C . plantzz, of the new side shoots seem to be normal. which we keep separately as they differ As the supposedly most tender of the in garden values, even if the last two trio, we had expected it to be the best may be synonyms. C . sup~rba, :was .the suited to our use. slowest with C . verschuurz comIng Just Styrax americana, the native, was slow ahead of it. Littonia, a close relative, to come, after the fashion of all styrax, nearby came up promptly, and almost but came out evenly and well. The only normal in size and vi)?:or. After a mishap with it was that it was allowed month's delay, with careful watering, re­ to dry one day, and many of its leaves peated long duration soakin~s, C. su­ dried off as if burned. Regular water­ perba came up en masse as If all had ing has prevented any further loss. This been normal, for although it is always same type of loss has occurred with Mag­ the last to show, it was late this year. nolia obovata, and plants of Meta­ In several places in the garden we sequoia have been so injured by the heat have out-door plantings of Achimenes. and the sun, that even with watering, These, too, are plants that come up with they will lose part of their tops. It is not hot weather but this year it was appar­ a happy plant in our locations, a!l .too ently dryness that held them back and sunny.-B. Y. MORRISON, Pass Chrzstzan, not lack of heat nor winter injury. The Mississippi. clone usually sold as 'Maduna' came up first and most vigorously, but all the rest in all places except where there has been a heavy leaf fall from camellias and azaleas. It is still too soon (July 11) to Poncirus Trifoliata, the Trifoliate know if some are missing, but some Orange-A "Dividend" Tree usually are, in part, so all one can re­ port with safety, is that gloriosa and Gardeners are always searching for achimenes will endure temperatures as small trees that fit into the restricted low as 10 in the middle of a period of areas of suburban plots. The number of low temperatures with no appreciable such trees is qui te limited. The trifoliate losses. orange (Poncirus trifoliata) has so many attractive points that it deserves much Since southern gardens need all the wider use than it now has. The four bulbs and comparable plants possible, drawings depict the "dividends" that this is good news. Poncirus declares during each quarter of For quite other reasons, there was the year. conspicuous delay in leafing out on a In winter it is a handsomely branched variety of woody plants that may not be specimen with flattened branchlets really suited to our climate. The Rig-an studded wi th thorns from one to one and Cherry which had made excellent one-haH inches long. All but the main, growth the summer before, with fine woody stems retain a dark green color drooping branches even at the top, was through the cold season. Spring brings a very slow to start and leaves appeared gay display of white flowers all along the from the lower branches upwards with branches and their display is all the more the very tip the last to show. It is now prominent, since the leaves do not ap­ in good leaf, though not making much pear until the end of the flowering peri­ growth. The other cherries, 'Yoshino' od. During summe1-, Poncirus is adorned and 'Taiwan' came out normally, with with three-lobed leaves on a winged APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 II7

Summer Characteristics of the Trifoliate Orange petiole which presents an unusually at­ them. The plant can easily be grown tractive picture. Fall brings a mass of from seed and self-seeding from fallen golden fruit. These small "oranges" are fruit is quite common. Propagation from not edible but occasionally have been cuttings of half-ripened wood is also used for preserves. Being quite sour and practiced. Cuttings should be made in bitter and with a strong, attractive late June or during July. aroma, they provide a very decorative Botanically, Poncirus trifoliata belongs effect rather than a culinary treat. Fine to the Rutaceae or Citrus Family which hairs cover the fruit giving it a velvety includes 140 genera and 1,300 species. It feel. differs from other kinds of citrus-lime, Preferred uses of Poncirus: (1) As a lemon, orange, grapefruit-in being de­ small specimen tree, and (2) as a hedge. ciduous, the leaves are trifoliolate, and The fleshy spines are so formidable that the flower has a slightly different struc­ no living creature would tangle with ture from its closest citrus relatives. Its 118 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

" , APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 119

Pondrus trifoliata

Characteristics of the fall (top, left) appearance and winter configuration of the branches (above). Illustration (bottom, left) from a photograph taken by Dr. F. N. Meyer, January 26, 1914, shows "A hedge of the well known, hardy trifoliate orange as seen around a field near and old temple [near Sianfu, Shensi, China]. Of great value as a very effective hedge plant for mild wintered, semi-arid climates." 120 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE home is central and northern China and is much used by Chinese gardeners in pot it has been cultivated for centuries in culture upon which to graft various cit­ Japan. The plant was brought to Eng­ rus fruits and keep them dwarfed. Local­ land only in 1850. ly the fruits are used as fuel after having The trifoliate orange is hardy as far them roughly crushed and partly dried. north as northern New Jersey and it is The wood occasionally is employed in found occasionally in the Boston area. It carpentering work and for tool handles is more common south of New York and and carrying poles, but it is not much Philadelphia. Distribution in midwest­ thought of. The plant seems to be able ern United States is quite spotty, but it to stand a great amount of drought and would make a valuable addition to gar­ some alkali also, and it might prove to be dens in this region once its hardiness is of great value as a hedge plant for sec­ established, since it is easy to propagate tions of the semiarid United States where and is free from insect pests and fungus the winters are not too severe. The fruits diseases. of this orange are often quite large and elongated near the peduncle. May pos­ The flower buds are formed in early sibly be a different and perhaps hardier summer and through the winter are pro­ variety than the ordinary Japanese form. tected by bud-scales. The flowers open Chinese name eh'ou ch'eng tzu." about the same time as those of the apple tree. In addition to its ornamental value as an impenetrable hedge and specimen Two White Petunias for plant, the trifoliate orange has one im­ Greenhouse Display portant horticultural use in subtropical climates. It is often used as a root-stock For nearly thirty years two outstand­ for grafting named varieties of the man­ ing white petunias have contributed to darin orange in Japan and in some other Longwood Gardens' spring conservatory areas. The hybrid of Fortunella japonica, display. They were originally selected the Kumquat, and Poncirus trifoliata is from plants raised by Mrs. W. K. duPont, called the Citrumquat, but the hybrid sister of Longwood's founder. Mrs. du­ is rare and difficult to grow. Pont obtained the mixed seeds from Sut­ Cultural directions: A deep, loamy ton & Sons Ltd., Reading, England, in nearly neutral soil is best; some watering about 1934. It is felt that, because of is helpful during prolonged dry spells. their value for display, they are deserv­ In the northern limits of its range one ing of names. should provide a location somewhat pro­ Petunia X hybTida 'Longwood' reaches tected from the prevailing winter winds. a height of five feet with support. The Pruning to achieve a dense hedge is in­ single flowers, which are borne in pro­ dicated and can be done in a moderate fusion, are over 10 inches across, slightly way continuously throughout the grow­ rugose and ruffled, and are white with ing season.-EDGAR DENISON, Kirkwood, yellow-green veins, especially in the Missouri. throats. Petunia X hybrida 'DuPont' reaches a height of four and a half feet with sup­ port and bears strongly rugose leaves. The much ruffled, abundant flowers are From the editorial committee: double, eight to ten inches in diameter, Frank N. Meyer, the famous agricul­ and are white with green to dark purple tural explorer sent seeds of the trifoliate veining in the throats. orange to the United States Department The plants are propagated from young of Agriculture in 191 4 under P.I. 37809 cuttings taken in July. In December the from Sianfu, Shensi, China, and his field plants are ultimately potted, one to an notes, we believe, will be of interest to all 8-inch pot. By April they are in flower who know this plant: H(N o. 2009a. J an­ and are on display through April, May uary 26, 1914.) The well-known hardy and June. In July the plants are cut trifoliate orange, quite common on the back severely and cuttings are taken Sainfu plain on Chinese burial grounds. from resultant new growth.- DoNALD G. Sparingly used as a hedge plant, especial­ HUTTLESTON, Longwood Gardens, Ken­ ly around old temple gardens. The plant nett Square, Pennsylvania. APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 121

