Southern Gardens

Thornton F Jordan Ph.D.

Additional Period flowers
Some in this list duplicate those grown by Jefferson and Washington, but most are additional possibilities gleaned from three books--Early American Gardens (1970); American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century (1976); American Gardens in the 19th Century (1987)--by Ann Leighton. U. Mass Press. Since the 19th-century list covers the entire century, and pre-1850 varieties are not singled out by Leighton, I have indicated which were known to be as early as the18th century in parentheses (18). Also, I have put the common names first in this list. I have repeated a few grown at Westville, or Monticello, or Mount Vernon when Leighton provides information about origins and dates of introduction.

agave (18) - Century plant
ageratum
amaryllis (18)
anemone known to Greeks, Persians; “Japanese” anemone sent to England in 1844 by Robert Fortune, who saw them growing on Chinese tombs
astilbe means without brilliance; disc. in China in 1860
autumn crocus
balloon flower Platycodon campanulaceae Chinese type first described by German professor in court of Catherine the Great. Japanese type disc. by Charles Maries (no date)
bee balm (18) Moanarda didema
[begonia not important garden flower until 19th century, many available around 1865]
blazing star (18) Liatris sicata
bleeding heart from China after 1842
bluebell also called Virginia bluebell, English bluebell, Spanish hyacinth , scilla; Mertensia virginica,etc. Virginia bluebell sent back to Europe from American colonies
butterfly weed
butterfly bush, or summer lilac Buddleia loganicaceae; shrub type Buddleia globosa intro to England from Peru 1774. The hardy buddleia intro. later from Asia. Buddleia davidii sent to Kew in 1887]
burning bush, or Wahoo(18) Euonymus atropupurea
candleberry (18) Myrica cerifa
camellia first sent to England in 1705. Arrived in America in late 18th cent.

cassia (18) Cassia fasciculata, or Georgia Cluster Pea, or Partridge Pea
cassia (18) Cassia marilandica, or Wild Senna
China aster
Chinaberry tree (18)
chrysanthemum
columbine (18)
Crabapple (18)
cross vine (18) Bignonia capreolata
cyclamen (18)
dahlia
deutzia [note: Leighton is wrong on date--mentioned in 1854 by American letter to Natchez Daily Courier; see Stritikus article]
American larkspur (18) Delphinium nuttalianum Oregon and northern Calif. D. exaltum
D. carolinianum D. ajacis (annual English garden) [gigantic hybrids came later]
eggplant (18)
evening primrose American native, into Europe in 17th
everlasting flower Helichrysum compositae
flowering almond (18) Prunus tribola
flowering tobacco Nicotiana
foxglove(18) Digitalis
genseng (18) Panax quinquefolium
geranium (18) formerly Pelargonium. S Africa, late 18th
gladiolus
loxinia
hollyhock
horminum sage
hyacinth
hydrangea intro 1788
[Impatiens sultanii “Busy Lizzie” in England sent to Europe from Zanzibar in 1865]
ixia (18)
kalmia (18)
kerria intro to England by William Kerr, sent from Kew to China by William Banks
lobelia blue lobelia from South Africa in 1800s Lobelia cardinalis, native to North America. Lobelia siphilitica
Jerusalem artichoke (18)
Joe-pye weed (18) Eupatorium purpureum
leucothoe (18)
liverwort (18) Hepatica tribola
lobelia (18) L. cardinalis and syphlitica
love-in-a-mist (18) Nigella damascena. Jefferson’s nutmeg. Fennel flower”
lupines (18) (see p. 450)
mayapple (18) Podophylum peltatum
majorum
marigold (18) Calendula officinalis. With discovery in Mexico of Tagetes erecta, called “French marigolds,” calendulas became “pot marigolds”

“myrtle” (18) common name for vinca major and minor
nasturtium (18) Tropaeolum majus. “Indian cress”
okra 18) Hibiscus esculentus; wild in West Indies
oleander (18) Nerium oleander
pansy (18) Viola tricolor
papaw (18) Asimina tribola (American) “Custard apple”
passion flower (18) Passiflora incarnata, and lutea
penstemon
periwinkle (18) Vinca minor
persimmon
petunia (19)
creeping phlox Phlox subalta
pomegranate (18) Punica granatum
Pride of China tree (18) Melia azederach
privet

purple coneflower Echinea purpurea
pyracantha , or firethorn (18) P. coccinea
rose campion (18) Lychnis coronaria
rose of Sharon (18) Hibiscus syracus
rosemary (wild) (18) Ledum palustre
rhubarb (18) Rheum rhaponticum
sassafras (18) Laurus sassafrasas
snowflake (18) Leucojum vernum
sourwood tree Olydendrum arboreum
scabiosa
spiderwort
strawflower
Texas sage
tulip tree
viburnum Viburnum tinnis
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica
weeping willow (18) Salix babylonica
white campion (18) Lychnis alba
wild ginger (18) Asarum
witchhazel (18)
zinnia (species) Z. multiflora; from Mexico; in gardens in late 18th
California poppy was cause of Spanish calling California the “Golden West.”
Poppy taken back to Russia around 1818

