Published by Daniel Mosquin on July 20, 2018
Ethiopian acanthus is native to the highlands of Ethiopia, where it grows in a Mediterranean-type climate with free-draining soil. Apparently used for fencing around vegetable gardens in Ethiopia, it has been introduced into ornamental cultivation in Europe and the USA in recent years.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 1, 2018
One of the showier species of ash in terms of floral display, Fraxinus sieboldiana is native to southeastern China, Korea, and Japan. The plant in today’s photograph was grown from seed collected in Japan two decades ago.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on May 24, 2018
Right before the flowers of empress tree open, the ends resemble Kermit the Frog’s scrunch face, at least to my overactive imagination. Other common names for this species include royal paulownia and princess tree.
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on May 23, 2018
Wild thyme or creeping thyme is a subshrub or short-statured shrub native to Europe and perhaps western Asian and northern Africa; the range information on the IUCN Red List for Thymus serpyllum is contradictory. This species is not typically a culinary thyme (which is most often Thymus vulgaris).
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on April 23, 2018
One of the oldest-known living plants in the New World tropics is featured today: a 3800 year old underground tree from Brazil. Intrigued?
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on March 26, 2018
Dermatobotrys saundersii, or tree jockey, has a limited distribution in coastal scarp forests of South Africa and Madagascar. Like the previous Billbergia nutans, it most often grows as an epiphyte (on other plants), though it will sometimes establish in soil. Intriguingly, it is typically epiphytic on decaying trees, often growing within the forks of trunks […]
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Published by Daniel Mosquin on February 20, 2018
It is a long road to Xilitla from San Miguel de Allende in México; six hours of driving without stopping. Stops are however necessary, not only for enjoying the plants along the way at the height of wildflower season, but also for the calls of nature. Sometimes the two are combined.
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