Growth and Development of Landscape Plants: A Science Comes of Age

Abstract

Abstract The founding and early administration of the American Society for Horticultural Science was led by those concerned primarily with pomology and to a lesser extent vegetable crops, and these two areas of horticulture dominated Society meetings for half a century. Reports of research with ornamental crops, including both floriculture and nursery plants, did not appear on programs or in the Proceedings for many years, despite the interest of L. H. Bailey, first president of the Society. Bailey mentioned the virtues of floriculture and landscape gardening in his first presidential address (1) and later the “growing taste for ornamental planting” in America (2). Speakers at early meetings summarized research on nursery crops in Europe (16), the benefits of plant exploration in China, and the need for a coordinated effort in establishing a system of plant introduction (2), but it was not until 1913 that Blake's report (3) on roses appeared, the first paper about a floricultural crop. Woody plants were first discussed in 1925-26 (11, 17, 25); but it was not until 1930, 27 years after the founding of the Society, that papers related to nursery plants appeared with any frequency. Thus, the early history in ASHS of growth and development of woody landscape plants is sparse, although at the same time bulletins were being published at several experiment stations and scientists in Europe were publishing regularly.