Acanthus mollis

Here's a plant still happily green even with the wintry weather.  These are leaves of Acanthus mollis.  Notice the patch of snow in the picture. This snow had been on the ground for a couple of days. Acanthus mollis is native to the Mediterranean region and is thought to be the leaves depicted in the Corinthian order of classic architecture.  Maybe the sculptors of ancient times liked to use this plant as a model because it was green and available when they were working through the winter.

Link to Corinthian order:

Link to Acanthus mollis:

Link to Acanthus mollis: 

Picture taken December 1, 2011

Musa basjoo stumps in December

The Musa basjoo banana tree mentioned in the October post has been cut down for the winter.  Here is a view of the interesting patterns of the cross-section of the stems. The air temperature has been below freezing for a couple days and some snow remains on the ground.  I was interested in finding this stump to see if there was any sap getting exuded from the roots and then freezing but the ice on the stump could be from the fallen snow too.

Pictures taken December 1, 2011 at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.

Link to the previous post on this banana tree:

Ribes alpinum

Alpine currant (Ribes alpinum), Oct. 5, 2011.

Link to Ribes alpinum:

Link to Ribes alpinum:

Musa basjoo

Here's the Musa basjoo at Purdue Horticulture Park late in the season, October 5, 2011.

Link to last year's post on Musa basjoo:

Beechnuts

Beechnuts litter the ground underneath the American Beech tree (Fagus grandifolia) at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.  Picture taken Oct. 2, 2011. 

Link to beechnuts

Link to previous post on this beech tree:

Boneset

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.  Picture taken Oct. 2, 2011.

Link to another post on Eupatorium perfoliatum:

'Winter King' Hawthorn

Here is a hawthorn tree (Crataegus viridis 'Winter King') on the west side of the Horticulture Building.   Picture taken October 2, 2011.

Link to Crataegus viridis 'Winter King':

Link to Crataegus viridis 'Winter King':

Grapeleaf anemone

This is grapeleaf anemone (Anemone tomentosa 'Robustissima'). Picture taken September 30, 2011.

Link to previous post on grapeleaf anemone:

White Boltonia

White Boltonia, Boltonia asteroides  'Snowbank'.  Boltonia asteroides is native to prairie regions of Indiana.

Link to Boltonia asteroides:

Link to Boltonia asteroides:

Link to Boltonia asteroides:

Link to Boltonia asteroides:

A buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) on the Boltonia.

Link to previous post on Junonia coenia:

A Pierid butterfly on the Boltonia.

Link to the Pieridae:

All pictures taken August 29, 2011.

Cockscomb

Cramer's Rose Cockscomb (Crested type), Celosia argentea.  Picture taken August 17, 2011, at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.

Link to previous post on Celosia argentea:

Bethlehem sage

Bethlehem Sage (Pulmonaria saccharata).  The leaves surrounding the Bethlehem Sage are English ivy. (Hedera helix).   Picture taken August 3, 2011. 

Link to previous post on Pulmonaria saccharata:

Link to a previous post on another Pulmonaria:

Link to a previous post on Hedera helix:

Alchemilla glaucescens

Alchemilla glaucescens, at Purdue Hort Gardens, August 3, 2011.

Link to Alchemilla glaucescens

Link to Alchemilla glaucescens:

Culver's Root

Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum).  Picture taken August 1, 2011. 

Link to last year's post on this plant:

Rattlesnake Master

Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium), August 1, 2011.

Link to Eryngium yuccifolium:

Link to Eryngium yuccifolium:

Purple Heart Vine

Purple Heart Vine, labeled here as Setcreasea pallida, but more correctly it is a Tradescantia, Tradescantia pallida, a native of Mexico.  Picture taken July 21, 2011.


Link to Purple Heart Vine:

Link to Purple Heart Vine:

Link to Purple Heart Vine:

Our native spiderworts are also Tradescantias, closely related to this Purple Heart Vine.

