The Journey of Plant ID

Even for a plant lover it can be hard to cram 15 new plant scientific/common names into your head each week. That doesn't even include the bonus plants. By the end of the semester I will have memorized approximately 270 plants...you heard me right: 270 plants!!! It's nice to walk around outside and play with plants all day at school, who knew school could be fun. Too bad they make you take other not so fun things like math and English and such.

Well anyway: since part of my job is to take pictures, most of which are for me to study off of and not very impressive, there are some good ones once in awhile. Also I have learned that I have a serious issue with taking like 90% of my pictures vertically. Not actually sure if this is a problem but it does seem a little unbalanced. It's totally not my fault though because plants like to be photographed vertically.

Mentha x piperita 'Chocolate Mint'

Chocolate Mint

This is what happens as I walk around in the world: I look at plants and name them in my head....no seriously, not joking.

Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold'

Maidenhair Tree

Kind of funny that the first two pictures I chose are horizontal after I made such a big deal out of it; whatever.

Thymus pseudolanuginosus

Woolly Thyme

I just like to show off my big words so there will be some not so cool pictures with some really cool names. READ THE NAMES!

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum'

Laceleaf Japanese Maple

I love these trees...mmm

Betula pendula

European White Birch

Too bad you can see human shadown on the ground. :(

Callistemon citrinus

Lemon Bottlebrush

Cercis occidentalis

Western Redbud

Go natives!!!

Come on, even you know this one!

Hydrangea macrophylla

Garden Hydrangea

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Dawn Redwood

Not much of a picture but it's one of the best names. It has quite a ring to it don't you think?

Parthenocissus tricuspidata

Boston Ivy

Iconic fall plant for sure.

Picea pungens glauca

Colorado Blue Spruce

That's right, I have to ID like a million different kinds of pines and junipers and a bunch of things that look the same. Ok not the same but only because my trained eyes know what to look for. : |

Fraxinus angustifolia oxycarpa 'Raywood'

Raywood Ash

Oh yeah and until about two weeks ago we also had to be able to differentiate about 20 different kinds of sticks. That's right: sticks without leaves or anything else to speak of. Glad spring is in full swing, no more sticks. :)

OMG, this is one of my favorite pictures and names mainly because the name is so long for something so simple.

Wait for it...

wait for it...

Solenostemon scutellarioides

Coleus

Fun huh.

Wisteria sinensis

Chinese Wisteria

Ok, the leaves belong to something else, but the flowers are Wisteria for sure.

Hosta

...

Yeah, that's it. I haven't learned this one yet so it's just Hosta. A freshly rained on Hosta too.

mmm...rain

And while not listening to the instructor blab forever (that's another story) I looked around and appreciated the freshly washed outdoor surroundings. Thank goodness the rain took a long enough break this afternoon for us to do our plant walk out to the creek.

That's me...off in lala land.

Well congratulations, you made it to the end. Twenty pictures later I bid you adeiu.