AA-anquil oasis awaits you just outside your own door. A water garden, at home, amongst your shrubs and lawn. Nestled beside your patio. It soothes the mind and enlivens the spirit. Few things offer so much reward for so little effort and investment, as does a water garden. And it's so easy to create. Lilypons provides everything from the pond liner to the water lilies, fish, full line of TetraPond products, and more. Choose a 32 mil TetraPond tineif' as your foundation, the best PVC liner available. Our informative 100 page color catalog takes you step by step through planning, installing, stocking arid maintaining your complete water garden. Our staff is eager to help you make this one of the most pleasant experiences you've had in your garden. Just give us a call or write to our nearest location to get your 1995 catalog and seasonal newsletters, S5, deductible with your first order. P.O. Box 10, D~t. ..1526 P .O. Box 1130, Dept. 1526 Buckeystown, Maryl!l!1d' 21717 Thermal, Calif(imria 92274 eric an Horticulturlst Volume 74, Number 2 February 1995 ARTICLES Proven Performers For the seventh year, the American Horticultural Society has invited representatives of national or international plant societies to name their favorites. Magnolias by Dorothy J. Callaway ................................ 18 Hoyas by Christine M. Burton ................................. 23 The Pawpaw Paradox by David J. Ellis ...................................... 28 Its foliage is lush and tropical, its fruit tastes like custard. So why is this native tree a near nonentity? FEBRUARY'S COVER Learning to Multiply Photographed by Jo-Ann Ordano: by Richard Devine .................................... 34 PhotolNats Want to cram your garden with natives? With just a little study, In her book, The World of you'll have more than you can count. Magnolias, Dorothy J. Callaway says that Magnolia campbellii Unwelcome Vistas was one of the most common by Kathleen Cullen .................................... 41 trees in the Himalayan forests in Americans have some rather baffling landscape customs, says this the 1850s when Joseph Hooker designer, and the results are frequently less than inviting. collected plants there and described mountainsides turning pink with its blooms. Its harvest DEPART MENTS for firewood and timber for planking and tea boxes has Commentary ......... .... .... ... ............. ..... 4 made the tree scarce, she says, and plants remaining in the wild Members' Forum ......... ' ............................ 5 today are usually suckers from harvested trees. M. campbellii Offshoots . .. 6 has been known to reach 115 feet, but usually grows to only The Urban Gardener. .. 8 30 to 60 feet in cultivation. This tree was photographed at Natives at Risk ................ , ...................... 11 Strybing Arboretum in San Gardeners' Information Service ........................... 12 Francisco. Beginning on page 18, Callaway writes about "Proven Natural Connections ................................... 14 Performers" in this genus, based on a survey of Magnolia Society Book Reviews ........................................ 16 members. Classifieds .......................................... 45 Pronunciations .................. , .................... 47 American Horticultural Society The American Horticultural Society seeks to promote and recognize COMMENTARY excellence in horticulture across America. BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS 1994-1995 uring the American Horticultural Mrs. Sarah S. Boasberg Society's trip to Hawaii in No­ Chairman D vember, I asked the 45 travelers to Washington,D.C. list organizations they belonged to, in ad­ Dr. William E. Barrick dition to AHS, on the community, city, First Vice Chairman state, regional, and national levels. Alto­ Pine Mountain, Georgia gether, nearly 230 plant, garden, environ­ Ms. Katy Mess Warner Second Vice Chairman mental, or other groups were represented. Lake Buena Vista, Florida I believe that this is a fair sampling of Mr. William A. Pusey AHS members, and that all of you have Secretary needs for inspiration, information, and Washington, D.C. volunteerism that no one group can pro­ Mr. Gerald T. Halpin vide. While general requirements-plant­ Treasu7'er ing, culture, and pest management-are Alexandria, Virginia common to many plants, other informa­ tion about gardening is specific down to individual cultivars and is often Dr. Thomas G. Amason Jr. Birmingham, Alabama undocumented, so that knowledge is transmitted only through personal Mrs. Nancy H. Callaway contacts. This is why one of AHS's most important roles is that of an um­ Pine Mountain, Georgia brella organization, helping diverse groups of gardeners to communicate. Mr. Paul Ecke Jr. Our commitment to this role will be manifest in i995 through a variety Encinitas, California of programs. We have arranged free admission for members to a large num­ Dr. John Alex Floyd Jr. ber of public gardens and flower shows. At many of the shows, we will pre­ Birmingham, Alabama sent an AHS certificate for outstanding garden design and the AHS Bole Mrs. Julia D. Hobart Troy, Ohio Medal to flower displays of horticultural 