The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-21
TREES AND SHRUBS THAT
FLOWER IN SUMMER.
By r. !. HARRINGTON.


Unless people exercise more than
usual care when selecting shrubs and
trees for their home grounds they are
likely to choose only those which
flower in the spring or very early sum-
mer. In properly planted garden the
blooming season extends all through
the summer months In the Arnold
Arboretum at Jamaica Plain, near Bos-
ton, an intimate study has been made
OF the midsummer boomers. The ar
boretum has been called the greatest
museum of living trees and shrubs in
the world. Naturally therefore, many
of the plants which grow there are not
to be found anywhere else in this
country. The list, however, includes
some of the best trees and shrubs sold
by rurserymen as well as others
which are likely to be distributed soon.
Perhaps the showiest small tree now
blooming IS [E,sculus parviflora This
plant never grows very tall, but when
| uncrowded by other plants it soon
spreads over 81 large area. 1t is n ma
tive OF the Southern States. but APP
parently is perfectly at home in New
England. for 1t has been Towering in
the arboretum for several years and
was not at all injured by the severe
cold weather which prevailed last win
ter. 1t IS the last of the horse chest
nuts to flower, and its tall, erect spikes
made up Of many little blossoms cause
this plant to attract much attention.
Another late blooming horse chestnut
is -fsculus harbisonii. 1t appeared
voluntarily, and Prof. Sargent. the di-
, rector, thinks that 1t is a hybrid be-
tween Georgiana and the red Powered
| variety of Dlscolor. The leaves are
| lighter green than those Of either sup
posed parent, and the flowers have red
panicles, a rose Colored CalyX and can
/ AIRY yellow petals tinged with red
| The lindens are among the most
! important of the summer towering
trees in this climate. and tho Arnold
! Arboretum contains many specimens.
| the blooming period extending over
several weeks. Prof. Sargent in a re-
! cent bulletin calls attention to the
fact that the European lindens grow
much better in Massachusetts, than do
| the species from eastern Asia, al
though as n RUE Asiatic trees thrive
better in New England than those
| from Europe.
! The common linden OF the north,
Tilia Americana, Is not as good a tree
for general planting as some of the
! European species. There are other
American lindens, though which
have been mostly overlooked by Amer
lean planters. but which promise to
prove highly valuable. Some interest
ing trials are being made in the
arboretum as the result of which the
American lindens are likely TO be bet
ter known.
One tree which bears very conspic-
uous flowers IN midsummer is the
magnolia from the Southern States.
Its botanical name is Machrophylla,
and it has the largest leaves as we'll
as the largest blossoms of any tree
which will thrive outside of the
, tropics, Leaves twenty to thirty
! inches long are not uncommon, while
the blossoms are often foot in
diameter. In ordinary years the tree
does not flower until the middle OF
July, but this season has been an ex-
cept!onal one and the blossoms have
now faded, There is no reason why
this magnolia should not he grown
more commonly. for it is perfectly
hardy and only asks a sheltered posi-
tion so that the wind may not tear the
huge leaves. II Is a REGULARITY Of the
blossoms that they have a remarkable
attraction for rose bugs, dozens OF
which sometimes hide in n single
flower. Prof. Sargent says that this
magnolia might be used as a trap for
these pests II planted in the vicinity
of rose gardens.
The most conspicuous among the
summer blooming shrubs are the ny.
drangeas. There are many different
kinds and they cover u long season
Among the handsomest species in the
arboretum collection is HydranGea
prTcox, variety of paniculata, but
entirely different from the grandifiora
variety which blooms in the fall and q
specimen of which Is found in aGnos,
every suburban garden. PrecoX Is q
form of the wild plant and has ray
flowers surrounding a cluster OF sterile
flowers. This hydrangea has beer
grown from seed collected by Prof
Sargent in Hokkaido, where the plan,
sometimes grows into a tree twenty
or thirty feet tall.
Hydrangea arborescens grandihora
Blooms "A little later. II was discov,
cred several years ago In one of tn,
Western States, and can now be OBJ
tained from any nurseryman. A still
more attractive American species /.
Radiata, from the mountain slopes o.
North and South Carolina. It is on,
of the handsomest OF all the hydran