Link to Tradescantia ohioensis:

Link to Tradescantia ohioensis:

Yellow Zantedeschia

Here is a yellow Zantedeschia elliottiana.  Picture taken July 3, 2011.

Link to previous post on Zantedeschia elliottiana:

Nasturtium

Nasturtium (Tropolaeum majus).  Picture taken July 3, 2011.

Link to previous post on Tropolaeum majus:

Link to Tropolaeum majus:

Link to Tropolaeum majus:

Bergenia

A hybrid Bergenia.  You can make it squeek like a pig. Picture taken July 3, 2011.

Link to previous post on Bergenia:

Auditory link to Bergenia:

Impatiens balsamina

Rose Balsam (Impatiens balsamina).  Picture taken July 3, 2011.

Link to Impatiens balsamina:

Link to Impatiens balsamina:

Link to Impatiens balsamina:

The seed pods of Impatiens will pop if you touch them, which is why sometimes it is called touch-me-not:

Silvermound

Silvermound (Artemisia schmidtiana), picture taken June 11, 2011.

Link to Artemisia:

Link to アサギリソウ:

Link to previous Artemisia post:

Link to another previous Artemisia post:

Honesty

The green unripe seed pods of Honesty (Lunaria annua).  Picture taken June 24, 2011.

Link to Lunaria annua:
 
Link to Lunaria annua:

Zantedeschia elliottiana

Zantedeschia elliottiana, June 24, 2011.  Zantedeschia is commonly known as calla lily.  As one of the family Araceae, each of these three inflorescences is a columnar spadix with hundreds of tiny flowers, surrounded by the pink spathe.  The Mexican artist Diego Rivera used calla lily as an element of many of his paintings, even though Zantedeschia is actually native to South Africa rather than Mexico. 

Link to Zantedeschia:

Link to Araceae:

Link to flowers of calla lily:

Link to Zantedesschia aethiopica:

Link to Diego Rivera:

Link to Georgia O'Keefe:

A Few Sedums

A few Sedums at Purdue Horticulture Garden.  This is Sedum makinoii 'Salsa Verde'.  Picture taken May 30, 2011.
 
Link to Sedum makinoii:

Link to Sedum makinoii:

This is Sedum linare 'Sea Urchin'.  Picture taken May 30, 2011.

Link to Sedum linare:

Sedum kamschaticum 'Floriferum'.  Picture taken June 11, 2011.

Sedums are often used as a component of green roofs, able to survive some of the extreme conditions roof plants must encounter.

Link to Sedum:

Link to Sedum green roofs:

Link to green roofs:

Blue-Eyed Grass

Blue-Eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium angustifolium 'Lucerne'.  This is a commercial cultivar but there is a wild type Sisyrinchium angustifolium that is native to Indiana.  Picture taken May 30, 2011.

Link to Sisyrinchium angustifolium 'Lucerne':

Link to Sisyrinchium angustifolium:

Link to Sisyrinchium:

Link to Sisyrinchium angustifolium (native):

Link to Sisyrinichium angustifolium (native):

Allium karataviense

Turkestan Onion (Allium karataviense).  Picture taken May 6, 2011.

Link to Allium karataviense:

Link to Allium karataviense:

Onoclea sensibilis

Onoclea sensibilis, also called Sensitive Fern.  It's supposed to be very sensitive to frost.  Frost is predicted tonight, we'll see how it looks in the morning.  This picture was taken May 3, 2011.  Sensitive Fern is native to Indiana.


Link to Onoclea sensibilis:

Link to Onoclea sensibilis:

The plant in the lower left corner of the picture is Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla).

Packera glabella

Packera glabella, here an unintended plant at Hort Gardens.  Some people call this butterweed and some call it cressleaf groundsel.  It's very common in cornfields.  This picture was taken May 3, 2011.

Link to previous post on butterweed:

Link to Packera glabella:

Camassia leichtlinii caerulea

Now flowering at Purdue Horticulture Gardens is this Camassia.  It's a Camassia leichtlinii 'Caerulea', also called Leichtlin Quamash.  Our native Camassia is Camassia scilloides.  It will be flowering very soon.  Look for Camassia scilloides in some of our local natural areas.  This picture was taken May 2, 2011.

