Tag Archives: Vegetation

Baby’s Breath

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Baby’s Breath

Baby’s breath are innocent little flowers, aren’t they?

  • Baby’s breath is a group of perennial and annual plants that produces flowers, and the genus contains approximately 35 species.
  • Areas of Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Pacific are the native locations of baby’s breath.
  • Baby’s breath has the scientific name Gypsophila and it is from the family Caryophyllaceae, the family of carnations.
  • ‘Baby’s breath’ is also known as ‘soap root’, ‘chalk plant’ and ‘gyp’, and the plants are generally grown from seed.
  • The scientific name of Baby’s breath – ‘Gypsophila’ – comes from the words ‘gypsos’ and ‘philos’, meaning ‘gypsum’ and ‘loving’ respectively in Greek.

Baby's Breath, Plant, Vegetation, White, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Baby’s breath generally grows to heights of 15 to 90 centimetres (6 to 35.5 inches), depending on the species, and in most cases they grow best in full sun.
  • The five-petalled flowers of baby’s breath can be white, pink, or violet and they bloom during spring and summer months.
  • The baby’s breath plant often grown for decorative purposes has the scientific name Gypsophila paniculata, and it is commonly used as a cut flower to give a delicate look in arrangements and bouquets.
  • Some baby’s breath species have edible roots, and the plants and roots are also grown for and used as a medical ingredient.
  • Although baby’s breath plants are commonly grown for commercial purposes, some areas have designated some species of the plant as an invasive weed.
Bibliography:
Gypsophila, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsophila
How to Grow Gypsophila, 2015, Gardeners HQ, http://www.gardenershq.com/Gypsophilia-baby-breath.php

 

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Crooked Forest

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Crooked Forest

Don’t go crook watching the Crooked Forest!

  • Crooked Forest is a group of pine trees that are abnormally distorted and bent near the base of the tree trunks, and as a result the trunks have grown in a significant ‘c’ shaped curve.
  • The location of Crooked Forest is in Poland’s province of West Pomerania, in Europe, near the town of Gryfino.
  • The bends in the Crooked Forest tree trunks are at roughly right angles and generally in the direction of due north.
  • Farmers are said to have planted the Crooked Forest in approximately 1930, making the trees roughly 85 years old in 2015.
  • Crooked Forest features roughly 400 trees, that are arranged in 22 rows.
Crooked Forest, Bent, Trees, Poland, Polish, Wonder, Mysterious, Ten Random Facts
Crooked Forest
Image courtesy of Lisa/Flickr
  • It is widely believed that the trees of Crooked Forest were purposely bent via the use of a tool or machine, up to 10 years after planting.
  • Theories of the cause of the bending of the trees in the Crooked Forest are many, and some have said that it is a result of heavy snow covering, weird gravity forces and army tank flattening.
  • It is likely that the trees in the Crooked Forest were grown in a peculiar way to create boat hull framing or furniture.
  • The owners of the Crooked Forest probably abandoned their grove of trees during World War II’s impending Polish invasion.
  • Tourists visiting the area commonly visit Crooked Forest, along with the region’s other interesting sites.
Bibliography:
Alford J, What Could Have Caused Poland’s Crooked Forest?, 2014, IFL Science, http://www.iflscience.com/environment/what-could-have-caused-polands-crooked-forest
Crooked Forest, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crooked_Forest
Mysterious Photos of Unexplainable ‘Crooked Forest’ In Poland, Earth Porm, http://www.earthporm.com/mysterious-photos-unexplainably-crooked-forest-poland/
Poland’s Mysterious Crooked Forest, 2011, World of Mysteries, http://www.themysteryworld.com/2011/09/polands-mysterious-crooked-forest.html

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Stargazer Lily

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Stargazer Lily

The stargazer lily really catches your eye.

