Flora Wonder Blog: Charles Maries, a Veitch Nursery Plant Collector

Charles Maries

Charles Maries (1851-1902) was an English plant collector who was active in Japan and China in 1877-1879, working for the internationally famous Veitch Nursery firm. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's town) and attended grammar school where the Head-master, Professor Henslow, instilled in him a love of botany. After graduating Maries worked at his brother's small nursery for seven years, then went on to employment with Veitch and Sons at Chelsea. Due to his hard work and enthusiasm he was selected to explore and collect seed of Japanese coniferous trees, and then to visit the Yangtze Valley in China to procure plants hardy for English gardens.

Viburnum mariesii

Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Mariesii'

Maries discovered more than 500 new taxa, yet he was never considered one of the heavyweight collectors in the Far East such as was Robert Fortune, E.H. Wilson, Armand David, George Forrest and others. Nevertheless he introduced some outstanding plants that are now rather common in today's landscapes. One such is Viburnum mariesii, or at least that was the name when I first acquired it, but now it is classified as V. plicatum f. tomentosum 'Mariesii'. It is noted for dense, horizontal branches that are loaded with lace-cap white flowers (non-fragrant) that bloom profusely in April-May. I confess that I have never grown the form, but I see it frequently in western Oregon landscapes, often adorning large-campus corporate buildings. The flower clusters appear in two rows or files, hence the common name of “double file viburnum.” In general viburnums are considered cheap shrubs that attract root weevils, so they are sparse in my collection, but when in flower I find them quite elegant. Plantsmen who champion the genus offer the advice: “Viburnum when you can mulch em?”

Enkianthus campanulatus in the Japanese wild

Enkianthus campanulatus from Temple Garden

With botanists Thunberg, Siebold and others preceding Maries in Japan, it's surprising that it took until 1880 for Maries to introduce the garden gem Enkianthus campanulatus. I have seen the species myself in the Japanese wild, and in autumn the foliage screams loudly with orange-to-red-to-purple coloration. In spring the multi-branched ericaceous shrub is festooned with cheerful, bell-shaped flowers – hence campanulatum – that range in color from white to deep red.

Abies mariesii

Abies sachalinensis

Abies veitchii 'Glauca'

From southern Honshu at Yokohama Maries proceeded northward by land to northern Honshu at Awomori [sic], now known as Aomori for “blue forest,” but also the name can mean “green forest” since the Japanese inexplicably describe the colors blue and green interchangeably. There, Maries discovered a new conifer in a city garden which was native to a nearby mountain. He collected seed and the English nurseryman, garden designer and amateur botanist William Masters eventually coined the name of Abies mariesii. It can also be found further south at Nikko, growing in company with Abies veitchii which Maries also introduced. Masters described A. mariesii as a “fine Abies [that] will prove an important addition to our park and landscape trees...” Masters continues, “Young plants growing in our nursery at Coombe Wood show characters perfectly distinct from every other fir in cultivation.” Well, maybe distinct to the botanist, but not so much for me. Also, near Aomori, Maries discovered yet another species, Abies sachalinensis, which botanist Masters described as “one of the most valuable conifers of recent introduction.” For what it's worth, I've only encountered the three Maries's species in American or in European arboreta, but never in any city landscape. In The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs (2019) Abies veitchii is described as a “handsome species,” a favorite “silver-backed” fir. I take the “silver-back” to mean the needle undersides, which are ornamentally conspicuous when looking up from beneath a large specimen, and the silvery undersides contrast nicely with the upper needle color, especially with the cultivar A. veitchii 'Glauca'.

Rhododendron indicum 'Kinu no hikari'

The specific epithet for Rhododendron indicum would suggest that it is native to India, however Maries discovered and introduced it from southern Japan. The relatively hardy (0F – 10F) evergreen shrub features white-to-salmon-pink flowers with petals that are similar in shape to the green leaves. The cultivar 'Kinu no hikari' is particularly riotous when blooming, and the specimen above surely impresses the crowd when displayed at the Pacific Rim Bonsai exhibit in Washington state. Frankly, it's so colorful that one wonders if it's a fake made from plastic.

