Category Archives: Vegetation

How many names for Bergenia crassifolia do you know?

• Bergenia crassifolia are evergreen flowing plants native to Asia, in the central to eastern areas.
• Bergenia crassifolia are from the family Saxifragaceae, a family of flowering plants that have both female and male reproductive organs, and are radially symmetrical.
• ‘Bergenia crassifolia’ is also known as ‘Siberian tea’, ‘pig-squeak’, badan’, ‘Mongolian tea’, ‘winter-blooming bergenia’, ‘leather bergenia’ and ‘elephant’s ears’.
• ‘Crassifolia’ in the word ‘Bergenia crassifolia’ refers to the thick, spoon shaped leaves of the plant, and ‘crass’ and ‘folia’ are Latin for ‘thick’ and ‘leaves’ respectively.
• Bergenia crassifolia are very hardy plants and grow best in full sun, but can also grown in part shade.

• Bergenia crassifolia flowers are small and coloured pink, and grow in clusters on single stems that sit above the leaves.
• Bergenia crassifolia have large leaves that can make a pig like noise when rubbed together, hence the common name ‘pig-squeak’, and are coloured green, and can turn a red brown colour in cool weather.
• Bergenia crassifolia blooms during spring and winter months and is often used decoratively, particularly as cut flowers.
• Bergenia crassifolia ranges 30 to 60 centimetres (12 to 23 inches) in height.
• Bergenia crassifolia leaves can be used to make a tea beverage, and the roots and leaves have a significant tannin content, which can be useful for leather tanning and wine making.

Bibliography:
Bergenia crassifolia, 2012, Perennials, http://www.perennials.com/plants/bergenia-crassifolia.html

Bergenia crassifolia, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergenia_crassifolia

Bergenia crassifolia – (L.)Fritsch., n.d, Plant for a Future, http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Bergenia+crassifolia

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Iceland poppies are not found in Iceland.

• Iceland poppies are flowering perennial plants, native to the cool or mountainous habitats in Asia and North America, and are naturalised in Europe.
• The Iceland poppy has the scientific name of Papaver nudicaule, and ‘nudicaule’ literally means ‘naked stem’ in Latin.
• Iceland poppy flowers are white, pink, red, yellow or orange in colour, and are not limited to single colours.
• Iceland poppies grow to be 15 to 45 centimetres (6 to 24 inches) in height and are often grown as annuals or biennials.
• Iceland poppy flowers sit on the end of long hairy stems, with blue-green coloured hairy foliage at the base of the plant.

• Iceland poppies first arrived in London, England in the early 1700s, and it is believed that the first person to successfully grown them in England was Peter Collinson, a cloth merchant and gardener from London.
• Iceland poppy flowers are papery in texture and shaped like a bowl, and can be 8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches) in diameter.
• Iceland poppies are easily grown from seed and will usually self seed once established, and they grow best in full sun, but they do not like hot weather and prefer cool summers.
• Iceland poppies are popularly used for decorative purposes in the garden, and are often used as cut flowers.
• Iceland poppies are from the family Papaveraceae, the family of poppies, and bloom from spring to autumn, depending on when they have been planted.

Bibliography:
Iceland Poppy, 2014, Fine Gardening, http://www.finegardening.com/iceland-poppy-papaver-nudicaule

Papaver nudicaule, 2012, Heritage perennials, http://www.perennials.com/plants/papaver-nudicaule.html

Papaver nudicaule, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaver_nudicaule

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Lacebark trees are full of striking features.

• Lacebark trees are semi-deciduous trees, native to dry rainforests of eastern Australia in parts of New South Wales and Queensland, and are closely related to the Queensland Bottle Tree, the Illawarra Flame Tree and other kurrajong species.
• Lacebark trees are medium sized and can grow up to 30 metres (98 feet) in height, but they are usually shorter than this.
• The lacebark tree comes from the family Malvaceae, the family of mallows, and its scientific name is Brachychiton discolor, ‘discolor’ referring to the leaves that are dark green on the top side and a much lighter colour on the underside.
• Lacebark trees have flowers, fruit, twigs and leaves covered in dense hairs that are fuzzy like felt.
• Lacebark trees are usually planted for decorative purposes, are drought tolerant, frost resistant and grow best in full sun.

