166 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY NATIVE AND EXOTIC

By Charles T. Simpson Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: _soil is generally poor, but I felt that For 40 years it has been a life dream by proper fertilization it might be witll me to be able some day to live made to produce a finer quality of fruit in a land where there is no winter, and than that which grows in the rich soil where I might cultivate the beautiftl1 of the West Indies. I have sometimes and strange vegetation of the tropics. felt that the reIl)ark made to me by a A little over nine years ago I resigned Bahaman truck grower ·at Homestead my position in the Smithsonian Institu­ that "there is a hinsect here for every tion and came to Dade County, Flori­ wegetable" was true. And there are da, to make a home for an old man. sometimes mornings here in winter The piece of land selected for this when the mercury wakes up to find purpose fronted on Biscayne Bay, ill itself "below the frost line" on the face the village of Lemon City about five of tIle therlTIOmeter. miles north of Miami. It contained The clearillg of th'e land here is an some 15 1-2 acres; three acres of th~ excessively heavy and expensive task, front being low hammock or nltlck dynamiting, burning and removing land, two acres jo·ining this, rocky, trees, grubbing rock, getting it off the high hammock; and the rest rocky pine ground, and destroying the three or land. I was 56 years old and 11aving sometimes four"species of paltnettos as little spare money I put on overalls well as a variety of other scrub. And and a blue shirt and began the task of when it is all done the grower has a making a home in the unsubdued wil-­ waste of dry, sandy soil in which it derness. I chose this region for nlY is exceedingly hard to make tender home after studying Cuba, Haiti, Ja­ plants grow. I believe it to be an ex­ nlaica and the Bahamas. These is­ cellent idea when clearing land to leavo lands have the advantage of a more small pine trees and some of the low tropical climate than South Florida, palmettos standing to shade and their soil is generally richer, but I felt shelter the ground and· protect young that to them could be applie~ the line~ and delicate plants. The pines and from the missionary hymn, palmettos may be removed later if necessary. "Where every prospect pleases, One of the difficulties the grower has And only man is vile." to encounter is the frosts aQd occasion­ This region has its decided disad­ al spells of chilly weather. I have vantages to the grower of fruit and never been able to devise any means orn,amentals. It lies in the track 0'£ by which I could completely protect the West Indian hurricanes and its young and tender plants from frost. FLORIDA STATE HORTICULT'URAL SOCIETY 167

It is a good plan to make a mound oj. number of which are quite ornamental. dry earth around such yOl1ng plants, Within five miles of Miami there are say early in December, to be removed probably growing, wild to-day nearly as soon as danger of frost is over. This or quite a hundred species of trees protects the collars of plants and if or large shr:ubs which sometimes attain the tops be frozen' they will generally tree-like proportions. Most of these sprout up vigorously. As soon as most species inhabit the hammocks and in tropical trees and shrubs have attained many places they become veritable air a height· of six or eight feet they are gardens, being loaded down, even to not likely to be seriously ~alnaged the breakil1g point with a great variety here. of orchids, Tillandsias and other air It would be impossible within the pines, ferns, Peperomias and cacti. linlits of a paper like this to give any.. First among the native ornamentals thing like a complete list even of the should be mentioned the palms, "The ornamental trees, shrubs and plant~ Princes of the Vegetable Kingdom." growing wild and already cultivated South Florida is exceedingly rich in here. I shall therefore only attempt palms. No less than 13 species have to mention the more prominent forms been found growing wild in Dade calling attention to those that seem to County alone; another arboreal sa'\v be especially adapted to our peculiar palmetto, Serenoa arborescens being soil and conditions, and to other~ reported, so far, only from Monroe which do not seem to succeed. The County, but without doubt it will be paper will therefore be only a s0t:t of found in Dade County also. "first aid" to the cultivator. The Cocoanut Palm (Cocos nucifera) has become thoroughly naturalized on NATIVE ORNAMENTALS the nlainland of extreme South Florida This region is especially rich in veg­ and the Lower Keys. Some one has etable forms. In the pine woods the said that it is a "Marvel of Titanic greater number of the species belong grace," and no finer description of it to a warnl temperate flora, this being can be given. It is the tree of t'he poor almost its extreme southern extension. as well as of the rich, and every settler, A very large tropical element of the flora no matter how little improven1ent he has evidenly migrated from the West In­ makes, plants a few cocoanuts, that, in dies, the Spanish Main and Central a few years, will make his place glori­ America, the .seeds having probably ous. The young" plants are a little been carried on the Gulf Stream and tender and are sometimes killed with deposited on our shores during l1urri­ frost, but after they have begun to canes or high southeasterly winds. The form a trunk they are out of danger. seeds of a few forms may have been They grow everywhere here from the carried by birds or the winds. The lowest and saltiest marsh to the high­ region is exceedingly rich in trees, a est pine land and the seed from our 168 FLORIDA STATE HORTIC~LT'URAL SOCIETY trees will, in a majority of cases, gernli­ be improved by liberal mulching, by nate and produce other trees. giving it a coating of muck, and by If the Cocoanut is a "Marvel of fertilizing. Quite a number of thenl Titanic grace" the Royal Palm may growing wild in the swanlp just north of bE called "A Ma.rvel of Titanic ma­ nle were destroyed since I came here, by jesty." I know of no tree on the earth wood cutters. . to which the term majestic can be Pseudophoenix sargentii was dis­ more appropriately applied. Unfortu­ covered some years ago on Elliott's nately it has been found that tIle l1ame Key, and it is quite abundant In places Oreodoxa, signifying "Glory of the in the Bahamas. It is a stiff, formal, Mountains" which has always been ap­ very deep green pal1n with pinnate plied to it, really belongs to another leaves and does well under cultivatioll. group of Soufh American palms, hence The common cabbage palnletto (In­ the name was changed to Royston~a. odes palmetto) is found rather sparing­ I never look at one of these lordly ly in Dade County and is always a trees but I am thankful that I live in striking tree, either when young and a land where it not only grows but is covered with the old split leaf stalks' native. Mr. O. F. Cook of Washing­ ("boots") or as an old tree with its tall, ton, who gave the genus its ne"v name, rough, often crooked stem ~nd globu­ believes that the Floridian form is dis­ lar head. It will 'grow well in all soils. tinct from the Cuban, and has called it Along' the shore of Biscayne Bay is Roystonea florida.a, but other authori­ a dwarf species (Inodes megacarpa) ties diffe'r from him and believe it to which is every\vhere mingled with the be O. regia. Certain it is that I have saw palmetto. In. clearing it is well never seen any of the royal palnls in to leave specilnens occasionally, as Cuba attain either to the' height or di­ they nlake fine clumps when given a mensions that wild or cultivated speei­ chance. mens reach in Florida. At the Royal Mingled with the last two is a dwarf, Palm Hammock back of Cape ROlna­ fan-leaved palm of exquisite beauty no, and on Paradise Key in the south­ ( Coccothrinax garberi) named for a east part of Dade County are Inany dear botanist who explored and collect­ trees which must be well o·ver 100 feet ed in South Florida. The upper sides in height. I never see one of these Ina­ of the leaves are glossy and a ric11 jestic palms but wh·at I feel as though green; the under surfaces are the love­ mortals ought to fall on their kne~s liest satiny or silvery color imaginable. before it and worship with bowed, It is rather a slow grower and never bared heads. The royal palm is 1110st attains any great height. It is found at home in low, rich hammock but only on the shores of Biscayne Bay. does well inl salt marshes, if not too On one of the Lower_ Keys and at wet and salty. As a rule it does not do Cape Sable is found an allied species well on the high pine land, but it may (Coccothrinax jucunda) which is mu,ch FLORIDA STATE HORTICULT'URAL SOCIETY 16Q like the C. garberi only that it is larger Pinus caribrea is the correct name. It in all its parts, reaching a height of is a handsome tree when young, with 25 feet. Its brilliant purple berries are its great masses of long, rich green edible and it is one of the. handsomest needles; it is stately when in its prime palms I know, but it grows very slow­ and picturesque in its old age. When ly when young. at its best its somewhat flattened, There are certainly four species of rounded top reminds one of the pictur­ rl"'hrinax native to extreme South Flor­ esque Pinus pinea of Southern Europe ida, all of which are well worthy of/cul­ ,vhich painters love to introduce into tivation, and are perfectly at home their canvases. without fertilizer in our poorest soil. Two uncomnlonly fine specimens of One of these the writer has brought to nearly equal size grew in my grounds the attention of botanists recently, about 40 feet apart, the one nearly and though quite COUlman it has been north of the other. I built my house overlooked or taken for something about 35 feet to the westward of these else. It is T. wendlandiana, also found trees and they stand there in their in Cuba. erect, soldierly attitude as guardians. Acoelorraphe wrightii is a fine native From them I have named my home palln which Mr. John Soar and the "The Sentinels" and sOlnellow I im­ writer brought to the attention of Proi. agine that they watch over nle night c. S~ Sargent. It is a handsonle fan and ,day. Three other pine trees north palm growing in ilnmense tufts So feet of the house were left undisturbed across and 25 in height and will do well when clearing and these are "The in wet situations. It gro~Ts wild in the Three Graces." In the darkness of the M,adeira Hammocks and in Cuba. night they cut the sky line with won­ The common saw palmetto needs derful effect. Trees and shrubs planted only a word. If give11 a chance it will under the pines do very well and I nla.ke quite fine specimens. S. arbores~ think it a fine idea to leave a few cens becomes a struggling tree 30 to standing in ornamental grounds, and 40 feet high, the stenlS sometimes near­ especially about one's house as a pro­ ly prostrate. tection against lightning. Our native red cedar was formerly ORNAMENTAL NATIVE TREES believed to be the same as the northern Our common pine is different from fornl but is now referred to Juniperus the species found in Georgia and North barbadensis, a West Indian species. It Florida, it being a native of Cuba. It is sometimes planted, but to my mind has gone under more aliases than a is too suggestive of a northern climate professional crook or confidence man, to be appropriate to this Land of Sun­ having been called Pinus treda, P. het­ shine. erophylla, P. cubensis, P. elliottii, P. Yucca aloifolia, or Spanish Bayonet, bahamensis, and it is now believed that sometimes reaches the size of a small 170 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