LONGWOOD GARDENS PHOTOGRAPH

Petunia X hybrida 'Longwood' displayed at Longwood Gardens 122 THE Ai\IERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

LONGWOOD GARDENS PHOTOGRAPH

The ruffled, double flowers 01 Petunia X hybrida 'Du Pont' show to advantage as displayed against a pillar in the conservatory at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 123

Plants and Abnormal Weather It was particularly gratifying to us that Conditions Houston Area" 1961-1962 a number of USDA plant introductions with outstanding characteristics have The serial story of adverse weather shown a surprising ability to take ex­ conditions and their effect upon plants tremes of heat, drought, and cold. In­ has another month to run in the Hous­ cluded in this category are: Ganlenia ton area. T he sad tale opened last Sep­ lucida, P. 1. 249466; A belia 'Dwarf tember with hurricane Carla in the stel­ Purple.' P. 1. 20 1092; LageTS tToemia tau­ lar role. Gale winds up to eighty miles Tiei from J apan, P. I. 237884; Ilex mtun­ an hour uprooted trees of all sizes and da from J apan, P. I. 237879; Eugenia sp. seriously disturbed the root sy tems of from J apan, P. I. 237870; PYTUS pashia others. T he strong winds completely from India, P. 1. 165664; Raphiolepis defoliated many trees and shrubs. The sp., from J apan, P. 1. 237897; T emstroe­ result was an abnormal fall bloom and mia gymnanlhem from J apan, P. 1. the emergence of new, spring like growth. 235436; and an evergreen Vaccinium sp. December was warm with sufficient from Japan, P. 1. 2379 11. Other weather rainfall to maintain continuing growth. hardy plants which we believe have a This situation se t up the second install­ high potential for this area are; Citnls men t of our story. In January there were taiwanica, P. 1. 71238; C. ichangensis, almost three consecutive days of below P. 1. 7II86; "Changsha" tangerine; Esen­ freezing temperatures with the lows for beckia nmyonii; Schinus dependens (Bra­ the three nights ranging from II to 18 zilian and California pepper trees both degrees. The weather bureau predicted froze to the ground), and the i'vIexican a low of 18 degrees the first night and cypress, Taxodium mUCTonatum. The gave the usual warning, "Protect exposed success of the two last named trees has water pipes and tender vegetation." No been particularly gratifying. one paid much attention to the warning. Major disappointments were Amu­ The severe damage done by the heavy caTia bidwillii, Pinus Toxbu1"ghii, Co?"dia freezes of ] 950 and 1951 was forgotten. boisseTi, and the Satsuma orange. The end result was a heavy loss of trees Our experience here should not deter and shrubs in all parts of Houston. The others from trying many of the plants nurseries were particularly hard hit. that we lost. These factors must be con­ The final chapter of weather and sidered: the very small sample of each plants continues at this time-we won't species; the small size of most of our mention such tribulations as the heavy plants; the weakening effect of the Sep­ infestations of pine beetles and chinch tember hurricane; only minimum mulch­ bugs. In common with the rest of the ing; and the unseasonably warm Decem­ Gulf Coast, we have had a summer with ber weather which preceded the freeze. below normal rainfall, and with tem­ It was disheartening to lose many trop­ peratUl-es running from 8 to 16 degrees ical and sub-tropical plants. We will above normal. Daily highs have been continue to use them for pleasure and consistently over the 100 degree mark, ornamental effect. Who knows, it might ranging from 103 to 108 degrees. Plants be 10 years before the next hard freeze. unharmed by heat in normal summers Some one who is better qualified are showing substantial burn. Some of should write about the many native these plants are; Ilex con~uta 'BuTtOTdii: Texas plants, not commonly used, which Distylium Tacemosum, Stymx obassia, have proved to be interesting, attractive, Hovenia dulcis, Vibumum wTightii, and and completely able to hold up under ex­ most East Texas and Louisiana natives tremes of weather.-FRANK PIERATI, 6810 such as, L yonia, Lindem, H ydmngea and H endon Lane, Houston 36, T exas. the native azaleas. The writer's observations of plant The following is a list of plants grown damage ca used by weather in the past 12 and grouped according to the amount months are generally restricted to plants of injury they received during the 1961- we have in the ground in the Sharps­ 1962 winter at Houston, Texas: town area of Houston. The complete Uninjured list of casualties, successful recoveries and the unscathed is much too long to write Abelia 'Dwarf Purple' (P.I. 201092) about in detail. A listing, in rough form AmyTis texana covering some 85 to 90 plants is attached. ATbutus unedo 124 THE AMERICAN HOR TICULTURAL MAGAZINE

