Winter Daphne

So yes, perhaps on first glance you see the star magnolia in this pic and you are second guessing my post title.  But then, you look more closely and see a spotty shrub growing out of the fence, and you feel the need to inspect more closely.  That's pretty much what my experience was when I parked across from this Georgetown garden a few days ago.

 

I knew, from across the street, that it wasn't an early Ericaceous plant like azalea or andromeda and it wasn't one of the many sulfur-yellow early spring plants, like Forsythia, Cornus mas or Jasminum nudiflorum (more on that one next week).  I suspected it could be winter daphne, or Daphne odora, but had my doubts.  The plant is notoriously difficult to grow and it seemed unlikely to thrive here, jammed in an urban, crowded garden. 

 

But at closer inspection, it sure enough was winter daphne.  The glossy, broad leaves with faintly variegated margins, the round infloresences and of course the dizzying, heady fragrance are all clear giveaways.  If I didn't want the owners of that lovely home to sue me, I'd tell you where I found this plant and insist you smell it for yourself.  It's utterly intoxicating.

But as I said, it's a tough plant to keep happy.  Dirr says, "What a wonderful plant! Temperamental, trying, but worth all the attention."  Sounds like some relationships!

Speaking of which, this presents a perfect opportunity to address the plant's nomenclature.  Daphne is named for the mythological Greek nymph who, in order to avoid Apollo's fervent love and desire for her, prayed for help and was transformed into a laurel (Laurus nobilis).  In ancient Greece, Laurus nobilis was referred to as Daphne.  How and when the new genus Daphne acquired its name and Laurus started being called laurel, is a mystery I cannot shed light on today.

Clover, more specifically those with four leaves

Sadly, I don't have any good pics of Trifolium repens, or red clover, besides this one.  And you can hardly see the leaves on it.  As the genus name implies, this plant typically has three leaves, but if you find one with four (a 1 in 10,000 chance) then you are said to be granted with good luck.   

 

Legend has it that the leaves on clover stand for hope, faith and love and if there's a fourth leaf, that stands for luck.  Why some specimens of Trifolium have that fourth leaf is still not fully understood.  The possible reasons include environmental conditions or a very recessive genetic marker.

In any case, have a lucky and happy St. Patrick's day!

Tsuga canadensis

It's high time I post an entry on one of my favorite evergreen trees, Tsuga canadensis or Canadian hemlock.  The allée below was taken at Longwood Gardens, not far from the entry. 

 

I love the willowy nature of hemlocks -- some coniferous trees like spruce can seem so rigid and stiff - but hemlocks have a softness to them that is unique.  It's also native to the mountainside forests of this region which adds to the plant's advantages.

 

The short, flattened dark green leaves are easy to identify if you look for the white stomatal stripe that appears on the underside.  The leaves are generally arranged in two ranks along the stem, with a third, smaller leaf compressed on top of the stem.  The cones are small - smaller than a ping pong ball. 

In the image above, you more clearly can see the shorter, third leaf.  You will also notice that this leaf appears "upside down" -- that is, the side with the stomatal stripe is facing up.  You also have probably identified the evidence of wooly adelgid on the branches.  The white, cottony substance on the stems are egg sacs of the pest.  Wooly adelgid was introduced to the US in the Pacific Northwest in 1924.  It's estimated to have reached the Middle Atlantic states by the 1950's.  Tsuga is the pest's food of choice and over the years, hemlocks will eventually die from an infestation.  Until then, they will appear grayish in color, as the insect has sucked most of the sugar-rich chlorophyll from the leaves. 

The specimen above is a weeping cultivar of hemlock.  The most famous weeping cultivar is called 'Sargentii.'  These are extremely slow growing (read: expensive) plants and in my opinion, they're somewhat strange-looking.  Of course, my students already know that I have a bit of a bias against dwarf or weeping conifers. 

Finally, Tsuga is not the genus that Socrates purportedly died by.  That plant is called poison hemlock or Conium maculatum.  The common name hemlock was applied to Tsuga because, as legend has it, early settlers thought the crushed leaves of Tsuga smelled like Conium.

Euphorbia pulcherrima

Chance are, you read that botanical name and didn't realize it was the name for what may be one of the most recognizable plants in the country, poinsettia.  The specimens below are growing next to a fairly recognizable man, George Washington.  These shots were taken at the National Cathedral. 

 

Poinsettias are named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico.  The plant is native to Mexico, though can be found in some other parts of Central America.  Its association to Christmas began in the 16th Century in Mexico, when folklore began to tell of a young woman who was too poor to offer gifts to the church. She gathered weeds, presented them to the altar, and the next day they became brilliantly red flowers.  

Of course, here comes the part where I ruin some of the fantasy of the story.  The red "petals" one associates with a poinsettia flower are merely bracts.  The small yellow and red bundles above are the actual flowers.  Bracts are modified leaves and in the case with this species, they turn red only after they consistently receive twelve hours of darkness each night.  This is called photoperiodism.  The red (or white, pink or marbled hues) are brightest however if the daylight is as bright as possible.  Of course, nearer to the equator, this light requirement is easily achievable all year long.

In Mexico, the plant is commonly referred to as "noche buena" which is also a term for Christmas Eve.  Given this, it seemed like an appropriate plant for today's post.  Merry Christmas!