To Fruit or Not to Fruit - The Story of Mast Seeding
To Fruit or Not to Fruit – The Story of Mast Seeding
Perennial plants that are able to reproduce multiple times during their lifetime don’t always yield the same amount of seeds each time they reproduce. For some of these plants, there is a stark difference between high-yield years and low-yield years, with low-yield years outnumbering the occasional high-yield years. In years when yields are high, fruit production can seem excessive. This…
I’m sure that anyone living through the events of 2020 would agree, these are truly wild times. So, when I stumbled across some purple coneflowers that appeared to be growing flowers out of flowers, I thought to myself, “Of course! Why not!?!” The world is upside down. Anything is possible.
As it turns out, however, this phenomenon occurs more frequently than I was aware. But it’s not…
Violas keep a secret hidden below their foliage. Sometimes they even bury it shallowly in the soil near their roots. I suppose it’s not a secret really, just something out of sight. There isn’t a reason to show it off, after all. Showy flowers are showy for the sole purpose of attracting pollinators. If pollinators are unnecessary, there is no reason for showy flowers, or to even show your…
The one-flowered broomrape (Orobanche uniflora) - I have been trying to find this plant for over 5 years. People would tell me where to look but try as I might, this little parasite has remained elusive. Yesterday I had given up trying to find this species for yet another year and that is exactly when I found it. Moral of the story: sometimes you have to stop trying to see certain plants before you finally get to see them. #plants #botany #botanizing #parasite #parasiticplants #flowers #Orobanchaceae #broomrape #foresthealth #forestfloor #biodiversity #illinois #mycoheterotroph #plantoftheday #evolution #flowering #plantsofinstagram #explore #nativeplants
I adore this Central American Piperaceae. Does anyone know who it might be? #Piperaceae #botany #plantid #plantoftheday #CostaRica #biodiversity #habitat #plant #rainforest #flowering #angiosperm #plantsofinstagram #CentralAmerica
I feel certain I shared pictures of my okra spouts when I first plotted them in spring. So cute, just a couple inches high. I wasn’t sure if they’d have time to mature before cold weather. (First timer growing food).
Now all of them are taller than me! Hence the upward angle of the photo. They started producing months ago, probably around two feet tall.
I still can’t believe one of my crops survived! I also tried to grow cantelope, corn, and brussel sprouts. They are no longer with us.
