home sectionhome sectionBetta fish, whose scientific name is Betta splendens, might be relatively easy to raise, but they need an appropriate habitat and appropriate care nonetheless. Their reputation for being exceedingly short-lived is not because they have a particularly short lifespan – they should live for two or three years -- but because they are often housed in very small tanks or bowls that are very difficult to maintain. If you are raising juveniles betta fish, bear in mind that their needs, their diet and, crucially, their behavior change as they grow.
Japanese skimmia (Skimmia japonica) is an evergreen shrub that should be planted in groups of three in a woodland setting, where it thrives in the shade of larger shrubs and trees. It forms a low-maintenance hedge similar to yew or boxwood when planted 4 to 5 feet apart. The shrub is well-suited to containers where it will thrive in shady parts of the garden and on decks and patios. Japanese skimmia needs little care once established.
Ornamental grasses include rushes, sedges and grasses. They are hard to distinguish from each other, as they are all tall, slender plants with tiny flowers that cover acres of open land. Rushes and sedges thrive in cold, wet climates, while grasses grow best in dry, open areas. Slender sedge (Carex lasiocarpa) is part of the plant family Cyperaceae.
Full-size and dwarf varieties of Japanese skimmia (Skimmia japonica) have much in common. They require similar growing conditions and both produce attractive berries, flowers and foliage, making them excellent for adding color to a drab landscape. In most cases, you can select either the popular dwarf variety, Skimmia japonica reevesiana, or the standard Skimmia japonica, and expect similar success. To select between the plants, assess which size would better complement your garden when fully grown. Use caution if you have pets or young children since skimmia berries and leaves are poisonous if ingested.
In nature, flowers are typically pollinated through natural means. Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, remove pollen from a plant and deposit it in others. In a controlled garden environment, this doesn't always happen. As a result, gardeners find ways to transfer that pollen on their own, especially in vegetable gardens where flowers need pollination to bear fruit.
Whether grown as a houseplant or as an impressive evergreen shrub outdoors in frost-free tropical climes, the chenille plant (Acalypha hispida) produces some of the showiest flowers in all the plant kingdom. Also called red hot cat's tail, the chenille plant's flowers are tiny and appear in a long, drooping cluster known as a spike inflorescence or catkin. Finding or obtaining seeds from this plant is almost equivalent to locating the fountain of youth.
Zebrina, or zebrinus, means striped. When the word zebrina is part of a plant’s botanical name, or used as a hybrid cultivar name, some part of the plant most likely has stripes. These stripes may be on the leaves of the plant or on the flowers produced by the plant.
Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) is an herbaceous bush that has shown potential as a biofuel crop. The plant grows in warm-season climates and was primarily used as natural fencing. Its round fruits encase seeds that are high in oil content. The success of the crop as a global biofuel with commercial applications depends upon the ability to increase the yield. The plant has both male and female plants, but the current ratio is one female to 10 male plants.
A vigorous-growing, reliable producer of red-orange fruits, the Eureka persimmon tree (Diospyros kaki "Eureka") grows well in the southern United States where winters are mild, the summers long and the first frost occurs very late in autumn. Eureka is a selection of Oriental persimmon. Considerable confusion centers around Oriental persimmons because so many cultivars exist with varying needs for pollination. Eureka produces flowers with both male and female sex organs, and therefore yields fruit without a companion tree.
One of the most difficult landscape challenges is finding plants suited for growing in dry, shady conditions. Trees not only cast shadows, but their canopies sometimes prevent adequate rainfall to reach plants below. Some shrubs meet the challenges of shade tolerance and drought tolerance and are valuable additions to the landscape.
Elekid, the pre-evolution to Electabuzz and Electivire, can be difficult to locate in "Pokemon SoulSilver" if you don't know where to look. While Elekid is not the most powerful Electric-type Pokemon, its future forms pack a huge amount of electrical energy. You will have to play craftily to locate an Elekid.
Bagworms are found on a variety of plants and shrubs throughout the United States. Thuja arborviate is among the 128 species of plants commonly damaged by bagworm feeding. These caterpillars are named for the brown spindle-shaped bags of twigs and leaves they leave on host plants. Bagworms live inside the brown bag, enlarging it as they grow.
One of the best-known butterflies in North America is the monarch butterfly. Its scientific name is danaus plexippus and it is characterized by reddish-brown wings with distinctive, thick black veins and white spotted black borders. Many monarch butterflies migrate up to 2,000 miles in the autumn from southern Canada to their winter home in central Mexico. During this migration, the monarch butterfly lays its eggs but the reproductive cycle begins during the summer before migration.
An ancient conifer tree, the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), grows as a living fossil that has exhibited virtually no change in the last 90 million years. The tree looks like an evergreen, but it loses its needles each winter. A native of China, it has become a popular ornamental in the U.S. and its homeland because of its striking appearance and growth. In China, over 1 million dawn redwoods are planted per year by gardeners and landscapers, according to Gymnosperm Database.
