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 shrubs with neat foliage and an abundance of
showy flowers. The double-flowered varieties are very handsome, but they
are more suitable for glass culture than planting in the open.
M. LUMA (_syn Eugenia apiculata_ and _E. Luma_).--Chili. Though
sometimes seen growing out of doors, this is not to be recommended for
general planting, it being best suited for greenhouse culture.
M. UGNI (_syn Eugenia Ugni_).--Valdivia, 1845. A small-growing,
Myrtle-like shrub, that is only hardy in favoured parts of the country.
It is of branching habit, with small, wiry stems, oval, coriacious
leaves, and pretty pinky flowers. The edible fruit is highly ornamental,
being of a pleasing ruddy tinge tinted with white. This dwarf-growing
shrub wants the protection of a wall, and when so situated in warm
seaside parts of the country soon forms a bush of neat and pleasing
appearance.
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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... Oxydendrum
OXYDENDRUM ARBOREUM (_syn Andromeda arborea_).--Sorrel-tree. Eastern United States, 1752. Unfortunately this species is not often found under cultivation, being unsuitable generally for our climate. In some instances, however, it has done well, a sp... Ozothamnus
OZOTHAMNUS ROSMARINIFOLIUS.--Australia, 1827. A pretty little Australian Composite, forming a dense, twiggy shrub, with narrow, Rosemary-like leaves, and small, whitish, Aster-like flowers which resemble those of its near relative, the Olearia, and ... Paeonia
PAEONIA MOUTAN.--Moutan Paeony, or Chinese Tree Paeony. China and Japan, 1789. A beautiful shrubby species introduced from China about one hundred years ago. The first of the kind introduced to England had single flowers, and the plant is figured in... Paliurus
PALIURUS ACULEATUS (_syn P. australis_).--Christ's Thorn, or Garden Thorn. Mediterranean region, 1596. A densely-branched, spiny shrub, with small leaves, and not very showy, yellowish-green flowers. It grows and flowers freely enough in light, peat... Parrotia
PARROTIA PERSICA.--Persia, 1848. Well known for the lovely autumnal tints displayed by the foliage when dying off. But for the flowers, too, it is well worthy of culture, the crimson-tipped stamens of the male flowers being singularly beautiful and ... Passiflora
PASSIFLORA CAERULEA.--Passion Flower. Brazil and Peru, 1699. Though not perfectly hardy, yet this handsome climbing plant, if cut down to the ground, usually shoots up freely again in the spring. The flowers, which are produced very freely, but part... Paulownia
PAULOWNIA IMPERIALIS.--Japan, 1840. This is a handsome, fast-growing tree, and one that is particularly valuable for its ample foliage, and distinct and showy flowers. Though perfectly hardy, in other respects it is unfortunate that the season at wh... Periploca
PERIPLOCA GRAECA.--Poison Vine. South Eastern Europe, and Orient, 1597. A tall, climbing shrub, with small, ovate-lanceolate leaves, and clusters of curious purplish-brown, green-tipped flowers produced in summer. The long, incurved appendages, in t... Pernettya
PERNETTYA MUCRONATA (_syn Arbutus mucronata_).--Prickly Heath. Magellan, 1828. This is a dwarf-growing, wiry shrub, with narrow, stiff leaves, and bears an abundance of white, bell-shaped flowers. It is a capital wind screen, and may be used to adva... Philadelphus
PHILADELPHUS CORONARIUS.--Mock Orange, or Syringa. South Europe, 1596. A well-known and valuable garden shrub, of from 6 feet to 10 feet high, with ovate and serrulated leaves, and pretty racemes of white or yellowish-white, fragrant flowers. P. cor... Phillyrea
P. ANGUSTIFOLIA (narrow-leaved Phillyrea), P. ilicifolia (Holly-leaved Phillyrea), P. salicifolia (Willow-leaved Phillyrea), P. buxifolia (Box-leaved Phillyrea), and P. ligustrifolia (Privet-leaved Phillyrea), are all more or less valuable species, ... Phlomis
PHLOMIS FRUTICOSA.--Jerusalem Sage. Mediterranean region, 1596. This is a neat-growing shrubby plant, with ovate acute leaves, that are covered with a yellowish down. From the axils of the upper leaves the whorls of yellow flowers are freely produce... Photinia
PHOTINIA JAPONICA (_syn Eriobotrya japonica_).--Loquat, Japan Medlar, or Japan Quince. Japan, 1787. This is chiefly remarkable for its handsome foliage, the leaves being oblong of shape and downy on the under sides. The white flowers are of no great...