Trees and plants known to be in the South by 1855 as mentioned in Cotton Planter Vol.3 (1855) :381-4. [see article by George R. Stritikus, extension horticulturist, Auburn U. in Magnolia: Bulletin of the Southern Garden History Society XII.4(Fall 1996). Letter containing info originally published as letter to the editor, Natchez Daily Courier, Oct 24, 1854.

Laurier Amandier Cerarus Caroliniensis
myrtles (probably wax myrtles)
China tree (may be Chinaberry tree)
water oak
live oak
cork oak Quercus suber
holly-leaved oak
cut-leaved turkey oak (may be Quercus laevis)
Imperial Paulownia
varnish tree (Stericlua platynifolia); modern name Firmiana simplex
croton tree [ i.d not certain]
everlasting China [ i.d not certain]
flowering acacia (Acacia julibrissin); modern name Albizzia julibrissin
scarlet maple
ash-leaved maple, or box elder (Negundo)
Southern cypress
weeping willow (Salix babylonica ‘Crispa’ or sometimes ‘Annularis’ introduced 1730.;the more commonly seen Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’ not introduced until 1923
ginko Ginko biloba
double-flowering peach
pecan
mountain ash, or Rowan tree
large-leaved magnolia M. macrophylla, Magnolia grandiflora,

Ilex holly Ilex vomitaria
“long-leaf or Old-field pine” (long-leaf is Pinus palustris; old-field is Loblolly or Pinus taeda)
Norway spruce Picea abies
red cedar Juniper virginiana (actually a juniper--ie., has berries, not cones)
Great Indian Cedar Cedrus deodora
Cedars of Lebanon
Cryptomeria Japonica
Cunninghamii Sinensis
Chili pine Arancaria imbricata
American arbor vita Thuja occidentalis
viburnum Viburnum tinus var. ‘Lucidum’
viburnum tinus
photynia Japanese Hawthorn or smooth-leaved photynia (mod. Japanese photynia Photynia glabra)
holly-leaved photynia P. serrulata
pittisporums, evergreen and variegated
fragrant olive, or tea olive Olea fragrans
Chinese privet Ligustrum lucidum wax-leaved privet
Japan plum Eriobotyria (Meapilus) Japonica; modern name Eriobotyria Japonica, or Loquat

Cape jessamine gardenia (modern name)
dwarf gardenia Gardenia radicans
Fortune’s new Chinese gardenia Gardenia fortunii
Fringe Tree ,or Venetian sumac, or Mist tree (Fringe tree or Grancy Greybeard is Chionanthus virginicus; but could be lilac-chaste tree, Vitex agnus-castus)
deutzia
crape myrtle
double-flowering pomegranates
forsythias
honeysuckles
lilacs
snowballs
syringas (or Mock Orange) (native is Philadelphus inodorus and has no fragrance; Philadelphus coronarius looks like native but is strongly scented)
ivy
broom (probably Scotch broom Cytisus scoparius)

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Period Medicinal Plants

Sorrell Rumex acetosa
Coriander
Camomile
Comfrey
Maidenhair fern
Horehound
Liverwort Hepatica americana
Marigold Calendula officinalis
Majorum
Mustard Brassica nigra
Monk’s rhubarb Rumex patientia
Plantain Plantago major
Rhubarb Rheum rhaponticum
Summer savory Satureia hortensis
Scurvy grass Cochlearia offic.
Solomon’s seal
Tansy
Tarragon
Valerian V. offic.
Jacob’s ladder Poleminium caeruleum
Wallflowers

Medicinal Plants listed in Doctor’s Office at Westville

Witch hazel
Calamus
Sumac
Wild onion
Wintergreen
Wild garlic
Wild ginger
Sheep sorrel
Poke
Sassafras
Wild cherry
Wood sorrel
Cassina (Ilex)
Redroot
Maiden’s bedstraw
Yellow dock
Shepherd's purse
Blue vervain
Catnip
Heal-all
Horsemint
Mullein
Dog Fennel
Dandelion
Rabbit tobacco
Butterfly weed
Ginseng
Indian pipe
Boneset
Bloodroot
Blackberry