It's easy to think that plants produce beautiful flowers and plump, juicy fruit solely for the enjoyment of mankind, but that really isn't the reason plants bloom. Plants produce flowers as a way to produce seeds to ensure that the species will continue. But without pollination even the most beautiful flowers will have spent their lives in vain, as they cannot produce seed. Fortunately, Mother Nature has devised clever techniques to entice insects and animals to give her a hand in pollination.
According to the National Allergy Bureau, 35-million Americans suffer from pollen allergies. Out of all the pollen producers, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reports that trees are the first pollen producers of the allergy season. Roughly 100 of the 50,000 tree species release large amounts of this airborne irritant, easily distributed by the wind miles away from its origin.
Vigorous and fast-growing, melons resemble winter squash, gourds and even pumpkins at certain stages of both vine and fruit development.. All these plants are close relatives and need summer heat and plenty of water to produce, but they also need good flower pollination. Pollinating melon plants by hand is increasingly common for backyard growers and high-tunnel and other commercial growers due to declining honeybee populations. Very early morning when female flowers first open is the ideal time.
If you grow melons in your garden, you are cultivating a sweet treasure of nutrition and taste. The fruit, such as cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon, grow on long vines that spread out along the ground. Each vine develops male and female flowers, which are bright yellow or white and tubular shaped. However, pollination can be a problem if you lack bees and insects in your area. Knowing how to artificially pollinate the melon vines by hand can help ensure a bountiful crop. Artificial pollination also allows you to cross-breed different varieties of melon to create a new type of the…
The dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is an ancient species known to date to the time of the dinosaurs. It often grows as tall as 100 feet and thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones 5 through 8. This grand specimen knows few pests or diseases that can severely damage it aside from a trio of fungi.
Evergreen bushes are used as ornamental plants as they maintain their foliage year-round. Bushes that produce red berries attract many species of birds and butterflies. Different types of evergreen bushes thrive in different parts of the country, so they should be chosen according to the USDA hardiness zones.
Many types of shrubs are available for residential landscaping -- they come in a variety of leaf shapes, flowers and fruits to give color and texture to your property. Some of these shrubs offer attractive, ivylike leaves in summer and bright, red berries that often last well into fall. These fruit-bearing shrubs will help to attract birds and other wildlife to your yard.
Cross pollination is the transfer of pollen from one plant variety to another. Many garden plants and trees will develop more and larger fruit if the flowers are cross pollinated. Wind and insects are responsible for most of the pollination requirements of plants, but in urban or isolated areas, hand pollination may be required. Plant breeders use this technique to develop new hybrids and varietal forms, while home gardeners do it for increased fruit production.
Fast-growing and productive when temperatures are warm and no frost occurs, cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are usually planted about two weeks after the last spring frost, regardless of location in the United States. Repeated seed planting or late-season sowing is possible, but depends on regional climate. Do not plant cucumbers within nine weeks of the expected first fall frost date.
Pruning shrubs isn't quite as difficult as many new gardeners may imagine. The most important aspect of the process is knowing when to prune. Timing is dependent upon the type of growth on which the shrub blooms. Those that bloom on the previous season's growth, or "old wood," need to be pruned immediately after flowering. Those that flower on current season growth are considered blooming on "new wood," and are best pruned in early spring, prior to the shrub's production of new foliage. Osmanthus fortunei, a fall bloomer, needs little pruning, other than to keep its shape. Prune immediately after…
Gourds are some of the most interesting members of the vine crop family. Related to pumpkins, squash, melons and cucumbers, gourds are inedible but often used for decoration. Creating your own colorful, odd-shaped gourd is easier than you might think. Gourd vines have separate male and female flowers. You can take advantage of that by hand cross-pollinating a female flower from one gourd variety with pollen from a male flower of another variety. Using the hand-pollination method, you can create your own gourd hybrids.
Trachycarpus fortunei, or windmill palm, is a tropical palm tree that is relatively resistant to cool temperatures and exhibits a trunk that is covered in dense fibers, giving it the appearance of being wrapped in burlap, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension. Yellowing leaves on this slow-growing tree indicate a health problem.
While all trees provide color and texture to the landscape, trees with bright red, yellow and green leaves add an extra layer of visual interest. While some trees have multicolored leaves through the growing season, others have green foliage that turns shades of red and yellow during the autumn. When selecting multicolored trees, choose species with cultural requirements and U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone ratings that match those of your landscape.
Identifying the type of berry-producing shrub growing in your yard can help determine if you want to keep the shrub or identify if the berries are edible. However, identifying shrub varieties can be tedious. The way the plant grows needs to be examined and compared to similar species. This process can be expedited by enlisting the help of other gardeners or nursery employees.