tree. It is a striking plant with its 'however, robs the soil till few things stiff, cruelly pointed, dark green, close­ will do well near it. ly set leaves and throughout the sum­ Our native mulberry (Morus rubra) mer is covered with inlmense heads of is one of the very few trees found waxy white lilies. It grows abundant­ growing here al1d in the Northern ly along the sea shore and will flouri~11 states, as it ral1ges to Massachusetts, anywhere without care or fertilizer. Michigan and Nebraska. Althougll it I am not sure whether its comp~nion loses its leaves in winter it is covered Y. gloriosa, is found in Dade County, with its handsome, light green foliage but it probably is and it is as fine as in February, one of the earliest Y. aloifolia. harbingers here of spring. A strange tree is Casuarina equiseti­ Ficus aurea, Wild Fig, Wild Rubber folia or Beefwood, which has escaped Tree or Strangler forms a handsome cultivation in extreme South Florida. tree when grown where it has roonl. It looks a little like a very slender, vig­ The seeds are dropped by birds high orous white pine, but on close inspe'c­ up on trees in the hammocks. When tion the branchlets look like miniature they germinate they send down a slen­ scouring brushes. It is a most as­ der root to the ground, then others tonishingly rapid grower and like many which cross and form a network till rapid growing tropical trees it has hard soon the host becomes strangled and wood. It is being used here consider­ dies. The dead tree quickly decays; ably for planting along roads, where the strangler becomes first a complete it does well, but to me it is very cylinder then grows inward until it dreary looking and suggests snow and has the trunk of an ordinary tree. ice. It has become naturalized on low­ With plenty of room it throws down er Biseayne Bay over quite a wide area great bundles of air roots which swing which, in consequence, has been called in the wind and finally become attach­ "The Cedars." It is a native of the ed to the trunk, while others reach the ground and the tree eventually Australian region. may have the character of the Banyan. The Live Oak (Quercus. virginiana) Ficus populnea is also quite orna­ is somehow respected by nearly every mental. one who has cleared up hanlmock an(l Shore Grape, a small tree (Cocco­ is often allowed to stand. Whether this is lobis uvifera) grows abundantly along" from a love of the beautiful on the sandy beaches. It has large, glossy, part of the settler or from the fact leathery and nearly round leaves of ex­ that it is an immense task to clear the traordinary substance and Charles trees and get rid of thenl I cannot say. Kingsley called it the most beautiful The tree grows rapidly when young bro"ad leafed plant he had ever seen. .and when old and hung with Spanish The leaves have red veins and color up Moss is a most striking object. It, to an intense crimson or scarlet as FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOClETY 171 they die. It bears a rather inferior of cultivation, though it is a slow edible fruit and will grow vigorously grower. planted out in pine land or hammock. The Paradise Tree (Simaruba glau­ Another species (C. ·laurifolia) the ca) grows abundantly in hammocks Pigeon Plum, is a dense headed hand­ and when cultivated where it has room, some tree with smooth bark. is a strik·ingly handsome tree. It has TIle eat's Claw of the hanlmocks rather large, long pinnate leaves of (Zygia unguis-cati) has curious leaves leathery texture, extremely glossy and in pairs, brownish or whitish flowers attractive. It contains an excessively in heads and twisted p,ods which, on bitter principle, and is one of the trees opening, disclose black or brownish that furnishes the quassia of the drug­ seeds, partly surrounded with a bright gists. red aril, the whole being quite an at­ Closely related to it is the Gumbo tractive small tree. limbo, one of the most striking objects Z. guadalupense is also an interest­ in our native forests. It becomes a ing species resembling the first. large and lofty tree with massive, There is an attractive small tree oc­ crooked limbs and glossy trifoliate casionally found growing wild in the leaves. The entire bark is smooth, edges of hammocks, the Wild Acacia. peeling off in thin papery layers, and It has very delicate, twice pinnate is generally a rich reddish-brown or leaves and in the spring small yellow copper color, though occasionally it is flowers in heads which are deliciously silvery. It is one of the first trees to and powerfully fragrant. It will grow attract the attention of the visitor to without attention in any ordinary pine this region. It furnishes the gum elemi land. This tree, the Acacia farnesiana, of the druggist. Large limbs may be is naturalized throughout the tropics, set in the ground where they will root but is believed by Prof. Sargent to be and produce trees. a native of Texas. The well known mahogany grows A nearly related tree, the Leucaena abundantly on nlQst of the Lower Keys glauca, a native of South America, is and the extreme southern end of the also naturalized in South Florida. It peninsula, where it occasionally forms has very attractive foliage and brown a crooked, widely branched tree 40 or seed pods, the flowers being white. So feet high and two feet or more in If once introduced into a place it diameter. It is a handsome ornamental spreads rapidly and becomes a nuis­ when young; its large round seed pods ance. being quite striking. It flourish~s in There is a species of lignum-vit:E all soils from low, salty marsh to high found growing on the Florida Keys pine land. (Guaiacum sanctum) which has small, Drypetes lateriflora, the Guiana dark green, glossy, pinnate leaves and Plum, is a tree of our hamnlocks, with attractive blue flowers that is worthy shining, long-elliptic, pointed leaves 172 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

and when covered· with its rich .red, papaya) is found growing, and it is a velvety fruit, a third of an incll in di­ most striking and tropical looking tree.

ameter, is a very attractive object. It I usually has a stout, unbranched Sapindus saponaria, or S.oapberry steIn 16 to 18 feet high when well Tree, is found occasionally in our ham­ grown, and is crowned with imnlense nlocks. It has fine, 'large pinnate leaves, palmate leaves. The tree is supposed the petioles being winged, and it bears to be. dioecious, the male flowers, in spri~g or summer globular, yellow which are light yellow, being borne on fruit three:-quarters of an inch in di­ long, pendulous stalks on one tree and ameter.. It is quite a pretty small tree the larger, sessile female flowers on and the berries make a good substitute another. 1""he fruits, which' in cultiva­ for soap. tion are often as large as a musk One of the handsomest s1nal1 trees melon, are closely clustered among the or large shrubs I know of is Hibiscus' under leaves and are edible-for thOSe tiliaceus, which is quite generally dis­ who like them, a good many thinking tributed along beaches throughout the they taste like squash. The tree is tropics. It has .large, glossy, leathery, short lived, but is· so striking and beau­ cordate leaves and inlmense yellow tiful that it should be in everyone's flowers with a dark center. It is one grounds. of tIle few native trees which can read­ On the lower Keys a large Cereus ily be reproduced frotTI cuttings, as (C. monoclonos) occasionally grows, nearly all of them must be grown from usually in clusters, whose stems some­ seed. It is found sparingly on the ti~nes reach a height of 20 feet and a coast 6f Dade County, growing in low diameter of six inches. It is a lTIOSt land near the sea, and there are two striking object but so far I have never qU,ite distinct varieties of it, one of been able to make it do well here. which has thick, nearly flat, dark The Red Stqpper (Eugenia confusa) green leaves; in the other the leaves is a beautiful tree in our hamnl0cl{s are - thinner, somewhat plaited and with 'a dense head of very gloss)r. lighter' green. They are probably two leathery, long pointed leaves, vvith species. small white flowers in the fall, follo\ved A closely related tree is Thespesia by bright scarlet berries. It is well populnea, occasionally called Headache worthy of cultivation. Tree. It, too, is widely distributed On the Lower Keys and the extrenle along sea shores in the tropics, and southern part of the mainland is found grows wild in Lower Florida. It has a small, crooked tree with ob-ovate, smaller leaves and flowers than Hibis­ shining, yellow green leaves al1d clus­ ctlS tiliaceus, the latter slightly tinged ters of small, pale yellow flowers ill with red and turning darker with age. winter that are deliciously fragrant. Alnl0st everywhere, in and around It is Jacquinia keyensis, and is well hamnlocks the Wild Pawpaw (Carica worthy of a· place in the yard or garden_ FLORIDA"STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

The Wild Star" Apple (Chrysophyl- thick, glossy leaves. Its flowers are tum monopyrenum) is a handsollle, trumpet shaped and purplish, and are small tree, growing in thick hammocks. followed by oval, green fruits three or Its oval, pointed, thick leaves are' glos- four incl1es long. sy and an indescriba~le blue green 1'here is a smail tree found on the above, and covered on the lower side Lower Keys called Prince Wood (Ex­ with a brilliant coppery or red-brown ostema caribreunl) with elli.ptical, pubescence. Although it naturally pointed, shining leaves and long, fuch­ lives in deep shade it will grow well in sia-like white or pinkish tinted flowers sunshine and on high pine land. When that is an elegant thing. A fine spec~­ the wind tosses up its leaves so that nlel1 of it may be seen planted by Dr. the under surfaces show it is strikingly John Gifford in his grounds at Cocoa- beautiful. nut Grove. Mimtlsops sieberi, or Wild Dilly, is We have·an elderberry, a large bush a 'nearly related tree fronl the Lower or small tree, native of Da.de COU11ty Keys, with rosettes of handsome leaves (Sambucus sp.) which may be un­ clustered at the ends of the branches, described. It has exceedingly large, rounded or retuse at the apex. They fine heads of pure white flowers and are bright red when young but become is really very attractive. leathery and deep glossy green above . at maturity. The' small flowers are N'ATIVE ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS followed by globular fruits an inch or Two handsome shrubs grow in this more in diameter covered with rusty region around the borders of hanl­ scales. It is a striking and handsome mocks, Hamelia patens, with elliptical, tree. pointed, red tinted leaves and clusters The Geiger Tree, a native of the of elegant orange scarlet, tubular Keys, (Cordia sebestena) is probably flowers, and Erythrina herbace~ with the handsomest flowered wild tree of trifoliate leaves and elongated, purplish South Florida. It has large, rough, crimson flowers. The former is in pointed leaves which are sometimes flower nearly the entire year and is cordate, and salver shaped flowers in really one of the most desirable shrubs large heads that are a brilliant orange I know of for this region, as it flourish­ or flame color, and they appear irregu­ es when planted in the pine land with­ larly throughout the year. It may be out eith.er attention or fertilizer. The grown from cuttings readily. latter is an awkward grower and opens Crescentia cucurbitana or Black its blossoms in late winter and spring. Calabash Tree is common in ham­ An arboreal forn1 grows in Florida m9cks and swamps, only along the which has received the name of Eryth- shores of Biscayne Bay in Florida, al­ . rina arborea, but I do 110t know that it though it is found in the Bal1amas and grows in Dade County, though it prob­ West Indies. It has handsome, large ably does. "9.

114 FLORIDA ST·ATE HORTICULTIURAL SOCIETY

NATIVE ORNAMENTAL CLIMBERS AND Ipomoea dissecta has delicately cut CREEPERS leaves and handsome, whitish flowers The well known woodbine (Ampel... having a purple eye, and is quite conl­ opsis quinquefolia) is one of the few monly used here to cover piazzas and plants common to the Northern States arbors. and extreme Southern 'Florida. It Another species, Ipomoea fuchsioi­ springs up in cleared pine land and des, comes from the Homestead often almost become's a nuisance. It Country of L.ower Dade, where it climbs to the tops of the loftiest pines grows in crevices an10ng the n10st rag­ and along in January or February its ged limestone rocks. It has elongated foliage.takes on the rich crimson color leaves which are rounded at the base that it has after frost in the Northern and quantities of brilliant. purplish States. crimson flowers. These are about all Chiococca racemosa is a sprawler in inch or a little more in diameter, their the hammock and bears racemes of buds looking as though varnished, and lemon yellow, honey-scented flowers are indescribably beautiful. I t does which somewhat resemble those of the not seem to flourisll when planted out' Lily of the Valley. Later it be~omes in this vicinity. Perhaps the abun­ covered with white, waxy berries dance of soil, even if it is poor, proves which remain on all winter. -too stimulating for it. Several native Ipomoeas bear hand­ Another plant belonging to the Con­ some flowers, the most conspicuous volvulus family, the Jacquemontia being Calonyction bona-nox, the mag­ pentant11a, from the Lower I<.eys, is nificent' night bloon1er, cultivated in tt very fine. It has glossy, cordate leaves the north under the name of moon and rather small, funnel shaped, blue flower. It grows along the borders of flowers, each having a white eye. It hammocks, creeping· over the ground does not last very long in cultivation, and bushes or even to the tops of lofty being probably an .imperfect perennial, trees. A variety here bears flowers but like tIle companion vine, Ipom­ which remain in bloom until late in oea fuschioides, it is worthy of a good the forenoon, or nearly all day if it is cloudy. deal of care. Along the seashore in the edge of Ipomoea pes-caprae (Goat's-foot) has astonishingly long, vigorous stems hammocks there grows a rampant, which trail along sandy shores, bear­ prickly vine with bipinnate leaves. ing large, glossy, handsome leaves that yello\vish flowers and short, inflated are cleft at the apex, hence the specific pods covered with thorns, eacm con- . name. The large purple flowers are taining two or three rounded, gray very fine. If introduc~d into ordinary seeds, the nicker beans. It is Guilan­ pine land it makes itself as much at dina crista and does well when planted hom~ as along the seashore. in a sheltered location. FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 175

