Tuesday Terminology: Herbaceous

This term is usually in reference to the entire plant as a whole, but may also be used to describe individual plant parts. Use the root word 'herb' as a reminder of what this word means. Herbs are generally thought of as being soft and flexible (though some are woody, to be sure).

Herbaceous: Opposite of woody. A plant with soft tissue stems that often die back to the ground annually. Often a yellowish or green color of fleshy stem or plant part, rather than the hard brown stems of woody plants.

(Latin) Herbaceus

*Practice note: If you can easily pull it apart or bend it at the stem, it is (most likely) herbaceous. If it dies down in the summer or fall and emerges again in the spring; it is herbaceous. This term is most commonly used in reference to perennials, but may also describe annuals or biennials. Some Herbaceous perennials remain green year round, but they still shed leaves and stems on a regular basis, but it is not as dramatically noticeable as one that dies back all at once.

Monday Plant Feature

Featured Plant:

Name: Pyrus calleryana (Ornamental flowering pear, Callery pear)

1. Family: Rosaceae
2. Plant type: Medium sized tree
3. Exposure: Full sun
4. Branching pattern: Alternate
5. Habit: Species has an upright habit, to about 45-60 feet tall. Different named cultivars take on different habits; some are more spreading while others are narrow.
6. Foliage: Simple leaves, light glossy green in spring, emerging as flowers are blooming. Scarlet red in the fall. branches also sport thick thorns here and there.
7. Flowers: 5 petaled white flowers, unpleasant smell may be present.
8. Fruit: Small round ornamental pears. Persistent through winter, attracting birds.
9. Similar species: Pyrus communis (common pear), Pyrus pyrifolia (Chinese Sand Pear), Pyrus ussuriensis (Ussurian pear)
10. Other: Extremely tolerant of adverse conditions; heat, drought, and compacted soils. This makes them a suitable street tree. This tree looks great while in full bloom, then as the leaves emerge. The fall color is also vibrant, which is particularly notable in areas with less spectacular autumn colors. This tree is not a favorite of mine, but this is definitely the time of year to enjoy them!

Vanilla Orchids Cakes

The dogwoods are still blooming, but browning fast as other flowering trees take the spotlight. Here are some dogwood flowers that can be enjoyed any time of the year:

This gorgeous cake was created by Elizabeth Johnson, of Vanilla Orchid Cakes. As you can see, her cakes are absolutely amazing. Believe it or not, they actually taste as good as they look! Be sure to browse her site and check out her other cakes, including a variety of other botanical creations.

http://vanillaorchidcakes.com/index.htm

Blooming Witch Hazel

I am not going to officially feature this plant, or go into the specifics of identifying different species, but I didn't want this bloom season to pass completely without making mention of this fabulous plant.

Hamamelis (Witch hazel) - from the family Hamamelidaceae. Most common types planted in American gardens are Hamamelis x intermedia and Hamamelis mollis. The plant in the pictures is Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold's Promise.' It was photographed in early March in Washington, D.C.

Some witch hazels begin blooming as early as October, and we are now seeing the last few in bloom. They are a spectacular sight to see in the dead of winter! The flowers come in shades of yellow, rusty brown, and red. Many are quite fragrant. This is the same plant from which the witch hazel astringent is acquired.

Bedding Plant I.D.

Provided Information:

1. Photo:
2. Date: March
3. Location: Portland, Oregon
4. Plant type: herbaceous
5. Environment: flower bed
6. Exposure: appears to have good sun exposure
7. Scent: n/a
8. Other:

Identification:

1. Name: Brassica oleracea Flamingo Plumes (Ornamental kale, flowering kale, Flamingo plumes kale)
2. Family: Cruciferae (Brassicaceae)
3. Origin: Europe
4. Random facts: The kale plant in the photo has 'bolted,' meaning it has shot up in height and entered the flowering stage. Typically this is a less desirable state in the landscape, as it results in a leggy, faded, and less robust plant. While the plant in the photo is pretty in its own way, under better conditions it would be more compact, full, and with much more vibrant foliage colors. Bolting often occurs when they are planted too early in the fall, and the warm weather stimulated the plant to produce a flower stalk. Note: once flowering is completed, the plant will die. This biennial ornamental is usually treated as an annual and serves as a colorful winter bedding plant.

