Tuesday, 08 July 2008

• The 100 Species Challenge

  I've been in a far away land with no internet connection for several days now, otherwise I would have posted on Saturday as promised.
  
  But, here we go.
  
  I'll start with plants whose photos I already have uploaded, so you may have seen some of these before.
  
  1. Crape Myrtle
  2. Flowering Dogwood
  3. Magnolia
  
  Name: Crape Myrtle
  
  Already Knew: Tall, flowering deciduous tree/bush, likes full sun, very pretty even in the winter (I like the way the bare branches look), spelled weird, very attractive to Japanese Beetles, produces suckers. I can identify these year-round because of their distinctive shape, although I would probably have trouble with overgrown ones, or ones that were naturally wider or shorter than the ones shown here.
  
  Recently Learned: I didn't know there were dwarf varieties, although I suppose I've seen small, bushy ones that I assumed were not properly transplanted or pruned. Genus is named Lagerstroemia. There is a variety called Sarah's Favorite, which has very pretty flowers, but is not the tall, narrow vase shape that I like. So I can't say it's my favorite.
  
  
  
  Name: Flowering Dogwood
  
  Already Knew: deciduous tree, four-petaled blooms in spring, prefers some shade, red berries in the fall, stays relatively small. I can definitely identify them when they're in flower, or when the berries are showing; can possibly identify them by the leaf shape, although that's not a for-sure. Can sometimes identify them in the winter by the way their branches have a layered look to them.
  
  Recently Learned: there are other kinds of dogwoods, some of which are bushes and shrubs, and some of which are more known for their berries than their flowers.  There is a blight that is spreading across the US that affects dogwoods, but it is not yet devastating (and my trees don't seem to have it yet).  The genus name is cornus, and I think mine (the one in the second picture here) is cornus florida, but I couldn't say for sure, and I couldn't distinguish between it and any other cornus, except to say, "Well, that's kinda like my dogwood, but kinda not!"
  
  
  Name: Magnolia
  
  Already Knew:  Big honkin' tree with distinctive leathery leaves, pretty flowers.  Long-lived evergreen.  Interesting seed pods, with red seeds inside.
  
  Recently Learned:  Genus name is magnolia (that should be easy to remember).  I didn't realize that a smaller tree with magnolia-like flowers actually was a magnolia: it is deciduous and flowers in the spring before the leaves come out.  I think I'd get this confused with a tulip tree, which also has magnolia-like flowers in the spring, before the leaves come out.  Don't know how I'm going to learn the difference there.  And I doubt I'd recognize that one except when it was in bloom.  The big magnolias I recognize any time.
  
  There.  I did three instead of two, just to make up for being late.  Am I forgiven?
  
  I'm enjoying reading what all you other members of the challenge are coming up with!!  If you're doing it and I don't yet have your blog up on the blog roll, let me know?  Some of you left comments saying that you were doing it, but either I couldn't find your blog, or I couldn't find your first post on the Challenge.  Let me know!!

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