In the West Indies every black man brown; it 11as elongated, thick, glossy who has a bit of ground plants a few leaves which are opposite, and hand­ seeds of Canavalia obtusifolia or C. some creamy white, fUl1nei shaped gladiata. These are the "Overlook flowers in pairs. The center of the peas" and it is absolutely necessary waxy flower is yellow and it is richly for one's safety that he have one or the fragrant. It is full of milky sap and it other of these vines growing on his is predicted that it will be an import­ place in order to prevent his garden ant rubber producing plant in the near being "overlooked" or bewitched by future. I have no doubt that it would ~. the Evil Eye. Both are pretty and in­ grow on higher ground if it was well teresting naturalized vines, with rather cared for. attractive purple, pea-like blos-soIns, Vanilla planifolia, the plant produc· the former being more inclined to trail ing the vanilla of commerce has been and the latter to climb. I am always credited to South Florida, I think er­ careful to have my place well protected roneously. We have a species growing from anybody who 111ay wish to "hoo­ here in the hammocks (Vanilla egger­ doo" it. si) which has large, fleshy stems and There are two balloon vines growing the leaves reduced to mere scales, wild in waste places· in this region which climbs trees by means of (Cardiosperl~unl halicacabum and C. adventive roots. It bears great heads microcarpum). Both are pretty, deli­ of brownish purple flowers which are cate vines with compound leaves and fragrant and handsome. It is an odd triangular inflated seed pods. and attractive plant. One of our wild grapes with small glossy leaves (Muscadinia rotundifol­ NATIVE HERBACEOUS. ORNAMENTALS ia) grows in the edges of hammocks In the tropics the proportion of herb­ and comes up from seed in th~ culti­ aceous plants is less than in cooler 'rated pine land to an extent that is regions. In Dade County there is quite anything but agreeable. It is a ram­ a number of ferns, several of these pant grower and when it hangs over having been found recently in Florida the edges of the hammocks it looks for the first time by botanists exploring well. One of these vines has covered in the Homestead region. . a solitary live oak in my grounds and Osmunda spectabilis, a noble, yet hangs in long streamers all around it delicate fern~ is abundant in swamps and looks like an uncommonly fine and is believed by some authorities to white elm. be the same as the Osmunda regalis Rhabdadenia biflora is a wonderfully of Europe. vigorous vine that grows in salt Our largest native fern grows every­ marshes, either sprawling or climbing, where in brackish swamps (Acrosti­ often to the tops of lofty trees. Its chum excelsum) and sometimes reach­ flexible, woody stems are smooth and es a height of 8 feet or more. It is a 176 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SO-CIETY bold, hal1dsome plant with heavy Al10ther rather rare fern which re­ stipes on "vhich the frol1ds are pinnate­ sembles the last but has wider fronds ly arranged. It is a question' in my L~ Aspleniurn serratum, the ;edges of mind whether it does not run into A. the fronds being finely serrated. The aureum, which is generally believed last, though, occasionally grows to a to be distinct. considerable distance up tree trunks In the hammocks everywhere the in damp hammocks. , trunks of the live oaks are -more or PhlebodiulTI aureum is entirely less covered with a lovely little ferIl epiphytal in its habits, growing mostly with creeping rootstalks and pectinate on the trunks of cabbage palmettos, fronds (Polypodium polypodioides). where it forms knotty rootstalks and In dry weather its fronds curl up and th-rows out its bold, large, deeply cut even turn brown and be-COOle so brit-. fronds. tIe that they easily, break up. Witll N ephrolepis exaltata, the Sword one-fourth of an inch· of rain or even Fern is equally at home in the ground less they open out, turn to a rich dark of hammocks, on rocks, or high up green, and cheerfully grow on as under the crowns of palmettos and is though nothing had cllecked them, very abundant in many places. only to close up and become brown A rarer species is Nephrolepis biser­ when it turns dry aga~n. rata, \vhich grows in damp ground With something of the same habit with fronds reaching sometimes a its near relative (P. pectinatum) is le-ngth of ten feet. It. is often found on even more beautiful, but is a much palmettos. rarer species. Mr. John Soar and the .A lovely fern that grows on pal­ writer found it on Pumpkil1 IZey grow­ mettos might 'be taken for a tuft of ing on dead logs or the ground and grass, hence its name Grass Fern. Its _ I have attached it to trees in nlY ham­ fronds are linear, leathery and glossy mock where its lovely fronds, cut into above, with edges slightly rev:olute. teeth like a comb, open or close up and It is Vittaria lineata. turn brown according as' the weather The Adiantums are all exquisitely is damp or dry. beautiful, but A. tenerum is especially The Hounds Tongue Fern also grows delicate. It is found in hammocks in for the most part on decaying wood in the Homestead region and does well the hammocks. It was formally called in cultivation if kept damp and shaded. a Polypodium but is now Campylone­ At the head of the Miami River- is uron phyllitidis. It has lovely, entire found a large, bold fern (Meniscium linear fronds, reaching a height of reticulatum) which at first glance three feet a"nd is a striking' plant might be taken for an Acrostichurn. It whether hidden away in the half twi­ is a \V~st Indian species and I have a light of the hammocks or grown in fine specimen in "my hammock which pots or vases. was broug"ht by Mr. John Soar from FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 117

the Isle of Pines. The late Mr. A. A. Homestead hammocks O. sphacelatum Eaton was very much interested in my is aImost terrestrial. plant but later when he discovered the A lovely Peperomia, P. magnolire­ same thing growing in quantities near folia, with very thick, obovate leaves the JVliami pumping· station, remarked and rat tail spikes of greenish flowers that he thought Mr. Soar had been is epiphytic on the live oaks. "Carrying coals to Newcastle." One of our 'Tillandsias, T. fascicu­ There are several fine Dryopteris lata is a splendid orname·nt of the growing wild in Dade County, D. hammocks in spring. Like other spe­ patens being abundant on the banks cies its seeds are furnished with cot­ of ditches. D. thelypteris in lTIucky, tony tails with which they are carried fresh water swan1ps, and a grand spec­ by the wind and by means of which the ies D. ampla, was found in the hatTI" seed attaches itself wherever it strikes mock in the HOimestead )Country a.nd germinates. This species has which has an erect rootstalk and is in flattened heads of brilliant red bracts reality a tree fern. out of which COlne slender, deep blue There are many other species here flowers and when in bloom they gleam which are well worthy of cultivation like spurts of fire among the trees. but I cannot n1ention thenl on account Guzmannia monostacha is a hand­ of lack of space. some epiphyte, excessively abundant Two species of fine epiphytal arch.. on trees in the Homestead hammocks. ids grow in the n~ighborhood of Mi­ It is a relative of the Tillandsias and ami, Epidendrum tampaense, which in bears heads of brovvn, white and rich early summer has airy panicles of red flowers. A variety has elegantly very pretty brownish flowers, which striped leaves. They sometimes grow are variegated with white and purple, so abundantly as to break the limbs to and Cyrtopodium pu.nctatum which is which they are attached. not so common. The former - has Three 'species at least of ce'ntury thick linear leaves, while those of tIle plants grow wild in Dade County, latter are broader and thin. The mat­ Agave sisalana, A. rigida and A. neg­ ted roots turn upwards forming a sort of basin which catches falling leaves, lecta. -All are str:iking, tropical look­ insects and the like and no doubt thus ing plants and are often cultivated. fertilizes the plant. It has tall, branch­ In fresh water and slightly brackish ing flower stems and greenish yello\\r swamps Crinum an1ericanum lights up flowers spotted brown in great abund­ the dreary waste with its splended ance. On Para.dise Key a variety of starry white flowers. Associated with Oncidium luridum is found on trees it are several species of Hymenocallis, w.hich has heavy, thick leaves and with broad, soft leaves and heads of flowers that superficially resemble spider-like satiny flowers, the stamens those of C'yrtopodium, and in the being connected by a thin, gauzy cup. 12-H. 178 FLORIDA STAT·E HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

They will flourish if planted in dryer in the latter, and tIle arching leaves land. do not turn up edgewise. They grow Another beautiful swamp plant is to considerable size and will do well in Hibiscus grandiflorus, with velvety the sunshine but should be planted lobed leaves and immense pink flowers. where they are protected from the It may be propagated from seed or winds, as the leaflets break up very cuttings and I have established it in badly when blown about. my low land. Areca. I have had several species Kneiffia riparia, belonging to the of these fine palms. So far I have not evening primrose family, is a fine, been able to make A. catechu, the Ori­ branching plant growing in wet land ental Betel Nut, succeed. along streams, and bearing continually A. glandifornlis is a grand palm, large yellow :flower~. and is doing splendidly with me. A. alicere and A. triandra promise CULTIVATED PALMS well, though I think likely the latter Dade County seems to be a veri­ should be grown in the shade. table paradise for palms. I have about Astrocaryum. I have only one spec­ IS0 species native and exotic and near­ ies (A. mexicanum), planted in the ly all of tIlenl pronlise well. Nothing hammock which is growing slowly but can be finer as single isolated speci­ is in good health. The under sides of mens or groups, or when planted in the leaves are a fine, silvery color and mixed masses, than the palms. Many the petioles and trunk are spiny. of the finer species are as .yet unattain.. Attalea. A. cohune is a magnificent able or can only be had with difficulty species from Central America. I have and at great expense. I have import.. seen it in Honduras over 100 feet high ed many plants which have nearly all and Mr. O. F. Cook .of the Department died on account of the long voyage, of Agriculture tells \me he has meas­ and seeds which have rarely gernli.. ured leaves of it 55 feet long. '"rhey nated. But there are many fine things shoot up almost straight for a great for sale at our home nurseries now that distance, then curve out slightly at the were unattainable a few years ago, tips. Commodore Monroe has a fine and are being offered at reasonable specinlen at his houle in Cocoanut prices. I will begin witll the pinnate Grove which is beginning to form a palms and go through the genera in trunk. It is a slow grower when young alphabetical order. and has one drawback when matured, Archontophrenix alexandrre (known and that is that the old leaves hang as Ptychosperma alexandrre) and A. on to the plant and <1isfigure it. I cunninghami (Seaforthia elegans) are have plants of A. gomphococca which elegant species offered by many deal­ are doing well. ers. In the former the underside of Acrocomia. A genus of very spiny .the leaves is a little nlore silvery than palms with slender leaflets. I have FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 170 young plants of A. media, A. sclero­ stems and the petioles have a yellow­ carpa and A. totai, all of which are ish tint; it suckers freely and whetl doing. well in the sun on pine land. I well grown is elegant. For some rea­ have what may be A. havanensis fronI son I have had poor success with this Ctlba which has an immensely swolletl palm until lately but it is now growing stem. well in pine and hammock land. It is Bactris. Excessively spiny palms quite tender. which are, however, quite ornamental. Cocos. A genus of nlany American The leaves seem to suffer from cool species, one of which, the cocoanut, weather arid come out in the spring I have already mentioned. The other here in bad condition. I have B. gasi­ species here are subject to a peculiar paes, the Peach P'alm of Brazil, B. aur­ leaf blight which forms "brownisll antiaca and an unnamed species. streaks and sometimes kills quite large Caryota, Carat or Fish-tail Palm. I plants. Aside from this most of the have several species. C. blancoi, C. species do well here and nearly all are mitis, C. purpuracea, C. sobolifera and somewhat hardy. I have an unnamed C. urens. C. mitis and sobolifera species in my grounds, said to come s,ucker profusely and these suckers from Cuba, which is exceedingly fine, may be used for propagating if takel1 being a miniature of the big cocoa­ off carefully after they begin to throw nut. I have llever succeeded with C. ottt roots. All the species bloom 'only insignis and weddelliana here, either when fully nlatured, beginning to in pots or in the open, alld it may b'e' throw out their magnificent tassels~ that the lin1e in our soil is injurious (in C. urens as large' as a man's body') to them" itnmediately under the leaves and con­ Desmoncus major is a thorny, slen­ tinuing downward to tIle base of the der palm from the lower West Indies stem, when the plant dies. I have had where it climbs and holds on by means best success with them when planted of hooks at the end of the pinnre. It in the shade as they seem when in is called "Croc-chiel1" in its native full sunshin~. to be particularly subject country, a name meaning "the teeth to blotching of the leaves. of a dog," in allusion to the dreadful Chamredorea. Slender, often reed­ way in which it seizes and holds on like, dibecious palms sometimes throw­ to anyone 'running into it. I have ing up suckers. They should be planted a fine young plant in the hammock in deep shad'e where they grow nicely which is doing 'well and is just begin­ and bloom every year. I have C. ning to develop teeth. arenbergiana, C. corallina and one or Dictyosperma rubra and D. alba are two others. fine paln1s, medium-sized, with rather Chrysalidocarpus lutescens is a slender stems. I have a fine specimen handson1e~ popular palm, better known I2 feet high of the former and it ha~ as Areca lutescens. Its rather slender repeatedly fruited at Palm Beach. In 180 FLORIDA STATE 'a:ORTICULTURAL SOCIETY the open its leaves are quite red when had poor success with this palm which yOllng but they change to green with I have started from seed several times. age. Both species do well in the shade I now have a specimen sent from. Cali­ or stlnshine. fornia four years ago which looks Dypsis madagascariensis. A slen­ healthy, b.ut has only 1)1ade one -leaf ill der, reed-like palm with the pinnre ar­ all that time.. At that rate I shall be a ral1ged in fascicles. It is doing well very old man before it becomes a tree. with nle in shade and sunshine. Kentia. The genus Kentia has been Elreis guineens-is. The Oil Palm of completely dismembered and the non1­ tropical Africa. It has bloomed and enclature seems to be badly confused. borne fruit for me and does moderate­ For want of any better knowledge I ly well, though I think our winter cli­ shall refer to it a fine species which mate is a little too cool for it. goes under the name of Kentia macar Euterpe. I have had several species thuri. It grows in large clumps with of this genus, but for some reason all rather slender stems and obliquely have died. It has often happened that truncate leaflets. It is a rapid grower where I have utterly failed with cer­ and soon forms a large clump, but it is tain plants, others have succeeded., and a little tender and I am inclined to that I have succeeded after repeated think it would flourish best in a some­ failures. These may do well here. what.sheltered and s11aded place. Howea. H. belmoreana and H~ for­ Martinezia caryotrefolia, the only steriana, better known as Kentias, are species I have tried to grow, is a offered by many dealers. Neither slender palm and does not seem to seems to do really well here thougll do very well. It is slightly spiny, has the latter does the better of tIle two. elegant leav'es with the broad segments The lime in the soil may not be con­ raggedly truncate, and it grows quite ge~ial for them. rapidly in pots when young. Hydriastele wendlandiana. A tall Phoenix. The Date Palms. I have growing paltJ;1 with long leaves, the sonle 20 or more nominal species of segments being truncate and ragged this genus and there 'are no palms at the apex. It is a vigorous grower known to me which are any more and promises well. here. satisfactory in every way for planting Hyophorbe yerschaffeltii and amari­ in Dade County. They all grow caulis are two very striking and hand­ rapidly even when mere seedlings. some palms from Mauritius. They are They flottrish in all soils from low lofty growers, with large, bulging salt marshes which are occasionally trurlks, rather stiff, richly colored and overflowed to the highest, driest pine orange tinted leaves. Both are grow­ land, and all will grow rapidly and do ing finely for me in shade and su-nshine. well without fertilizer. They are direci­ Jubrea spectabilis. The southern­ ous, and a large proportion .of my most palm of South America. I have plants have proven to be males. The FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 181