Monday Plant Feature

Featured Plant:

Name: Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud)

1. Family: Fabaceae (legume family)
2. Plant type: Small tree
3. Exposure: Sun or filtered shade
4. Branching pattern: Alternate, with a sort of zig-zag tendency at the branch tips.
5. Habit: Small tree, rounded but spreading canopy. Tree reaches 20-30 ft tall with a slightly wider spread.
6. Foliage: Cordate (heart shaped) leaves that start out a rosy red, purple, or bronze color but typically darken to a dark green, depending on the variety. Leaves are about 4-5 inches long/wide.
7. Flowers: Pink or white.flowers with a unique shape that is typical of plants in the legume (pea) family. Blooms early in the spring before leaves emerge. Flowers all along the delicate branches, and even on old wood (trunk and older parts of the branches)
8. Fruit: Much like flat pea pods, and about 3-4 inches in length; may be a bit messy.
9. Similar species: Cercis chinensis (Chinese redbud)
10. Other: Though the name suggests this tree is from Canada, it is really native to the United States. It exhibits good heat and cold tolerance, allowing it to be grown in zones 4-9.

Additional Photos

Last Monday's plant feature was the beautiful Loropetalum chinense, and we are now in the midst of their blooming season. I recently encountered a mass planting of much larger specimens and thought it was worthwhile to add them here to give a sense of perspective of how large they may grow in optimal conditions. I also included a few more detail shots of buds, flowers, fruit remnants, and leafing patterns. These are always important clues to look for when identifying a plant. Enjoy! See last week's feature here: http://namethatplant.blogspot.com/2009/03/monday-plant-feature_16.html

Springtime in Charleston!

My recent visits to Charleston, SC have been revealing little previews of what is to come. I have been noticing more and more azaleas, saucer magnolias, and camelias blooming, in addition to other flowering shrubs. I am sure it will only be another week or two before the city is exploding with color! I happened to catch this Cornus florida (Florida dogwood) in peak bloom, and thought I should share. Only a few days later it was already past its prime and beginning to brown. I was unable to get any detailed pictures because this tree was in a gated church yard, but hopefully I will get some up for a feature before the season is finished. One thing I have definitely noticed about the Florida dogwoods in this area, is that they seem to be much healthier and happier than those planted in Oregon. In Oregon it is rare to see a Cornus florida that is not stunted and afflicted with anthracnose, but it is no surprise given the cool, wet weather conditions in the Pacific Northwest. It is always refreshing to see such a potentially stunning plant in an appropriate climate/growing conditions.

Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub I.D.

Provided Information: 1)Photo(s):

2) Date: December 3) Location: Corvallis, Oregon 4) Plant type: woody shrub, upright and rounded 5)Environment: commercial landscape 6)Exposure: sun with filtered shade 7) Scent: none 8) Other: creamy colored splotches on leaves, spiny foliage Identification:

1. Name: Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki'
2. Family: Oleaceae
3. Origin: Japan
4. Random facts: Goshiki means 'five colors' in Japanese, and refers to the many colors that can be found on the foliage. The colors evolve and adapt as spring pushes to summer, and you may certainly see five distinguishable foliage colors if you paid attention throughout the year. Though tolerant to full sun conditions, this plant better retains its unique color year round when planted in the shade.

*Though similar in appearance, osmanthus is not in the same family as holly. A sure way to tell them apart is that osmanthus has opposite branching, and holly has an alternate branching pattern.

Tuesday Terminology:Simple vs. Compound Leaf

Here is set of essential vocab words to know for identifying plants. It is important to be able to look at a plant and determine what a single leaf consists of. Believe it or not, this can be trickier than it sounds. Here are the 2 most basic types:

Simple leaf: an undivided leaf; one piece beginning from a single bud.

(latin)simplicifolius - with simple leaves

Compound leaf: A single leaf divided into multiple leaflets, beginning from a single bud.

(latin) compositus - put together, made up, united, compound

*Practice note: To determine if you are looking at a simple or compound leaf, look for the originating bud at the base of the petiole (stem). A leaf always begins at the bud, but a leaflet will not be directly attached at the bud. There are many forms of compound leaves, so always be sure to look for the bud of origin. As the season goes on there will be more examples of simple and compound leaves, and they will be pointed out in future posts.

