Garden List 2014 Update: August 6

Here's my newest update to my garden list! I've spent very little time in the herbarium over the last couple of weeks (conflicting schedules and all), so it will probably be a couple of weeks before I update it again with more stuff. Seems like during the summer, when there are no students around, is when everyone is busiest dealing with administrative stuff having to do with students. Ha. The never ending cycle! It's August already...geez. Where does the time go?!

The legend:
- Plants in bold text are new to this iteration of the Garden List (numbered from the bottom up so new plants will always be at the top)
- Plants in green text are species native to northeastern North America (specifically, southwestern Ontario)
- Plants with an asterisk (*) beside their name are invasive in this area (again, specifically southwestern Ontario)
- Any plants that I've already blogged about have links included


Jen's Garden List 2014:
121. Sow thistle (Sonchus asper) 
120. Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata): read all about my favourite aquatic plant, pickerelweed, HERE.
119. Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla): read all about the colour-changing abilities of the bigleaf hydrangea HERE.
118. Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)*
117. False spirea (a different kind!), false goat's-beard (Sorbaria sorbifolia)
116. Purple daylily (Hemerocallis sp., unknown cultivar)
115. Creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides)*: read all about the invasive creeping bellflower HERE.
114. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): read all about echinacea HERE.
113. Clematis, traveler's joy (Clematis x jacksonii): read all about clematis HERE.
112. Cliff stonecrop (Sedum cauticola or also Hylotelephium cauticola): read all about the cliff or showy stonecrop HERE.
111. Lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus 'Lemon Supreme')
110. A "Division VII Lily hybrid" that is slowly being strangled out by other plants (Lilium hybrid; likely L. auratum x L. speciosum)
109. Scottish bluebell, bellflower (Campanula rotundifolia): read all about a Scottish bluebell hybrid HERE.
108. Lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina)*: read all about Lamb's ear and why it might be important in medicine HERE.
107. Enchanter's nightshade (Circaea quadrisulcata)
106. Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)*: don't worry; these are in a pot, not directly in the ground! :)
105. A different false spirea (Astilbe x arendsii 'Peach Blossom')
104. Chinese astilbe or false spirea (Astilbe x chinensis 'Rise & Shine'): read about one variety of Chinese astilbe (or false spirea) HERE.
103. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): read all about lavender HERE.
102. Common black nightshade (Solanum nigrum)*
101. Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)*
100. Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum): read all about Japanese painted ferns HERE.
99. Clinton's wood fern (Dryopteris clintoniana)
98. Nipplewort (Lapsana communis)*
97. Gray chickweed (Cerastium brachypetalum)
96. Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)*
95. Lady's-thumb (Polygonum persicaria)*
94. Japanese spirea #2 (Spiraea japonica 'Norman'): read all about spireas HERE.
93. Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)*
92. Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine)*
91. Daylily (Hemerocallis sp. 'Bertie Ferris'): read all about daylilies and the umpteen different cultivars available starting HERE (at the bottom of the page, press "older posts" to read previous blog posts on the same topic).
90. Japanese spirea #1 (Spiraea japonica 'Golden Princess')
89. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum): read all about sugar maple trees HERE and HERE.
88. Rough avens (Geum virginianum)
87. Wormseed or Treacle mustard (Erysimum cheiranthoides)
86. Maiden pink (Dianthus deltoides)
85. Broadleaf, greater or common plantain (Plantago major)
84. Black grass (Juncus gerardii)*
83. Candlestick fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon; a fungus)
82. Muller's pouchwort (Calypogeia muelleriana)
81. Indian feather moss (Timmia megapolitana)
80. Wood clitocybe (Pseudoarmillariella ectypoides or formerly called Clitocybe ectypoides; a fungus)
79. Yellow-cracked pholiota (Pholiota granulosa; a fungus)
78. Another fungus without a common name... (Stropharia thrausta; a fungus)
77. Red sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum); not collected for the same reason as tomatoes.
76. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum); not collected because I like eating tomatoes, not squishing tomatoes between newspaper sheets!
75. At least four different cultivars of garden roses (Rosa sp.; many are unknown cultivars): you can read all about roses HERE and HERE.
74. Yellow daylily (Hemerocallis flava)
73. Meadow cranesbill (Geranium pratense)
72. Woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus, also known as Thymus praecox subsp. brittanicus)
71. Dog-strangling vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum)*
70. White clover (Trifolium repens)*
69. Red pine (Pinus resinosa dwarf variety): read all about red pines HERE.
68. Glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)*
