Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-09-27
QUE NATIVE FLOWBRs.

SEPTEMBER "a, 1879, AT THE REGULAR MONTHLY
MEETING, ON THE wild FLOWERS OF The Po-
TOMAC REGION"
After some appropriate words Of Introduction,
he proceeded to say: Our whole country Is rich
In native fiora but this Potomac region is par
ticularly so. To induce larger attention to this
interesting subject Is my object; and shall en-
deavor to present the subject in plain aud IA
miliar manner. Most Of our cultivated flowers
found their originals In the wild ones; our finest
roses sprung from the simple five petaled wild
ones.
1t is hardly necessary here to remark that the
study of flowers is refining and elevating to the
minds Of its votar1es, as that Is almost univec-
sally conceded; but there is another fact, not so
generally known, which Is, that exquisite flo W
erS and plants have furnished artists with beau
tlful designs, and suggested novel patterns for
laceS, prints and other fabrics Of taste in Co.'S
tunes. Plants and flowers also, very early, fur
nished styles and designs In architecture, and
later nave suggested types and ornaments for
printers work In long ages gone flowers held
thought and sentiment as well understood as
the most scholarly sentences, and often more
emphatic.
In this region we have continuous succession
OF beautiful flowers from early spring to autumn.
Generally The early spElng flowers are paler and
more delicate-white, pale blue, and lilac pre-
vailing; while bright yellow, scarlet, and purple
are the predominant colors of autumn.
1t is claimed that the study of mathematics is
good discipline of the mind and 81 iJ Is: but the
study OF botany is as potent discipline OF the
intellect, and in most comprehensive range,
while 1t tends to greater refinement and gen.
eroslty-hoWerS themselves being the types Of
beDevolence.
Four general kinds of flowers will particularly
be noticed in this paper, namely:
LIST. Those which grow On small plants near
the ground, suitable for bedding and po5 Gull
Those which are found on shrubs or bushes,
suited to the ornamentation of parterreS and
lawns, as aZaleas, spreas, roses, sc. Sd. Those
found ON large trees In the forest, as dogwood,
tulips, magnolias and others, appropriate for
parks, avenues, &C. 4th. Aquatic plants, as
water lilies, flags. pontedera and many others.
All Will be considered as to their qualities for
ornaments. or for the higher uses Of curative,
ed BILE and economic purposes some plants
possessing all OF these characteristics, and some
only single one of them. But as there are
of course, only few Of all of them can be even
alluded to, at this time; yet sufficient numbers
will be named to show General types of some
families, In order to give students and curious
seekers hints and incentives to further pursue
the subject to pleasant results, and secure
fuller knowledge of the great wealth OF our
floral kingdom Many Of our wild flowers are
ANIMALS, and SOW their seeds In summer OF au-
tumn fer b osSoms and seeding the next year.
And here useful lesson may be learned for our
practice. which is, that nature sows her seed
where it is thinly covered with mold OF decay
Ing leaves, where they are protected until the
rains and warm breezes of spring cause them
TO terminate and spring into life and beauty,
when they In turn pl esent plants and flowers for
a new crop Of seed From this example of ma
ture we learn that the proper time to plant
flower seeds is as soon as they are ripe aud
ready to fall fr m the plant. When these Wild
flowers are grown in gardens they should be
carefully tended with hoe and rake to keep
down the weeds, which do not disturb them in
their native habitats Our waters woods, rocks
and lanes abound in Towering plants which will
richly repay much time in hunting aud collect
ing them for the garden, and nature will be OBJ
served for Ihe true guide to their growth and
developments to best advantage.
