Entries Tagged 'Plants & Gardening' ↓

Knowing common plant names is key if you intend on establishing a good indoor or outdoor garden. As many botanical shops deal with their seeds, seedlings and full grown plants by their common plant name, it is vital that you can match common names with scientific names.

There are several ways to match common plant names with their scientific names. Databases and plant encyclopedias are favored, as many of these will supply images of the plants along with a list of all of their names. If you keep the seed packets when you purchase your plants, they tend to name the scientific name with the local common plant name.

In most situations, the common plant name is the english translation of the latin version of the name. The latin is also known as scientific, as many scientific names are derived from ancient language.

Some common plant names for herbs include Ammania, Bedstraw, Beggarticks, Buckwheat, Bursage, annual, Buttercup, Catnip, Cocklebur, Conzya, Crimson Monkeyflower, Cudweed, Dove Weed and Duckweed.

If you are interested in common plant names for flowering plants, a few include african corn lily, african lily, alpine thistle, amaryllis, amazon lily, arum, baby’s breath, balloon flower, barberton daisy, bee balm, bell flower, bells of Ireland, roses, tulips, .clover, gerber daisy and sunflower.

For those of you interested in trees, some common names include popular, oak, birch, coffee trees, rubber trees, lemon trees, orange trees, pear trees, apple, Japanese maple, juniper and ash. If you are researching trees in order to grow in your home or outside, you should be aware that trees have a much longer grow cycle than flowering plants. Some trees, such as fruit trees, are especially sensitive to climate. Research should be done before you import any tree that has not already been introduced to the region.

If you live in a region that has poisonous plants, knowing their common plant names can prevent confusion if you or a loved one are exposed to them. Some common poisonous plants include poison ivy, poison oak, belladonna, night shade, alder buckthorn, yew, english ivy, foxglove, monk’s hood, poison hemlock, poison sumac and pokeweed. If you suspect that you have been poisoned by any type of plant, you should seek medical attention immediately. Poisonous plants should not be kept as indoor plants unless precautions are taken to prevent injury. Some herbs can be poisonous if used improperly, so many references will list useful herbs, such as chives, garlic and cinnamon as poisons, due to improper usage.

Knowing the common names of plants isn’t enough to ensure that you will be able to keep them in your indoor or outdoor garden. Researching the plants and ensuring that you live in the proper climate for the plants you desire is vital if you want to make sure your plants have longevity.

If you want to add a unique touch to your garden, carnivorous plants are bound to get attention. From the common Venus Flytrap to the Cobra plant, these exotics serve several purposes. In areas that have high populations of bugs, it lowers the amount of flies or other insects that bother you. While the benefit is strictly related to the size and type of carnivorous plants that you own, these plants can provide a small level of relief while providing entertainment to adults and children alike.

There are five different types of carnivorous plants. The most common type, the same family that the Venus Flytrap contains, is the snap trap family. Snap traps rely on a mouth that close in around its pray, where the plant will eat whatever it catches.

Next are pitfall traps. These traps rely on prey falling into the plant and being unable to escape. These plants undergo constant evolution, as water can pool in the pitchers of the plant in addition to the bugs that the plant eats. These plants range from colorful to bland, and do not have moving parts like their snap trap counterparts.

Flypaper traps are among some of the coolest carnivorous plants. These plants secrete a glue which traps and breaks down insects for nourishment. These carnivorous plants should be treated with caution in the home, as the secretions can cause agitation to the skin.

Bladder traps are a fascinating subset of carnivorous plants. These plants function through the osmosis of water to create a suction within the body of the plant. Once an insect or aquatic species has been trapped within, escape is difficult. Unlike many carnivorous plants, these are more commonly found underwater than above ground. Some species of bladder traps, such as the Bladderwort, lack roots, which make them a creative addition to any collection.

Finally, the lobster pot traps are among some of the most unusual looking carnivorous plants that you can acquire. These plants function by giving insects an easy way to enter, but little chance of escape. In the case of the corkscrew plant, the insides of the plant have downward pointing obstructions and a y-shaped leaf structure that prevents the escape of its prey. The unusual shapes of lobster pot traps are directly related to their evolution to prevent the escape of insects.

For those interested in borderline species, there are several varieties of plants that do not meet all of the requirements of carnivorous plants, but have sharing characteristics. These plants include the Brocchinia Roridula and members of the Martyniaceae species. These plants lack one of the three required aspects, which is to attract, kill and digest prey, to be classified as a true carnivorous plant.

Carnivorous plants should be placed where young children and babies cannot reach them. While most of them are relatively harmless to humans, digestion of these plants should be avoided, due to the digestive enzymes that the plant utilizes to break down prey.

If you have ever owned a plant like mint, you will have probably noticed plant creepers that have formed from the main body of the plant and have tried to grow from its pot or place in the garden. These plant creepers are a part of the plant’s natural reproductive phase, an ability that allows them to create new, independent plants. This ability clones the parent plant to ensure survival without the need of a male and female plant to pollinate one another.

However, plant creepers can cause issues indoors and outdoors. Indoors, they will extend vines wherever they sense a possible place to clone itself and create a new plant. If you have several plants near each other, and one has the ability to spread plant creepers, it will do so. This will cause overcrowding in the pots that are infected with the creepers. If you have plant creepers, you need to make sure they are pruned frequently, or far enough from other plants that they cannot clone themselves quickly.