great clusters of creamy blossoms are Rico. Both are doing well with me; quite attractive. A fem~le P. hun1ilis the latter is growing very rapidly and has borne fruit which has germinated promises to do better on the pine land and made fine young plants. As it than R. regia. It has a stouter, more is the only specimen of the species I fusiform trunk than R. regia and have, and no other males of any heavier leaflets. species were in bloom anywhere near Stevensonia grandifolia. I have not it at the time it flowered, it seems proba­ been successful so far with this nlag­ ble that it was self fertilized. P. cana­ nificen.t palm, largely owing to the riensis is a majestic palm with a colos­ fact that it seems to be very tender in sal trunk and leaves 10 to 12 feet long. a young state, but I hope to succeed P. sylvestris is fine, while P. roebelenii' with it later. i~ the gem of the genus. It is very dis­ Verschaffeltia, another fine palIn, tinct in appearance, with delicate leaves has also proved very tender. of a peculiar green, and rich yellow spines. Wallichia. I have had W. densiflora According to W. M. in Bailey's Cyclo­ and \V. caryotoides but neither of thenl pedia of Americana Horticulture this has have succeeded and it is quite likely stems only two or three feet in height in that our limestone soil does not agree 20 years. My best specimen, set out as ,vith thenl. a little plant about four years ago, and badly crowded and robbed by a Ficus PALMATE LEAVED PALMS - elastica, without fertilizer, is now five Corypha. I have had three specie~ feet 4igh, has a trunk three feet high of this genus, C. umbraculifera, C. ge­ and five inches in diameter and is in banga and C. nlacropoda, but none of bud for blossom. (For a fine article thetTI have done ,veIl with me. on "Phoenix in Florida" by H. Nehrl­ Chamrerops. A circum-Mediterran- ing see the above quoted work, Vol. ean genus of elegant palms. Probably III, p. 1309.) only a single spec1es exists in Europe, Raphia ruffia. I have this palnl but though botanists have made many am not at all sure it will succeed. It nominal species. This is C. humili~, grows very rapidly as a seedling but and a form from northern Africa which does not seem to- do well when larger. is more robust has received the name It is a fine species from Madagascar of C. macrocarpa. I have fine large with imm_~nse" nearly erect, pinnate plants of the former and small ones leaves and enormous heads of fruit of the latter, all of which are doing weighing from 200 to 300 pounds. well. They are rather slow growing when Roystonea. Besides our native spe­ young. cies already mentioned we have R. .Erythea edulis, a fine, densely leav·­ oleracea from the West Indies, a mag­ ed fan palm from Guadalupe Island. nificent species growing to a great Lower California. So far it is a mod­ height and R. borinquena from Porto erate grower, but -is in perfectly 182 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULT'URAL SOCIETY

healthy co.ndition on pine land and is Latania. A genus of a few species making a fine ornament. from lVIauritius and vicinity, contain­ E. armata, the Blue Palm of Lower ing some of the n10st noble palms on California is a still finer species. I earth. They have large trunks and have small specimens of it which immense leaves supported by massive promise well. petioles, the whole often glaucous and Hypha.ene. I have a single plant of highly colored. L. glaucophyl1a is H. shatan about seven feet high and the finest species, and magnificent beginning to form a trunk. The heav)1 specimens of it are 'growing in Mianli curved petioles are black bordered and and ·at Cape Florida. L. commersonii have very large, crooked, black spines is also a grand species and is growing along them, and the midribs are at Cape Florida. The species are direc­ sharply recurved. The immensely ious. thick blade is attached diagonally to Licuala. A genus of East India!1 the petiole. '"fwo or three times this palms, several of which I have tried specimen was nearly killed by frosts to cultivate with indifferent success. but now it seems to be well established They grow for a while .and then ~et and is growing with the greatest vIgor. sick and almost stand still. The species of this genus form branch­ Livistona. Another genus of East ing trees, and the outer rind around Indian palms but one which does much the seed is sweet and tastes like gin­ better here than Licuala. L. chinen­ gerbread, hence the name "Ginger- sis is usually sold as L.atania borbonica, bread Palm." ,_ which is quite a different thing. It is rnodes. The specie~ of this group a slow-growing fan palm with very were previously referred to Sabal, but glossy leaves but after it reaches con­ O. F. Cook has shown that they are siderable size its growth is more rap­ not the true Sabals. One obvious dis­ id. It is rather hardy and attains con­ tinction is that in Sabal the leaves siderable size and is a most excellent are nearly or quite flat, while in Inodes and ttseful palm. L. subglobosa is a the midrib is curved backward. It rapid grower. L. hoogendorpii is do­ is as satisfactory a group of palms ing well. L. australis is a slow grower for this region as the Phoenix and that but quite hardy, and is a picturesque is saying all that can be said. I. tree. L. rotundifolia is beautiftLI but ghiesbreghtii is one of the finest, with seems a little delicate. large leaves of unusually heavy text­ N ebwashingtonia. I have three ure I. mauriticeformis of the.,West spe.cies of this Mexican genus. N. Indies and northern South America is robusta, a magnificent, strong-growing said to have leaves 12 feet across. All -palm with large glossy leaves which are well worthy of cultivation, as they have stout prickles on the edges of flourish on almost all our soils even their petioles. It is ~apidly becoming without fertilizer. a favorite here for street planting. N. FLORIDA STATE HORTICULT'URAL SOCIETY 183 filifera has dull colored leaves and is mock or pine land and need no fertil­ greatly inferior in vigor and beauty to izer. the robusta. N. sonorre, of which I Trachycarpus excelsus totally fails have young specimens, is said to be in this lo~ality. I have planted it re­ more delicate than the otllers. peatedly in different soils and situa­ Pritcllardia. A noble genus of palms tions .but it invariably soon dies. I from the South Pacific containing a am satisfied that the soil does not suit few species fully as handsome as the it. Jjatanias. They have immense plait­ ed leaves borne on heavy petioles. P. ORNAMENTAL EXOTIC TREES pac.lfica has the petioles covered with a Adenanthera pavonina, Circassian creamy or whitish fluffy scurf. P. Bean, is a pr~tty tree from India witll thurstoni and an unnamed species delicate compound leaves and snlall which I have are very fine. Unfortu­ brownish or yellowish flowers. The3e nately they are all exceedingly tender are followed by spiral pods with bril­ and even large plants are injured by liant red, polished, lenticular seeds. sharp frosts. They are an article of food in India Rhapis humilis and flabelliformis and are used extensively for necklaces. are clustered reed palms from China, They may be strung readily with a and are exquisitely beautiful. The heavy needle and thread or twine just former does better for nle than the as they are ripening, turning from latter. creanl color to scarlet. If strung too Thrinax. There is no group of early they shrivel, but they soon begin palms more conlpletely adapted to to harden and cannot be worked at all. South Florida than the species of this Acacia. Elegant trees with delicate and allied genera. No less than six compound foliage and often pretty species of Thrinax and Coccothrinax heads of flowers, but unfortunately grow wild in Dade County. T. bar­ only a few of them do well here. A. badensis is an elegant palm which is bicornis or cornigera, from Mexico and deeper colored in shade than in sun· Central America which bears elongated shine, though it does well in both sit­ heads of yellowis'h .;flower~ and irrl­ uation~. T. altissima is altogether one mense spines in pairs, united at the of the nl0st beautiful palms I have ever base and looking like the horns of an seen. Its large, glossy, airy leaves are ox, does fairly well and two or three almost flat and their lower edges lap unnamed species flourish. over at the petiole.. All tIle species, Araucaria. A noble ge.nus of warnl however, are tender when young. . temperate or subtropical conifers. A. Thrincoma alta, a new palm from excelsa is often grown in Dade County, Porto Rico, does well, and promises though quite tender when young. This to be a beautiful little tree. All the is the Norfolk Island pine, very com­ species of this group do well in ham- monly cultivated in pots and tubs at 184 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULT'URAL SOCIETY the north and when in perfect condi­ able to make it succeed as well as I tion is one of the most strikingly beau­ would like to. tiful trees in the world. It does fairly Bauhinia. A large genus of tropical well here on pine land that is well trees and shrubs generally having drained, and occasionally there are showy flowers. B. purpurea is one of seen remarkably handsome specimens. our finest trees~ being covered with A. bidwillii from Australia is another large' orchid-like blossoms in late win­ nobl~ species with broad leaves which ter' and spring, lTIOst beautifully varie­ seems tv be completely at home in our gated. One of these trees in full bloorn poor soil. I have a young A. brazil­ is a sight worth going a long way to iana which is doing well. A. imbricata see. B. alba and B. furfuracea have has been tried repeatedly by myself handsome white flowers, both bloonl­ and others, in shade and sunshine and ing at various seasons. B. triandra in various soils but it has invariably has lovely pink flowers striped with died. w}1ite. B. tomentosa has yellow flow­ Albizzia lebbek becomes a noble, ers. I have a large growing unnamed wide spreading tree here in a very species that bears a great profusion of short tiOme. Its common name "\V6­ whitish blossoms tinted purple through man's Tongue" was given it because the late fall and winter. The curious the pods of the one and the tong~es leaves of all the species which are more or of the other are supposed to rattle, a less bifid at the apex are attractive. gross libel on botll. They all do well here in our light soil Aleurites. Candle nut tree. Age·· but should be liberally fertilized for nus of trees of majestic appearance and best results. large, striking leaves. A. moluccana Bonlbax. Silk Cotton tree. A soft has handsome lobed leaves and bears wooded, rapid growing tree of the an excellent edible nut. It has borne West Indian region, attaining im­ fruit in Dade County. A. trisperma mense proportions. It has digitate, has very large cordate leaves and is a beautiful tree. It is from China and deciduous leaves and the stems and is perfectly hardy. All three flourish trunk bear strong prickles. In late here like weeds, the only drawback winter when the tree is nearly or quite being that their rather brittle limbs naked it becomes covered with very break up badly during hurricanes, and large showy red flowers. It daes well they should therefore be planted in in Dade County. At the Royal Poin­ 5heltered locations. ciana Hotel at Palm Beach are very Andira it1ermis, West Indian Cab­ large specimens for Florida. bage Tree, has elegant pinnate leaves Bischofia trifoliata from the East with ,vavy leaflets and is said tf) bear Indies is a rapid-growing tree with 11andsome purple flowers. It is a beau­ handsome trifoliate leaves which flour­ tiful tree but so far -I have not been ishes finely here. FLORIDA STATE HORTICULT·URAL SOCIETY 185

