Ben Ford wrote the following back on March 9:

>Once the types of plants to look for have been named, is there a
>particularly good book to help with identifying these species in the field?

Ben, I too am finding it hard to find good identification guides.  The
problem with most of the regional guides is that they only cover native
plants.  However, I have found two moderately useful books for the
southeast.    One I would recommend to everyone just for entertaining
reading.  Its called "Passalong Plants" by Steve Bender & Felder Rushing,
Univ. of North Carolina Press. (what a great book!) According to the books
cover:  "Passalongs are plants that have survived in gardens for decades by
being handed from one person to another.  These are botanical heirlooms..."
I find that these are the plants, shrubs, & trees that can no longer be
found in your local garden center, but your grandmother might have a few of
them growing in her back yard.  Many of them are also  the hardy plants
still growing on very old abandoned house sites.

Another helpful book for me has been "Plants of Colonial Williamsburg" by
Joan Parry Dutton, CWF 1979.  It doesn't discriminate against native or
introduced species, and usually tells you which is which and where the plant
originally came from.   Even though I've moved from Tidewater Virginia to
the blackbelt of Alabama, I still find myself reaching for this book because
I can't find anything like for my area and often the survivor plant I'm
looking for can be found on its pages.

I too would love to hear other suggestions for identification guides for
older varieties of introduced plants.

SECONDLY,...  is anyone on the listserave an expert on old fashioned roses?
or grafting?  The site I work on is covered in many different types of
"shrub" roses, but I'm a bit worried about our initial identification of
these varieties.  Someone mentioned to me that quite often showy rose
varieties are grafted onto a hardy root stock.  So,....., if this is
true.... does that mean that a 150 years after the fact, I am looking a rose
that is a product of the root stock, rather than the graft?  Perhaps I'm not
looking at a rose that is at all similar to the one enjoyed by the historic
occupant of my site??    And.... I suppose this might also apply to fruit
trees?  Or ornamental shrubs like the ancient camellia in my back yard that
has a different color bloom on different branches.  (gee, perhaps I'll try
severely pruning the thing and see what variety of camellia I have next
year!)


Linda Derry, Director
Old Cahawba - AHC
719 Tremont St.
Selma, AL 36701 - 5446
ph. 334/875-2529 / email: [log in to unmask]