Styrax obassia

From the same region as the Rhododendron indicum Maries also discovered Styrax obassia and introduced it in 1879. The fragrant white flowers are larger than with the common Styrax japonicus, but even when not blooming its large, light-green, broadly ovate leaves are attractive. The autumn foliage is light-yellow; then in winter one can appreciate the grayish trunk which begins to exfoliate when the tree is about five years old. We used to grow Styrax obassia in the field, and young one-gallon starts would grow to at least 12' tall in five years, so it was a very profitable USDA zone 5 crop. I suppose it's only a matter of time when someone discovers a form with purple leaves, or maybe a weeper, or maybe one with pink flowers as with the S. japonicus species. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden's Plant Finder website: “The genus name [Styrax] comes from the classical Greek name derived from a Semitic name for these resin producing plants.” Hmm...I've cut plenty of scionwood for S. japonicus but I never noticed them to produce a resin. As usual, my Japanese wife Haruko to the rescue: her research suggests Styrax means “calm fragrance,” with another theory indicating it's Arabic for “tear drop,” and I guess the seed capsules do dangle down as if shedding tears. The Plant Finder says that the specific epithet obassia is a “Japanese name.” That explanation didn't satisfy me at all since obassia is certainly not a Japanese word. The Euros Siebold and Zuccarini are credited with the obassia name, but something was lost in the translation. Haruko claims that the specific epithet should be oba (“big leaf”) jishi (“lettuce”), and it's true that if you peel off a leaf of iceberg lettuce it would resemble the Styrax leaf in both shape and color. The Japanese common name, however, is not oba jishi, but rather haku un boku for “white cloud tree,” due to its large ornamental flowers.

Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Iwa garami'

Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Moonlight'

Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Roseum'

Schizophragma hydrangeoides is another Japanese species that was first described by Siebold and Zuccarini, but it was Maries who encountered it in Hokkaido and sent seed to the Veitch company for introduction. The climber roots readily from softwood cuttings under mist in summer but sales weren't strong for the straight species. We never had any trouble selling the cultivar 'Moonlight' however; and what a great name since the blue-green leaves feature a shimmer of silver. Also, the cultivar 'Roseum' is an easy sell, which Hillier describes as “a lovely form with rose-flushed bracts,” and its autumn foliage is attractive as well. Schizophragma is in the hydrangea family (Hydrangeaceae) hence the specific epithet, while the genus name, not surprisingly, is derived from Latin schizein for “split” and achyron for “chaff,” with chaff meaning the scale-like parts of the flowers.

Hamamelis mollis

Shamisen

Hamamelis mollis is the Chinese witch hazel, and to quote Hillier: “Perhaps the handsomest of all witch hazel species and deservedly popular. First introduced by Charles Maries in 1879.” Not only did he discover a new species, he even made the cultivar introduction of 'Coombe Wood'. “A spreading form with large flowers. Scent strong and sweet. Autumn color yellow.” The mollis species combines with H. japonica to form H. x intermedia, the cross being first observed at the Arnold Arboretum of Boston. Director Alfred Rehder coined the epithetic name; he wasn't very imaginative, was he? Nevertheless the greatest number of Hamamelis cultivars available to the market are from the hybrid, even though the cross is not a particular improvement over the parents themselves, at least in my opinion. The time Maries spent in China was short from two visits, and the reason is that he didn't enjoy the rough landscape, especially the dangerous rivers, and most importantly he disliked the Chinese people themselves, and the feeling was mutual. In contrast he was happy and well-liked in Japan. He impressed the locals with his riflemanship, and also he was a talented musician who learned to play the Japanese shamisen, a type of banjo.

Daphne genkwa 'Hackenberry Group'

When Maries first arrived in China in 1877 he was anxious to track down a beautiful lilac (Syringa) in Ningpo, the territory where Robert Fortune was based for a time previously. He couldn't find any lilac in that area, but when he was in Shanghai later he was waiting to buy tickets for his trip to Japan. A Chinese man walked by carrying a bunch of lilac-colored flower stems and he was persuaded to lead Maries to a local nursery-garden where he discovered Daphne genkwa, not a lilac. According to Hillier: “Introduced in 1843 from China by Robert Fortune. Long cultivated in Japan for decorative purposes and cut flowers.” If Maries is to be given credit for introducing new species, it sometimes meant that he wasn't technically the first, rather the first to collect in abundant numbers. I grew the beautiful species for a number of years, but ultimately it became problematic as we would tend to overwater, and if you placed three plants in the ground you would be lucky to have one still alive after ten years. The epithet genkwa is the Japanese pronunciation of its Chinese name Yuan hua (Yuan flower). The gardener should not be careless with D. genkwa, for all parts of the plant are poisonous, and it has even been used as a pesticide.

Acer maximowiczianum

Acer 'Cinnamon Flake'

Acer maximowiczianum used to be known as Acer nikoense and Maries encountered it at Nikko, as did I in their sprawling botanic garden twenty-plus years ago, before I was married to Haruko. The specific epithet honors Carl Johann Maximowicz who discovered it in 1860s, but it was Maries who introduced it in production numbers. The species is notable for its trifoliate leaves which turn to brilliant reddish hues in autumn. A. maximowiczianum will cross with the similar Acer griseum, but the resulting hybrids display less exfoliation – famous for A. griseum – but the trunks are attractively furrowed and somewhat peeling. I grow the cultivar 'Cinnamon Flake', and with the A. max. influence the vigorous clone has been dubbed a “griseum on steroids.” There are other cultivars of the hybrid as well, one known as 'Gingerbread', a cute name, but I've never grown it. The maple novice should be alerted that confusion could arise between the similarly named A. maximowiczianum and A. maximowiczii, for they are two very different species. The botanists of yore were not helpful in that regard.

