Our Flowering Shrubs, and How to Know Them
Part 2
[Footnote A: Page 69, the Bush Honeysuckle is generally known by gardeners under its old Latin name of _Weigela_, which they often pronounce "Vigilia."]
A native of New Zealand, the Daisy Tree is one of the most popular free-flowering shrubs. The illustration (page 48) shews the foliage completely hidden by the numerous small white and yellow-disked flowers. It is a box-like plant, and grows over six feet high. The leaves are crowded, about one inch long, dull-green colour above and whitish beneath, and acute at each end.
The New Zealand Daisy Tree (page 49) has large holly-like leaves, which are silvery on the underside, and large flower-heads, which are white, with a red centre, and open in July. Forms a loose-growing plant.
A densely-growing bush, the Prickly Heath (page 50) flowers from May to July, and the small white flowers are succeeded by berries of various colours borne in the axils of the small, dark-green, rigid, shining leaves. It rarely grows over four feet high.
The Leather-Leaf (page 51) is a sparse-growing, dwarf, evergreen shrub from North America. It flowers from April to May, the small, cylindrical-shaped, snow-white flowers being produced from the under sides of the branches. Leaves scarce, narrowed to each end, and rusty-coloured beneath.
At page 52 is illustrated the Bundle-flowered Andromeda, a shrub growing about six feet high, which flowers in April, completely covering the plant with spikes of lily-of-the-valley-like blossoms. A plant recognised by the long, egg-shaped and sharply-pointed leaves, leathery in touching, and of a very dark green colour.
The Labrador Tea (page 53) derives its common name from the leaves having been used as a substitute for tea. It grows about three feet high, of compact, rounded form, and in early May is profusely covered with trusses of white flowers set amidst narrow rusty-looking foliage.
One of the best known shrubs is _Rhododendron flavum_ (page 54) (commonly known as _Azalea pontica_), and in early summer it is one of the freest-flowering plants. A plant easily known by its trusses of yellow-coloured and clammy blossoms with long protruding stamens. The large and shiny leaves are sparsely produced.
The Rusty-leaved Alpenrose (page 55) is a European plant rarely growing over three feet high, of compact growth, with shining dotted leaves. From May onwards plants are conspicuous in rock gardens with their small trusses of scarlet and yellow-dotted flowers. For a photograph on a larger scale, see _Alpine Plants at Home_, First Series ("Nature Book" No. 20), page 39.
Few plants are so well known as the Common or Pontic Rhododendron (page 56), and in many parts of Britain it has naturalised itself in the woodlands. It forms a tall-growing plant, frequently over 12 feet high, producing trusses of purple-coloured flowers in May, relieved by large, light-green, spear-shaped foliage.
From the delicacy and fragrance of its flowers the Common White Jesamine (page 57) ranks as one of the most popular plants of the garden. It forms a slender-growing, climbing plant, with feather-shaped leaves and acutely-pointed leaflets, and flowers from May to October.
The Common Lilac (page 58) is familiar with its purple or white-coloured spikes of flowers, which open in May. It forms a tall-growing plant, with large heart-shaped leaves.
Travers's Speedwell (page 59) is a charming evergreen shrub about four feet high, with short racemes of pale-mauve-coloured flowers, which open in June and July. The leaves are arranged four-rowed along the shoots, with short footstalks, narrow-oblong in shape, and dark-green in colour.
A plant peculiar to cottage gardens is the Common Lavender (page 60), which produces long-stalked spikes of blue flowers throughout the summer. These flowers are usually cut and dried for their lasting fragrance, whilst the much-appreciated lavender water is distilled from the flowers. It forms a dense-growing bush about two feet high, with long narrow-shaped leaves.
On page 61 is illustrated the Poet's Laurel or Sweet Bay, a beautiful evergreen shrub from South Europe. In many parts of Britain it grows over 21 feet high, but it is usually grown in tubs for floral decoration. The leaves, which are spear-shaped, have an agreeable, slightly bitter taste, and are used in cooking and for confections. The flowers, which are borne in the axils of the leaves, are yellowish in colour, but inconspicuous, and appear in early spring.
The Spurge Laurel (page 62), one of the European (British) shrubs, forms an evergreen bush about three feet high, with thick, shining, spear-shaped leaves. The sweet-scented flowers, of a greenish-yellow colour, appear in February and March, but are inconspicuous, and are borne in drooping clusters at the base of the leaves. Fruit of this plant is highly poisonous.
The Mezereon (page 63) is a conspicuous plant early in March through the leafless branches being covered with red, fragrant blossoms, succeeded later in summer by scarlet berries set amidst lance-shaped and acute-pointed leaves. The Mezereon forms an erect-shaped bush, about four feet high, of which the bark is used medicinally. A white-flowering form of this plant is in cultivation and bears yellow-coloured berries in summer.
Another of the British shrubs is illustrated at page 64 in the Butcher's Broom, a plant growing about two feet high, with rigid, spiny, widened branches on which are borne the small, white solitary flowers, which open in March and April. For a photograph on a larger scale, see _Wild Flowers at Home_, Fourth Series ("Nature Book" No. 16), page 58.
The Latin nomenclature adopted for the shrubs in this volume is that of the "Hand-list of Trees and Shrubs" (1902) issued by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The English and French names are compiled from various sources; where none existed, suitable appellations have been coined. The German names are due to the kindness of Herr Andreas Voss.
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Transcriber's Note: In "Some Short Notes," the page reference for the Bladder Senna was corrected from page 19 to page 20.