Link to Camassia leichtlinii:

Link to Camassia leichtlinii:

Link to Camassia scilloides:

Link to Camassia scilloides:

Twinleaf

Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla).  This is a wildflower native to Indiana but not too common.  You can see it here at Purdue Horticulture Gardens, it's planted under the hawthorn tree.  Picture taken April 17, 2011.

Link to Jeffersonia diphylla:

Link to Jeffersonia diphylla:

Link to Jeffersonia diphylla:

Dead nettle

Spotted dead nettle (Lamium maculatum 'Pink Chablis').  Under the hawthorn tree.

Link to previous post on spotted dead nettle:

Dead nettle (Lamium purpureum).  An unintended plant at Hort Gardens, this is the common dead nettle of fields and waste places.  Along Marstellar Street. 

Pictures taken April 17, 2011.

Link to Lamium purpureum:
Link to Lamium purpureum:

Link to Lamium purpureum:

Armenian grape hyacinth

Armenian grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum).  Picture taken April 15, 2011.


Link to Muscari:

Link to Muscari armeniacum:

Link to Muscari armeniacum:

The juneberry tree is flowering

The juneberry tree (Amelanchier sp.) at Hort Gardens is now in flower.  Each flower turns into a delicious berry by June. Juneberry trees are planted all over town.   Look for these trees now while they stand out and remember where they are and come back to them in June.

The tree in the foreground is the downy hawthorn tree (Crataegus mollis), it flowers a liitle later in the spring.

This picture was taken April 15, 2011.


Link to previous post on this juneberry tree:


Link to previous post on this downy hawthorn tree:

Basket of Gold

Basket-of-gold (Aurinia saxatilis), just beginning to flower.  Picture taken April 15, 2011.

Link to previous post on Aurinia saxatilis:

Link to Aurinia saxatilis:

Pasque flower

Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) blooming before Easter, April 13, 2011.  This year Easter comes very late, April 24, just one day before the latest possible date.

Link to the calculation of Easter:

Link to previous post on Pulsatilla vulgaris:

Bethlehem Sage

This is Bethlehem Sage (Pulmonaria saccharata). Picture taken April 13, 2011.

Link to Pulmonaria saccharata:

Link to previous post on Pulmonaria:

Bellwort

The False Solomon's Seal sign is in the wrong place. This is a patch of bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora), a spring wildflower that can be found in our Indiana woodlands. This patch is under the hawthorn tree in Purdue Horticulture Gardens. Picture taken April 11, 2011.

Link to previous post on bellwort:

Mayapple

The Purdue Horticulture gardens has some mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) popping up out of the ground. Mayapple is a familiar native plant of our Indiana woodlands. Oddly enough, mayapple is in the barberry family. Picture taken April 8, 2011.

Link to Podophyllum peltatum:

Winter aconite

Winter aconite (Eranthis) is coming up at Hort Gardens. This picture taken March 12, 2011.

Link to previous post on winter aconite:

Winter aconite is in Purdue's Hort Park too. Here is last year's post:

Crocus

These Croci are poking out of the ground. This is near the tulip tree at Hort Gardens. Picture taken March 12, 2011.

Link to previous post on the Hort Gardens tulip tree:

Link to Crocus:

Galanthus in February

The snowdrops (Galanthus sp.) are starting to come up, this picture was taken yesterday, February 23, 2011, at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.

Link to last year's post on Galanthus:

Link to more about Galanthus:

Galanthus and some other plants in the family Amaryllidaceae contain the poisonous alkaloid galanthamine, which has some theraputic uses.

Link to galanthamine:

Colchicum speciosum in January

The leaves on this Colchicum speciosum have come out of the ground and are showing some growth in the middle of winter. Picture taken January 17, 2011.

Link to an earlier post on this plant in September: