Published by Daniel Mosquin on September 14, 2018
Common names range from the poetic to the descriptive to the eminently practical. A number of common names for Kalmia angustifolia land in the latter part of the spectrum: lambkill, sheepkill, and even calfkill.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 20, 2018
The diminutive bog cranberry or small cranberry is wide-ranging across northern Europe, Asia, and North America. As one of its common names implies, it is a species of bogs–and also fens, muskeg, and arctic-alpine tundra.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 11, 2018
Bark-sniffing? Check. Mushroom-licking? Yep. Indumentum-licking? Not yet, but maybe next time. Apparently, the hairs on the underside of the leaves of northern Labrador tea give a buzz when licked (see the indigenous knowledge section), which opens up an entirely new way of experiencing rhododendrons that I hadn’t considered before. Perhaps I should add it to […]
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on May 17, 2018
Snow in early summer is visually invoked by the masses of blooms on Styrax japonicus. Common or Japanese snowbell is the species of Styrax most often grown locally.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on May 4, 2018
Leptecophylla tameiameiae, or pūkiawe, is a member of the heath family (Ericaceae) native to the Hawaiian islands and Marquesas Islands. It is variable in appearance, perhaps related to its ability to grow in habitats ranging from the semi-arid lava deserts of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to montane wet forests.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on March 29, 2018
This colourful gem is from a genus that is closely related to Vaccinium–the blueberries. Agapetes means “beloved” or “desirable”. Some readers may recognize its similarity to the Greco-Christian type of love known as agape.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on March 20, 2018
Late afternoon sunlight is the reason for the deep shadows in this photograph of Sibthorp’s primrose from a few years ago. The E.H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden is mostly organized by continents, but the rock and alpine vegetation of Asia Minor was deemed deserving of its own set of garden beds when the garden was first […]
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