Corylopsis spicata Plant Killed Cryptomel'ia japonica (P.I. 239487) Araucaria bidwillii Distylium mcemosum Araucaria cunninghamii Eugenia sp. (P.I. 237870) Brachychiton populneum Gardenia lucida (P.I. 249466) Butia capitata Hovenia edulis Caesalpinia leiostachya (P.I. 249298) flex mutchagam (P.I. 237878) Callistemon sp. (P.I. 254993) !lex TOtunda (P.I. 237879) Calothamnus chrysantherus Itea japonica Cemtozamia mexicana Juniperus pTOcem Chamaerops humilis LagerstTOemia fauriei (P.I. 237884) Citrangequat Mahonia fort ~ l11 ei Citrange Thomasville Mahonia japonica Citrus hystrix Metasequoia glyptostTOboides Citrus hystrix 'Kalpii' Pettel'ia mmentacea (P.I. 79039) Citrus satsuma Philadelphus coronarius X P. miCTophyllus Citms Siam Shaddock Pimbs gl'iffithii Gordonia axillaris (one survivor hurt Pynts pashia (P.I. 165664) from summer heat) Raphiolepis sp. (P.I. 237897) Grevillea banksii Sabal louisiana Jussiaea bullata (P.I. 249327) Sabal texana L eptospermum luehmannii Taxodium mucronatum (P.I. 255006) T emstroemia gymnanthera (P.I. 235436) Livistona chinensis Vaccinium sp. (P .1. 237911) Oncoba routledgei (P.I. 244612) Vinca major 'Pubescens' (P.I. 239252) PentapteTygium 'Lugdvan' (P.I. 242359) Pinus longifolia Minor Damage Podocarpus gmcilior Psidium cattleianum Agave victoriae-reginae Citnts Chansha tangerine Salmea scan dens (P.I. 240077) Citrus ichangensis (P.I. 71186) StTObilanthus sp. Citrus taiwanica (P.I. 71238) Tabebuia palmeri Esenbeckia runyonii Trachycarpus f01'tunei L eptostJe?'mum scoparium Zamia fioridana Sasa sp. (dwarf) Schinus dependens Ornithogalum saundersiae Serious Damage (1'2 or more top killed) In a very fruitful correspondence with Dr. Peery of Hayward, California, my at­ Cinnamomum daphnoides Cordia boissieri tention was brought to the subject of N eolitsia sp. this note, with the sending of a packet Severinia buxifolia of seed that I did not plant promptly Viburnum awabuki and so lost. Later, when it was listed in one of the better bulb lists of this Killed to Ground but Sprouting country a half dozen bulbs were ordered to hide my failure. Adina sp. When they finally arrived, some were Aloe sp. (P.I. 249090) Bauhinia mexicana in rather poor condition with what ap­ Bauhinia pruinosa (P.I. 249291) peared to be large areas of rot. Remem­ Bilbergia nutans bering that some ornithogalums propa­ Boehmeria biloba (P.I. 239076) gated easily from leaf cuttings, and so on, Callistemon sp. a chance was taken with the seemingly Fortunella sp. defective bulbs. They were cleaned off H edychium sp. (India) and left on the greenhouse bench in sun­ Hypericum patulum (P.I. 247782) light, so that the cleaned areas dried off Solanum sp. (P.I. 249359) quickly and thoroughly. When it ap­ Teucrium betonicum (P.I. 238783) peared that there was even something APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 125