Something that will surprise first time plant owners is the speed in which plant creepers establish themselves. Some species can clone within several days, effectively breeding in another pot, unknown to you until you see that your pot has a new occupant. If the new plant is left alone, you will find that the plant may or may not retract the original plant creepers, which can become a nuisance if you wish to separate the plants.

Should you have products of plant creepers that you want to keep, you should transfer them to a new pot as soon as the plant has separated from the parent, or can be separated safely. The plant needs to have begun establishing its own root system before it is safe to transfer. In some cases, only the core is required. Plant creepers that can also breed through the planting of leaves are particularly difficult to remove once they have spread, as they have several methods of forming new plants.

The best way to prevent a difficult to remove plant infestation from your pots is to control the plant creepers as they are forming. Pruning will not cause any harm to your plant. In most cases, the pruning will actually promote the growth of your plant, as it will instinctively try to regenerate what has been lost.

Most plants with plant creepers are non dangerous. However, some species, such as poison ivy, can quickly infest a yard. These types of plants should be destroyed, including the root systems you can find, as the plant will be able to regenerate.

The aloe vera plant is a multi-purpose medicinal herb common to many households across the world. Unlike some species of plants, the aloe vera plant no longer grows in the wild. It is currently only known to live in captivity or cultivated by farmers for commercial use. This alone makes the aloe vera unique compared to many household plants that can also be found in the wild.

The Aloe vera plant is believed to have many properties, ranging from the soothing of burns, the promotion of faster healing to the treatment of diabetes. As the stalks include several medical compounds, including acetylated mannans, polymannans, anthraquinone C-glycosides, anthrones and anthraquinones and lectins, aloe tends to be added to a wide range of products to entice users to purchase them.

The aloe vera plant is a succulent plant, thriving in zones 8-10. It is suitable as an ornamental plant for low-water gardens, as well as indoors. Aloe does not tolerate snow or frost, dying under such conditions. If you want to keep aloe in colder climates, it must be kept indoors or in a greenhouse to prevent frost from killing it. Being a succulent, the aloe vera plant resembles cacti and other common desert plants. As it is suited for dry climates, over watering is the most common cause of death of this plant. The aloe plant should not be watered until its soil has gone dry, making it one of the easiest plants to take care of, so long as you pay attention to the soil. The soil used for potted aloe vera should be compatible with good drainage, as too much sitting water will cause root rot.

When grown at home, the aloe vera plant is typically used as a topical treatment for burns and cuts. There are conflicting studies on how aloe vera affects the rate of healing. There are some indicators that the rate of healing may be dependent on the type and depth of the wound, and how it is bandaged. In some studies, healing rate is slowed from aloe vera. Aloe vera may be digested.

Despite the lack of scientific proof on the increased healing and other properties of aloe vera, it has gained a high regard by the average individual, granting the a plant a place in shampoos, lotions, soaps and a wide range of cosmetics. However, the gains garnered from the presence of aloe in these products is based on belief, not on scientific proof.

The aloe vera plant is believed to have originated in Africa, with cousins of the aloe vera plant still surviving to date. There are references to aloe in the bible, which makes it one of the oldest documented species of plants known.

Despite how harsh the desert may seem, there are a wide variety of desert plants that grow in arid conditions. These plants are hardy, thriving on little water, a great deal of sunlight, and conditions that would wither or kill most living things. However, just because these plants can survive in a terrain many creatures cannot, desert plants do not necessarily make good house plants.

However, those who manage to raise desert plants indoors get the rewarding experience of nurturing a type of plant that many people do not usually get to see up close. These plants can serve as conversation starters, as well as adding a unique atmosphere to your home.

When you think of desert plants, the most common desert plant to come to mind is the cactus. Wild cacti can grow to several feet tall, and usually do not handle home life very well. Many require special greenhouses with artificial lighting to survive. Don’t be discouraged, there are cactus species that can be grown indoors for your enjoyment. These include the Acanthocalycium klimpelianum, the Acanthocalycium spiniflorum, the Acanthocalycium thionanthum v. variiflorum and the Acanthocalycium violaceum, as well as many other varieties. All of these cacti tend to be small, round in shape, and have one or several blossoms at the top of the plant. Like desert wildflowers, cacti require delicate care in order to survive. Unlike common belief, you cannot just neglect your cactus and water it infrequently. They need a certain amount of exposure to the sun, and scheduled watering. Without this, your plant will wither and die. Cacti are among some of the most difficult plants to keep in a home, so you will need to approach their care with caution.

If you are looking to keep desert plants in your home, there are a few key things that you need to keep in mind. Plants like the Apache Plume, the Arizona Poppy and the Blue Phacelia require a great deal of sunlight and warmth. While they can survive the cold spikes of the desert night, these plants need conditions that mimic the desert in order to survive. If you plan to keep any one of these flowers in your home, you should take care to provide them with a great deal of light and be wary of over-watering them.

Should you follow the few rules of desert plants ? scheduled watering, proper temperatures and exposure to sunlight ? you will be able to enjoy your plants for years to come.