67. Flowering dogwood, Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa): read all about the flowering dogwood HERE.
66. Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris): read all about the climbing hydrangea HERE.
65. Yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus)*: read all about the yellow flag iris HERE.
64. Japanese iris, blood iris (Iris sanguinea): read all about the blood iris HERE.
63. Siberian iris (Iris sibirica)
62. Common garden peony, Chinese peony (Paeonia lactiflora hybrid of unknown parentage): read all about peonies HERE.
61. Weak arctic sedge (Carex supina)
60. Least hop clover (Trifolium dubium)*
59. Garden weigela, wine and roses weigela, old fashioned weigela, or any number of other common names used for this species (Weigela florida 'Alexandra'): read all about the "catnip shrub" HERE.
58. Little gem cotoneaster (Cotoneaster adpressus)
57. Purple creeping woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata var. atropurpurea)*
56. Littleleaf lilac (Syringa pubescens subsp. microphylla, formerly Syringa microphylla)*: read all about the littleleaf lilac HERE.
55. Common or Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)*
54. Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea): read all about the red osier dogwood HERE.
53. Blue dogbane (Amsonia tabernaemontana): read all about dogbane HERE.
52. Hemlock waxcap (Hygrocybe/Hygrophorus sp.; a fungus without a published name [yet] that I discovered in my back yard growing under, you guessed it, hemlock trees)
51. Spring psathyrella (Psathyrella pseudovernalis; a fungus)
50. A fungus without a common name... (Hygrophorus camarophyllus; a fungus)
49. Rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis)
48. Canada bluegrass (Poa compressa)
47. Alpine pogonatum moss (Pogonatum alpinum)
46. Contorted hairy cap moss (Pogonatum contortum)
45. Cluster crumblecap (Psathyrella hydrophila; a fungus)
44. Annual blue grass (Poa annua)*
43. Mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium vulgatum)*
42. Thyme-leaved speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia)
41. Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis)*: read all about lily-of-the-valley HERE and HERE.
40. Great Solomon's-seal (Polygonatum biflorum or sometimes called Polygonatum commutatum or even Polygonatum giganteum): read all about great Solomon's-seal HERE.
39. Bugle (Ajuga reptans)*
38. Red oak (Quercus rubra): read all about the red oak HERE.
37. Common or umbrella liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha)*: read all about the umbrella liverwort HERE.
36. Sweet woodruff or sweetscented bedstraw (Galium odoratum)*: read all about sweet woodruff, aka master of the woods, HERE.
35. Woodland Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema atrorubens or sometimes called Arisaema triphyllum): read all about Jack-in-the-pulpits HERE.
34. Freckled violet (Viola sororia 'Freckles')*
33. Purple plum (Prunus cerasifera 'Thundercloud')
32. Fivestamen chickweed (Cerastium semidecandrum)*
31. Terrestrial water-starwort (Callitriche terrestris)
30. Yellow alyssum (Aurinia saxatilis or its other name Alyssum saxatilae)
29. Yellow rocket or winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris)*
28. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)*: read all about garlic mustard HERE.
27. Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis): read all about lungworts HERE.
26. Common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)*: read all about dandelions HERE and HERE.
25. Fortune's spindle (Euonymus fortunei)*
24. Violet lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor 'La Grave')*
23. Northern blue violet (Viola septentrionalis)
22. Creeping woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata)*
21. Bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis): read all about bleeding hearts HERE.
20. Field pansy (Viola kitaibeliana)
19. Moss phlox (Phlox subulata): red all about moss phlox HERE and HERE.
18. Mountain rock cress (Arabis alpina subsp. caucasica)*
17. Norway spruce (Picea abies)*: read all about the Norway spruce HERE and HERE.
16. Tulips, at least 2 different unknown cultivars (Tulipa sp.): read all about tulips HERE.
15. Hyacinths, at least 3 different unknown cultivars (Hyacinthus orientalis): read all about hyacinths HERE.
14. Daffodils, 2 different unknown cultivars (Narcissus sp.): read all about daffodils HERE in my blog post about plants of the Chinese New Year.
13. Judas ear (Auricula americana; a fungus)
12. Common violet (Viola papiliomacea or sometimes called Viola sororia)*
11. English violet (Viola odorata)*
10. Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)*
9. Eastern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis): read all about the Eastern white-cedar HERE.
8. Corn speedwell (Veronica arvensis)*
7. Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
6. Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis): read all about the Eastern hemlock HERE.
5. Siberian or wood squill (Scilla siberica)*
4. Variegated lesser or dwarf periwinkle (Vinca minor 'Argenteovariegata')*
3. Purple lesser or dwarf periwinkle (Vinca minor 'Atropurpurea')*
2. Bigleaf periwinkle, greater periwinkle (Vinca major)*
1. Hoary/hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)*