that looked almost like scar tissue over plan to leave out at least one to see!­ the surfaces, the bulbs were turned into B. Y. MORRISON, Pass Christian, Missis­ the proper position on the sandy soil in sippi. the bench. Little watering. In a short time it was evident that the bulbs would grow. So they were set, Butcher's Broom-Ruscus aculeatus almost on top of a very sandy soil mix I suppose it is because it takes forever in eight-inch pans. The larger bulb al­ to grow to any size that the Butcher's most immediately began sending up not Broom, Ruscus aculeatus is not in the only the central fascicle of leaves, but many side shoots. The other bulb trade. The only nursery that I know of that lists it is Monrovia, in Azusa, Cali­ showed a mass of small bulbs forming fornia. There used to be a lot of it in along each cut edge of the bulb scales, our Raleigh garden. It was there when no roots as yet and little indication of the garden became ours in 191 6, but the top growth. Soon, however, there were plants were so small that no one paid signs of top growth and it has now, a any attention to them until, suddenly, month or so later, almost caught up not long before we left Raleigh in 1948, with the other larger bulb. we realized what nice clumps they had The sound bulbs planted in the open, become, and how very useful they were were slow to put in an appearance, due under the big oak trees that surrounded probably to the unusual weather of the the garden. By that time the clumps had season, too dry, too hot, too everything reached a height of at least three feet, undesirable. In time, however, a strong or it seems to me a little more, and were central shoot appeared and that now, still increasing in width. August first, has unfolded into a great Butcher's Broom is a native of the sheaf of broad glaucous gray leaves, Mediterranean region, but also it occurs quite unlike any other plant here and in the south of England where it goes by showy in their own right. From near a number of country n ames, though com­ the center has risen a naked scape, now monly called Butcher's Broom. Parkin­ about four feet tall, bearing at the top son says butchers used the stiff branches a head of flowers, conspicuous at once to sweep out their stalls, and I have read for the large bracts that subtend each elsewhere that they tied them up with bloom and extend well away from the the meat to discourage rats and bats. scape with a curling upward stance, that Names such as Knee Holly and Prickly makes the whole look like a fanciful Box are derived from the needle-pointed cone. cladodes that serve as leaves, and the The flowers open from the base up­ plant is called Jew's Myrtle because it is wards in this head. The pedicels grow supposed to have provided material for as the flowers age, so that the blooms the Crown of Thorns. stand well away from the whole. The Butcher's Broom is not a true shrub, flowers face upwards, are quite flat, six­ because the stiff green stalks that shoot petalled stars of faintly creamy-white, up from the roots are never truly woody. set off by the ovary that is a dark olive­ When young and tender they are even green, almost black, with a tiny white edible, which is not surprising, because stigma atop, and surrounded by the cir­ the genus belongs to the asparagus cle of stamens, one over each segment, bran2h of the Lily Family. The flower's the filaments tinted, but the open an­ on the cIadodes are so tiny that no one thers showing a mass of light green pol­ not looking for them would know that len that adds to the total pattern. the plant is in bloom; the berries are the It is said that the flowers last long in size of small marbles, and very con­ good condition and by the total number spicuous as they turn from shining gre~n of flowers per inflorescence, the bloom­ to shining red. The plants we had 111 ing must be of long duration as well. Raleigh must have been all male, for keep a tidy appearance as the flowers they never fruited in all those years. develop remains to be proven. Ruscus is mostly dioecious, but in his The catalogue from which the bulbs book "My Garden in Autumn and Win­ were ordered indicates that the bulbs ter," E. A. Bowles describes a monoecious should be lifted and stored over winter form of R. aculeatus, with both male as for large gladiolus. The writer will and female flo wers on the same plant, 126 THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

