Monday Plant Feature

Featured Plant:

Name: Chionanthus virginicus (fringtree)

1. Family: Oleaceae
2. Plant type: Woody shrub
3. Exposure: Full sun or filtered shade. Makes a great understory plant.
4. Branching pattern: Opposite
5. Habit: Loose, open habit that is somewhat varied from plant to plant. 12 to 25 ft.
6. Foliage: Medium to dark green, simple, elliptical leaves. Deciduous.
7. Flowers: White, drooping flowers with 4-5 petals that look like silky ribbons.
8. Fruit: Clusters of bluish-black 1/2 inch drupes; ripen in early autumn.
9. Similar species: Chionanthus retusus (Chinese fringetree)
10. Other: Clonal propagation of this Southeastern native is difficult, so expect seedlings to vary.

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.