My favourite aquatic plant, pickerelweed. I love the little yellow dots on the top petals of the flowers, and the way the seeds develop is downright fascinating!

Creeping bellflowers have established themselves quite nicely (rather, not very nicely if you ever want to remove them) at the side of the garden. I'll be the first to admit these are unfortunately a very attractive invasive species; one that is widely planted as an ornamental species.

The bigleaf of the Hydrangea world

Species name: Hydrangea macrophylla

Common name: Bigleaf hydrangea, hortensia

Location: Ontario

This species of Hydrangea (there are somewhere between 70 and 75 species depending on which authority you consult; even DNA evidence gives two different stories depending on which gene is used to determine species limits) is native to Japan, and there are over 15 common cultivars (over 600 named cultivars in total, although many of these are not common outside of Japan) used in landscaping.

The most unique aspect of this plant (and one of the reasons why it is so widely planted outside of Japan) is the variable flower colour depending on which pH the soil is. It's not the pH directly that contributes to flower colour; it's actually the ability for the plant to take up aluminum ions. There are pigments in the flowers that automatically produce a deep pink or magenta (in some plants this can even be red), regardless of availability of aluminum. If this pigment is not present (and in some cultivars, mutations have been bred into the plant that prevent this pigment from being made), the flowers will be white. At lower pH in the soil, aluminum is more available for the plant to take up into its tissues. When aluminum and the pigment are both present in the petals of the flower, the flower will take on a blue colour. The intensity of this colour is directly proportional to the availability of aluminum to associate with the pigment; the lower the soil pH, the bluer the flower will be. The reverse can be said about higher pH: the higher the soil pH the less available aluminum will be to the plant, and so the pinker the flower colour will be. Towards the middle of the range, around pH 7.0, there is an equal availability of regular non-associated pink pigment, and aluminum-associated blue pigment so the flower appears purple. This concept of "litmus colour change" (where the idea for the litmus paper came from) is backwards from what you would usually think; usually red is a strong acid and blue is a strong base. That's one of the great things about chemistry! Depending on what causes the colour change, the same colour can mean different things under different chemical conditions.

All parts of the Hydrangea macrophylla plant contain trace amounts of cyanogenic glycosides, so consumption of this plant should be done with extreme caution. I would advise against all consumption, but many Asian countries use this plant as a medicinal herb. In Japan it is used to make a tea that is consumed at all times of the year, but in very high amounts around April 8th when it is believed to be Buddha's birthday. In Korea and China, the leaves are also used to make an herbal tea called sugukcha or ilsulcha.