and a hermaphrodite form, with perfect Arisaema serratum flowers. Seeds of the latter come true. Introductions from Japan continue to Plants grown from seed sent from Eng­ enrich American gardens with plants of land by Clarence Elliott are now fruit­ merit. Among the herbaceous plants in­ ing in my garden in Charlotte. They troduced by John L. Creech from his sec­ were sown at least six years ago, maybe ond trip to Japan in 1956, were several more, and now the plants are still less collections of A risaema, J ack-in-the-Pul­ than a foot tall, but they have been bear­ pit and Indian turnip, as these plants ing for three seasons. I even found two are most commonly called in eastern little seedlings under one of them. Last United States. In number of species, fall I sen t a slice of the biggest plant to the Japanese flora is richly endowed Mr. Freeland, for his garden in Colum­ with members of this assemblage of bia, South Carolina, and he sent me a plants that belong to the Aroid Family slice of the variety 'Angustifolia: which [AraceaeJ. 'We note that J. Ohwi in his had come to him from the U .S. Depart­ Flora of Japan, published in 1953, ac­ ment of Agriculture. The linear cla­ counts for forty-two species of A risaema dodes, mostly less than an eighth of an for this island country. Two collections, inch across, and less than three quarters both forms of A. serra tum (Thunb.) of an inch long, are well-budded, and I Schott, successfully grown and distrib­ hope-with the aid of Mr. Bowles, who uted from Dr. Creech's original intro­ goes in to the matter thoroughly-that in ductions, are the subjects of the present the spring I can determine the sex of the note. flowers. * '\IVhether it berries or not, the narrow-leaved form is a distinctive and The second season after seeds of A. utterly charming plant. I shall be inter­ serratum were sown at the Plant Intro­ ested to see whether it gets to be as big duction Station, Glenn Dale, Maryland, as t.he type-that is if I live long enough, young plants flowered for the first time. wl11ch IS doubtful if it grows as slowly as The reward was a group of plants with the others have done. the usual compound leaves of J ack-in­ I am equally charmed with Ruscus the-P~llpit but with bizarre striped hypoglossu1n, recently acquired from the greenish purple spathes resembling fire­ Oakhurst nursery.*** This is a much spitting dragons on pseudostems 8 to 10 smaller plant than the Butcher's Broom inches tall. The flowers lacked a foetid a.nd new to me,. though known to Eng­ carrion odor sometimes associated with lIsh gardeners S1l1ce the sixteenth cen­ some other hardy aroids grown in gar­ dens. t~ry. Bean gives it a height of between eIght and eighteen inches. The leaves 'iIVe can recommend the aforemen­ are much larger, to an inch and a half tioned Jack-in-the-Pulpits from Japan as wide, a~d more than 4 inches long, but plants of distinction worthy of a place the be~' nes are smaller. Bean says it rare­ in American gardens. They should be ly frUl ts, bu t even so it is one of the hardy with us in all areas where the nicest low evergreens that I have found. native American species, A. dracontium Both species are among the best and A. triph)lllum, are grown success­ ground covers for growing under trees fully. We urge cooperators who earlier and in the densest shade. I have read received material of A. serratum to prop­ that Butcher's Broom will grow in full agate and distribute plants as widely as sun. It may, but I have a feeling that in possible. - FREDERICK G. MEYER, Crops sun ~he stems and foliage would lack the Research Division, Agricultural Re­ qualIty that makes them so pleasing search Service, U. S. Department of Agri­ thro~ghout the year, the myrtle green culture, Beltsville, Maryland. colormg.-ELIZABETH LAWRENCE, Char­ lotte, N oTth Carolina. Notes on Hymenocallis, the Spider Lilies *The var. 'Angustifolia' is male. The mother plant at the Chenault N ursery, Orleans, France is about 3 feet l}lb"~ld was procured from the neighboring forest. Of the numerous genera comprising the Amaryllis Family (Amaryllidaceae), * d* *Ruscus hypoglossum is also available from Merry G ar ens, Camden, Maine . few contain as many spectacular species APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 127

