Another easy one, or else you guys are just too smart! It is indeed a mistletoe. Gold stars to KB, John, Kandi, and Deb, and an extra point to Jane for identifying the genus (Phoradendron). I believe it’s Phoradendron bolleanum, an introduced species which parasitizes Cupressus arizonica (Arizona cypress).
In any case, I chose this puzzle plant in keeping with the holiday season! Thanks for playing!
Category: Diversions
Little green mystery
Yet another "what am I?" post for Friday. Any takers on this one?
Have a nice weekend – answer on Monday!
Cirque du Poinsettia
Last week I brought up the seasonal topic of poinsettias. There are so many cultivars to start with, it’ll make your head spin. Twenty five new varieties were introduced in 2009 alone. One
of the major breeders lists 36 RED varieties.
But for painting and glitter, growers
and retailers stick to “white” (actually a very pale yellow to cream –
see last week’s ‘Polar Bear’ post) or possibly light pink. The trend had a good start in Europe and crossed the pond in 2004.… Continue reading this article “Cirque du Poinsettia”
Friday puzzle unrolled
I knew this one was pretty easy, but I have my reasons (below). Gold stars to KB, Jim, John, and Dave for correctly identifying rolls of sod (and they do seem thin, Peter):
Yes, sod. I dislike instant lawns; they never look good for very long, at least in my part of the country. And getting rid of sod (as we have in our landscape) is a nightmare with that *%&$^ plastic mesh in which the grass is embedded. … Continue reading this article “Friday puzzle unrolled”
Friday’s puzzle
Here’s an early holiday gift – a stack of yummy beef and alfalfa sprout wraps:
Or is it?
Answer Monday!
Candy cane unwrapped
Wow, what a bunch of great guesses this week! All of them are logicial…but only Deb guessed it was a Christmas cactus (actually a Thanksgiving cactus – Schlumbergera truncata) :
In any case, I thought this was a festive way to start the holiday season. (And please, no catty comments about my obsession with plant private parts.)
Candy cane mystery
In keeping with the upcoming holiday season, enjoy this floral candy cane:
What is it?
Answer and another photo on Monday!
Trunk teaser untwisted
Good guesses over the weekend on what caused the twisty looking trunk structure in Friday’s puzzle. Here’s a larger photo:
Nancy and Paul both got this one – it’s two trunks fused together. I have no idea whether the production nursery grew two saplings together on purpose or accidentally, but here’s one reason that this tree might be a problem down the road:
This area is ripe for disease, as water will collect in the crotch. … Continue reading this article “Trunk teaser untwisted”
Trunk teaser
Here’s the trunk of a Japanese maple I photographed last month at a big box store in Seattle:
Why does the trunk look like this? Answers and more photos on Monday!
Mysterious glowing object identified!
Ed, Wes and Paul all correctly identified Friday’s flower as a morning glory, probably an Ipomoea spp. (They also made me feel rather soiled for pedaling flower porn. Sheesh.)
What I find fascinating about these flowers is the unearthly glow at the center. They’re pollinated by bumblebees among other species, and bees see best in the blue-violet-ultraviolet range. If we were able to see this flower under UV light, you’d see those white areas become completely dark, creating a bullseye for bee approach.… Continue reading this article “Mysterious glowing object identified!”