Monday Plant Feature

Featured Plant: Name: Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (redleaf Chinese fringe-flower,redleaf Chinese loropetalum)

1. Family: Hamamelidaceae (witch hazel family)
2. Plant type: Broadleaf evergreen shrub
3. Exposure: Sun or shade
4. Branching pattern: Alternate
5. Habit: Spreading and arching branches, creates a rounded yet flat topped shrub that may read 4-10 ft tall depending on the cultivar. Often grows wider in spread than it does in height.
6. Foliage: small simple leaves with a rosey glow. The degree of redness correlates to the moisture and fertility of the solid the individual plant is in.
7. Flowers: Strap-like petals, giving it the name 'fringe-flower.' generally in pink and red shades but also may be white. Clusters of 3-6 are located in the leaf axis. Spring flowers, fragrant.
8. Fruit: Insignificant part of the plant
9. Similar species: Loropetalum chinense (green leaf species of Chinese fringe-flower)
10. Other: Particularly common in Southern gardens, this plant is also gaining popularity in the Pacific Northwest and other areas of the country where it doesn't get too cold.

Herbaceous Perennial I.D.

Provided Information:

1. Photos:

2. Date: March
3. Location: Washington, D.C.
4. Plant type: Flowering perennial
5. Environment: Garden
6. Exposure: Shade with filtered sun
7. Scent: None
8. Other: Speckled flowers point down like a bell. Glossy dark green leaves are deeply divided with a palmate pattern.

Identification:

1. Name: Helleborus x hybridus (lenten rose, Christmas rose, hellebore). More specifically, this particular plant is likely to be Helleborus x hybridus 'Gold Finch' (Gold finch lenten rose), which is a newly developed variety which is clonally propagated via tissue culture.
2. Family: Ranunculaceae
3. Origin: China
4. Random facts: Though toxic, hellebores have mythical and medicinal associations dating back to the ancient Greeks. They are considered to be a powerful plant, partly owing to the fact that they bloom as early as December. If they are planted outside one's door, they are supposed to provide protection from demons. When brought indoors they supposedly bring security and a cheery environment. Ground up leaves have been used to treat children for worms, cure individuals who are presumed to be possessed of a demon, and even used as a poison on arrow tips.

Tuesday Terminology: Palmate

With the recent palmetto posts I decided it is time to clarify an important term for leaf analysis. Here are the definitions:

Palmate: describing the pattern of lobes or veins of a leaf that all attach to a central point on the stem or petiole.

(Latin) palmatim or palmatus: lobed or divided in the manner of an outspread hand with the sinuses between the lobes pointing to the place of attachment. In the case of the palm picture above, palmate refers to the leaflets of a single leaf that all attach at one point on the petiole. In the future we will also see other examples of leaves that have palmate lobes or veins, as in maple leaves. The Japanese aralia picture below is a good example of a palmately lobed leaf.

*Practice note: Just think of the palm of your hand. When you look at a palmate leaf, the pattern should resemble the shape of your open hand, with the fingers all radiating outward from the central palm.

Monday Plant Feature

Featured Plant:

Name: Sabal palmetto (Cabbage palm, palmetto)

1. Family: Arecaceae
2. Plant type: Evergreen tree
3. Exposure: Full sun, wind and salt tolerant.
4. Branching pattern: Alternate
5. Habit: Branches form a round crown, and lower fronds are dropped creating a smooth trunk. Can grow up to 90-100 ft in height.
6. Foliage: Palmate, though somewhat elongated as if it is partially pinnate, and arching as well. Grayish green in color.
7. Flowers: In large clusters; insignificant feature of this tree.
8. Fruit: large clusters of small black drupes.
9. Similar species: Sabal minor (dwarf palmetto), Serenoa repens (saw palmetto)
10. Other: Abundant in the coastal southeastern regions of the United States, it is the state tree of South Carolina and Florida. It is also pictured on the South Carolina state flag. The name 'cabbage palm' comes from the fact that the leaf buds can be harvested and eaten in salads or cooked as 'swamp cabbage.' However, harvesting the buds stunts the growth of the tree.