C. HAMPFLERJ LONG"VDOD GARDENS

Arisaema serratum var. atropurpureum 128 THE AIVIERICAN HOR TICULTURAL MAGAZINE

G. HAMPFLER. LONGWOOD GARDE NS

Arisaema serratum f. thunbergii APRIL 1963, VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2 129

as Hymenocallis, the so-called "Spider hardy in this country, being grown out­ Lilies." Upwards of forty species have side without any particular protection in been described, but few of these are to­ many parts of the Southern states. In day present in our collections, seemingly more northerly climes, it is lifted in late having passed out of vogue during the fall, and replanted in early spring. Like past decade or two. most members of the genus, it benefits by Hymenocallis (pronounced hy-men-oh­ a rich, rather moist soil, which needs to kal-iss) was established by the English be well-drained for best results. A bright plantsman Richard Anthony Salisbury situation in the garden is required for in the Eighteenth Century, the name optimum production of the spectacular being derived from two Greek words blossoms. Seed is rarely produced, so meaning "beautiful membrane," this propagation is largely by periodic offsets given in allusion to the unique and hand­ from the mature bulbs. some webbing of the flowers' filaments. John Kunkel Small lists eleven species All of the species are natives of the of Hymenocallis as indigenes of the Americas, except for one found, pecu­ Southeastern United States, but not all liarly enough, in West Africa. In this of these are well-marked as separate en­ Hemisphere, the species range from tities. Here in Florida we have several North Carolina, Missouri, and Texas different kinds, including a few rare southward to Peru and Bolivia. As is so endemics which are little-known even by often the case in bulbous plants of horti­ plantsmen in this state. Among the most cultural importance, considerable con­ unusual of these is H ym enocallis palme1-i fusion exists in the precise identity of the (pal'-mer-eye), the so-called "Alligator various species and hybrid forms. Erron­ Lily." Described long ago by Sereno Wat­ eous determinations are frequently per­ son, peculiarly enough this attractive petuated in contemporary horticultural plant was rather well-known in English literature, notably in catalogues, price conservatories many years ago, though J lists, and the like. do not believe it has ever been available Doubtless the most common member in the American trade. of the genus in cultivation today is the I have found H. palmeTi to be ex­ splendid Hymenocallis calathina (kal­ tremely common near the southern ah-thee-nah), a native of Peru and Bo­ shores of Lake Okeechobee, near Clewis­ livia which has been given the common ton and Belle Glade, where during the name of "Basket Flower." It is often spring flowering season literally hundreds seen under its synonym of Ismene cala­ of the flowering plants are evident. Here thina. Its large bulbs are typically long­ they grow amidst grasses and sedges, in necked, and bear upwards of ten some­ very heavy mucky soil which never dries what 2-ranked, thick leaves to about 2 out appreciably, fully exposed to the hot feet in length and several inches in sun. This species is virtually unique in breadth. Normally, the foliage is de­ the entire genus, in that it produces but ciduous during the cool months. The a solitary flower per scape. The blossom flower-scapes, produced during the sum­ is erect, on a somewhat glaucous, flat­ mer months for the most part, attain tened scape about one foot in height, and heights slightly in excess of 2 feet, and measures almost 5 inches in overall bear a generally tight umbel of up to length. The tube is a pleasant yellow­ six handsome blossoms as much as five !?;reen shade, the cup is delicately mem­ inches in diameter when fully expanded. branous-white (with three conspicuous Considerable variation exists in floral marginal teeth, two long and narrow coloration (some very fine horticultural ones alongside a short broad median one, selections have been developed), though in each division), and the tepals are generally the basal tube is rich green, the white from a greenish base. The subter­ cup formed by the filament-membranes ranean bulb is often found 12 or more is white with a green median stripe, and inches deep in the muck, with a slender the free tepals are pure white. These neck extending