Bixa orellana, a West Indian tree do well when established. C. gilliesii has cordate leaves, pink flowers like so far has not done well. immense and glorified peach blossoms, Calophyllum inophyllum, a noble and soft, prickly pods whose seeds are tree from the East Indies has fine large covered with an orange red paste. It glossy leaves and large handsome is the Arnatto or Roucou, and the paste white flowers. It is very tend'er 11ere is used alike to decorate the bodies of but probably will do well when it is South American Indians and to color once established. the butter and cheese of civilized man. Castilla elastica. This is the Cen­ It does fairly well if fertilized. tral American Rubber Tree and I Butea frondosa. An Indian tree with have seen specimens or' it in southern very large trifoliate leaves and red Cuba that were fine. It grows well flowers. Sir Joseph Hooker in the here in summer but the cool weather Hinlal,ayan Journals says "In the So­ .. and especially frosts put it back badly. ane Valley Butea frondosa was abund­ Cr.~scentia cujete. An awkward antly in flower and a gorgeous sight. growing tree with long, narrow leaves In mass the inflorescence resembles and not particularly ornamental, but it sheets of flame and individually the bears curious, purplish,' trunlpet shap­ flowers are eminently beautiful, the ed blossoms on the nlain stem and bright orange-red petals contrasting large branches, which produce the cele­ brilliantly against the jet-black, vel­ brated calabashes, used everywhere in vety calyx." I have repeatedly failed tropical America. It is a rapid grow­ with this tree but at last a specimen er, but is very tender, and will do well planted in the edge of the rocky hanl­ here when large. mock in a rather dry place is doing Delonix regia, the Royal Poinciana, finely. vies with one other tree (Amherstia Cassia fistula has 11andsome, large nobilis) for the position of King of pinnate leaves and drooping leaflets, Flowering Trees. It is a native of and long, pendant, pale yellow clusters Madagascar, but long ago was carried of flowers. When in bloom it is one of all around the tropics and cultivated for the most charming of objects. There its glorious flowers and foliage. Its is a fine sp~cimen at the Sub-Tropical marvellously beautiful bipinnate, dark Laboratory near Miami. green leaves alone would give it a high Caesalpinia sappan is a rather at­ rank among ornamentals. These come tractive, thorny tree with fine, bi­ out a.pale, delicate green in April and pinnate leaves, yellow flowers and at the same time the tree is covered striking seed pods, which does well with great masses of bloom, eacll here. C. coriaria is a tree with deli­ flower being four inch~s or nlore in cately beautiful compound leaves and diameter. The outside of the thick greenish, fragrant flowers, a little tender petals is yellow, the inside is red. The when young, but it will probably petals are clawed, a rich warm red and 186 FLORIDA Sr.ATE HORTICULT'URAL SOCIETY

often variegated inside. It blooms, ill with a columnar stem, smooth, varie· some cases, at intervals well into the gated green bark, limbs in whorls and summer and some trees bear clusters digitate 5-9 foliate, smooth leaves. The of flowers that would not go into a flowers are yellowish and attractive half bushel basket. There is con- The tree grows to a great size and siderable variation in growth and does finely here but the wood· is brittle bloom, and one form is always low and breaks in storms. growing and wide spreading and is Euphorbia tirucalli is a small tree certainly a distinct variety if not a with pendant, succulent branches, separate species. The immense pods milky juice and very small leaves. It are striking and rather ornamental, and is a strange and attractive plant. E. the trees are readily grown here from antiquorum has triangular, variegated seed and flourish in all kinds of latld branches, almost no leaves, is spin}-, except that which is quite wet. . and is a strange looking small tree t(l Enterolobiull1 cyclocarpum is a h'and- northern eyes. Both do well here in some tree with bipinnate leaves, green- poor dry soil but are tender when ish flowers in heads, and pods bent small. back in a complete circle. A rapid Eucalyptus. A large genus of tree~ grower. from the Australian region, man~Y' of Erythrina. Coral Tree. A genus which attain an enormous height. of leguminous trees with several spec· Quite a large number of species are ies, all with trifoliate leaves and h~nd- grown in Dade County where most some red flowers. The stems and of them do well. E. robusta is a trunks are prickly. They are decidu- broad leaved, fine species, qttite orna­ ous in wil1ter and in late winter or mental in bloom. E. ficifolia for some early spring bear large spikes of daz- reason has not done well with me. It zling flowers. Here they are troubled has handsome scarlet flowers. E. ros­ with a brownish borer which enters trata, E. viminalis and many others into the ends of the gro~ing branches have no true leaves, bearing only phyl­ and the large flower buds so that the lodia, or leaflike expansions of the peti­ trees bloom but little. If the ends of ole, alike on both sides, and set edge· the linlbs ,vhich are bored are cut back wise on the tree instead of 110rizont.. to healthy wood as soon as the leaves ally. E. globulus has true leaves when fall there will be a much better show young and phyllodia when mature of bloom. They grow well in our the latter being wholly unlike the for­ sandy soil. I have E. carnea, E. velu· mer. tina, E. umbrosa and one or two Ficus. An immense genus ranging others. from warm temperate regions through Eriodendron, Silk Cotton Tree. E. the tropics and from lowly creepers to anfractuosum, probably, is cultivated lofty trees. Nearly all the· many here. It is a strikingly handsome tree species introduced here do well. F. FLORIDA STATE HORTlCULT'URAL SOCIETY 187 altissima is one of the best. F. ny... young tre~ on pine land which gives mphrefolia has enormous cordate good promise of s<:>on furnishing cork­ leaves. F~. religiosa is the sacred Ti screws for all of Dade County. tree of India. F. benghalensis is the Hura crepitans, Sand Box of the Banyan and F. pumila and barbata are West Indies, is a large tree with ele­ creepers which will cover walls or gant cordate leaves, inconspicuous trees. flowers and flattenedJ ribbed seed pods, F. elastica is the well known India which burst with a loud noise when Rubber. .A specimen of this tree ripe. It is grown here but does not grows in Lemon City having a head generally succeed very well. a hundred feet across. The variegated Jacaranda mirriosrefolia is a Brazil­ variety is very fine. F. parcelli has ian tree with charnling compound also attractive variegated leaves. leaves with innumerable small leaflets. Garcinia 1110rella. A handso111e tree When young it grows quite well, but with long, leathery, glossy, opposite as soon as it reaches a considerable leaves and yellowish flowers. The size it does not generally flourish. It gamboge of conlmerce is made from has handsonle blue trumpet-like flow­ it. The mangosteen (G. mangostana) ers. will not grow here but the gambage Kigelia pinnata is a pinnate leaved promises well. tree from tropical Africa,related to Gliricidia. Two species of this legu­ Bignonia. It has large, dull red, minous tree promise well here, G. pla­ trumpet-shaped flowers and sausage­ tycarpa from Cuba and G. maculata shaped fruits, suspended by long stems. of Central America. The latter has There is a large tree at Cocoanut bloomed beautifully here. Both have Grove, on high, rocky land. ' handsome pink flowers, but are tender Lagerstrcemia flos-reginre. A superb when young-. tree bearing enormous fascicles of Grevillea robusta. Australian Silk rose purple fl

well but is probably not an Aralia. It n1arkably well here .in pine land and i~ may be an Oreopanax. a very free bloomer. Ardisia crenulata is a pretty shrub Cassia. None of the shrubby'species with crenate, leathery leaves and I have tried have done well. waxy, crimson berries that remain in Caesalpinia pulcherril;na is a favorite perfection a long time. I have not shrub in South Florida and well it may been very successful with it but have be. It is easily grown from see'd and had best results by planting it in shade 'it flaunts its gorgeous scarlet and yel- in the edge of the hammock. low flowers to ;the \St1n neaTly the Aucuba japonica, Japan Gold Dust whole year through. There is a va­ Tree. I have totally failed to make riety with yellow flowers. The plants this lovely plant grow here. I have should be headed back and fertilized kept it in fair condition in a pot but after their periods of blooming. C.

when turned outJ even in a shaded lo­ nuga is a thorny, half clinlbing shrub cation the leaves turn black and it which promises .well. soon dies. It may be either the soil Catesbrea spinosa is an elegant shrub or a too warm climate that is the from the Bahamas. It has small, thick, trouble. shining leaves, is quite spiny, and bears Azalea. None of the Azaleas, Cam­ numbers of pendant, trumpet shaped, ellias, Rhododendrons or the tea plants lemon yellow flowers. These are cut will grow for me. No doubt this is into four segments on the border and on account of the lime in the soil. The are from four to six inches in length. It Gardenia also fails, probably for the does well in ordinary pine land. same reason. Cestrum. C. nocturnum is the Bauhin.ia. Several species of this Night Blooming Jessamine. . "The charming genus are shrubs and a few flowers are small and greenish white are cliJ;nbers. B. acuminata is a fine but give out, at night only, the most shrub with lovely, large, white flowers powerful perfume. A large bush will which blooms throughout the spring scent an acre of garden on a calm and summer. I have a small species night. There are those who conl­ plain of t11ese strong odors as being ~eceived as B. picta, but which is not overpowering but they are never so tc that. It has handsome, pale yellow me·. I love when out walking at night flowers, shaped much like those of to plunge my head in the very middle Abutilon. With a good assortment of these bushes and revel in the wealth of Bauhinias one can have flowers of their fragrance. C. diurnum is a throughout. the entire year here. very fragrant day bloomer. C. ele­ Brunfelsia americana has obovate, gans and aurantiacum have failed with shining leaves 'and yellowish, salver-shap­ me, probably on account of root knot. ed, fragrant flowers. The tube of the Clerodendron squamatum has larg~ flower is exceedingly long. It does re- soft, cordate leaves and brilliant scar- FLORIDA STATE HORTlCULT'URAL SOCIETY 193 let flowers. C. fragrans with double During the winter when it is in bloom white flowers has been naturalized swarms of butterflies of many colors here. C. siphonanthus, with long hover around it and contribute not a tubed, dirty white flowers and showy little to iJs beauty. berries has also escaped cultivation. Euphorbia splendens is a fine old C. th.ompsonre is either a shrub or half thorny, succulent plant with pretty vine and has elegant flowers with red bracts. E. sanguinea. I have re­ white calyx and a deep red corolla. ceived a plant bearing this name from All flourish here. Reasoner Bros. which has ovate leaves Codiaeum. The Crotons. Perhaps of an indescribably rich, bronzy purple the finest ornamental leaved plants we • crimson with lighter veins. It is an ex­ grow. The climate here is a little too quisite plant, half shrubby and grows cold at times in winter for them to do well but is very tender. E. pulcherrima, their best and the soil is ge.nerally commonly known as Poinsettia pul­ .rather poor for them. However, if cherrima is one of the finest ornaments planted where they are protected and of our gardens. It begins to develop heavily fertilized they nlake a gloriolls its dazzling crimson bracts in NQvem­ show. A large variety is grown il1 ber or sometimes in October and often Dade County but the names are in holds them until in March. As soon as great confusion. They are hybrids, the new growth starts in the spring from two or three species belonging in the stems should be severely cut bacl{ the South Seas and have a great di­ and these may be cut up and planted versity in the forms of the leaves and to within one bud in the ground to c.oloring. Everyone should plant make new plants. As the old plants Cratons. grow through the summer it is well Dombeya wallachi, is a "\vonderfully to pinch out the tops to make thetn vigorous, rapid grower with immense, branch. They should be well fertil­ soft leaves measuring a foot or more ized, for with the best care they arc in length and width. The flowers be­ usually rather short lived here. gin to open in late winter and the plant Eugenia microphylla. An exquisite­ continues to bloom for a long time. ly beautiful shrub with dark green, They are in very large heads, a hand­ linear leaves. It makes repeated some pink, and remind one of those growths through the year and the of the Hydrangeas. A poor stub of a young leaves are yellowish or brown­ plant put out in the pine land without ish pale green, a charming contrast fertilizer ~as.t ·fall bloomed superbly with the old ones. It promises to suc­ and is now six feet high and as· much ceed here but I think it will do best across. when it is partly shaded. Duranta plumieri is a rampant grow­ Hibiscus. The two first ornam.ent­ er and bears spikes of blue flowers al plants that the settler here puts out looking like magnified forget-me-nots. are Coconut palms and Chinese Hibis- I3-H. 194 FLORIDA ~TATE HORTICULT'URAL SOCIETY IE~ CllS. l"'hese, from their beauty and J. pubescens, and J. simplicifoliutn their adaptability are planted wherever have white flowers. J. primulinum is civilized or semi-civilized man is found a vigorous grower and has large yellow within the tropics. There are a dozen flowers. These do better with nle than or more varieties here in cultivation any others. Most of them may be and aU do exceptionally well. Put a grown as shrubs or sprawlers. cutting into the ground and within a Lagerstrcelnia, L. indica, the well year it is flaunting its gloriotlS blos­ known crape myrtle is quite commOl1 soms to the Florida sun. When the here, but it does not do so· well as it plants become old and scraggy all that does further north. There are white, is necessary to do is to ellt them se­ IJ purple, pink and light red varieties. verely back just before growth starts l\1alvaviscus arboreus, an old fash­ and in a little while they are a nlass ioned shrub with upright, Abutilon-like of fine new growth and foliage. I scarlet flowers. It will do fairly have plants eight years old so cut back well \vith good soil and plenty of fer­ w'hich have never had any fertilizer, tilizer. that are the picture of health and vigor. N erium, or Oleander. The olean­ H. mutabilis, with soft, v~lvety, angled ders are among the best ornaments 0'£ leaves and large pink flowers that our gardens, being hardy, generally open in the morning and turn dark healthy and floriferous. They bear through tfie day, is very fine.. The crops of their hal1dsolne flowers sever­ sanle cutting back process is almost al times a year and some flowers may necessary with this, in fact I practice be picked at any time. There is a con­ it with OleaBders and a great variet)~ siderable variety of colors from white of things that beC01TIe old and lose to pink, cllerry red, rich crimson and their vigor. purplish, and there are yellowish Ixora. One of the finest genera of flowered varieties though as yet no shrubs that can be cultivated in this clear yellow. They succeed equally region, though they are tender and well in pine, hamlTIOck and muck land. need protection when young. I. coc­ Nipa fruticans. The Thatc·h Palm cinea, scarlet; I. colei, white; I. am­ of the East Indies. ·Sprouted seeds bona, orange, and there are yellow of this plant have been sent to me and pink varieties. They should lJe in from the Bureau of Agriculture at Ma­ every garden. nila which I have planted in rn)T Hydrangeas. These have utterly brackish swamp and they are doing failed with nle and I presume that our finely. It is not a true palm but is ~oil is not suita~le. related to Pandanus according to Lind­ Jasminum. The genus contains a ley and others and its systematic considerable number of species, most position is in doubt. It is a beautiful of which do well her~. J. sambac, the o.bject and it is probable that it will do Arabian Jessamine and ~ts varieties, well in our salt marshes. FLORIDA STATE HORT..ICULT·URAL SOCIETY 195