Cucumber plants, as with many other vining plants, grow male and female flowers. The flowers act much in the same way as reproduction in animals, in the sense that the male blooms must fertilize the females for new life to grow. Cucumber flower pollination generally occurs naturally, often from the help of bees, but they may require some help in heavily controlled environments where insects are absent. Hand pollination can be time consuming but just as effective as the more natural methods.
Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins and melons are all considered fruits when it comes to plant anatomy. In order for them to form on the plant, a flower must be pollinated. Pollination is the plant equivalent of sexual intercourse in animals. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you need male and female plants.
Shrubs form landscape's backbone. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, textures and colors. Shrubs with red foliage and berries provide a color combination in the yard, especially when used judiciously. These brightly colored plants contrast with green foliage. Red berries often attract beneficial wildlife. Choose red-leaved, red-fruiting shrubs that best suit the soil, sun and moisture conditions of your landscape, as well as your region's U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone rating.
Trachycarpus fortunei, or windmill palm, is shorter than its towering cousins, reaching just 20 to 40 feet tall from a single trunk. Native to Asia, this tree has adapted to temperate and subtropical regions of the U.S., specifically zones 7b through 10 on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Light shade and consistent moisture allow the T. fortunei to thrive. Seeds are easy to germinate.
Larch and dawn redwood are deciduous conifers. They drop their needles every year. Larch and dawn redwood are different species of conifers and grow in different climates. Both are outstanding landscape trees with striking form and showy fall foliage. There are more cultivars of larch from which to currently choose. Dawn redwood is a relatively new landscape tree in North America.
Cucurbita species, including pumpkins, are largely insect-pollinated. In areas where the bee population has been decimated due to overuse of pesticides or parasitic disease, farmers are choosing to hand-pollinate to ensure the continued success of their crops. As with other Cucurbita species, such as gourds or zucchini, pumpkins require pollination of the female flower by the male flower for fruit to set. If farmers save pumpkin seed for next year's planting, hand-pollination (when combined with bagging) has the added benefit of producing seeds that should produce true-to-type.
Silver molly is the common name given to Poecilia sphenops, a species of fish that is a member of the Poeciliidae family. These fish make excellent pets for novice fish owners, as they are hardy, easy to care for and tend to thrive in the typical home aquarium.
Melons of all shapes and sizes add a wealth of sweet flavor and bright color to summer salads, sorbets and even cold soups. These warm-weather favorites grow best in rich, well-draining soil and take 80 to 100 days to fully mature. Melon vines produce fruit through the process of pollination, often carried out by bees, spiders, butterflies and even the wind; however, wet, cool weather and a lack of bees or other insects can prevent the prized plants from producing a successful crop.
Asparagus takes three to four years to produce a crop for harvest, whether planted from seed or cut tops, which are widely called crowns. Planting 1-year-old asparagus crowns, however, speeds the process by about a year. When purchasing asparagus crowns for planting, reduce seedling weed problems in your garden by selecting an all-male hybrid cultivar. Female cultivars produce seeds, which fall to the ground and litter your garden with immature plants, an issue that doesn't exist with males. Wait to plant asparagus until spring temperatures allow the soil in the planting site to reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Night blooming plants close during the day, opening at dusk. Some of these nocturnal plants have a sweet fragrance that attracts bats and moths to feed on the nectar. Bats attracted to the night plants will also eat mosquitoes, which helps to cut down on a biting, disease-bearing pest in the yard and garden.
Flavorful berries harvested from bushes, such as blueberries and cranberries, have been demonstrated by science to supply important micronutrients to the diet. Berries are a valuable food source for birds and wildlife as well. In the home garden, grow blueberries, cranberries or currents for fresh eating, or for cooking and baking. Create a natural bird-feeding station in your home garden by including berry-bearing bushes that will attract birds.
Red is a warm, vibrant color that commands attention in the garden and often brings thoughts of love to mind. A mass of red flowers gives the garden a romantic feeling and can make it appear larger than it actually is. Use plants with red flowers to create a focal point, a garden room or use them to attract hummingbirds into the garden.
Dawn redwoods are tall, deciduous needle-producing trees originally native to China. They have orange-brown trunks and a pyramidal shape. Despite their non-native origins, they aren't considered invasive in North America, and can be grown as screens or specimen trees in most of the United States. Dawn redwoods are resistant to most pests and diseases, but do sometimes suffer from spruce spider mites.
Home gardeners may notice small insects placing white tufts of cotton on their plants and trees. These insects are cottony maple scales, which are often found on a variety of ornamentals. While these pests are not harmful to healthy trees, they can damage trees weak or under stress.
Garden snapdragons, which are members of the Antirrhinum genus, are not invasive. However, they are part of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae), and some of their relatives thrive in places where they are detrimental to the environment. These include wildflowers that bear a strong resemblance to antirrhinums. Gardeners can unwittingly spread the invasion by growing these plants in home gardens, from which they often spread to places where they are not helpful.
