Plants in the Hortus
Many of the plants described here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861. A large number of additional plants were identified from correspondence, gardening notebooks and other documents surviving in the archives. The Hortus attempts to describe all the plants grown in the gardens at Camden Park and those grown in horticultural enterprises such as orchards and vineyards and includes plants grown outside the gardens in the park-like environs of the Camden Park estate. The Hortus plants served a wide range of purposes in the 19th century household; as ornament, living fences, fibre, dyestuffs, medicines, food and drink from the garden, orchard and vineyard and many others.
Hippeastrum striatum (Lam.) H.E.Moore
A variable species with many recognised varieties. Stout stems bear an umbel of up to 4, funnel-shaped, orange to coral-red flowers, each segment bearing a central green stripe, in spring and summer. The leaves emerge with the flowers. [RHSE, Hortus].
Hippeastrum verticilata unidentified
Hippeastrum verticilata is not listed by Herbert or Baker and I have found no reference to this plant.
Hippeastrum vittatum (L’Hér.) Herb.
A spring flowering bulbous perennial with 3-6 funnel-shaped, red-striped flowers, the strap-shaped leaves emerging after the flowers. To 90cm. [RHSE, Hortus, Baker Am.].
Hippeastrum vittatum (L’Hér.) Herb. var. superbum
Hippeastrum vittatum (L’Hér.) Herb., which see, is a variable species, the flowers whitish, striped with red and with a white keel, 6-8 leaves, to 60cm long, appearing after the flowers. The variety superbum has not been certainly identified but can be presumed to have superior flowers. [RHSD, Baker Am.].
Hippeastrum x johnsoni Hort.
A Hippeastrum reginae (L.) Herb. x Hippeastrum vittatum (L’Hér.) Herb. hybrid. Flowers deep dull red, the keel striped white. [RHSD, Baker Am.].
Hippeastrum x splendens Herb.
William Herbert describes his Hippeastrum splendens as ‘Bis hybridum, Rutilo-Equestri-vittatum. - Splendid Knight's-star-lily, twice muled.’ He then provides a detailed description. ‘In consequence of a confusion of labels I have some doubts whether the female parent of these mules was produced from Vittatum by the pollen of Reginae or of Equestre. Its flower was of a very bright scarlet with a white star, and having been deprived of its anthers and impregnated by the dust of Rutilum, it produced 50 or 60 seedlings, most of which have now flowered, varying a little in shape and colour, and some of them scarcely distinguishable from Rutilum, except by a little vestige in the mouth of the tube of the beard, which is derived from the two other species. The flower which is represented was amongst the brightest of the seedlings, but no painting can approach the splendour of the natural hue. One alone of them had the coroll considerably larger. The coroll of Mule Amaryllideae seems to follow the size of the male parent, which might indeed have been expected, since the coroll bears the filaments, and therefore belongs to the male portion of the flower. The strong scent of Vittatum is entirely lost in this second cross, all the seedlings having proved scentless, like Rutilum, with which they also conform in the production of an infinity of offsets, but the offsets are not blind or dormant, like those of Rutilum. They flower freely in a cool greenhouse, appearing to be as hardy as Vittatum, and will doubtless succeed well out of doors. The leaves are narrower than those of Vittatum, and they will bloom in a much smaller pot.’ [Herbert’s Appendix p.52/1821].In his Amaryllidaceae Herbert briefly reports in great length on the early hybridisation experiments with Hippeastrum. [Herbert p.141 and elsewhere].
Hoffmania discolor (Lem.) Hemsl.
Frost-tender herbaceous perennial or sub-shrub with opposite, ovate leaves, shining green above and purple beneath, and axillary racemes, to 14cm, of small red flowers. To 2m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz.
Frost tender, erect, then scrambling shrub with slightly toothed, ovate leaves, to 10cm long, and racemes, to 12cm long, of narrowly trumpet-shaped crimson and orange-red flowers, to 2.5cm long, from summer to autumn. To 10m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Hosta lancifolia Tratt.
Fully-hardy perennial forming a dense mound of arching, lance-shaped leaves and narrowly funnel-shaped deep purple flowers in summer. To 45cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Hosta plantaginea Aschers.
Fully-hardy clump-forming perennial with heart-shaped leaves and trumpet-shaped, long-tubed, very fragrant white flowers in summer and autumn. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Hosta sieboldii (Pax.) J.Ingram
Fully-hardy, clump-forming perennial with heart-shaped, glaucous, somewhat puckered, leaves and 1m long flower stems with bell-shaped, pale lilac-grey flowers, fading to white, in early summer. To 1m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Hosta undulata (Otto & Dietr.) L.H.Bail.
Fully-hardy clump-forming perennial with twisted, deeply-channelled, lance-shaped leaves, marked with white or pale yellow, and funnel-shaped, mauve flowers in summer. To 1m. [RHSE, Hortus]. Regarded by some as a form of Hosta lancifolia Tratt. which see, but treated separately here.
Hosta ventricosa (Salisb.) Stearn
Fully-hardy clump-forming perennial with broadly heart-shaped leaves and tubular-bell-shaped deep-purple flowers in summer. To 50cm. [RHSE].
Hovea elliptica DC.
Frost-tender, slender, erect, evergreen shrub with narrow, oval to lance-shaped leaves and short axillary clusters of purple, pea-like flowers in spring. To 1.8m. [RHSD, Hortus, Blombery].
Hovenia dulcis Thunb.
Fully hardy, upright then spreading tree with generally heart-shaped , toothed, glossy leaves, to 20cm long, downy beneath, and cymes, to 7cm across, of tiny, greenish flowers in summer. After flowering the stalks swell, becoming reddish, and are fleshy, sweet and edible. To 12m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
