Early Spring Flowers

Abstract

YOUR readers will doubtless have been observing how the mildness of the weather this winter, so far, has hastened on the spring flowers. I am inclined to think that some of the dates mentioned below have not often been paralleled. The dates in brackets, of the usual flowering times, have been taken from Babington's “Manual of Botany” and Johnson's “Gardeners' Dictionary.” December 10, 1897, Helleborus fœtidus (February); December 23, 1897, Eranthis hyemalis (February, March); December 31, 1897, Iris histrio (December to March); January 14, 1898, Mercurialis perennis, (April and May); January 14, Corylus avellana, ; January 29, (March, April); January 15, Galanthus nivalis (February); January 19, Anemone hepatica (March, April); January 20, Anemone fulgens (February 20, 1897), (March, April); January 20, Ranunculus Ficaria (February 20, 1897), (April, May); January 20, Viola odorata, wild (March, April); January 21, Iris histrioides (March); January 21, Tussilago Farfara (February 20, 1897), (March, April); January 21, Berberis Aquifolium (April); January 22, Potentilla Fragariastrum (April, May); January 24, Primula vulgaris, wild (March to May); January 24, Crocus aureus (February); January 26, Omphalodes verna (March); January 29, Aucuba japonica, (June). On the ♀ plant there is no sign of flower yet, and the berries have just turned red. January 29, Ulmus surculosa (February 21, 1897), (March to May); January 29, Daphne Laureola (February, March); January 29, Arabis albida (February 21, 1897), (February). Among other plants which began to flower in November, and have gone on until now with unusual luxuriance, we have noted Garrya elliptica, (just over), Viburnum Tinus, Petasites fragrans, Lonicera fragrantissima, Ionopsidium acaule, Erica carnea, garden violets, and primroses, single and double, and forget-me-not. I may add that on December 1, 1897, in the course of an hour, in and around the garden here, I noted upwards of 120 different kinds of plants in flower. A few were winter flowers, but most of them were belated summer and autumn ones.