Ginkgo trees, also known as Ginkgo biloba, are native to southeast China. The ginkgo is the world's oldest living tree species today. Fossil records indicate that these trees blossomed back when dinosaurs roamed. During the Ice Age, many of the species were killed off, surviving only in certain areas of China. They are incredibly hardy trees. They can live for over 600 years and are resistant to pests and diseases. Ginkgo bilboa are no longer found outside of human cultivation. They are considered sacred in both China and Japan.
While ragweed is perhaps the most well-known source of pollen and allergies, trees produce pollen as well. Trees can be just as dangerous to those who suffer from seasonal allergies and can easily be overlooked when searching for landscaping trees. Like other plants, trees release pollen at regular intervals, so while the influence may be widespread, it's unlikely to last.
Plants with green leaves and bright berries can add splashes of color and interesting textures to your outdoor landscape. Select outdoor berry plants according to the plant's lighting needs, the bloom time, berry color and your intended usage. Buy plants appropriate for your U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone to ensure these plants can withstand your winter weather.
The genus name Arisaema looks and sounds intimidating, but once you learn the common name for plants in this group is Jack-in-the-pulpits or cobra lilies, your anxiety should wane and curiosity pique. About 150 species of Arisaema exist, all native to moist woodlands or moist, rocky wastelands across eastern Asia or North America. While many species produce attractive leaves, the crowning glory is the snakehead or pitcher-shaped spathe with tiny flower-lined spadix.
Japanese cucumbers include the cultivars Sooyoo and Early Ochiai, both of which can grow from 20 to 24 inches long. Like all cucumbers, most Japanese cucumbers have both male and female flowers on the plant. This means the plant does not have to cross-pollinate with another variety. Insects, such as bees, pollinate most cucumbers, but in a year with spotty weather, the bees might not make it to your garden. Do the bee's work yourself by hand pollinating the cucumbers.
Rosemary is an aromatic herbal shrub with bluish flowers and narrow leaves. Native to the Mediterranean, rosemary is grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 6 through 10. It grows as an evergreen perennial in temperate climates and an annual in cold climates. Rosemary tolerates many soils and is drought tolerant. The hardy rosemary needs little care. Its problems are few and usually treatable.
Pollen is a fine, yellowish to brownish-gold powder made in the stamen, or male organ, of a plant's flower. Pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees seek pollen for nourishment and will return to the same flowers repeatedly. Pollen is spread by pollinators as they visit flowers of the same species, assisting in the task of a plant's reproduction.
Winterberry is another name for holly bushes. These plants have prickly leaves, and the female shrubs produce red berries in the fall and winter. Some varieties of hollies grow into full-size trees, but others get no bigger than dwarf fruit trees. Full-size varieties can become quite tall if not pruned annually. Winterberry plants are propagated mainly be cuttings. To add a Winterberry to your landscape, consider spacing, especially if you aren't going to prune every year.
The white mulberry (Morus alba) is a medium to large tree often seen growing along rural roads and in other remote places in America. The fruit of M. alba is raspberry-like and appears in colors ranging from white to purple to black. Unlike the raspberry, however, M. alba has serrated, shiny green leaves that are often deeply lobed. A mulberry's foliage is unmistakable.
For gardeners who plant cucumbers in an outdoor setting, pollination normally is not an issue. They may rely on wind and on insects such as bees to distribute pollen from the male flowers of the cucumber vine to its female flowers. When cucumbers are grown indoors, however, the gardener must take steps to ensure the transfer of pollen. Otherwise, the vines will yield no cucumbers.
Cucumbers are commonly grown in home gardens in the summer time and can be grown in a vegetable garden as well as in a container garden. Cucumber plants are vining plants that benefit from being grown on a trellis or external support system. This helps ensure even growth, as well as adequate sunlight exposure. Yellow spots on cucumber plants can be the result of many factors.
Fossil records indicate that the dawn redwood tree (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) dates to 50 million years ago. Believed extinct, the tree was discovered growing wild near Modaoqui, China, in 1941 by a Chinese forester, T. Kan. In 1947, the Missouri Botanical Garden gained access to seeds from the newly discovered tree. The tree has become an ornamental landscape specimen with several cultivars and continues to grow wild in Sichuan and Hubei provinces, in west-central China.
Pollen is produced by the male reproductive organs of flowering plants. Flowers' male reproductive system is comprised of thin filaments, or stalks, topped by buds called anthers, which together are called the stamen. The anthers hold and produce pollen until it is mature and ready to fertilize an egg. The female reproductive system is called the carpal or pistil, which is comprised of a bulbous ovary connected by a stem called the style to a bulb at top called the stigma.
The sunflower originates from North America and is one of the most recognizable flowers around, with roughly 60 different species in existence. The Netherlands boasts the tallest sunflower ever grown, which reached a height of 25 feet, 5 1/2 inches. British Columbia produced the largest sunflower head, which measured in at 32 inches. On Mar 13, 1903, the sunflower became the official state flower of Kansas.
