Liriodendron
LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA.--Tulip Tree. North America, 1688. One of the
noblest hardy exotic trees in cultivation. The large, four-lobed,
truncate leaves, of a soft and pleasing green, are highly ornamental,
and are alone sufficient to establish the identity of the tree. Flowers
large, yellow, and sweet-scented, and usually freely produced when the
tree has attained to a height of between 20 feet and 30 feet. When we
con
its noble aspect, handsome foliage that is so distinct from that of any
other tree, and showy flowers, we feel justified in placing it in the
very first rank of ornamental trees. L. tulipifera integrifolia has
entire leaves, which render it distinct from the type; L. tulipifera
fastigiata, or pyramidalis, is of erect growth; L. tulipifera aurea,
with golden foliage; and L. tulipifera crispa, with the leaves curiously
undulated--a peculiarity which seems constant, but is more curious than
beautiful. Few soils come amiss to the Tulip Tree, it thriving well in
that of very opposite descriptions--loam, almost pure gravel, and
alluvial deposit.
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Illicium
ILLICIUM FLORIDANUM, from Florida (1771), is a beautiful but uncommon shrub, probably on account of its being tender and susceptible to injury by frost, unless in the warmer and more favoured parts of the country. The fragrant flowers are of a purpl... Indigofera
INIDGOFERA GERARDIANA (_syns I. floribunda_ and _I. Dosua_).--India, 1842. This forms a compact dwarf bush in the open, but is still better suited for covering a wall, the growth and floriferousness being then much increased. The foliage is neat and... Itea
ITEA VIRGINICA.--North America, 1744. This is a neat, deciduous shrub of 3 feet or 4 feet in height. The ovate-lanceolate leaves are of a light greyish-green, and the small white flowers are produced in dense racemes or spikes. Planted in a somewhat... Jamesia
JAMESIA AMERICANA.--Rocky Mountains and Colorado, 1865. Amongst early spring-flowering shrubs this pretty but neglected plant is one of the best, of perfect hardihood, for it stands the vigour of our winters with impunity, and of dense thick growth;... Jasminum
JASMINUM FRUTICANS.--South Europe, 1570. An evergreen species, well adapted, from its rather stiff and upright growth, for planting alone. It has trifoliolate leaves and showy yellow flowers. J. HUMILE.--India, 1656. A hardy species of dwarf growt... Kadsura
KADSURA JAPONICA.--Japan, 1846. This is a small-growing shrub, with lanceolate and pointed leaves, that are remotely dentated. The flowers are not very showy, being of a yellowish-white colour and about an inch across. They are produced both termina... Kalmia
KALMIA ANGUSTIFOLIA.--Sheep Laurel. Canada, 1736. This is at once distinguished from K. latifolia by its much smaller and narrower leaves and smaller flowers, which latter are, however, of brighter tint and more plentifully produced. It rarely excee... Kerria
KERRIA JAPONICA (_syn Corchorus japonicus_).--Japan, 1700. A Japanese shrub, the double-flowered variety of which, K. japonica flore-pleno, is one of our commonest wall plants. The orange-yellow flowers, produced in great rosettes, are highly orname... Koelreuteria
KOELREUTERIA PANICULATA.--Northern China, 1763. Whether for its foliage or flowers, this small-growing tree is worthy of a place. Though of rather irregular growth, the beautiful foliage and large panicles of yellowish flowers, which stand well abov... Laburnum
LABURNUM ADAMI (_syn Cytisus Adami_).--A graft hybrid form between the common Laburnum and Cytisus purpureus, the result being flowers of the Laburnum, the true Cytisus purpureus, and the graft hybrid between the two. It was raised by Jean Louis Ada... Lapageria
LAPAGERIA ROSEA.--Chili, 1847. This is, unfortunately, not hardy, unless in favoured maritime districts, but in such situations it has stood unharmed for many years, and attained to goodly proportions. It is a beautiful climber, with deep-green leav... Lardizabala
LARDIZABALA BITERNATA.--Chili, 1848. Requires wall protection, there being few situations in which it will succeed when planted in the open. It is a tall, climbing shrub, with dark green persistent leaves, and bearing purplish flowers in drooping ra... Lavandula
