Mystery Monday - Name That Tree!
Welcome to Mystery Monday! I've been battling a bit of powdery mildew and aphids on my patio fruit trees. I guess it's just that time of year. Last week's vine was the star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). Congrats to Jomo, Anand and Bria Designs (Facebook) for guessing correctly.
Your clues for this week:
- This tree is a member of the Phyllanthaceae family.
- It comes from eastern Australia.
- Turophiles might like this tree because of the name, so given because of the resemblance to small versions of this food.
Good luck!
Image by Tatters:) via FlickrMystery Monday - Name That Vine!
Happy Mystery Monday! The last shrub was the Hawaiian snow bush (Breynia nivosa). Congrats to Pat and Anand!
Your clues for this week:
- This vine is a member of the Apocynaceae (dogbane) Family.
- While the common names for this suggest it's a certain type of beautiful fragrant flower, it's not in the same family.
- It originally comes from China.
Good luck in guessing one of my favorite flowers!
Photo by doegox via FlickrApril Tree and Shrub Roundup
How is your garden growing right now? I just bought a coconut palm tree as an indoor plant. My patio is now home to 3 dwarf fruit trees. I am planting the seeds for my vegetable garden. Finally, I keep buying plants to decorate my new place. I love this time of year!
New articles this month:
Tree of the Week - Parrotia Persica
I have decided that someday I need to grow the Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) someday. In addition to interesting red flowers that pop out before the leaves and gorgeous fall color, there's a variety named 'Vanessa'. If you come across a plant variety with your name, I think it's a great idea to have fun by growing it and telling people it was named after you.
Parrotia persica is a small deciduous tree that adds color to your yard throughout the year. Have you grown one before?
Mystery Monday - Name That Shrub!
Happy Mystery Monday! Last week's fruit tree disease was peach leaf curl. Our correct guesses from Twitter were Lisa F and Tree_Monkey. Anand got it right in comments. A special shout out goes to my friends' 6 year old daughter. Without any help she looked at the picture and named it as a peach tree. It's a little gardener in training!
Ready for this week's shrub? Here are your clues:
- Part of a common name of this shrub might make you think this belongs in a colder region. However, another part of the same common name is the name of a tropical location, where this plant likes to grow. Think Zones 10-11.
- This makes an excellent specimen shrub with its green, pink and white leaves. The stems are red.
- This shrub belongs to the Euphorbia family. One relative of this plant is the pointsettia.
Good luck with this pretty shrub!
Photo © Flickr user Randy ReadMystery Monday - Name That Fruit Tree Disease!
Happy Mystery Monday! Last week's fruit was the lilikoi (Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa.) I tried many desserts flavored with this fruit when I was in Hawaii. Congrats to Val and RB Bhat.
Your clues for this week:
- This fruit tree disease is caused by a Taphrina fungus.
- Leaves may become red, curl and fall off.
- The flowers, twigs and fruit may also be affected.
Good luck in naming the mystery fruit tree disease!
Mystery Monday - Name That Fruit!
Welcome to Mystery Monday! Last week's tree was the flame of the forest (Butea monosperma). Our wonderful winners are Timothy, Anand, RB Bhat and Jeff. Congrats!
Your clues for this week:
- This fruit is native to South America, and this pictured fruit is from Hawaii. Many of the drinks and desserts there include it. This species can also have purple fruits.
- It grows on a liana.
Just two clues this week - good luck!
Image by pipiwildhead via FlickrDo You Know Your Botanical Latin? Take a Quiz
I once got a blog comment on my post about the Rose of Sharon. The reader said that Rose of Sharon was Hypericum calycinum, not Hibiscus syriacus as I had posted. We exchanged some emails and it turned out that she was from England, where Hypericum calycinum (we call it St. John's Wort) is indeed referred to as the Rose of Sharon. Here in the United States, we call Hibiscus syriacus by that name.
Common names can be quite confusing. Several plants may share the same common name, or one plant may have many common names. That's one reason that I suggest people learn botanical Latin when they can.
This system of naming plants means that (usually) each plant has one botanical Latin name that is used in all regions and languages. Some do have a few Latin names as scientists have worked over time on properly classifying plants based on relationships and genetics. Overall, though, it is far more consistent. Whether you call it yellow poplar or I call it tulip tree, we can both agree that it's Liriodendron tulipifera.
Botanical Latin is also useful because the names can give you an indication about features of the plant. For instance, as Marie Iannotti from Gardening points out in her Plant Naming Quiz that "You know pendula means hanging and alba means the plant will have some white in it, somewhere." Take her quiz and post your scores here. Good luck!
Shrub of the Week - Currant
Shrubs with edible fruit are a good choice for almost any garden, especially small ones. They can help reduce the grocery bill, attract wildlife, and even entice children to enjoy gardening since they get delicious results from their work.
Currants are no exception. They have long been used in jams, jellies, sauces, syrups, and a host of other recipes. Currant bushes grow to about 3-5' tall and wide, so it is not difficult to find room for them except for in the smallest gardens. Add some tasty delights to your yard with the currant, the shrub of the week.
After you grow some currants, why not try one of these recipes?
Photo © Wikimedia SelsoFruit of the Week - Honeycrisp Apple
When I was taking a Master Gardener class for fun, we had an apple tasting night. That was the first time I tried the fruit of the week - the Honeycrisp apple. It lived up to its name - sweet as honey and very crisp. I fell in love instantly.
As Honeycrisp.org notes, the Honeycrisp apple was developed in 1960 at the University of Minnesota when they crossed the Macoun and Honeygold varieties. Minnesota chose the Honeycrisp as their state fruit. I am finally seeing them show up at several grocery stores in my area. They are still a bit more expensive than the standard varieties since they are a little harder to grow. Worth it in my opinion, though!
Some recipes to try with Honeycrisp apples:
Have you tried the Honeycrisp apple? What do you think of it?
Image by Greene/Ellis via Flickr - Honeycrisp apple trees