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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Daphne collina Sm.
Fully hardy, domed, many-branched, dense, evergreen shrub with obovate, glossy leaves, hairy beneath, and terminal clusters of up to 15 strongly scented, deep purplish pink flowers becoming paler with age, to 8mm across, with silky-haired tubes, in spring and summer. To 50cm. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Daphne genkwa Sieb. & Zucc.
Fully hardy, upright, open, deciduous shrub with opposite, lance-shaped leaves, silky when young, and axillary clusters of 2-7 fragrant lilac flowers, borne before the leaves in spring. To 1.5m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Daphne laureola L.
Fully hardy, bushy, evergreen shrub with inversely lance-shaped leaves and axillary clusters of up to 10 slightly fragrant, yellowish pale green flowers in late winter and spring, followed by fleshy black fruit. To 1m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Daphne mezereum L.
Fully hardy, upright, deciduous shrub with inversely lance-shaped leaves and lateral clusters of 2-4 fragrant, pink to purplish pink flowers covering the previous year’s shoots, in late winter and spring, before the leaves, followed by spherical, red, poisonous fruit. To 1.2m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Daphne odora Thunb.
Frost hardy, rounded, evergreen shrub with inversely lance-shaped leaves and terminal or axillary clusters of 10-15, fragrant, deep purple-pink and white flowers, to 1.5cm across, from winter to spring. To 1.5m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Daphne odora Thunb. var. variegata
See Daphne odora Thunb. for a description of the species. Variegata has variegated leaves and white flowers. [JD]. Forms such as ‘Aureomarginata’, synonym ‘Marginata’, having leaves with narrow, irregular yellow margins, and red-purple flowers, paler and sometimes almost white within, are still available, and probably derived from the 1800 introduction. [RHSE, Hilliers’, Hortus].
Daphne pontica L.
Evergreen shrub with glossy obovate leaves, to 8cm long, and paired, spidery, fragrant, yellowish-green flowers arising from the base of young shoots. To 1.5m. [RHSD, Hilliers’].
Daphne x hybrida Lindl.
Probably a hybrid between Daphne collina Sm., which see, and Daphne odora Thunb., which see. Fully hardy, small, bushy shrub with the beauty and fragrance of Daphne odora, with reddish-purple, very fragrant flowers almost throughout the year in favourable conditions, but particularly in spring and autumn. To 1.2m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Datura metel L.
Datura metel is a frost tender annual species with greenish stems in yellow-flowered plants and purplish in darker forms, and upright, dark purple, blue, white or yellow trumpet-shaped flowers, white to pale violet inside, frequently double or triple, in summer. To 1.5m. [RHSD, Hortus]. Fastuosa has dark foliage and double or triple flowers, purple on the outside, paler within.
The RHSD [1951] commented that Datura fastuosa was perhaps a hybrid of D. cornigera with D. chlorantha but I have not seen this substantiated.
Datura metel L. var. elegans
See Datura metel L. for a discussion of the species. Datura metel is a variable species, this is probably a cultivar or form with improved flowers. I have found no specific description.
Datura metel L. var. purpurea
‘Brugmansia purpurea’ was probably a purple-flowered form of Datura metel L., which see. I have found no specific reference to this plant.
Dendranthema x grandiflorum ‘Blush Ranunculus’
A cultivar of Dendranthema x grandiflorum Kitam. Ranunculus flowered Chrysanthemum. ‘Of short firm, stature, and fine-formed early flower, of a blush colour, and peculiar neatness of form.’ It existed in two varieties. [FC p.73/1833].
Dendranthema x grandiflorum ‘Buff’
A cultivar of Dendranthema x grandiflorum Kitam. A Ranunculus flowered chrysanthemum. Possibly the variety listed as var. salmon in the catalogues. ‘Also called the Orange. Resembles the preceding [Small Flat Yellow] in every thing but colour.’ The Small Flat Yellow was described as shortish in growth with small, expanded, early flowers, neat and regular in habit. [MB p.90/1834].
Dendranthema x grandiflorum ‘Changeable Pale Buff’
A cultivar of Dendranthema x grandiflorum Kitam. Marigold flowered chrysanthemum. ‘This plant when flowering is one of the most showy and splendid in the group; but this has not been the case during the autumn of 1832; all the flowers, and in the various gardens which met the authors eye, being as it were, degenerated into almost half-coloured and spuriously quilled flowers, of more upright appearance than the large, expanded flat-petalled, variegated purple-whitish and yellow buffy ones so sharply depicted in the figure cited. [Horticultural Transactions, London Horticultural Society, 1807]. They are of the middle season.’ [FC p.73/1833].
Dendranthema x grandiflorum ‘Curled Lilac’
A cultivar of Dendranthema x grandiflorum Kitam. Incurving ranunculus flowered chrysanthemum. ‘It grows tall, and flowers early, and is an elegant plant.’ [FC p.73/1833].