When it comes to ginkgoes, females are not the fairer sex. Since their fruit smells so foul, planting them can cause problems in urban areas. Nevertheless, the females of this showy species grow in many cities, where the stench is battled in a variety of ways.
Home gardeners often grow citrus trees for the sweet, delicious fruit they bear. However, citrus trees are susceptible to infestations of many insects that can affect the overall health and vigor of the tree. The mealybug is a common citrus pest that infests all types of citrus trees, but it prefers grapefruit.
Plants, like any other living organism, must reproduce to live on from generation to generation. For many plants this requires male and female reproductive organs to do their parts to produce a seed that will produce another plant. The average person may not be able to tell the difference between a male and female plant, but there are specific features of these plants that make them different among many species. By looking at the parts present on a particular plant you can learn whether it is male or female -- or whether it is both.
Landscaping with bushes brings architectural form, colorful flowers and interestingly textured leaves to your garden. Many flowering bushes, however, also produce ornamental berries that outshine their blooms. These berries often remain on the shrubs well into winter, bringing visits from hungry birds and wildlife. Some of the fruit also makes its way indoors as a decorative accent or preserves ingredient.
Slender green foliage and the production of red berries is the trademark of certain landscaping plants. These species fulfill an array of uses around a property, adding color to the landscape.
Cucumber (cucumis sativus) is a member of the Cucurbit or gourd family.The reason why a particular variety has not produced female flowers may be simple -- it is too soon. Traditional cucumber varieties produce more male than female flowers, with many male flowers appearing before the first female one.
T. fortunei is a species of fan palm, specifically known as the Chinese windmill palm for their origin in China and Japan, where they have been cultivated for thousands of years. T. fortunei are hardy and fairly common, especially in areas like southern California. Trachycarpus is a relatively unusual species, in that hermaphroditic flowers are rare, and most specimens of the palm have only male or female flowers. The difference between the flowers is clear, so distinguishing the two is a simple process.
Zucchini, a member of the cucurbit family, produces both male and female flowers on the same plant. Honeybees going from flower to flower transfer pollen. Pesticide use in residential neighborhoods has greatly reduced the bee populations in most neighborhoods, causing problems for some backyard gardeners. When few bees are present, pollination may be insufficient causing flowers to drop or set only a few misshapen fruits.
Willow acacia (Acacia salicina) trees, members of the Fabaceae family and native to Australia, are fast-growing weeping evergreens. The trees tolerate low desert conditions and can be found in states such as Arizona.
Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are colorful, prolific bloomers that have been flower-garden staples for centuries. In "Jefferson's Garden," author H. Peter Loewer writes that snapdragons spread across Europe from their native southern Spain due to the expansion of the Roman Empire. Outcroppings of the plant frequently occur on the sites of ancient Roman ruins and cemeteries across Southern Europe. Modern varieties offer increased selection of colors and growth habits, as well as increased disease resistance.
Iris growers continually seek new and improved varieties. They want plants with more vigor, improved flower form, unusual colors and new patterns. Iris plants readily produce fertile seed, so many iris enthusiasts attempt to breed for these desirable qualities by cross-pollinating the flowers of their own plants. To make hybrid seeds, pollen from the male parts, or anthers, of one plant's flower must contact the female part, or stigma, of another plant's flower. The hardest part of hybridizing irises is identifying the reproductive structures of the flower, particularly the anther and the stigma lip.
Cucurbits in the garden include pumpkins, squash, melons and cucumbers. These vining plants grow rapidly with tendrils and shoots, often climbing vertically up a support structure. Cucumbers, along with other members of the cucurbit family, produce both male and female blossoms on each plant. Because both male and female blossoms exist on each plant, pollinating insects such as bees must transfer pollen from male blossoms to the female blossoms. You can tell male and female cucumber blossoms apart from their appearance.
A single plant, the Ginkgo biloba -- or maidenhair -- tree, is the last member of the Ginkgo plant family dating to the Lower Jurassic period 190 million years ago. Gingko biloba owes its survival to northern Chinese Buddhist monks who planted the trees in their monastery gardens. They valued the trees for their edible nuts and medicinal properties, notes the University of California Museum of Paleontology. The highly pest-and pollution-resistant ginkgo plant now graces urban landscapes around the world.
Thought to be extinct until living trees were found in China in 1941, the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is a deciduous conifer that has remained virtually unchanged for 50 million years, according to tree expert Michael Dirr. They are surprisingly easy to grow.
Grapefruit trees become loaded with white blossoms each spring, which later develop into juicy fruit. Like other flowers, grapefruit flowers have reproductive structures at their center that handle pollinating and fertilizing the blooms. Some flowers have only part of the structures needed, but grapefruit flowers have them all.
Holly bushes belong to the aquifoliaceae plant family. Berries grown on holly bushes are a main staple in many bird's diets; however, they are toxic to humans. Landscapers cultivate several varieties of tall holly bushes for various uses.
