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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.

Penstemon grandiflorus Nutt.

Stout, glaucous herbaceous plant with broad leaves and up to 5-flowered cymes of large, showy, lavendar-purple flowers. To 90cm. [RHSD, Hortus].

Penstemon grandis Hort.

An unidentified Penstemon, probably an improved form of a popular garden species or a hybrid. The name grandis suggests a plant larger than the type rather than a larger flower.

Penstemon hartwegii Benth.

Frost hardy, erect, branching perennial with lance-shaped leaves and drooping scarlet or red flowers, to 5cm long, on 2-3-flowered panicles in early summer. To 60cm. A parent of many of the common garden hybrids, with some of the older varieties approaching the species in appearance. [RHSD, Hortus].

Penstemon laevigatus Ait.

Fully hardy perennial with lance-shaped, toothed leaves, to 15cm, and tubular, pale violet flowers, to 2.5cm long, white or very pale violet inside, in summer. To 1.2m. [RHSD, Hortus].

Penstemon murrayanus Hook.

Erect, hardy perennial with ovate to oblong leaves and deep scarlet flowers. To 90cm. [RHSD, Hortus].

Penstemon ovatus Dougl.

Hardy perennial with broad-ovate leaves and blue flowers changing to purple. To 1.2m. [RHSD, Hortus].

Penstemon pallidus Small

Herbaceous erect perennial with tubular white flowers in spring and early summer. To 60cm. [Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium – www.wisplants.uwsp.edu].

Penstemon perfoliatus A.Brongn.

‘Vigorous penstemon with medium blue flowers. Interesting gray-green broad leaves that wrap the stems to the extent that it appears the stem has pierced through them.’ [Rocky Mountain Rare Plants - Online Reference - www.rmrp.com].

Penstemon procerus Dougl. ex Graham

Fully hardy, erect perennial with lance-shaped leaves and narrow spikes of small, purplish-blue flowers in summer. To 30cm. [RHSD, Hortus].

Penstemon speciosus Dougl. ex Lindl.

Hardy herbaceous plant with lance-shaped leaves, the flowers bright blue to purple, but pink and rose coloured cultivars exist. To 60cm. [RHSD, Hortus].

Penstemon venustus Dougl.

Borderline fully hardy evergreen sub-shrub with spiked panicles of tubular, funnel-shaped pale to deep violet flowers in early summer. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus].

Pentas lanceolata (Forssk.) Deflers.

Frost-tender, erect or prostrate, woody-based, evergreen perennial with lance-shaped, hairy leaves, to 15cm long, and corymbs of long-tubed, pink, magenta, blue, lilac or white flowers, to 1.5cm across, from spring to autumn. To 2m. [RHSE, Hortus].

Peperomia species unidentified

Peperomia are semi-succulent herbs with usually opposite or whorled leaves and a terminal or axillary spikes of crowded, small flowers. [FNSW].

Pereskia aculeata Mill.

Uncactus-like shrubby perennial, becoming scandent, with long branches, short-stemmed, lance-shaped leaves, with 2 or 3 leaves at the base, and white to pink flowers followed by pinkish, edible fruit. Often used as a root-stock for grafting Zygocactus and Schlumbergera. [RHSD, Hortus].

Pericallis x hybrida R.Nordenstram

The wild form of Senecio cruentus is a perennial with purple flowers although it is now usually grown as an annual. Many cultivars are available, and were in Victorian times, in a wide range of shape and form but mainly in shades of blue, purple, white and magenta. It is uncertain if other species were involved in the development of the florist’s cineraria. [RHSE, Hortus].

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