  • A Stargazer lily is a hybrid flowering perennial plant and is classified as an ‘Oriental’ lily, and it is also known as the ‘Star Gazer lily’.
  • Stargazer lilies are from the Lilium genus, and they have the cultivar name ‘Stargazer’ and are from the Liliaceae family, the family of lilies.
  • The Stargazer lily plant typically grows to heights of 60 to 90 centimetres (29 to 36 inches).
  • Stargazer lilies are commonly used as ornamental or cut flowers, due to their beauty and pleasant fragrance.
  • The flowers of Stargazer lilies are generally coloured light to deep pink, with dark coloured textured spots, and the petals have a white edge.

Stargazer Lily, Pink, Flower, But, Bouquet, Australia, Vegetation, Plant, Lillium, Ten Random Facts

  • The flowers of Stargazer lilies bloom during summer months, and the plant is typically grown from the division of bulbs.
  • The Stargazer lily was bred by a Californian plant breeder, Leslie Woodriff, in the 1970s, and he developed many hybrid lilies and begonias.
  • The flowers of Stargazer lilies are large, growing to be 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) in diameter, and they grow towards the sky, appearing to gaze upwards.
  • The best growing positions for Stargazer lily plants are in full sun in the garden, and they can also be grown in pots.
  • Stargazer lilies contain poison that affect cats, making them sick, and fatalities are also possible.
Bibliography:
Lilium ‘Stargazer’, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_’Stargazer’
Lilium ‘Stargazer’, 2015, Fine Gardening, http://www.finegardening.com/lily-lilium-star-gazer
Oriental Lily Lilium ‘Star Gazer’, 2015, Dave’s Garden, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1427/#b
Lilium ‘Stargazer’, 2015, Perennials.com, http://www.perennials.com/plants/lilium-star-gazer.html

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Ivory Curl

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Ivory Curl

An ivory curl gives an Australian touch to an Aussie garden.

  • Ivory curls are a species of tree, native to Queensland rainforest habitats north of Townsville, in north eastern Australia.
  • An ivory curl tree is one of the two species in its genus, and the scientific name is Buckinghamia celsissima, which is from the family Proteaceae, a family of flowering plants.
  • ‘Ivory curls’ are also known as ‘ivory curl trees’, ‘spotted silky oaks’ and ‘spotted silkies’.
  • Ivory curls can grow up to 10 to 30 metres (33 to 100 feet) in height, although different climates may reduce its growth, causing it to reach shorter heights.
  • The flower spikes of ivory curls form a long, cylindrical shape, and are typically cream to white in colour.

Ivory Curl, Tree, Yellow, Flower, Side, Tall, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Ivory curls are commonly grown for ornamental purposes, especially as street or garden trees.
  • The leaves of ivory curls are smooth and a lush green on the upper side, while the underneath tends to be a lighter silvery white colour, and they generally grow to be 8 to 16 centimetres (3.1 to 6.3 inches) in length.
  • Ivory curls grow best in low humidity tropical conditions, particularly in full sunlight, although it is a hardy tree, and tends to be drought tolerant, as well as resistant to many diseases and pests.
  • Ivory curl trees can be grown by seeds or cuttings, and the tree can be pruned to keep it small.
  • Ivory curl trees generally bloom profusely during the months of summer and autumn, and the flowers are fragrant, and birds and bees are attracted to them.
Bibliography:
Buckinghamia Celsissima, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckinghamia_celsissima
Buckinghamia Celissima, n.d, Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, http://keys.trin.org.au/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Buckinghamia_celsissima.htm
Buckinghamia celsissima ‘Ivory curl flower’, 2011, Society for Growing Australian Plants, http://www.sgapqld.org.au/Jan11%20Buck%20Cel.pdf
Fact Sheet: Buckinghamia celsissima, 2014, Gardening Australia, http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1335127.htm

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Indian Hawthorn

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Indian Hawthorn

Are Indian hawthorns welcome, or weeds?