Holly branches, with their deep-green, glossy leaves and bright red berries, are a favorite Christmas decoration. Symbolic of the crown of thorns and the blood of Christ, holly branches often appear in wreaths and floral centerpieces.
Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is a deciduous conifer known for its majestic tree form and bronze foliage in fall. Scientists thought the tree was extinct until the 1940s when a botanist discovered it growing in western China.
The Japanese lantern, Hibiscus schizopetalus, is a broadleaf evergreen that grows best in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11. The plant grows as an annual is lower growing zones. Japanese lanterns require growing space to accommodate a height of 6 to 8 feet and spread of 5 to 6 feet.
The Chinese lantern, also called flowering maple, is an evergreen shrub from the Malvaceae family. The shrub grows best in the mild temperatures found in the U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 8 though 10.
The common cattail, or Typha latifolia, is a tall, reedy plant that grows in marshes, along the edges of lakes, ponds and rivers and in ditches. It is named for its brown, cylindrically shaped flower spikes.
In order to reproduce, plants must engage in pollination. This is a sexual activity that takes place in flowers that produce seeds and fruit. The anatomy of a plant includes male and female parts that each play a specific role in the pollination process. Some plants have male and female parts, while other incomplete plants have only one or the other. These plants rely on wind, insects or animals to pollinate nearby plants of the opposite sex.
The sunflower is a seed-bearing plant scientifically classified as a spermatophyte because the seeds are enclosed by a protective shell. The protected seed makes the sunflower an angiosperm- a member of the highest order of plants on earth. The flower is supported by a long stalk or axis. Within the flower are found the androceium, containing the male parts, and the gynoceium, housing the sunflower's female parts. The sunflower is composed of many tiny flowers forming one composite bloom.
Bushes or shrubs with red berries can be a source of much-needed winter garden color. Bushes with evergreen leaves to contrast with their red berries make an even more striking display. On many of these plants, the bright fruit arrives early in the fall. If it can escape hungry birds, it often remains through the coldest months. Some species of these shrubs, however, grow as either male or female plants. Planting both will increase the chance of abundant berry crops.
At first glance, it may appear that all of the flowers on your pumpkin plant are the same. A closer inspection reveals distinct differences between the female flowers and the male flowers. Pumpkin plants — and other “cucurbits,” such as melons, cucumbers and squash — have both female and male flowers. Being able to detect the differences will be especially important if you plan to pollinate the flowers by hand.
In 1941, paleontologists uncovered fossil of the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) in China. A few years later, living specimens of the ancient tree were discovered in China as well. A deciduous conifer, the dawn redwood has delicate, fern-like foliage that turns a pale rust-brown in the fall. The tree produces its seeds in tiny round cones, and its bark retains a rich red hue, even when the tree stands bare in the winter. Dawn redwoods are hardy in zones 5 through 9 and prefer a moist, sunny site with some protection from late frosts. Caring for one requires fairly little…
Holly plants are best known for their green foliage and brightly colored leaves. Holly plants come in both evergreen and deciduous varieties, as well as a range of sizes.
Holly is a plant that is extremely hardy and can tolerate a variety of conditions. The bush also attracts wildlife and birds.
Flowers are bright and colorful, but beyond the aesthetic value they hold for humans, they also serve an important function to the plant. The main purpose of a flower is to allow the plant to reproduce.
The petals of a flower are the delicate colored membranes that bloom from the buds at a specific time of year. Flower petals typically surround a flower's reproductive parts, which are found in the center of the flower. Insects and birds are attracted to the flower by the petals' color and scent. As these insects and birds go from flower to flower, feeding on nectar and collecting pollen, they carry pollen from male flowers and deposit it in female flowers, where it fertilizes the ovules. A number of plant flowers produce five petals, and this can help you to identify…
Pollination is the transfer of pollen in a plant. To reproduce, flowers require assistance to release their pollen from the female parts to the male portions. Water pollination, or hydrophily, happens when the flow of water aids in the process of pollination. Water-pollinated plants are aquatic plants, and have small blossoms with large featherlike stigmas used to cultivate pollen.
Procreation is the driving force behind flowers opening and closing. Open flowers allow insects to fertilize plants, while closed flowers conserve resources when insects are unlikely to be around. Different species of flowers have different patterns of opening and closing, and some don't close at all.
Plants must go through pollination to reproduce. During pollination pollen is moved from male flowers to female flowers, or pollen is moved within the same flower. If pollination does not happen, new plants will not grow.
The cotton seed bug (Oxycarenus hyalinipennis) is native to Europe and Africa. Until 2010, when its presence was noted along the shores of Florida, it had never been detected in North America.
Ephedra are mostly leafless shrubs that grow to a mature height of about 5 feet, depending on variety. The shrub has multiple, erect branches giving the plant its characteristics broom-like appearance. Ephedra has fragile, deep taproots growing straight down from the base of the plant, similar to the growth of the branches above. Ephedra is a doecious plant, meaning the male and female structures appear on separate plants. There are a number of varieties of ephedra.
