Welcome to my blog for plant bio!!! All of these pictures were taken on my farm in Maryland – (right on the Md. and Pennsylvania border line). Many of the trees and plants on the farm are relatively rare and many are very old – so enjoy the information and pictures!!
-natalie
Lamb’s ear, named for its velvety texture, produces small, light purple blooms in the late spring. It prefers to be in direct sunlight and does well in poor, well drained soil. Many people dry it and pair it with other dried wild flowers to add to dried bouquets. Also, people like to use these plants as decorative garden foliage because it has an interesting texture and is deer-resistant
Mountain Laurel is a relative to Azaleas and is sometimes mistaken for bay laurel trees. These shrubs produce dark green leaves the whole year and then also produce white flowers in early to mid-June. They survive well on the East coast, but are native to mountanous areas – hence the name “mountain Laurel.”
The White pine can be easily identified by its long white needles and small bright orange, oddly shaped cones. They prefer cool, humid climates and soil that is well drained- white pines that were planted on certain areas of the farm have died or do not grow as well because the area in which they reside does not drain well during the rainy springs and early summer. Also, many of our pines have fallen victim to a fungus that we call pine rust. This prevents them from growing large and gives them an unpleasant smell.
This type of fungus grows mainly on willow trees on our property and lives for about a year tops and then starts to shrivel. There are typically 4 to five of these on each tree. Its brownish and is pretty tough (you can throw it hard and it won’t break).
This juniper spreads out flat and is going to be used on a steep hill to keep it from eroding once its gets old enough and large enough to survive outside of the house. During the summer this ground cover is silvery- greenish and during the winter its turns a purplish brown. After it is has settled into its new spot on the hill it will take it about 3 or 4 months to produce little berries ( cones in actuality) and reproduce.
This my mother’s yellow mountain alyssum. Alyssum grows very well in Maryland during the summer because it is highly drought tolerant- and this one has hung on to its flowers throughout fall. It’s matted appearance makes it a good ground cover and sometimes we will plant it around plants that are more sensitive to the cold in order to surround them with its tangled leaves and provide them some warmth.
The Black Walnut Tree not only provides food for animals, but also walnuts for people. They tend to grow to about 100 to 150 ft. high. Black Walnut trees are prized for their heartwood because of its deep color, heavyness,strength and because it finishes very well. They are fairly rare in the U.S. Because we live on a farm, this tree must be kept out of the fields and away from the horses because a toxin in its leaves called juglone can make them sick.
There are about 25-30 different species of mint. This one is mintha spicata or spearment and smells lightly like the tradtional mintflavoring in candy or gum. Mint plants can be identified by their oval, pointed leaves and by their squarely shaped stems. Mint plants can be used for medical purposes; mint tea is one the most well known cures for upset stomach. Mint oil can also be extracted from the plants to produce cosmetics, flavoring for candy, and fragrances.
This deciduous tree is pretty rare for the Maryland area. Years ago the twig-blight fungus Diplodia longispora attacked these trees and significantly reduced their numbers in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The chestnut oak produces acorns as a fruit (which they start producing around the age of 20) and has thick, very texturized bark.They can live up to aboot 800 years – their large size and woody nature make them ideal for logging in a similar manner to the white chestnut oak. This particular tree is about 145 years old.
