The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-01
WHITE HOUSE PLANTS.
Rnrc md Curious Specimens That Attract
tho Attention of Visitors.

Rnrc md Curious Specimens That Attract
tho Attention of Visitors.
Curious plants abound in tho White
House conservatory, and the history of
some OF them Is decidedly interesting
TO visitors who are permitted to inspect
this attachment to the Executive Man
sion. Probably the plant to which tho
gardeners arc most attached is the big
sage palm. the age of which is fixed at
250 years. 1t was from timo immcmo-
rial one Of tho attractions of Washing
toms conservatory at Mount Vernon,
and before his death he presented IL to
friend in Baltimore. who made n
specially OF collecting palms. Upon
the death Of the Baltimorean
his estate was settled, and
gardener from tho White House
reu"'ved the precious sage palm.
Fo, upward OF forty years it has
been located between tho doors leading
into the state dining room and the pri-
vate corridor at the base of tho stairway
used by the family of the White House.
and it is usually the first object to greet
visitors from tho mansion. Ono pc
culiarity noticed about the plant is that
ono year 1t will throw out crown Of
leaves, probably fifty or sixty in mum.
Der, and tho succeeding year it will con-
tent itself with Towering. When tho
foliage is full, as at present, tho plant
measures twelve feet in diameter and
the trunk has diameter OF fourteen
inches. Almost ut tho base OF the
big square box containing the sage is
largo carthen pot, from which
springs beautiful and novel cluster OF
leaves known as the Australian birds
nest form, the leaves being from three
to four feet long and attaining width
OF six to ten inches AZ its namo i'm
plies, this fern Is y fnvorite with birds
who do not care to no troubled about
gathering materials for their nests but
find an agreeable substitute already
formed OF the hir5ute attachment from
which the leaves appear to spring In
this soft hairy bed eggs are deposited.
and when lacchoj the brood leaves for
other quarters. and tho nest oniy awaits
another occupant.
Several years ago Gardener PCcstcr
received from friend in Brazil Il
rare specimen OF tho orchid family.
which he treated with tho attention
it deserved. Upon opening the pack
sort astray, and he took personal
charge Of ii, and was abundantlv recon-
pcnscl for his trouble. Itturncd out to
be magnificent lily, the botanic name
being antharium Ncpricosum. and it
thrivcd remarkably under the treatment
prescribed by tho White House garden
or. Subsequently it was ascertained
that only ono other specimen of this
lily is owned outside of Brazil, and that
Is by the Kew Carbon at London, En-
gland. Botanist', and those who make
= specially Of rare plants, valuo the find
at upward OF $1,000, and tho flower.
which Is a creamy white, spotted at the
base with maroons. has a fragrant odor
not uni Ike that OF magnolia grandi-
flora. 1t is now in pot sixteen
inches in diameter, and tho beautiful
green leaves arc at least five feet
in diameter. Half dozen shoots or
seedlings have been taken from tho
parent lily, and ono OF them is being
cultivated at tho Government botanic
| garden, I'D iaccnt to tho Capitol building
on the avenue.
Probably plant that attracts rs
much attention as any in the White
House conservatory is small red one
which is named the artillery plant,
from a peculiar habit that it has. One
OF the branches containing small, red
buds, il dampened in water will cause q
swelling and bursting the pollen pop
| ping into tho air like tho smoke puffs
from 4 cannon. After all the buds hayo
burst tho plant looks as If a fine white
snow had fallen upon tho blooms, which
are shaped not unlike small Maltese
crosses. Cor. n. " Sun.