The plant Kiwi actinidia produces a fruit that at one time was known only in its native China. With its juicy, emerald green flesh and sweet, slightly tart, berry-like flavor, kiwi fruit is a popular item in grocery stores throughout the world. The plant forms a vine and will grow in some temperate areas of the U.S. According to Purdue University, kiwi vines grow as either male or female, and planting both is essential to proper pollination and fruit set. The vine is substantial, and a strong arbor is required for support, particularly when laden with fruit.
Tribulus terrestris, or Bulgarian tribulus, is used in medicine and as a supplement. The plant's variety of uses include energy enhancement, libido and erectile function improvement, muscular growth and for treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Zucchinis are a frequent favorite of gardeners because of the delicious fruit they produce and the relatively simple care they require. Large, bushy plants can produce numerous flowers that sometimes do not set fruit. This can be caused by several interdependent reasons. Recognizing the problem allows you to correct it and perhaps kick-start fruit production.
Flowering plants or angiosperms are one of evolution's great success stories. According to "Biology," nearly 90 percent of plant species alive today are angiosperms. Pollen grains produced in the flowers of angiosperms play a key role in their life cycle.
Like most multicellular organisms, angiosperms or flowering plants reproduce by sexual reproduction. Pollen produced in the anther are transferred by wind, insects or animals to the stigma of another flower (or even the stigma of the same flower).
You may have heard gardeners talk about how members of the squash family--which includes cucumbers--require male and female flowers in order to produce fruit. Luckily, when growing cucumbers, ensuring the correct balance of girls and boys is Mother Nature's job, not yours.
When it comes to pollination, many plants are self-pollinating and insects such as bees and butterflies are a major element of the process. However, plants grown in controlled environments (greenhouses or indoors) that have male and female parts need assistance with pollination, like orchids, cucumbers and squash. You can easily help with this process with a couple simple materials and some knowledge of a flower's male and female organs.
Carl Linnaeus, the Father of Taxonomy, developed the Linnaeus plant classification system. Modifications of the methods he set in place are still used today to classify plants and other living organisms.
Also called black alder, winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a deciduous holly shrub known and admired for its copious display of red or golden berries in fall and winter. Native to temperate woodlands of eastern North America, it must endure a cold winter dormancy and thus is best grown only in USDA hardiness zones 3 though 8, except in the windy, bitter cold areas of the Great Plains and Upper Midwest. It is relatively easy to grow the shrub, but if berries are desired, a male-flowering shrub must be in close proximity to female flowering plants for fruits to form.
Great black wasps are large, black insects that are much more colorful in behavior than appearance. Though they are large and intimidating, great black wasps are relatively docile and rarely aggressive toward humans. They are often found around homes in many parts of the country as they feed on the nectar and pollen of common garden flowers and will hunt grasshoppers, katydids, cicadas and other large insects from lawns.
Plants can either reproduce asexually or sexually. In asexual reproduction, there is only one parent involved, and the genetically identical new plant grows from cutoff parts of that parent. Sexual reproduction involves two non-genetically identical parents: a male and a female. Plants undergoing sexual reproduction have different sexualities. They are either hermaphroditic, monoecious, dioecious, subdioecious, polygamy or diclinous. Dioecious plants have separate male and female plants of the same population. No single plant in the population bears both pollen and ovules. A single male plant is called androecious, while a single female plant is called gynoecious.
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a deciduous variety of the holly plant with berries ripening on stems that are bare of leaves. Winterberry flourishes in areas where the drainage is poor, such as swamps and ditches. The winterberry is a deep red color that makes a striking contrast against the whiteness of the snow. The berries are in full ripeness when their color is a deep red. To produce berries, the plant needs a female and male winterberry, with one male plant needed to pollinate up to seven females. Only the female plants bear fruit.
Holly bushes can grow as shrubs or trees, have smooth bark and produce berries. The term holly bush is applied to hundreds of varieties and species. From the familiar English holly used for Christmas decorations to Chinese holly that produces berries without being pollinated. Holly bushes are dioecious plants, meaning within each type is a separate female (Pistillate) and male (Staminate) plant and both plants are required to complete pollination. Holly bushes of all kinds grow slowly and require little maintenance.
Rosemary mint is a popular plant with a few varieties. The plant also has many benefits. The various parts of the plant are used for food, skin care products and alternative remedies.
Cardboard palm is not actually a palm at all, but a cycad, which is a similar type of plant but unique. The fronds grow from the base of the plant and can reach up to 3 feet in length with leaves that when rubbed feel like cardboard. The cardboard palm is only hardy down to USDA zone 9, where the temperature does not drop below 25 degrees Fahrenheit. You can propagate the plant only by seed in the fall.
