Trees & Shrubs

Your clues for this week:

• This is the larval stage of an insect in the Nymphalidae family.
• A genus of trees in the Cannabaceae family is the sole host for these caterpillars.
• The common name combines the name of the host tree with a type of ruler.

Good luck!

Happy Mystery Monday! Your clues:

• This shrub comes from Australia
• It belongs to the Proteaceae family
• The species name comes from the Latin word for an acorn-bearing tree.

Good luck!

New articles this month include:

• Deciduous and Evergreen Trees for Your Yard or Porch
• Serviceberry Trees and Shrubs
• Blue Blossom Ceanothus
• Bigleaf Magnolia
• Hong Kong Orchid Tree
• Red vein enkianthus
• Cedar of Lebanon
• Vine leaf maple

Your clues for this week:

• Though the common name might make you think this plant belongs to the Musaceae family, it is actually in Magnoliaceae.
• This evergreen shrub is native to China.
• The common name comes from the scent of the flowers.

Your clues for this week:

• We had this tree in one of our front yards in Southern California. We would tug off the fruits and crush the red outer shells.


• This tree is related to poison ivy, mangoes, and cashews


• This tree does so well in warm climates that it can be invasive. It's on the naughty list in Florida, for example.


• Part of the common name is a very familiar spice.

Good luck - I can't wait to see who wins this week!

• Sign up today for the Tree and Shrub Newsletter and RSS Feed


• Talk about everything to do with Trees and Shrubs in the Forum

Welcome to Mystery Monday! It's gray and drizzly here. Later this week I will have fun and plant my vegetable garden finally. As for last week's tree tool, we had a lot of people comment with the correct answer. It was indeed a fruit picker. You guide the tines above the fruit and pull carefully, making it drop into the basket below. Congratulations to Casey, Gloria, Robin, Stewart, Susan and Deanna!

Your clues for this week:

• This shrub is native to Japan and is part of the Ericaceae family. Charles Maries was the one who introduced it to the Western world by bringing it to England.
• The species name refers to the bell-shaped flowers and the common name refers to the crimson shade of the veins.
• If you want flowers that are red, look for the 'Sikokianus' variety.

Good luck!

It's getting warm enough here in Utah that I sometimes turn on the air conditioner. My cherry and peach/nectarine trees have bloomed. My banana tree keeps sending out new leaves. Spring definitely is my favorite time of year!

New profiles this month:

• American Beech
• Angelica Tree
• Arizona Cypress
• Black Chokeberry
• Black Gum
• Black Haw Viburnum
• Bur Oak
• Chaste Tree

Welcome to Mystery Monday! Last week's palm tree was the Chilean wine palm (Jubaea chilensis). I have heard the name coquitos used for the fruit, since they look and taste like tiny coconuts. Our winners were Chuck, Gloria and Anand. Great job!

For this week, there are no clues beyond the fact that this is a tree tool. Can you tell me when you would use it? Good luck!

It's a rainy Mystery Monday here. Last week's liana was the gorgeous jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys). Our winners were Gloria and John (the latter commented on the jaboticaba's turn at Mystery Monday). Congrats!

Your clues for this week:

• This palm tree is the only one in its genus.
• It is endemic to Chile, which is part of a common name.
• The fruits look and taste like tiny coconuts.

Good luck!

It's one of my favorite times of the year! I've been keeping a watchful eye on my fruit trees and the peach/nectarine combo has buds that are starting to appear. The apple tree is also getting ready for spring. Soon I'll be ordering alpine strawberries and hardy kiwi vines to add to my collection of edibles. What are you getting ready to plant?

New articles this month:

• Bog Rosemary
• Cucumber Tree
• English Oak
• Gardening by Cuisine Review and Recipes
• London Plane Tree
• Red Chokeberry
• Seven Son Flower
• Winter Daphne