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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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

Salix babylonica L.

Fully hardy, rounded, weeping tree with slender, pendant shoots, lance-shaped leaves, to 10cm long, and silver-green catkins, produced with the leaves in spring, to 5cm long for males and 2.5cm long for females. To 12m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Salix babylonica L. var. aurea

For more detail see Salix babylonica L. Aurea is a form with golden yellow branches. [Hortus].

Salix chilensis Molina var. fastigiata

The species is a small, deciduous tree, to 10m. Crown conical or spreading; branches long, drooping. Trunk often bent, 12 inches or more in diameter, and unbranched for 6m. Bark reddish or dark brown with a grayish tinge, fairly smooth or with long, coarse fissures ; inner bark fibrous and is used for cordage. Leaves lanceolate; foliage much lighter and brighter green than is usual in tropical trees. [Williams – Fieldiana, Botany series vol.15, Woods of Northeastern Peru p.68/1936]. The variety fastigiata is an upright tree with a narrow, elongated habit, similar to the Lombardy poplar.

Salix fragilis L. var. russelliana

A large tree with wide-spreading branches, rugged bark and brittle twigs. the slender catkins appear with the leaves in spring. To 25m. It commonly grows with Salix alba L. and hybrids between the two occur naturally. Intermediate between the parents they are called Salix x rubens Hort. [RHSD, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Salix triandra L.

A large shrub or small tree with flaky bark and glossy lance-shaped leaves. Long cultivated in Europe for basket making although not the most important species for this. See Salix viminalis L. [RHSD, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Salix viminalis L.

Fully hardy, fast-growing, upright shrub or tree with glossy shoots, slender, linear leaves, to 15cm long, and dense, crowded, green catkins, to 3.5cm long, in spring before the leaves. To 6m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Salpiglossis sinuata Ruiz & Pav.

Half hardy, erect annual with slender, branching stems bearing alternate, long-stalked, lance-shaped, wavy-margined leaves and broadly funnel-shaped, 5-lobed flowers in a wide variety of colours, heavily veined in a deeper or contrasting colour, from summer to autumn. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus].

Salvia coccinea Juss. ex Murray

A quite variable, tender or Half-hardy herbaceous plant with cordate or ovate, toothed leaves, hairy beneath, and deep scarlet flowers. To 60cm. [RHSD, Hortus].

Salvia fulgens Cav.

Tender evergreen shrub with toothed, ovate leaves and panicles of bright scarlet flowers. To 90cm. [RHSD, Hortus].

Salvia grahami Benth.

Half-hardy shrub with oval, toothed leaves and long racemes of deep crimson flowers, ageing to purplish. To 1.2m. [RHSD, Hortus].

Salvia officinalis L.

Fully hardy, erect perennial sub-shrub with oblong, grey-green, woolly, aromatic leaves and terminal or axillary racemes of lilac-blue flowers. To 80cm, spreading. [RHSE, Hortus].

Salvia patens Cav.

Frost hardy tuberous perennial with few-flowered loose, terminal racemes of paired, deep blue flowers in midsummer to mid-autumn. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus].

Salvia splendens Ker-Gawl.

Half hardy, erect bushy perennial, usually grown as an annual, with long-tubed bright red flowers, enclosed in red bracts, in dense terminal spikes from summer to autumn. To 40cm or more in some older cultivars. [RHSE, Hortus].

Sambucus nigra L.

Fully hardy, upright bushy shrub with pinnate leaves, to 25cm long, composed of 5 toothed, ovate leaflets, and flattened panicles, to 20cm across, of small, musk-scented, white flowers in summer, followed by edible, spherical, glossy black fruit. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Sambucus species unidentified

A number of ornamental species of elder were grown at this time, mostly forms of Sambucus nigra L., the Common Elder which see. Johnson’s Dictionary lists nine. A number of other species were also grown, with Johnson’s listing racemosa, pubens, canadensis and chinensis in addition to nigra.

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