Cross-pollination refers to the pollination of female flowers with the pollen from a male flower. Many situations arise in which the hand-pollination of flowers is beneficial. A gardener may simply wish to make sure that a certain variety remains pure. Gardeners often use cross-pollination to create hybrid flowers, fruits and vegetables that exhibit a desired mix of traits. Cross-pollination can take place in an open garden or in a greenhouse situation with the same results.
Asparagus, a perennial vegetable related to ferns, is grown for its edible spears. An asparagus bed can remain productive for to 20 years, adding good value to the vegetable garden. There are both male and female asparagus plants, with the males producing the largest spears and the females producing seeds. There are varieties of asparagus that primarily grow male plants. If you wish to grow an heirloom or open-pollinated type of asparagus, choose types that offer both male and female plants such as the Mary Washington variety. If you want both male and female plants, do not purchase varieties with…
Pollen grains are a sticky powder produced by seed plants. When a pollen grain lands on a plant part called a pistil, it's germinating, or growing a long tube in order to reach an ovule (egg) and create a seed.
Hybrid plants are the result of the efforts of plant breeders who deliberately engineer new varieties of plants by combining the most desirable characteristics of the parent plants. Because of the way in which hybrids are developed, the process is labor-intensive.
Holly shrubs are a beautiful evergreen or deciduous plant that have a variety of applications which will suit even the fussiest gardeners. Unbeknownst to most gardeners, both deciduous and evergreen holly has the ability to produce berries. Even less traditional varieties of holly, Japanese holly for example, can produce berries. Almost all holly varieties require a male and a female plant of the same species in order for berry production and in some varieties the pollination can be even more plant specific.
Plants are not always strictly male or female, which can make determining the sex of your plant a bit confusing. Only dioecious plants develop as solely a male or female plant. Hollies, some palms, spinach, ginkgo and asparagus are examples of dioecious plants. Plants such as corn and pecan may also be monoecious with both male and female flowers on the same plant. You will need to have several flowers to examine to tell if your plant is male or female. You will be looking at the inside parts of the flower, which are easily visible to the naked eye.
Melons can be a tricky fruit to grow. Pollination is critical to producing good fruit. The melon plant produces both the male and female flower on the same plant. Bees and insects can be relied upon to do the cross pollinating or homeowners can take matters into their own hands and do it themselves. You'll need to learn how to identify male and female flowers and understand the factors affecting the timing of pollination. Also, it's important to leave a few female flowers on the plant for fruit development.
Muscadine grapes come in many varieties and, just as hardiness zone, sugar content and ripening period, the pollination requirement varies among varieties. Pollination refers to the process required for fruit production wherein pollen is transferred from the anthers (male structure) of one flower to the stigma (female structure) of the same or other flowers.
Muskmelon vines depend on prolific insects for their pollination even more than other plants. In some locations, a shortage of honeybees has caused a decrease in melon yields, requiring the grower to spend some time hand-pollinating the plants. Hand pollination is time-consuming, yet simple, requiring only light labor. The pollen must be removed from the male flowers and applied to the pistols of the female flowers in a way that ensures adequate fertilization.
Pollen causes immunoglobulin E antibody production in the human body. These antibodies cause mucous production and encourage sneezing and watery eyes in individuals who are sensitive to the pollen. Fifty million Americans suffer from allergies related to annual pollen production.
Poison sumac is found in the eastern United States. It is found in wetland areas such as marshes and swamps. This is another identifying characteristic. Non-poisonous sumac species are found in dry areas. It is perennial species that, fortunately, is not very common. Mature trees can reach heights of 25 feet.
Brazil nuts come from the Brazil nut tree, and are grown in a complicated process that involves a particular type of bee and flowering plants. Because of this, it is not economically viable to grow Brazil nuts on farms or plantations.
Due to the declining population of honeybees, some plants are having difficulty with pollination, particularly in small home gardens. If you find that your pumpkin plant is not producing fruit, pollinate by hand. Although it's not a perfect process, it typically does the trick.
Blossom end rot is a condition that occurs in some garden vegetables where the end of the growing vegetable where the blossom is suddenly rots, ruining it. This is often caused by calcium deficiency in the soil and/or lack of water. A third possible cause is insufficient natural pollination by insects. This article explains how to manually hand pollinate your zucchini squash to ensure adequate pollination.
Arisaema are diverse perennials with fun nicknames like "Jack in the pulpit" and "cobra lily." These distinctive plants grow from seeds and from tubers, and require specific care and attention during dormancy in order to survive.
Pollen, which can be equated to sperm in human males, is a fine powdery substance used to carry the male gamete (DNA) to the female portion of a flower. It has an outer wall called the exine which is made up of tough material known as sporopollenin. The inner layer is composed of cellulose, similar to that of a plant cell wall. Microscopic in size, pollen grams are only about 15 to 100 microns, with a pinch of the powder containing thousands upon thousands of grains.
Flowers, which appear in some form on most plant species, are the sexual organs of a plant, as the center of the bud is the female aspect and the pollen is the male aspect. Get interesting facts about flowers with advice from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening.