Panax. Ornamental leaved plants, tenacious soil and ours is too light and anlong which we have P. excelsum; poor to suit them. They do better -Po plttmatum; P. aureum and P. victo­ in the hammock land, and if abundant­ rice, the two last with variegated ly fertilized with bone meal and well leayes. They are very tender and watered sonle of tllem will succeed should be sheltered. for a while. They will probably do Phyllanthus nivosus roseo-pictus. better in tIle Homestead region of A lovely, small, delicate shrub which Dade County than elsewhere in it. has beautifully variegated leaves, Solandra grandiflora is a sprawliqg, green, brown, white and pink. It is rapid growing shrub or half clitnber used sometimes for hedges here. P. that bears immense, tubular, yellow' atropttrpureus, of which I have a fine flowers. It grows finely and blooms specimen has dark purplish leaves and profusely in our pine land. is much more vigorous than the Tabernremontana coronaria is a S1t­ former. perb large shrub or small tree with Pittosporum. Hardy shrubs with leathery, very glossy leaves and large, glossy, handsome leaves wllicll bear waxy white, senli-double flowers small, frag-rant flowers. P. tobira and which are fragrant at certain hours of a variegated variety, P. viridiflorunl the day. It blooms abundantly and P. undulatum do fillely here and throughout a large part of the year soon make large shrubs, but so fat and is completely at home in Dade "have not bloomed for me. County. Plumbago. Leadworts. P. capen­ Tecoma stans. This lovely shrub, sis, blue, and a white variety and P. or in some cases a small tree, is a na­ rosea, do well. P. larpentre has not tive 'of Mexico and the West Indies, s,ucceeded with me. but is becoming naturalized in Dade Raphiolepis indica and R. japonica, County, Florida. It is an upright two hardy, neat shrubs witll obovate, grower witll airy, pinnate foliage and glossy leaves and pretty white ·flowers, enormous clusters of large, fragrant, produced almost contil1uously, are de­ golden flowers. It is a poor nlal1's sirable and do well here. plant and will grow anywhere, spring­ Ricinus. The Castor Bean. R. ing up spontaneously in and around communis has become naturalized gardens and dwellings and requiring here around dwellings, as well as the no care. smaller variety or species, R. sanguin­ Thunbergia erecta. A moderate eus, with all the parts deep purple red. sized shrub witll large curved, violet­ They are striking, short lived plants. blue, trumpet-like flowers having a Rosa. The Rose. Although in yellow throat. It must be grown in many places this is the acknowledged a nlore or less shaded location and if Queen of Flowers, it is hardly so here. so planted will flourish and. bear quan­ All the species do best in a strong, tities of its lovely flowers with little 196 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY attention, though it responds to good which is doing -well" but has not treatment. There is a white flower­ bloomed yet. ed variety which is not so fine. Antigeonon leptopus. Mountain rose. Viburuum tinus. A fine, old-fash­ A lovely vine from Mexico with airy ioned. evergreen shrub bearing pretty racenles of the most lJrilliant rose col­ white flowers and known as Laurus­ ~red flowers, blooming almost the en­ tinus. It is perfectly hardy and pronl­ tire year. It stands l1eglect well. ises well here. Argyreia tilirefolia is a rampant clilnber with very large, handsome, EXOTIC O'RNAMENTAL VINES AND cordate leaves and white and violet C;REE,PERS flowers that is related to the morning glory. A fine specimen is growing in· Abrus precatorius, Crab's Eye Vine, A lofty climbing vine with qelicate­ the grounds of Dr. John Gifford at Co­ pinnate leaves and small pods of round coaunt Grove. red seeds, each with a black eye and Aristolochia, Birthwort. A. elegans called "Crab's Eyes." The whole is sometimes cultivated here for its plant has a decided taste of licorice. large purple and white blotched, very It is distributed allover the tropics curious flowers. and according to Tenson-Woods it Asparagus plumosus is well known grows near the mangroves in Mal­ at the north and does well here planted aysia. It soon spreads rapidly when in a -sheltered place. introduced on a place here. Bignonia venusta lis,co.perhaps, the Agdestis clematidea is a rapid handsomest vine planted in South growing vine with soft, cordate Florida.. It has trifoliate, glabrous leaves and immense clusters of the leaves and large panicles of lovely, most vivid orange scarlet, long, tubue: small, waxy white flolvers. It grows lar blossoms, produced in astonishing from great ill scented tubers, in some abunda.nce in late winte,r and early cases larger than a bushel' basket. spring. The drooping corollas contin­ 'When once the roots are well grown it ually loosen at the base a.nd slide down soon covers a large area. the long bright pistils and for a time Allamanda hendersoni is a magnifi­ hang there suspended, thus adding cent sprawler, with glossy leaves and another element of beauty to these su­ very large, trumpet-shaped, golden perb flowers. There is a wonderfully flowers. It is often used to cover pi­ fine vine covering some 60 feet of pi-' azzas here, though it is sometimes azza at the house of Mrs. Fuller, in .grQwn as a shrub. The tubes of the Cocoanut Grove, and when this is in large flowers are favorite resorts of the bloom there are spaces of many square tree frogs from whence they cheer the yards where nothing but masses of its heart of the nature lover with their de­ lovely flowers are seen. B. crucigera, lightful music. I have A. schottii Cross Vine, is a native of northern FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 197

Florida, with dull red flowers. B. Entada scandens. The great brown, chalTlberlaynii has yellow flowers. The flattened seeds of this West Indian vines attach themselves by n1eans of vine are often washed up on our shores hooked tendrils. and I have planted many of them. Bougainvillea spectabilis is a thorny They sometimes germinate and even vine with the most dazzling purple grow to a height of 20 feet but for bracts and when it does well is one of some reason die, yet I hope sometime the showiest of our winter bloomers. to succeed with it. The vine has deli­ A leaf rolling caterpillar sometimes cate, bipinnate leaves and climbs by eats the young growth so badly that mea1?-S of tendrils. Its enormous, twis­ the vine is a failure. B. lateritia has ted pods are from six to eight feet large leaves and very showy brick red long. flowers but is very difficult to propa­ Euonymus radicans has completely gate. I have a very fine vine of it. failed with me though I have often Cereus. A few species do well here. tried it in various situations. C. nycticalus and C. grandiflorus . Gelsemiunl sempervirens, Carolina sprawl around the bases of trees, some... Jessamine, is a native of North Flori­ tin1es clinlbing by air roots and bloOll1 da but probably does not grow wild in beautifully here in spring or early St11TI­ Dade County. It is sparingly cultivat­ mer. C. triangularis has become natu­ ed here but does not always do well. ralized at the Punch Bowl, south of Gloriosa superba and virescens, two Miami. I have seen a specimen clanlb-. lovely vines bearing flowers variegat­ ering over a live oak at the residence ed red and yellow, resembling lilies, of Mr. John Soar.. at Little River, with are cultivated here occasionally,· but over 50 flowers open, each averaging they do not succeed very well with mc. a foot or more across. Several other Roya carnosa, the well known wax climbing species promise well here. plant, is doing ,veIl in my slat house, Cryptostegia grandiflora is a rampant but has not, so far, succeeded well out vine ,vith glossy leaves and handsome, of doors. purplish, bell-shaped, starry flowers Ipomoea, or Mrorning Glory., An im­ a couple of inches across. C. mada­ mense genus, several species of whicll gascariensis has red veined leaves but do well here. I. tuberosa has fine, has not yet bloomed for m.e. Both glossy, palmat~ leaves and bright produce rubber. golden flowers in winter that look as Dioscorea alata and one or two other though they were varnished. I. sidi­ species, the yams of the tropics, are folia forms imm·ense, knotted, ribbed rapid growers during the warm season, stems, running to a great distance and but die down in late winter. They bearing in large clusters, unnumbered have strikingly handsome, large leaves rather small, white flowers with a and interesting, triangular, winged greellish center. They are much seed. sought for by bees. It blooms about 198 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULT'URAL SOCIETY

Christmas and is called Christmas gernlinate and grow, though the Vine. I have one which covers· an plants have .never become established extensive chicken yard fence alJ.d in a wild state in Florida, so far as house and a quarter of an acre of I know. I have repeatedly. plal1ted the ground and I have estimated that a seeds and had vil1es get up to 20 or 30 million flowers opened on this vine feet and for some reason they have every day for six weeks. died. At last I have several vines that, I. horsfallire has lobed leaves and tugether, run ·over a half acre of the elegant deep crimson, glossy flowers, hammock. It has trifoliate leaves and perhaps the 'finest of all. A beautiful large clusters of strange and handsonle, vine of this covers. a pergola at Dr. pendant, yellow flowers in winter and John Gifford's place in Cocoanut spring. These are followed by pods Grove. A number ·ofother species do more or less covett-ed with stinging well here. hairs. When ripe the seed is an inch L·onicera or honeysuckle. L. japoni­ in diameter, brownish with a distinct ca is cultivated here and does fairly border. The stems of these vines, well. knotted and twisted together, are Monstera deliciosa. A remarkable now as large as my thigh. vine making a very strong growth Passiflora. Several species of pas­ and having colossal leaves, lacinated at sion flowers have been tried here but the edges and full of natural holes they do not seem to do well and die in It attaches itself to trees or cliffs by a sl10rt time. aerial roots and sends down feed roots Pereskia. A climbing, leafy cactus froin great elevations. The plant is of which we have two species. P. an Aroid and its great white spathe is aculeata and P. bleo. Both have pink cream colored, boat shaped, and .al­ flowers but those of the latter are most as thick as one's hand. Charles finer, looking something like those of Kingley states that when it is opening a single rose. a heat is generated sufficient to sen­ Philodendron. I have several un­ sibly affect the thermometer. This is true named species of this fine Aroid genus,. of the flowers of Victoria. The fruit all of which are climbers and are doing is elongated and cone-like and ripens 18 well in the hamlnock. One which I nlonths after the- flower blooms. I have presume to be P. lacerum h.as large a grand specimen planted in my hammock pfnnatifid leaves and is a noble plant. which climbs a mastic tree and is now over Petrrea. A lovely, half climbing 20 feet high and sometimes has one crop shrub with bluish flowers, very flor­ of fruit on it and sometimes 'two. It iferous but quite difficult to propagate. is the Ceriman of the West Indies. There is a fine specimen in the grounds Mucuna urens. The large seeds of of the Royal Palm· Hotel at Miami. this West Indian vine are often washed Pathos. When established in suit~ up on our shores and many of them will able ground P. aureus is a strong FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 199

growing vine with very large, cordate where it opens each sumnler its lovely thick, shining leaves, splashed and white, waxy, fragrant flowers. striped with yellow. It is a handsome Thunbergia alata. A pretty, small, plant and does best in rather damp herbaceous vine with bright cheerful . rich soil. P. argyreus is a more deli­ looking flowers, wllite, buff and deep cate species marked with white. yellow, and each of these has a fornl Pueraria thunbergiana, a popular with a dark eye. Along the edge of vine at the north has never succeeded nlY hammock in a spot sheltered with with me. It is no reason, though, be­ other growth I planted seeds of these cause I cannot succeed with a plant and now they run allover every shrub that SOlne one else may not make it and tree and on the ground and make do well and it has several times hap­ the place gay with their thousands of pened that after repeated failures I blossoms. TJiis is "Thunbergia have at last been completely successful. Nook." T. fragrans is something like Tecoma. rr. capensis is a sprawler T. alata but the leaves are heavier and with pretty, deep green, pinnate leaves the flowers larger and of finer sub­ and heads of brilliant scarlet, trumpet stance, pure white. I have not been like flowers. When it is once estab­ able to succeed \vith T. laurifolia or T. lished it spreads rapidly over the grandiflora. ground and throws out roots at every Trachelospermum jasminoides. This joint. It is perfectly at home here beautiful vine with its airy clusters of and may either be trained up a piazza starry white, fragrant flowers is a or allowed to form a mass. general favorite, even with rabbits, for Solanum. Two species are very they have repeatedly eaten it to the fine vines with pinnatifid leaves and ground for me. It is commonly called light blue flowers. In S. seaforthianum the Confederate Jessamine and is one the individual flowers are rather small; of the best plants we grow. in S. wendlandii they are sometimes Vallaris dichoton'la. A beautiful two inches across and lighter colored. clinlber with dark rich foliage and The berries of S. seaforthianum are white flowers. I have a fine specimen brilliant red and handsome and are in the edge of my hammock. much relished by the mocking birds. Zebrina pendula. 1'his is the old, well-known Tradescantia zebrina, One of these vines grows on my north with its pretty purp~e and silvery strip­ piazza- and daily a mocking bird comes ed leaves, everywhere grown in the for his feed of berries, having little fear north as a basket plant. It would do of the inmates of the house. . very finely here in moist land and par­ Stephanotis floribunda. An old -hot­ tial shade if the land crabs would let it house favorite at the north. I l1ave -alone but they tear it to pieces in one planted in tIle edge of the ham­ summer more than it grows the rest I mock which has run up a tall live oak of the year. 200 FLORIDA STATE HORTlCUL'TURAL SOCIETY

EXOTIC HERBACEOUS ORNAMENTALS Achyranthes and Alternantheras succeed~ I t is hard to draw the line between richly colored plants have not ed with me. herbaceous plants and shrubs, or 'even between them and trees. I have plac­ Aechmea. Choice epiphytic plants ed the banana and traveler's tree here which do well when fastened on to ha~ though they may have tree like pr~~ trees in the hammock. A. discolor portions, because they are succulent broad leaves, deep green above and and d.o not branch. rich purple below, with coral red calyxe& and deep blue corollas. Acalypha. The Acalyphas are Alocasia. . Several species of this arn'ong our most gorgeous garden or­ Aroid ~enus are fine, but there is great namentals. When full grown the red confUSIon as to systematic posi~ion. A. leaved species look like sheets of flame Inacrorhiz.a and its variegated variety are ?n the landscape, but the descriptions often cultivated. A. rrezeli has handsome In the cyclopedi~s are so vagu'e as to green leaves spotted whitish. be absolutely worthless for purposes Agave. I have about species of of identification. We have a form 25 with large, dark, bronzy red leaves this fine genus and all are doing well . ' or promise to. americana, varie­ varIegated, often to half the leaf witb A. . ' gated variety is especially fine, so is CarlTIlne. A second form has smaller, A. salmo11ea and A. recurvata. A. narrower leaves, the ground color victoria reginre is a little gem. These lighter than in the first, and is more plants once established soon propagate greenish, the light ~olor being carmine. thenlse}ves by undergroul1d su.ckers, A t~ird form has much the same. colors and when they bloom, by bulblets. I 'as the second but the leaf is 1110re have a plant of an unnamed species coarsely serrate and is often contorted. with a spread of 13 feet and a height A. marginata has green leaves margin­ of nearly I I, which shows no signs of .ed with white, the green turning to blossoming. Plants bloom here some­ deep red bronze in winter, the white times within three or four years after to pink or red. A. miltoniana is an ele· planting. gant form with narrow, often curled, Alpinia nutans" Shell Flower. A cut leaves and there is a fine sport handsome, rank growing, canna-like trom it witl1 broader leaves} the bord­ plant, with curious and elegant flowers ers margined and blotched with yet... w~ich does best in rich. rather moist . low. All these do well here, the A. soil. marginata being the strongest grower Annuals of several kinds do' well and the hardiest. A. godseffiana, here in the cooler part of the year and beautifully Inargined white and pink, especially if watered. Phlox drummon­ has not done well with me. A. dii, Petunias, Portulaca, Iberis or sanderi has long cat-tail-like, brilliant Candytuft and Marigolds make the red flower spikes, but is quite tender. garden gay in winter and spring. FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 201

Anthurium. I have not succeeded of attractive green and brown flowers. well with most of the species offered It is useful for .rock work. in the catalogues. A. huegelii, a state­ Cactus. Several species have already ly plant with immense, oblong leaves, been mentioned. I have' tried many which I have introduced from the lime­ species of Cereus and Opuntia that do stone mountains of Cuba, grows finely indifferently ,veIl or fail. Melocactus here and will be an excellent plant for has be·en brought from the Bahamas rockeries. but does not live long. I have been Asparagus sprengeri is used a good rather successful with Phyllocacti deal for vases and does well. planted on the trees, and species of Bambusa, Bamboos. A number of Rhipsalis do well as epiphytes. species do finely here. Among them B. Caladium. The fancy leaved Cala­ argentea and a striped variety form diums do quite well under a slat house immense plants 35 to 40 feet high and but have not succeeded with me out of do well on high or low ground. B. dis­ doors. - ticha is a rather dwarf species reach­ Cannas do well in moist, rich, earth, ing 10 feet high with handsome foliage. but have failed with me on pine land. B. spinosa is very thorny and is a large Coleus. These gorgeous .plants species from the East Indies. B. vul­ would do well here but for the. root garis grows to 60 feet here and ·does knot, caused by a villianous little well anywhere but especially on low nematode worm in their roots, land. B. verticillata is a handsome changing tl1em into great knots, after species with striped stenls, .forming im­ whic11 the plant dies. This root knot mense clumps. All these are doing is a terrible pest here and it attacks well. B. arundinacea. and Arundinaria and destroys a great variety of small metake have not yet done well with plants. Whenever a little plant looks me, neither have Phyllostachys aurea sickly it is well to dig it up, and, if not or violescens. Dendrocalanlus strictus too far gone cut the roots back to will probably succeed. The common where they are healthy and reset in a new place. Son1etimes valuable Cyperus alternifolius, Umbrella Grass, plants ll1ay be saved in this way. is rarely found growing wild here and Crinum. Beautiful amaryllidaceous it does well in moist places. plants with pink, white and reddish, Begonia heracleifolia is a rank grow­ large flowers. I think they should ing species 'iVith large, sharply lobed, have rather rich, damp soil as I 11avr hirsute leaves and panicles of pink only had indifferent success with them flowers, and is" fine for rockeries where on high pine land. not too dry. My experience with the Cttrcuma. These do well on moist, other species is that they are uncertain. rich soil and have very attractive heads Bryophyllum calycinum is a succu­ of curious flowers but I have failed lent with opposite leaves and clusters with them on high land. 202 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Dasylirion serratifolium, a Yucca­ Furcrrea. I have a dozen species of like plant with the ends of the leaves these fine, stately plants and all grow always looking as if dead, h'as a tall in the .poorest land without fertilizer. panicle of white flowers. It does well They closely resemble the Agaves btlt in dry land but with me is a slow generally do not have such sharp grower. Would lool{ well on rocker­ thorns, and th~ flowers are more orna;;. ies. mental. F. lindeni is a magnificent Dieffenbachia. Beautiful, broad plant with striped leaves. The des­ leaved plants which in most species are criptions in the encyclopedias are so finely variegated, but so tender here imperfect that I aln unable to identify that I have no success with 'thenl in most of my plants. With the Agp.ves witlter even in the slat house. they are most strikingly tropical look­ Dracaena lindeni. I have a fine ing ornaments of the garden and they plant of this in my hammock. All the all do well here. other species I have tried soon fail. D. Gynura aurantiaca, Velvet Plant. godseffiana may succeed planted in a .Quite an attractive plant with velvety, half shaded place. ptlrplish leaves and orange, tassel-like Eranthemunl pulchellum grows flowers. Planted anywhere it will rankly in pine land and bears quanti.. flourish, but does best in shade. ties of lovely blue flowers all winter. Hedychium coronarium, Garland It should have a place ill every garden Flo,ver, belonging to the ginger family, here. E. atrosanguineum, with is a handsome plant witll attractive handsome, very dark, purplish leaves, white, fragrant blossoms and does best would do well but is excessively tender. on damp rich soil. E. albo-marginatull1 is a beautiftl1 Heliconia. Several species of noble, plant but seetns quite tender. tropical plants with exceedingly odd Fittonia argyroneura and F. ver­ handsome flowers, but none have done schaffeltii are lovely little trailers, the well for me. leaves of the former netted with silver, Hippeastrum. Conlmonly known as ot the latter with coppery red. They Amaryllis. Beautiful bulbous plants need shade and moisture but are very of numerous species which do fairly tender. well here. H. reginre has large, red, Ferns. Many of the species can be showy flowers with a greenish center. grown in slat houses but I have had H. johnsoni has deep red flowers with poor success with most of them whel1 a white stripe in the center of each planted out. I have a deep artificial petal. H. eque~tre is an old, well pool in the hammock and on its rocky known plant with flowers somewhat sides I have planted many ferns and like those of H. reg-inre. I have never Selaginellas. The native species most­ succeeded with H. aulica. The lubber ly live; nearly all of the exotic' ones grasshopper is the sworn enemy of die sooner or later. the Hippeastrums and Crinums and FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 203 many a beautiful plant falls a victim to Congo, is a glorious species, very vig­ its voracity. In early spring I watch orous and healthy, with rather upright for the young which relnain together leaves and handsome bloom. M. mar­ when hatched, often 50 or mote in a tini and M. gillettii are fine. M. ros­ lot, and I kill everyone at that time. acea is a pretty plant and these have By doing this I prevent infinite dam­ sonletinles succeeded. I have had poor age later. Prof.' Henry N ehrling, of success with M. ensete, the great Abys­ Gotha, Fla., a veteran horticulturist, sinian species, and several others. has originated a marvelously fine strain Pandanus. Quite a nUlnber of spe­ of hybrid Hippeastrums. cies belong here which might be called Iris. Some of the melYlbers of this shrubs or small trees as well as herb­ lovely genus do vlel1 here in low, rich aceous plants. P. veitchii is a favorite ground. At Cocoanut Grove along at the north, and is a noble plant here, "The Trail" one of the species has be­ forming great clunlps 10 to: 12 feet come naturalized in the edge of the across and considerably higher, but it brackish swamp. I have plants of I. loses much of its color when planted germanica, the Gernlan, and I. kaemp­ out. P. sanderi grows fully as large fert, the Japanese Iris, growing and as veitchii but retains at all seasons its promising well. marvelous coloring. P. candelabrum, Jacobinia coccinea is one of our the striped variety, is a fine plant but standard herbaceous plants and is quite loses some of its color in the open. I common in this vicinity. It grows and have a fine group of these tl1ree in a does well in sal1dy pine land and sheltered, partly shaded place and as flaunts its gay spikes of scarlet, tubular, a mass 0'£ splendid tropical color and varnished flowers nearly all the year. growth I have never seen it equalled. Lantana. Coarse, rough plal1ts, but P. baptistii is beautifully striped and always covered with their bright heads holds its color well; it is entirely free of flowers, white, lilac, yellow and or­ fronl spines. I have a mass of this ange being the prevailing· tints. They that is 20 feet across al1d 12 feet high, do well here when not troubled with root knot and are improved by being that has been plnated about five years. fertilized. P. luzonicus alld P. odoratissimus Leonotis leonurus. One of the very promise well. P. graminifolius is a best herbaceous plants ·for this region. delicate species which stands on stilted It will take care of itself when once roots and P. pacificus is a beautiful, it is' established, sending up rank broad leaved species, but unfortunately growths which carry whorls of orange, both are excessively tender, even a tubular flowers: chill injuring thenl. None of these Musa. Some of the ornamental mu­ pine land. sas have succeeded with me arid others P'edilanthus tithymaloides is a suc­ have failed. M. rhodochlamys, from culent plant with curious. red flowers 204 FLORIDA ST·ATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