LAVANDULA VERA (_syn L. Spica_).--Common Lavender. South Europe, 1568. A well-known and useful plant, but of no particular value for ornamental purposes. It is of shrubby growth, with narrow-lanceolate, hoary leaves, and terminal spikes of blue flow... Lavatera
LAVATERA ARBOREA.--Tree Mallow. Coasts of Europe, (Britain). A stout-growing shrub reaching in favourable situations a height of fully 6 feet, with broadly orbicular leaves placed on long stalks. The flowers are plentiful and showy, of a pale purpli... Ledum
LEDUM LATIFOLIUM (_syn L. groenlandicum_).--Wild Rosemary, or Labrador Tea. This is a small shrub, reaching to about 3 feet in height, indigenous to swampy ground in Canada, Greenland, and over a large area of the colder parts of America. Leaves ova... Leiophyllum
LEIOPHYLLUM BUXIFOLIUM (_syns L. thymifolia, Ammyrsine buxifolia_ and _Ledum buxifolium_).--Sand Myrtle. New Jersey and Virginia, 1736. This is a dwarf, compact shrub from New Jersey, with box-like leaves, and bunches of small white flowers in early... Lespedeza
LESPEDEZA BICOLOR (_syn Desmodium penduliflorum_).--North China and Japan. A little-known but beautiful small-growing shrub, of slender, elegant growth, and reaching, under favourable culture, a height of about 6 feet. The leaves are trifoliolate, s... Leucothoe
LEUCOTHOE AXILLARIS (_syn Andromeda axillaris_).--North America, 1765. This is of small growth, from 2 feet to 3 feet high, with oval-pointed leaves and white flowers in short racemes produced in May and June. It is not a very satisfactory species f... Leycesteria
LEYCESTERIA FORMOSA, from Nepaul (1824), is an erect-growing, deciduous shrub, with green, hollow stems, and large ovate, pointed leaves of a very deep green colour. The flowers are small, and white or purplish, and produced in long, pendulous, brac... Ligustrum
LIGUSTRUM IBOTA (_syn L. amurense_).--Japan, 1861. A compact growing species, about 3 feet in height, with small spikes of pure white flowers produced freely during the summer months. L. JAPONICUM (_syns L. glabrum, L. Kellennanni, L. Sieboldii_ a... Linnaea
LINNAEA BOREALIS.--Twin Flower. A small and elegant, much-creeping evergreen shrub, with small, ovate crenate leaves, and pairs of very fragrant, pink flowers. Two conditions are necessary for its cultivation--a half-shaded aspect where bottom moist... Lippia
LIPPIA CITRIODORA (_syns Aloysia citriodora_ and _Verbena triphylla_).--Lemon-scented Verbena. Chili, 1794. With its slender branches and pale green, pleasantly-scented, linear leaves, this little plant is a general favourite that needs no descripti... Liriodendron
LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA.--Tulip Tree. North America, 1688. One of the noblest hardy exotic trees in cultivation. The large, four-lobed, truncate leaves, of a soft and pleasing green, are highly ornamental, and are alone sufficient to establish the i... Lonicera
LONICERA CAPRIFOLIUM.--Europe. This species resembles L. Periclymenum, but is readily distinguished by the sessile flower-heads, and fawny-orange flowers. L. FLEXUOSA (_syn L. brachypoda_).--Japan, 1806. This is a pretty species, and one of the m... Loropetalon
LOROPETALON CHINENSE.--Khasia Mountains and China, 1880. This is a pretty and interesting shrub belonging to the more familiar Witch Hazel family. Flowers clustered in small heads, the calyx pale green, and the long linear petals almost pure white. ... Lycium
LYCIUM BARBARUM.--Box Thorn, or Tea Tree. North Asia, 1696. A pretty lax, trailing shrub, with long, slender, flexible twigs, small linear-lanceolate leaves, and rather sparsely-produced lilac or violet flowers. Planted against a wall, or beside a s... Lyonia
LYONIA PANICULATA (_syns L. ligustrina, Andromeda globulifera, A. pilifera_, and _Menziesia globularis_).--North America, 1806. This species grows about a yard high, with clustered, ovate leaves, and pretty, pinky, drooping flowers. ... Maclura
MACLURA AURANTIACA.--Osage Orange, or Bow-wood. North America, 1818. This is a wide-spreading tree with deciduous foliage, and armed with spines along the branches. The leaves are three inches long, ovate and pointed, and of a bright shining green. ... Magnolia
