The Garden.org Plants Database

American Sycamore is a common tree along many highways in Maryland, and found in many parks near rivers.One beautiful specimen is the Witness Tree at Antietem National Battlefield. One can stand in utter peace on the stone bridge over a beautiful clear stream, near the massive tree, and reflect on the history of the site.

It is a messy tree, not a good choice for all yards, as it drops bark and twigs and has large leaves. Despite the mess, I have two sycamores in my yard and love them for their nature value and unique character.

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A medium to large holly with a natural pyramidal shape. Leaves are a glossy deep green color, berries are large and ripen red. Said to be moderate to fast growing. Space 6 feet apart for a screen.

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S. corregidorae, a recently described species of Strombocactus (2010), is a much larger plant than Strombocactus disciformis, the only other member of this genus. It also has longer, more persistent spines and pale yellow flowers. From the Infernillo Canyon of the Moctezuma River in northern Mexico.

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The genus Rebutia comprises a few dozen species of small South American cacti, often with bright, colorful flowers (yellow, orange, red or other colors). They may be solitary or offsetting, globose or somewhat cylindrical, with tubercles but no ribs. Spines are usually short and bristly. From the eastern Andes and nearby areas in Bolivia and northwestern Argentina. Relatively common in cultivation.

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Small, spiny, geophytic cactus from the Chihuahuan Desert of north-central Mexico. Solitary or occasionally offsetting. Stems are dull green or brown, 1-3.5 inches in diameter, with tubercles but no ribs, and 1-4 spines per areole. Flowers are white, cream-colored, or magenta.

Found on limestone cliffs at 1000-1600m in Querétaro, Hidalgo, and Guanajuato. Two subspecies of disciformis have been described: (with cream colored flowers and 1-4 spines, from Querétaro and Hidalgo) (note: this subspecies includes the former S. jarmilae) and Top Cactus (Strombocactus disciformis subsp. esperanzae) (with magenta flowers and 1 spine, from a small area in Guanajuato). A second species in this formerly monotypic genus was described in 2010: S. corregidorae, a much larger plant from the Infernillo Canyon of the Moctezuma River with longer, more persistent spines and pale yellow flowers.

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Small, globose, spiny cacti from the southwestern US and northern Mexico. 7 species appear in Mexico, including 5 also found in west Texas. Plants in this genus usually have a hooked central spine, but sometimes have none at all. They flower in the spring. This genus has been separate from the ~8 species of Echinomastus in the past, but at the moment includes them. Their status is apparently controversial.

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Kent,
You should be very proud and thrilled with this beautiful iris. Great choice of parents in the cross and you can see the lineage well represented. I hope you post more photos from different times of the day and sun light, and that you send this beauty out into the world so many more folks can marvel at your creation. Kudos to you!
Richard

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This species is known as the Brazilian Dwarf Moring-Glory, as it comes from Brazil. Maybe the word of Hawaiian was put in there to emphasize how it is blue like the Pacific Ocean. However, it is not anymore Hawaiian than a popular cultivar of Ageratum (Flossflower). Poor Hawaii has suffered from so many introduced and invasive plants and animals causing trouble to its wonderful, unique native flora and fauna. Most conventional, classic garden centers and nurseries carry some of this tropical perennial used as an annual in northern climates. This cultivar of 'Blue Blaze' is more compact than the mother species that gets 9 to 18 inches high. This makes both a good bedding annual and a good pot plant. It can be brought inside in the winter to survive in a bright, cool room. It is a member of the Convolvulaceae, that is the Bindweed and Morning-Glory Family.

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Large tree cactus from southern Mexico with greenish white, nocturnal, stinky flowers. Stems are relatively narrow, with 3-4 supposedly winglike ribs and about 10 spines per areole. This plant occurs at low density in habitat and is not well known.

This species was recently made the only member of its own distinct genus, Pterocereus, which means "winged cereus", presumably referring to the ribs. It apparently has been moved back to Pachycereus. It has (or used to have) two geographically disjunct subspecies: subsp. foetidus (described 2009) in Chiapas and subsp. gaumeri in Veracruz or Yucatán.

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Branching green tree cactus from southern Mexico with whitish flowers. Stems are 2-3 inches in diameter with 9-12 ribs, 1 central spine, and 6-8 radial spines. Flowers have a faint greenish or yellowish tint. Fruit is reddish purple and edible.

This is one of two trees in the genus from Puebla and Oaxaca, along with P. chende. They may occur together in some places. This species is supposed to occur on alluvium while chende occurs on limestone. Polaskia was briefly subsumed into Myrtillocactus, but is now separate. It is native to the Tahuacán-Cuicatlán Valley and a few other places.

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