shaped a little like a human foot. It is Sansevieria zeylanica, a striking, va­ beginning to be naturalized. riegated plant, takes absolute posses­ Pelargonium. The Horseshoe Gera.. sion of the soil to the exclusion of al­ niums do not succeed here when plant­ most everything else wherever plant­ ed out, as a general thing, though they ed. I have two other species. are sonletimes grown in pots. The Strobilanthus dyerianus is a hand­ scented Pelargoniunls do very well for so~ plant variegated with iridescent awhile if fertilized. ) tints of purple and bronze. It has Ravenala. Two species of noble never done well for me, but perhaps it plants though R. madagascarimsis is might succeed in rich, damp soil, part­ commonly called "Travelers' Tree." It ly shaded, where it would not be forms a trunk though it does not troubled by land crabs. branch, and has distichous leav.es. It Strelitzia. Magnificent plallts with does fairly well on pine land but flour­ the leaves distichously placed, bearing ishes best in rich, damp. soil. I have peculiar, very handsome blossoms called a specimen about six years planted sometinles Bird. of Paradise Flo,vers. ,vhich is placed in such a situation and I ha,re S. re'ginae, a small species, arld it is the finest I have seen. I t -is 25 S. augusta, which reaches a height of feet high and is just beginning to form. 18 feet. a trunk which is four feet and II in.. Tillandsias and Vriesias all do well ches in circumferen~e at the ground. here fastened firmly to trees in the It has 17 leaves with Cl: spread of 29 hammock. V. splendens ~s a lovely feet, their stems being about 10 feet plant, its leaves barred across witIl long and the blades 3 feet wide and 9 brown. Cryptanthus zonatus is a feet or more in length. The flattened beautiful epiphyte, also barred. leaf stems where they join tIle trunk Tradescantia discolor is a fine plant are as large as a man's arm; at the with deep purple under surfaces of the blades about the size of his wrist. It leaves . that will do well here almost has not bloomed yet. It is easily the anywhere. It is a good plant for rock most striking plant on the place. R. work, as is its near relative, Zebrina guyailensis has not done well with nle. pendula. Richardia, the well known Calla Vi'nca rosea. Commonly called Mad­ I-Jily, is only a partial success here. agascar periwinkle. Wherever mall Russelia juncea, a slender, twiggy goes in South Florida this plant goe~ stemnled plant, bearing quantities of fJSO. There is a purple, a pure ,vllite coral red, tubular flowers, is beginning and a variety" ith a red eye. The to be naturalized here. It is a Mexi­ white variety is the 1110st vigorotls and can plant and is perfectly adapted to floriferous and works up beautifully in our poor soil and is always in bloSSOlTI. boquets. If given a little extra care A variety lemoinei is more floriferous in the way of fertilizing the growtb than the type. will be finer and th~ flowers larger. FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 205

Xanthosoma violaceun1. A grand The above list of ornamental plants plant with immense arrow head leaves of Dade COUl1ty is nowhere near com­ tinted bluish or violet, which is oftel1 plete. There are no doubt, many grown around houses. It should have things cultivated by others that I have plenty of fertilizer to make it do it~ not seen which should be included and best, and it likes moisture. there are hundreds of species that I have, or have had, that I have not listed, partly ORCHIDS because to do so would extend this paper I must devote a few words to thes€ beyond reasonable limits, and in part on strange, lovely and interesting plants account of not having had many of them before I close this list. I have a.bout long enough to form any idea of what 70 species of epiphytal and sUb-epi­ they will do. I have growi1J.g now, or phytal orchids in my hammock. A have had, everything in the above list, few of them are native, the rest of vvith perhaps a dozen exceptions. Many them I have planted on the trees anc' WIll succeed when other trials with this may be successfully done by an)'" them have been made. It was a long one who has hammock. The plant is time befqlre suc~ess was re:ached by placed in proper position on a tree and floriculturists in the north with the pieces of shingle or thin board are Victoria regia, and for a time it was nailed \vith one end on the tree and the believed it could not be made to grovv other pressing the roots to the tree. under glass, but now it and other spe­ It is absolutely essential that the plant~ cies are common. A few things, prob­ be firmly placed, for if they can be ably, which now promise well, will fail moved about they will not become es­ for various reasons. .But we can have tablished. I often put a little sphag­ no conception of the immense variety num around the roots and water occa·... of species from the warn1er parts of sionally until they are established. I the world that will flourish in this fa­ have bloom from time to time througll­ vored land. If treated right this poor out the year, and when they are all es­ soil becomes better and better as the tablished I shall have a constant suc­ years go by, fitted for a greater variety cession o·f flowers. The Cattleyas stands at the head of these, both because they of plant life. When one begins, it is in some cases sour, and cultivation are.so much at home and for their S11­ perb blossoms. The Laelias arc al­ sweetens it. Roots decay and add to most equally fine. The Dendrobiums its fertility. I never destroy an atom generally do well and so do the Epi­ of anything that grows with me, weeds, dendrums. Schomburgkia tibicina, the "grass, l~aves, broken limbs, are all used Vandas, Oncidiums, Zygopetalums, as mulch and to make humus, the cry­ Miltonias and some others do well. I ing need of the soil. And as one's d'oubt if the Odontoglossums succeed. trees and shrubs become grown they I have not tried Phalanopsis. shade the ground and afford protec- 206 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

tion in a marked degree from the sun, one can preserve the very tender frosts and hurricalles. . things. Even a small frame covered No attempt has been made in this with glazed sash is a great help in paper to bring the nomenclature propagating. down to date or to adopt any system I nlake clainl to no skill whatever as used by anybody. It was prepared in a propagator or grower of plants. the greatest possible haste on account There are those who succeed where I of iack of time to properly handle the fail, who seem to have a genius for subject. I have simply givell a nanle making things grow. But after all, as that has at some time been applied to Peter Henderson 11as said, eterllal vig­ each plant discussed. ilance counts for mor~ in growing With regard to propagation I could plants thall any skill. I call only clainl not give detailed instruction without for myself the deep, devoted love for extending this paper beyond reasona­ thelTI such as a lTIother has for her lit~ ble limits. A large nUll1ber of our cul­ tIe child. Looking over Iny grounds tivated plants raise fertile seeds which I feel that the dream of my life has can be easily grown. Many may be come true, that the reality is far grand­ propagated from sucker.s or layers, er, more beautiful and satisfying than the Ficus can be air-layered, that is I tll0ught it ever could be. It is a in the rainy season, a cut lTIay be ll1ane source of the greatest pleasure to me in the limb, which is kept opell by a to wander alTIOng these dear things bit of wood. Sphagnulll nlOSS is wrap­ to watch the dormant buds breaking, ped around the wound and the whole is to filld sOlne rare and cherished flower tied up with twiqe and wetted occa­ opening at last. I feel that I am a sionally. Most soft-wooded. species part and parcel of it fl.ll as I walk in can be rooted from _cuttings, though my garden with a sense of reverence .and these will not root so readily from devotion. plants in the ope.n as from those grow­ I love to wander in my ground~ ing in pots. If one has nluch propa­ at night; the trees seem larger than in gating to do he should build a slat the glowing sunlight.. I love to look house with tight, low walls and roof upward \'There their tops make a blot strips so laid that they will cover about of darkness against the lighter sky. two-thirds of the space. Either on I.love to walk in the hammock at night raised benches or the ground he can even when it is darkest. But it is sow seed and root cuttings. Hardy most beautiful when the moon over­ seeds can be sown and cuttings can head pours' down its ligl1t through the be rooted in the cool part of the year, epiphyte-laden trees like a sheet of il­ those of tender plants should be put in luminated spray from some waterfall. in the spring or sumnler. It is well to I cannot close this paper more fit­ have a pit covered wit!l glass which tingly than by quoting the words of can be shut tight on cold nights, where Charles Ki.ngsley, in his Christmas in FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 207 the West Indies: "But" how beautiful summer, in 11is little Garden of the they are all and each after their kinds! Hesperides, where, as in those of the What joy for a nlan to stand at his Phoenicians of old, 'pear grows ripe door and simply look at them grow­ ing, leafing, blossoming, fruiting, with­ on pear and fig on· fig' for ever and out pause, throughout the perpetual for ever."

ORNAMENTALS AT PUNTA GORDA

Mrs. Marian A. McAdow

M1". President~ Ladies and Gentlemen.: extend 400 feet along the waters of Char­ In preparing this paper on ornanlental lotte Harbor, an arm of the Gulf that ex­ horticulture I have endeavored to keep tends 30 miles up into the land. For 200 in view the fact of what our necessities feet of this strip we filled in a plat ex­ and peculiar environtnent are and I shall tending 85 feet into the waters of the Bay. try to make my knowledge, gained by Our tides raise the water from I to 3 feet thirteen years' experience in growing the and on three occasions an unusually high tropical plants that best adapt themselves tide has covered this filled-in plat and it to the conditions that exist in this semi­ tl1ay interest you to know that this salt tropical part of our country assist some bath never killed or injured any of the 4C of my hearers who may have a desire to or So varieties of trees and plants growing beautify their surroundings by planting thereon, with the exception of a bed of such trees and shrubbery as will best con­ ornamental-leaved Strobilanthes; in fact form themselves to the soil and climate it rather acted as an invigorating tonic. of their particular locality. I shall use These three flood-tides occurred in sum­ cominon names for plants so far as I mer, however, when the rains had fresh­ can, as they are more easily remembere"d ened the waters of the Bay considerably, than are the -botanical tel1"ms and any or I might have another story to tell. nurseryman to whom you may apply This filled-in ground is about one foot knows the common names as well as tIle higher than the average high tide and Latin ones for the plants and trees I rarely dries out as does the upper terrace shall name. which is about two feet higher. The orig"' My experience in growing tropical ina! filling and soil of the terrace was com­ plants has all been acquired in Punta nlon white sea-sand. It has been enriched Gorda, which is 85 miles farther north with dead leaves, barnyard and commer­ on the Gulf Coast than Miami is on the cial fertilizer-s to produce results that may Atlantic Coast. The grounds of my home b(; duplicated by anyone who has the am-