  • Indian hawthorns are evergreen flowering plants that are native to China and a number of countries in south east Asia.
  • The scientific name of an Indian hawthorn plant is Rhaphiolepis indica, that comes from the family Rosaceae, the family of roses.
  • ‘Indian hawthorns’ are also known as ‘India hawthorns’ and ‘cherry laurels’, and they grow well in subtropical areas.
  • Indian hawthorns can grow to be 0.6 to 4.5 metres (2 to 15 feet) in height, although the average is around 2 metres (6.5 feet).
  • Indian hawthorns have small, pink to white coloured flowers that are seen most often in spring and summer, with five petals and many stamens in the centre, as well as a sweet fragrance.

Indian Hawthorn, Flower, Plant, White, Red, Pink, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Australia

  • Indian hawthorns are commonly used for decorative purposes in the garden, and they are suitable to use as hedges, and can be grown as bonsai.
  • The leaves of Indian hawthorn plants are generally dark green, glossy and thick, with serrated edges.
  • The best conditions for growing Indian hawthorns is full sun; and unfortunately they have become a weed in some areas due to their ability to grown readily from seed.
  • As the plant is quite robust, an Indian hawthorn plant is not bothered by salt, thus it can be grown on the coast, and it is also frost resistant.
  • After flowering, small black to purple, roughly spherical berries form, that are between 5 and 10 mm (0.2 and 0.4 inches) in diameter, that are said to be useful for making jam.
Bibliography:
Indian Hawthorn, 2011, Weeds of Australia, http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Html/Rhaphiolepis_indica.htm
Indian Hawthorns – Qantas, 2014, Burke’s Backyard, http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/in-the-garden/flowering-plants-shrubs/indian-hawthorn-qantas-amazing-australia/#.VPwDZIuUd8E
Raphiolepis Indica, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhaphiolepis_indica

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Lindheimer’s Beeblossom

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Lindheimer’s Beeblossom

Lindheimer’s beeblossoms must be a bee favourite.

  • Lindheimer’s beeblossoms are perennial plants that produce an abundance of flowers, although in some areas they are grown as annuals.
  • The Lindheimer’s beeblossom plant has the scientific name Oenothera lindheimeri, and it was previously known as Gaura lindheimeri, and it is from the family Onagraceae, the family of evening primroses or willow herbs.
  • ‘Lindheimer’s beeblossoms’ are also known as ‘Leindheimer’s clockweed’, butterfly bush’, ‘clockweed’, ‘gaura’, ‘white gaura’, ‘pink gaura’ and ‘Indian feather’.
  • Lindheimer’s beeblossoms are native to the United State’s southern states of Texas and Louisiana, in North America.
  • The height of Lindheimer’s beeblossom plants range from 50 to 150 centimetres (20 – 59 inches), and they have small green leaves.

Lindheimer's Beeblossom, Plant, Vegetation, Pink, Flowers, Bloom, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Lindheimer’s beeblossom plants generally bloom during the months of summer and autumn, and sometimes spring.
  • The flowers of Lindheimer’s beeblossoms are 2 to 3 cm (0.8 to 1.2 inches) in diameter; are generally coloured white or pink, with four petals and long stamens; and they grown on long flexible stems that cause the flowers to ‘flutter’ in the wind.
  • Lindheimer’s beeblossoms are commonly grown for decorative purposes in gardens or pots, and they prefer sunny conditions.
  • Lindheimer’s beeblossoms are hardy plants and have received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, however, they are considered a weed in some areas.
  • The common name ‘Lindheimer’s beeblossom’ is derived from the name of the Texan botanist Ferdinand Lindheimer, who was of German descent, and the flowers of the plant attracts bees, as well as butterflies.
Bibliography:
Guara lindheimen, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaura_lindheimeri
Guara lindheimen, 2015, Dave’s Garden, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/590/#b
\Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’, 2015, Perennials.com, http://www.perennials.com/plants/gaura-lindheimeri-whirling-butterflies.html

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