OF NATIVE CLIMBERS
we have many interesting ones worthy of a
place In the garden, parterre and around the
house, few of which we will meut1on. The
"bittersweet,' (celastrus0 sometimes called
''staff-tree, y is fipe climber, winding up trees
and over sheds. 1t has white greenish flowers
in summer and yellow berries In autumn The
bark OF the roots is bright yellow and, like ber-
igan rose, called eglantine is good climber
over trees and sheds, and gives profusion OF
single blossoms. 1t was on this rose that the
veteran florist, John Feast, of Baltimore crossed
double. climber, known as the Baltimore Belle"
The Trumpet tiower," Trailing Arbutus A." and
VIRGIN Bower, are among the fine wild climb
erS. the virginia Crceper" (AmpelOpSiS Quin-
quefolia) Is desirable family OF ornamental
climbers. 1t has five leaflets on en- but the
three-leafed variety. (Rhus toxicodendron,)
III,
those who handle it.
WOOD AND FIELD FLOWERS.
the following are among the early wo I'D and
field howers anemones, v1oletS, crocu5, dande-
years ago sNilla, "a sweet New England poe5ess
gave these lines:
Thanks for these pretty fowers-Nature's offering;
Blooming in the woodland, under shady trees
Meek, blue-e, ed violets and pale anemones''
Some years ago. in rambling among the rocks
near the canal, above Georgetown, we found
little violet we had never seen before Jri-
colored one, pale blue, lilac and white resem
ding small pansy, with slim, narrow foliage:
q professional Dotanist called 1t an American
pansy. There Is small white violet very del
lcate, that grows In the grass AID meadows
very rarely found; the blue and yellow one, are
more numerous. Columblues, red and yellow,
Iaqulisgla2 are handsome spring flowers found
In rocky places. The 'lady slippers" (cyprlpe-
clumsy called .'moccasin plants" are among
the most beautiful Of our wood flowers There
are three colors-the pink, white and yellow;
some also mixed. The form OF the cyprlpe,
diums somewhat resemble the popular caleeo-
lar1as OF our hot houses The American stcoW-
Slips" (Dodecatheon Media also called "shoot-
Ing stars, Is most beautiful flower, found in
the woods and near moist places. II was much
admired by the great Swedish b PIANIST Linn
and by him named dodecatheOn for the twelve
heather gods; and Darwin, in his splendid
work, entitled Loves OF the Plants" named
this variety Media. after the distinguished
Mead. The shooting stars much resemble the
Cy Cldm6n perS!Cum
Linne1uS maintained that all natural flowers
contain families Of males or females, or 9TH.
and on their marriage constructed his beautiful
system or botany; and Darwin, all thrOu III his
curious volume personifes the male organs of
ftowers as their lovers; but he rather reverses
the plan OF our modern SpiritiSts-they mate
rialiZe spfritS-but he SpirirualiZeS the mate
rails. On this curious and imaginative theory
Darwin, IN his work, gives these beautiful lines:
From giant oaks that wave their branches dark
70 the dwarf MOSES that cling to their bark,
" hat beaux and be iuties crowd the shady groves
4 nd WOO and win Their vegetable loves:
How snow-drops cold and blue-eyed harbells blend
1 heir tender tears DER the stream they bend;
4 he love sick violet and the primrose pale
BOW their sweet heads and Whisper to the gale;
With secret signs the virgin lily droops
And jealous cowsps hang their open cups;
How the young rose in beauty's damask pride
Drinks the fresh blus hes of his bashful bride;
AID with honey'd lips enamor'd woodbines meet
clasp IN fond arms and mix their kisses sweet I"
The American campaDula, blue hairbeIlS and
several other bell shaped flowers are beautiful
and may be found during spring and summer
IN woods and near streams. Several varieties
)f the hibiscus OF different colors, bloom through
Jhe season In many localities. The lobeiia is an
interesting family OF plants, Of widely differeat
haracteristics-one is small and delicately
blue, another larger and blue; and still another
The most gorgeous OF ALL is the lobelia cardl-
nails, the bright scarlet cardinal flowern two
10 three freet high. found In In swan d and wet
places from June to October Wild or Indian
pinkS, sweet williams and many legumeS OF
various colors, are found In bloom from May to
July, and are nice for the garden
There are several grasses worth chnrIShino