MAGNOLIA ACUMINATA.--Cucumber Tree. North America, 1736. This is a large and handsome species, of often as much as 50 feet in height, and with a head that is bushy in proportion. The leaves are 6 inches long, ovate and pointed, and of a refreshing s... Medicago
MEDICAGO ARBOREA.--South Europe, 1596. This species grows to the height of 6 feet or 8 feet, and produces its Pea-shaped flowers from June onwards. The leaves are broadly oval and serrated at the tips, but they vary in this respect. It is not hardy ... Menispermum
MENISPERMUM CANADENSE.--Moonseed. North America, 1691. This shrub is principally remarkable for the large, reniform, peltate leaves, which are of value for covering pergolas, bowers and walls. The flowers are of no great account, being rather incons... Microglossa
MICROGLOSSA ALBESCENS (_syn Aster albescens_ and _A. cabulicus_).--Himalayas, 1842. This member of the Compositae family is a much-branched shrub, with grayish lanceolate foliage, and clusters of flowers about 6 inches in diameter, and of a bluish o... Mitchella
MITCHELLA REPENS.--Partridge Berry. North America, 1761. A low-growing, creeping plant, having oval, persistent leaves, white flowers, and brilliant scarlet fruit. It is a neat little bog plant, resembling Fuchsia procumbens in habit, and with bunch... Mitraria
MITRARIA COCCINEA.--Scarlet Mitre Pod. Chiloe, 1848. This is only hardy in the South of England and Ireland, and even there it requires wall protection. It is a pretty little shrub, with long, slender shoots, which, during the early part of the summ... Myrica
MYRICA ASPLENIFOLIA (_syn Comptonia asplenifolia_).--Sweet Fern. North America, 1714. A North American plant of somewhat straggling growth, growing to about 4 feet high, and with linear, pinnatified, sweet-smelling leaves. The flowers are of no deco... Myrtus
MYRTUS COMMUNIS.--Common Myrtle. South Europe, 1597. A well-known shrub, which, unless in very favoured spots and by the sea-side, cannot survive our winters. Where it does well, and then only as a wall plant, this and its varieties are charming shr... Neillia
NEILLIA OPULIFOLIA (_syn Spiraea opulifolia_).--Nine Bark. North America, 1690. A hardy shrub, nearly allied to Spiraea. It produces a profusion of umbel-like corymbs of pretty white flowers, that are succeeded by curious swollen membraneous purplis... Nesaea
NESAEA SALICIFOLIA (_syn Heimia salicifolia_).--Mexico, 1821. This can only be styled as half hardy, but with wall protection it forms a pretty bush often fully a yard in height. The leaves resemble those of some species of Willow, being long and na... Neviusa
NEVIUSA ALABAMENSIS.--Alabama Snow Wreath. Alabama, 1879. This is a rare American shrub, with leaves reminding one of those of the Nine Bark, Neillia opulifolia, and the flowers, which are freely produced along the full length of the shoots, are whi... Nuttallia
NUTTALLIA CERASIFORMIS.--Osoberry. California, 1848. This shrub is of great value on account of the flowers being produced in the early weeks of the year, and when flowers are few and far between. It grows from 6 feet to 10 feet high, with a thick, ... Olearia
OLEARIA HAASTII.--New Zealand, 1872. This Composite shrub is only hardy in the milder parts of England and Ireland. It is of stiff, dwarf growth, rarely growing more than 4 feet high, but of neat and compact habit. Flowering as it does in late summe... Ononis
ONONIS ARVENSIS.--Restharrow. A native undershrub of very variable size, according to the position in which it is found growing. It creeps along the ground, the shoots sending out roots as they proceed, and is usually found on dry sandy banks. The f... Osmanthus
OSMANTHUS AQUIFOLIUM ILLICIFOLIUS.--Holly-leaved Osmanthus. Japan. This is a handsome evergreen shrub, with Holly-like leaves, and not very conspicuous greenish-white flowers. It is a very desirable shrub, of which there are varieties named O.A. ili... Ostrya
OSTRYA CARPINIFOLIA (_syn O. vulgaris_).--Common Hop Hornbeam. South Europe, 1724. A much-branched, round-headed tree, with cordate-ovate, acuminate leaves. Both this and the following species, by reason of the resemblance between their female catki...