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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Begonia manicata Brongn.
Frost-tender, erect, rhizomatous begonia with medium, toothed, smooth, fresh green leaves with paler veins, red beneath, a collar of red bristles topping the leaf stem, and soft pink flowers in loose panicles held above the leaves, in winter and spring. A number of cultivars are available. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus, Krempin].
Begonia nitida Dryand. var. odorata alba
Frost-tender, shrub-like begonia with medium, glossy green leaves, paler beneath, and large clusters of fragrant, small white flowers, suspended form the upper stems, mainly in winter. To 2m. [RHSD, Hortus, Krempin].
Begonia octopetala L’Hér.
Frost-tender, tuberous, low-growing begonia with large, kidney shaped leaves, to 30cm across and half as long, deeply lobed and serrated, with a stout and fleshy scape to 60cm, bearing white flowers in autumn. [RHSD, Krempin].
Begonia ottonis Walp.
Frost-tender, shrub-like begonia with small, oval, shiny green, serrated leaves and pinkish-white flowers, suspended in small clusters from the laterals, in summer. To 1.2m. [Krempin].
Begonia picta Sm.
Half-hardy tuberous rooted begonia with stems to 38cm, ovate leaves to 12cm long, dark green mottled with white and purple tinged above, and pink flowers to 3cm across, all year round under good conditions. [RHSD]. Hortus Second describes Begonia picta as probably a garden form of Begonia coccinea, but may be describing Begonia picta Hort. Henders. ex A.DC., synonym Begonia griffithii Hook., probably a different plant. It seems likely that Macarthur’s plant is that figured in Loddiges’ Botanical Cabinet.
Begonia plantanifolia Schott
Shrubby begonia with large dark green leaves with irregular white spots above and red beneath, and numerous small white flowers. To 45cm. A much larger plant with larger leaves, dark green on both sides, is often grown under this name. This is the plant figured in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. [JD, RHSD].
Begonia reniformis Dryand.
Thick-stemmed begonia with large, grape-vine-shaped, lobed, green leaves with short hairs and small white flowers from winter to spring. To 1m or more. [RHSD, Krempin].
Begonia rubra Blume
No description at present. Described by Blume in Enumeratio Plantarum Javae in 1827.
Begonia sanguinea Raddi
Frost-tender, shrub-like begonia with red stems, medium, oval, shiny deep green leaves, red beneath, and clusters of up to 30 white flowers, suspended from the stems, from winter to spring. To 1.2m. A good hanging basket subject. [RHSD, Hortus, Krempin].
Begonia stipulacea Willd.
Frost-tender, tall-growing cane-type begonia with slender, weak, angular stems, oval, sharp-pointed leaves, bright green above and paler beneath, and freely produced cymes of white flowers throughout the year. To 60cm. [RHSD, Hortus, Krempin, BM t.7842/1902]. There is variation in the descriptions given by the authors noted which is a reflection of the variability of the species.
Begonia ulmifolia Willd.
Frost tender, shrubby, fibrous-rooted, branching species with toothed ovate-oblong, elm-like leaves, hairy on both sides, and clusters of small white flowers, to 1.5cm across, in winter. To 1.2m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC.
Half-hardy, tuberous-rooted, clump-forming herbaceous perennial with sword-shaped basal and stem leaves, the loosely branched stems bearing a succession of up to 12, wide-opening, bright yellow to orange-red flowers with maroon spots, followed by black seeds, in summer. To 90cm or more. [RHSE, Hortus].
Bellis perennis L.
Fully hardy, small stoloniferous perennial with white to crimson flowers from late winter throughout summer. Grown in gardens for centuries, there are many large flowered and double garden forms, such as B. perennis hortensis which is both large-flowered and double. [See Bellis perennis L. flore pleno]. [RHSE, Hortus].
Bellis perennis L. var. flore pleno
See Bellis perennis L. for details. Double-flowered garden form, synonymous with Bellis hortensis which has red or white flowers.
Berberis buxifolia Lam.
Half hardy, upright, evergreen shrub with arching branches, spine-tipped, dark green leaves and dark orange-yellow flowers emerging from the tufts of leaves in spring and summer, followed by edible, purple-blue grape-like berries. To 2.5m but generally smaller in cultivation. [RHSE, Hilliers’, Hortus].