'excellence. Help make sure that Dr. Richard 1. Lower your favorite botanical garden or flower show participates next year! Madison, Wisconsin Other important events in 1995 will be the National Forum II at Long­ Mrs. Martyn 1. Miller wood Gardens, April 23 and 24, where a broad array of horticultural or­ Ashton, Maryland ganizations will draft a long-term plan based on the recognition that ours Mrs. Walter M. Morgan Jr. has become "a nation of gardeners," and the third annual AHS-coordi­ Nashville, Tennessee Mr. William G. Pannill nated youth gardening symposium in Pasadena, California, June 27 Martinsville, Virginia through 30, where the four keynote speakers and 40 presenters will stim­ Dr. Julia W. Rappaport ulate youth education in the West. Santa Ana, California For the seventh year, AHS celebrates its tradition of highlighting other Mr. Geoffrey 1. Rausch horticultural groups with articles on "Proven Performers," this year con­ , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania tributed by the Magnolia Society and the Hoya Society International. They Mrs. Jane N. Scarff New Carlisle, Ohio should open your eyes to new possibilities for your landscape and indoor Mrs. Josephine M. Shanks garden, no matter what your climate or level of gardening experience. Houston, Texas In addition, Richard Devine writes about how he collects seeds and cut­ Mr. Emanuel Shemin tings of native plants to enhance the landscape where he works in north Greenwich, Connecticut central Florida, and landscape designer Kathleen Cullen offers some Mrs. Sellers J. Thomas Jr. thoughts about what ails our suburban landscapes. Houston, Texas David Ellis, an assistant editor of American Horticulturist, reports on re­ Mr. Robert D. Volk San Marino, California newed interest in our native pawpaw. It is a trip down memory lane for me, Mr. Monroe Whitton since my father, Mr. Carl, never missed an opportunity to promote this tree's Alexandria, Virginia sweet-tasting fruit. He loved to point out the many variations in leaf, plant, and fruit forms found in Iredell County, North Carolina, and to sing about PRESIDENT picking up pawpaws and putting them in a basket. It ranked right up there Dr. H. Marc Cathey with another favorite childhood song, "Carolina in the Morning." EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Nothing could be finer than sharing the fruits of your experiences. Cel­ Mrs. Helen Fulcher Walutes ebrate the many organizations that are helping to ensure that it happens, and use AHS as your umbrella. H. Marc Cathey, AHS President 4 FEBRUARY 1995 AHS Horticultural Partner Horticulrural Society of South Florida AHS President's Council We would like to recognize the following members fOT their generous contributions. Their annual gifts OFFSHOOTS of $1,000 or more support the Society's many programs. Alexandria Council of Garden Clubs Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. AnginQ Azalea Society of America Ms. Suzanne Frutig Bales Mrs. Alfred Bissell Dr. Sherran Blair Mrs. Mary Katherine Bloum Mrs. Sarah S. Boasberg Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs Col. and Mrs. Kimb~rly Brabson Mrs. Nancy H. Callaway Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association Ms. Susan M. Cargill Dr. and Mrs. M. Marc Cathey Mr. and Mrs. Glen Charles Mrs. Lammot du Pont Cop~land Ms. Margery Hale Crane Mrs. James C. Dudley Mrs. W. R.J. Dunn Jr. Paul Ecke Family Dr. John Alex Floyd Jr. Mrs. Richard W. Fre~man Mis. Samuel M. V. Hamilton Mrs. RicharG W. Hamming Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Harris Mrs. Enid A. Haupt Mrs. Julia DeCamp Hobart Mr. Claude Hope Mr. Philip Huey Ms. Evelyn F. Jarrett Mark C. Johnson Mrs. Jane Kammerer Mrs. William C. Knox In Harmony with Nature busy to give my hous€ plants much atten­ Ms. Helen Kovach Mr. and Mrs. Roben E. Kulfl tion, so I'd chosen plants that would thrive Mr. David M. Lilly by Hilary Townsend on neglect, and to my relief they did. Los Angeles Flower Market After 1 retired 1 decided that the one of the American Florists' Exchange Alfred S. Martin onventional wisdom, as well as thing 1 had now was time, so my house Mrs. Frances B. McAllister some academic research, points to plants would all get much more care-so Mr. and Mrs. T. H. McCasland Cthe conclusion that plants like be- much that they'd all win prizes at local ' Mrs. Paul Mellon ing talked to. They respond to praise, shows. This also meant that now 1 could Mrs. Pendleton Miller Mr. Roger Mll)ihn grow better if their progress is admitted, widen my scope and buy more exotic and Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Morgan and have been know to die of fright in the fragile plants. Ms. Carol Morrison hands of an angry or dissatisfied owner. On an impulse at the village plant sale 1 Mr. William G. Pannill Mrs. Patricia Pierce Other research explains all this away by bought a billbergia (Billbergia nutans). It Mr. and Mrs. William A. Pusey saying that if you talk to your plant you're wasn't much to look at, but it seemed Dr. Julia W. Rappaport showering it with carbon dioxide (I think), healthy enough, with its narrow, spiny Red Hill Garden Club and that is what makes it grow.