Acer carpinifolium

Acer carpinifolium 'Esveld Select'

Acer carpinifolium is the “Hornbeam maple,” an attractive species with leaves totally resembling the Carpinus genus. I grow a specimen at Flora Farm and I enjoy the fresh-green leaves in spring, the golden-brown color in fall, and the very autumnish seed panicles which persist into winter. There is a wonderful selection from Esveld Nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands that features highly serrated leaves, and was named 'Esveld Select'. To propagate an A. carpinifolium cultivar one must either root it – soft wood cuttings under mist in summer – or by grafting. Brian Humphrey in The Bench Grafter's Handbook advises that a suitable rootstock could be “A. davidii or others in the Macrantha section,” and he further comments that “A. palmatum is also said to produce a compatible union.” I've never tried A. palmatum as rootstock, and I'd like to inspect the graft union twenty or thirty years later. Maries discovered the Hornbeam maple on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan and introduced it in 1879.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

According to Sue Shephard in her biography Seeds of Fortune, a story that discusses the Veitch dynasty's plant collectors such as Maries, Cercidiphyllum japonicum was collected by him in Hokkaido about the same time (1879) as Acer carpinifolium. Hillier says the Katsura was introduced in 1881, the year after Maries left Japan for good, so I don't understand the date discrepancy. In any case the medium-to-large-sized species has more dwarf forms such as 'Boyd's Dwarf', globe-shaped such as 'Heronswood Globe', weeping selections like 'Morioka Weeping' and others. We have collected C.j. 'Strawberry' with new leaves that emerge maroon, turning to green by summer, then strawberry-red in autumn. Besides the fantastic autumn foliage, at the same time the tree emits a sweet, burnt-sugar aroma. The genus name Cercidiphyllum refers to the resemblance of the broadly oval leaves to the Cercis genus. Hillier says “the affinities of the genus have been disputed. It has been thought to be related to either Euptelea or Liriodendron,” and the discussion will keep contending botanists well occupied.

Chimonobambusa quadrangularis - from Lewis Bamboo, AL

The final Maries introduction that I find of great interest is the “Square bamboo,” Chimonobambusa quadrangularis. I've never grown it – I've never been a bamboo guy – but I would love to watch the non-hardy species develop in a heated greenhouse. I don't own a nursery anymore, but I still haven't lost the drive to collect plants. Maries must have been delighted to introduce such a rarity even though its not winter hardy.

Brian Humphrey receiving the Victoria Medal of Honour in 2013

Charles Maries accomplished a lot in the two years in the Orient, especially since he was sidelined for two months after suffering sunstroke. I don't know, but I kind of imagine the man was a prissy wimp in comparison with many of the other Veitch collectors. Maybe that's not fair, but after returning to England in 1880, in 1882 he accepted a post in India, on recommendation by Sir Joseph Hooker, as Superintendent of the gardens of the Maharajah of Darbhanga. In 1897 Maries was honored with the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour, one of the first 60 recipients to be awarded. Sadly, Maries died at age 51 from a kidney stone in India, leaving behind a wife and three children. The Veitch firm summed up their plant collector as “enthusiastic, but lacked staying power.”

Mahonia mairei

Mahonia duclouxiana (syn. mairei)

P.S. I have a plant of Mahonia mairei next to the driveway at Flora Farm, so I see it at least two times per day. I always assumed that it was another Maries collection, but I did considerable research on the matter and can find no connection; and besides, why would the epithet be mairei and not mariesii? One nugget of information that I gleaned (from plantsman Dan Hinkley) is that Mahonia mairei and Mahonia duclouxiana are synonymous.

Sources for this blog, i.e. those whom I plagiarize, are The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs (2019), Sue Shephard's Seeds of Fortune (2003), Hortus Veitchii (1906), Bretschneider's History of European Botanical Discoveries in China (1903), Veitch's Manual of the Coniferae (1881) and The Bench Grafter's Handbook (2019) by Brian Humphrey. Though I couldn't solve the Mahonia mairei question, all of these publications stand on their own merit as enjoyable reads.

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My hobby has long been The Whence of Plants, for all of them have a story.

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Monday, April 22, 2024

Charles Maries, a Veitch Nursery Plant Collector

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