• Lacebark trees bloom during summer months and the flowers are coloured pink and technically do not have petals, but rather sepals that look like petals.
• Lacebark tree fruits, or seedpods, grow to be 7 to 20 centimetres (2.8 to 7.9 inches) in length, and hold up to 30 seeds that are approximately 9 millimetres (0.35 inches) in length.
• The wood of lacebark trees can be used in woodwork, and have been traditionally used for making indigenous Australian shields.
• The seeds of lacebark trees can be roasted and eaten, and the hairs in the pods can cause irritation to human skin.
• ‘Lacebark trees’ are so called due to the markings on the bark, especially as the tree ages, and they are also known as ‘scrub bottle trees’, ‘pink flame trees’, ‘hat trees’, ‘Queensland lacebarks’, ‘sycamores’, ‘pink kurrajongs’, ‘white kurrajongs’, ‘lace kurrajongs’ ‘lacebark kurrajongs’ and ‘bush kurrajongs’.

Bibliography:

Brachychiton Discolor, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachychiton_discolor

Bush Kurrajong – Brachychiton Discolor, n.d, Exploring the World of Trees, http://tree-species.blogspot.com.au/2007/12/bush-kurrajong-brachychiton-discolor.html

Lacebark Tree, n.d, Daleys, http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/plant/Lacebark-Tree-Brachychiton-Discolor.htm

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If you are not careful, the tiger tooth aloe will do some scratching.

• Tiger tooth aloe is an evergreen succulent plant native to Africa’s Kenya, and is one of the 500 plus species in the Aloe genus.
• Tiger tooth aloes are a dwarf aloe species, and grow up to 25 to 30 centimetres (9.8 to 11.8 inches) in height.
• Tiger tooth aloes have the scientific name Aloe juvenna and are commonly mistaken for the less common Aloe squarrosa, however their growth habits differ; the A. juvenna grows in a tight, compact, clump-like fashion, and the A squarrosa grows in a more loose way, with leaves that recurve (bend backwards).
• Tiger tooth aloes are from the sub family Asphodelaceae, which belongs to the family Xanthorrhoeaceae, a family of flowering monocot plants.
• Tiger tooth aloes grow best in sunny or lightly shady areas, are drought tolerant and do not like frost.

• Tiger tooth aloes have fleshy, spiky foliage that is light green in colour with pale coloured spots, and the leaves can have a red-brown tinge if the plant receives sun all day on a continuous basis.
• Tiger tooth aloe plants do not often flower, although when they do, they flower in summer or autumn.
• Tiger tooth aloe plants tend to spread and form a ground covering, and are suitable for growing in the garden and in pots.
• Tiger tooth aloe flowers grow on a long spike and are an orange-red colour.
• Tiger tooth aloe plants can be grown from seed, though they are usually grown from cuttings or by dividing the clumps.

Bibliography:
Aloe juvenna, 2014, Dave’s Garden, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/61412/#b

Aloe juvenna, 2014, Houseplants: Care and Propagation, http://houseplantz.net/aloe-juvenna/

Aloe juvenna – Tiger tooth aloes,n.d, San Marcos GROWERS, http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3588

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Gerberas are the perfect cut flowers.

• Gerberas are 30 or more species of perennial plants native to Africa, South America, and Asia.
• Gerberas are from the family Asteraceae, the family of sunflowers and daisies and most of the commonly grown hybrids come from a cross of the jamesonii and the viridifolia species.
• Gerberas are named after Trauggott Gerber, a botanist and physician from the 1700s, from Germany, and it is not certain as to why botanist Jan Frederik Gronovius, a Dutchman, named the plant after him, as much of Gerber’s work was done in Russia.
• Gerberas are also known as ‘African daisies’, ‘Barberton daisies’, ‘gerber daisies’, ‘Transvaal daisies’ and’gerbera daisies’, although some of these names specifically refer to the jamesonii species.
• Gerbera flowers can be coloured pink, red, orange, yellow, cream and white or variegated and can have wide or narrow petals in single or double layers.

• Gerberas have one large ‘head’ per stem, that is typically called the ‘flower’, however each head actually contains numerous small flowers.
• Gerbera flowers have a diameter of 7 to 12 centimetres (2.8 to 4.7 inches), and bloom in spring to autumn, depending on the species and growing conditions.
• Gerberas are commonly grown as ornamental garden plants and are very popular as cut flowers due to their ability to last up to two weeks in a vase.
• Gerberas grow best in warm climates, in sunny areas, and in moist soil that has good drainage.
• Gerbera plants grow from 15 to 76 centimetres (6 to 30 inches) in height, and have green leaves.

Bibliography:
Gerbera, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerbera

Gerberas 2014, Burke’s Backyard, http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/1998/archives/26/in_the_garden/flowering_plants_and_shrubs/gerberas

Gerbera daisy, 2014, Better Homes and Gardens, http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/annual/gerbera-daisy/

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