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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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

Vinca minor L.

Fully hardy, prostrate, mat-forming evergreen shrub with long, rooting, trailing shoots, ovate to lance-shaped leaves, to 5cm long, and reddish-purple, violet-blue or white flowers from spring to autumn. To 20cm. [RHSE, Hilliers’, Hortus].

Viola odorata L.

Fully-hardy rhizomatous, semi-evergreen perennial with sweetly scented white or blue flowers in late winter and early spring. Self-seeds readily. Excellent for a wild garden. There are numerous garden cultivars. To 20cm. [RHSE, Hortus].

Viola odorata L. var. alba

See Viola odorata L. White flowered forms occur naturally in the wild.

Viola odorata L. var. pallido-plena Sw.

A very sweet scented violet. Don describes Viola odorata pallido-plena Sw., as double and pale blue: ‘This variety is commonly called Neapolitan Violet in gardens.’

Viola tricolor L.

Fully-hardy annual, biennial or short-lived evergreen perennial with a succession of flowers in shades of purple, lavender-blue, white or yellow, and many combinations of these, from late winter to spring. The flowers usually have dark purple upper petals and lighter coloured lower petals. Self-seeds very readily. To 15cm or more. The common garden pansies of today are recognised as complex hybrids of, mainly, Viola tricolor, V. lutea and V. cornuta. [RHSE, Hortus].

Virgilia oroboides (Bergius) Salter

Borderline frost-hardy, fast-growing shrub or small tree, usually with several main stems, pinnate leaves, to 20cm long, composed of up to 21 narrow leaflets, and racemes of up to 12, pea-like, fragrant, white, pink, crimson or purple flowers, to 2cm across, in spring and summer. To 9m. [RHSE, Hortus].

Vitex agnus-castus L.

Frost hardy, spreading deciduous shrub with 5- or 7-palmate leaves, composed of aromatic, narrowly-elliptic leaflets, to 10cm long, and slender, terminal panicles, to 18cm long, of small, tubular, fragrant, lilac, blue or white flowers in autumn. To 8m. [RHSE, Hilliers’].

Vitis labrusca L.

Fully hardy, vigorous, deciduous, woody-based climber with ovate to rounded, usually 2-lobed leaves, to 18cm wide, and edible, musky-flavoured black-purple fruits. [RHSD, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Vitis vinifera ‘Moscatel Gordo Blanco’

‘So similar in many respects to Muscat of Alexandria, that the one is sometimes confounded with the other. A seedling of Muscat of Alexandria, much cultivated in Spain; the best type of raisin grape of Malaga. Fruit bunches, a closer bunch than Muscat of Alexandria; fruit sets better as a rule; berries rounder, a crease often found at the apex. Skin inclined to be a little darker in colour, and not nearly so green when ripe. Flesh not quite so hard as Muscat of Alexandria. Thicker and finer bloom than Muscat of Alexandria, which looses its bloom very rapidly when you come to pack and dry them. Muscat of Alexandria has to be dried a little more than Muscatel to bring it into a keeping condition when in the same degree of ripeness.’ [Despeissis p.247/1903].

Vitis vinifera ‘Aucarot’

‘No. 19 – Aucarot (29/2, or 29 of the Luxembourg collection [of Busby]). Hardy white grape, bears plentifully, and makes very good wine. Where abundant produce, combined with medium quality, is an object, this is a variety well worth attention; I am inclined to think it may prove one of the most valuable of the white wine grapes; requires the same room as No. 3 [Dolcetto]’. [Maro p.25/1844].

Vitis vinifera ‘Australian Small White Cluster’

‘No 5. – Australian Small White Cluster. Originated in the same manner as the last [Australian White Cluster]; hardy plant, but of much less vigorous growth than No. 4; may be planted at least as close as No.1 [Pineau Grise]; very small closely set bunches, very small berries, sweet; and yields very little wine, but of excellent quality.’ [Maro p.22/1844].

Vitis vinifera ‘Australian White Cluster’

‘No. 4 - Australian White Cluster. Seedling raised at Camden by the Messrs. Macarthur, a plant of vigorous growth, very hardy, fruit very early ripe, bunches small, or of medium size, berries small, very closely set, very juicy, and thin skinned: very sweet to the palate; very liable to rot if much rain falls after they begin to swell to maturity, produces well, and yields a wine of good flavour and considerable body. This and No. 3 [Dolcetto] require about one-fourth more distance every way than No. 1 [Pineau Gris].’ [Maro p.22/1844].

Vitis vinifera ‘Bidwill’s Seedling’

‘Bunches, large, long, loose, and shouldered. Berries, large and round. Skin, thin, quite black, and covered with a thin blue bloom. Flesh, tender, melting, and juicy, but with a most disagreeable earthy flavour, which seems peculiar to it, as I have never met with this variety without it. It ripens very well against a wall, in the West of England, by the end of October. The leaves die yellow.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.372/1884].

Vitis vinifera ‘Black Grape No.13’

‘No. 13 – Black Grape. Of the Pineau family, from Mr. Busby’s collections. (The No. lost, but supposed to be No. 50 or No. 51 of the private collection). Bears little bunches of very small berries, but very sweet; has all the appearance of being a good wine grape for cold districts.’ [Maro p.24/1844].

Vitis vinifera ‘Black Grape’

‘No. 32 - Black Grape (62/2, or No. 62 of the Luxemburg collection [of Busby], misnamed Bon Blanc in the catalogue). A vine of rather dwar?sh habit, but very productive, bunches large, berries of medium size, closely set, makes a good red wine of tolerably good color; should be planted as closely as the varieties of Pineau.’ [Maro p.28/1844].

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