Monthly Archives: February 2014

Garden Alphabet: Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

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Garden Alphabet: Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

We have visited Hawaii only once, but since we were driving right past the Dole Plantation it made sense to stop in for a bit. The one sight that attracted my attention most was the test garden which contained a wide variety of pineapples, including the example. Some were red, some were golden and others bright yellow. It was quite eye-opening to see the wide variety available when I grew up knowing nothing but pineapple in a can. (LAUGH)

Garden Alphabet: Pineapple from the Dole Test Garden, Wahiawa, Oahu, Hawaii

 

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical plant with edible multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries,[1] and the most economically significant plant in the Bromeliaceae family.[2] Pineapples may be cultivated from a crown cutting of the fruit,[3] possibly flowering in 20–24 months and fruiting in the following six months.[3][4] Pineapple does not ripen significantly post-harvest.[5]

Pineapples are consumed fresh, cooked, juiced, and preserved, and are found in a wide array of cuisines. In addition to consumption, in the Philippines the pineapple’s leaves are used to produce the textile fiber piña– employed as a component of wall paper and furnishings, amongst other uses.[6]

The word “pineapple” in English was first recorded in 1398, when it was originally used to describe the reproductive organs of conifer trees (now termed pine cones). The term “pine cone” for the reproductive organ of conifer trees was first recorded in 1694. When European explorers discovered this tropical fruit in the Americas, they called them “pineapples” (first so referenced in 1664 due to resemblance to what is now known as the pine cone).[7][8]

In the scientific binomial Ananas comosus, ananas, the original name of the fruit, comes from the Tupi word nanas, meaning “excellent fruit”,[9] as recorded by André Thevet in 1555, and comosus, “tufted”, refers to the stem of the fruit. Other members of the Ananas genus are often called “pine”, as well, in other languages. In Spanish, pineapples are called piña (“pine cone”), or ananá (ananás) (example, the piña colada drink). — Wikipedia

More information on Pineapple (Ananas comosus):

 

Previously in Garden Alphabet:

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Garden Decor: Brick Garden Shed

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Brick Garden Shed

Oh dear, how lovely is this? I can almost imagine sitting in this grade, gathering my tools from this shed and disappearing for a while.

Brick garden shed

Discovered via Tumblr User gardengallery

More garden shed ideas from Amazon.com: 

 

Previously in Garden Decor:

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Horticulture Jobs Available – Search by location and keyword

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Check out our list of horticulture jobs (and others) available via SimplyHired.com. Enter your location for jobs close to you. You can also search on other keywords. Horticulture jobs

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Garden Alphabet: Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia)

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Garden Alphabet: Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia)

There is a distinct alien look to Joshua Trees as you drive across the California High Desert. Their gnarled, out-stretched arms almost look like they are stumbling across the desert, headed to some secret location to plan their next move. I took this photo while we visiting the Antelope Valley Desert Museum. The trees just happened to be in bloom and the flowers look just as alien as the rest of the tree. Joshua Trees only grow in very specific area of the desert and are under pressure from surrounding development for both residential and industrial reasons.

Garden Alphabet: Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) | A Gardener's Notebook

Antelope Valley Indian Museum 2014 - 49

Antelope Valley Indian Museum 2014 - 12

 

Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia)

Yucca brevifolia is a plant species belonging to the genus Yucca. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca.[2][3][4]

This monocotyledonous tree is native to southwestern North America in the states of California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, where it is confined mostly to the Mojave Desert between 400 and 1,800 meters (1,300 and 5,900 ft) elevation. It thrives in the open grasslands of Queen Valley and Lost Horse Valley in Joshua Tree National Park. A dense Joshua tree forest also exists in Mojave National Preserve, in the area of Cima Dome.

In addition to the nominate subspecies Yucca brevifolia subsp. brevifolia, two other subspecies have been described:[5] Yucca brevifolia subsp. jaegeriana (the Jaeger Joshua tree or Jaeger’s Joshua tree or pygmae yucca) and Yucca brevifolia subsp. herbertii (Webber’s yucca or Herbert Joshua tree), though both are sometimes treated as varieties[6][7][8] or forms.[9]

The name Joshua tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree’s unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshuareaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.[10][11][12] Ranchers and miners who were contemporary with the Mormon immigrants also took advantage of the Joshua tree, using the trunks and branches as fencing and for fuel for ore-processing steam engines. It is also called izote de desierto.[13] It was first formally described in the botanical literature as Yucca brevifolia by George Engelmann in 1871 as part of the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel.[14] — Wikipedia

More information on Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia):


Previously in Garden Alphabet:

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Interesting Plant: Australian/New Zealand Tea Tree (Leptospermum scoparium)

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Interesting Plant: Australian/New Zealand Tea Tree (Leptospermum scoparium)

This is an entirely new plant to me. I discovered it, and took these photos, on an impromptu neighborhood photo walk a few weeks ago and an online commenter identified it for me. I believe this is the ‘Red Damask’ variety. It really caught my eye as I walked past and I am thinking I might want to add one to my garden, although I don’t have a lot of red there at the moment. Perhaps this could start a trend.

Australian Tea Tree (Leptospermum scoparium)

Australian Tea Tree (Leptospermum scoparium)Australian Tea Tree (Leptospermum scoparium)

Leptospermum scoparium, commonly called mānuka, manuka myrtle,[1] New Zealand teatree,[1] broom teatree,[1] or just tea tree, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae,native to New Zealand and southeast Australia.

It is a prolific scrub-type tree and is often one of the first species to regenerate on cleared land. It is typically a shrub growing to 2–5 m (7–16 ft) tall, but can grow into a moderately sized tree, up to 15 m (49 ft) or so in height. It is evergreen, with dense branching and small leaves 7–20 mm long and 2–6 mm broad, with a short spine tip. The flowers are white, occasionally pink, 8–15 mm (rarely up to 25 mm) in diameter, with five petals. This species is often confused with the closely related species kānuka – the easiest way to tell the difference between the two species in the field is to feel their foliage – mānuka leaves are prickly, while kānuka leaves are soft.[2] The wood is tough and hard.— Wikipedia

More information on Leptospermum scoparium:

From Amazon.com:
 

Previously in the Interesting Plant series: 

Interesting Plant is a series from A Gardener’s Notebook blog and podcast that highlights the most interesting plants I find in my Internet and real-world travels — Douglas

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From the container garden to the salad bowl…

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A nice lettuce harvest from the container garden, washed, put right in the salad bowl and enjoyed as lunch! Yum!

From container garden to the salad bowl

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