Home › Contents › Shrubs for Forcing in Water

Shrubs for Forcing in Water

plants for forcing in water. All sorts of currants are likely to be successful, even including the common black currant of our gardens. The dogwoods, especially the cornelian cherry, should not be overlooked. The fruit trees, such as apples, plums, cherries, and pears, may all be forced though they respond slowly and require several weeks' time and much patience. The lilacs do not seem to respond easily to forcing in water, nor do the magnolias. There are many common sorts of shrubs, some of which are listed below, which will provide flowers or catkins.

In general, those woody plants which flower first in the spring are the ones easiest to force in water. Those which require a longer period to develop flowers from the buds are not forced successfully. LIST OF SHRUBS FOR FORCING IN WATER IN EARLY SPRING Generally speaking, flowers of all early-blooming shrubs, flowering upon wood of previous season, can be forced. The branches may be cut any time after January; but the best results are obtained when the branches are cut after the sap begins to run. Place the branches in water and spray tops several times daily to force bloom. Amelanchier (white and pink) Shad-bush Caragana frutescens (yellow) Siberian Pea Shrub Cercis canadensis (pink) Red-bud Chaenomeles japonica (pink and red) Japanese Quince Colutea arborescens (light yellow) Bladder Senna Cornus mas (light yellow) Cornelian Cherry Corylus americana (brown) Hazelnut Deutzia gracilis (white) Slender Deutzia Forsythia (all sorts) (yellow) Golden Bell Kerria japonica (yellow) Globe-flower Lonicera fragrantissima (pink and white) Early Fragrant Honeysuckle Philadelphus (all sorts) (white) Mock Orange Prunus cerasus (pink) Flowering Cherry Prunus triloba (pink) Flowering Plum Pyrus halliana parkmani Parkman's Crab Ribes aureum (yellow) Flowering Currant Salix caprea (grey) Goat Willow Spiraea arguta (very fine) (white) Hybrid Snow Garland