to the surface. The few tepals are often one-half inch wide, thus leaves are about a foot long, only % giving more substance to the blossom inch wide, dull glaucous-green, and con­ than is often the case in this genus. The spicuously channelled on the frontal sur­ lobes of the cup are usually prettily face, wi th an angle on the reverse side. fringed or scalloped. r have kept H. palmeTi in my garden Hymenocallis calathina is moderately here in Coconut Grove for several years, 130 THE AMERICAN HORTIC{JL TURAL MAGAZINE in large well-drained pots, and it never leaves attain a length of 2Yz feet, and are fails to produce its cheery fragrant blos­ more often than not badly mutilated by soms for me, usually in April. the grasshoppers and other pests which A number of different Spider Lilies find them so succulent. The flower-scapes are known in the literature as H. caTi­ are about as long as the longest leaves, baea, and I am not at all sure that it is glaucous, very flattened, and with con­ presently in cultivation in this country spicuous sharp edges. From 10 to 16 in its true guise, though it is supposedly ~ow~rs are bO.rne per umbel, these open­ widespread from the Bahamas to Puerto mg m succeSSIOn over a period of about Rico. A plant sold on occasion here in three weeks-the individual blossoms South Florida as H. caTibaea has proven mostly expanding at night, and fading to be the attractive endemic H. keyensis late the following evening. With a heady (kee-yen'-siss), of the southeastern part of scent, they are entirely pure white in Peninsular Florida and the adjacent color, except for the slender 6-inch apple­ Florida Keys. green tube, and the vivid yellow (almost In this portion of the state, this is a orange-yellow) anthers. The slender, common and widespread plan t, being down-curving tepals are set around the found in considerable numbers on the amazingly fragile membranous filament­ n:argir:s of mangrove swamps, and espe­ cup. This species is now seen in choice Clally m sandy dune areas adjacent to the lar:dsc.ape planting in the vicinity of sea. Flowering profusely over a period MIamI, and I have grown it with con­ of several months during the spring and siderable success as a showy pot-plant in summer, hundreds of clumps of its at­ my own garden for many years. tractive foliage and striking heads of The most extensive listing of Hyrneno­ blossoms can be seen in many spots on callzs known to me at this writing is in the latest catalogue of 'Wyndham Hay­ the islands along the fascinating Overseas ward's Lakemont Gardens, 'Winter Park, Highway to Key West. Florida, in which eleven different kinds The very large and heavy bulbs of H. are offered, some of them unidentified keyensis are often buried a foot or more as to species.-ALEX D. HAWKES, Post in the soil, wi th the stou t neck reaching Office Box 435, Coconut G1"Ove 33, FloT­ to the surface. The bright green, fleshy ida. the PEONIES

Amateur, professional grower, or scientist: H ere is a book you will enjoy reading, profit from reading. Authorita ti ve, truly comprehensive, yet with interest main­ tained-you explore this fam il y of superb plants about which so little is generally known. You mal', or mal' not be familiar with names of the men and women who wrote this book. We onl y can say: You wo uld search far to find people who know more a bout Peonies-who are better able to share with others, interestingly, the results of their experiences, the findings of their research. EDITORS-John C. W ister, Director, Arthur Hoyt Scott Horticultural Founda­ tion, Swarthmore College; Gertrude S_ Wister. CONTRIBUTORS-Silvia Saunders; P. P. Pirone; William H. Krekler; H arold E. i'Volfe. Getting down to specifications of this book: It, of course, deals with both TREE PEON IES (S uffruticosa or Moutan, Delavayi, lutea, potanini) and the more familiar HERBACEO US PEONIES. For both, there are chapters on culture. Descriptions. Propagation. Check lists of varieties. Lists of growers. Botanical classifications. Pests and diseases. History. Breeding. Bibliography. This 200+ page book is illustratecl with over 60 expertly done photographs and line drawings . Published by the American Horticultural Society, it is being offered to Members at 20% disco unt.

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Ornithogalum saundersiae

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