Keywords: Betula, Plant identification

PAL Question:

Are there any tree identification guides online? In particular, I am interested in weeping birch.

View Answer:

Keywords: Continuing education, Plant identification, Careers

PAL Question:

I have several questions:

• Do you have resources or job listings or employment applications for potential employers?
• I am looking for exotic pictures of trees and shrubs. Would you know of where I could view images online in order to get pictures that are downloadable?
• Do you offer free seminars?

View Answer:

To answer your questions:

1. The Center for Urban Horticulture, part of UW, does not post job openings--we normally refer people to the Horticulture programs at South Seattle (206-768-6718) or Edmonds Community College (425-640-1607). You could also search the UW job listings at:
   http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/jobs/
2. For online photos, the quickest way is to go to:
   http://www.google.com
   and click on the images tab. Then search by plant name.
3. The Center does not offer free programs, but they are inexpensive. For a list of current classes go to: http://depts.washington.edu/urbhort/html/education/education.htm

   Season All Season
   Date 2008-01-17
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   Keywords: Plant identification, Silene

   PAL Question: I am having trouble growing Silene (do not know the species). It has magenta flowers with notched petals on two foot stems and hairy basal foliage. I have killed four plants that were planted in four different locations. I am able to keep hundreds of other plants alive in my garden, but not this one! It flowers profusely from mid April through July. Then the leaves start wilting, and before long, it is dead. The only thing I can think of is that it needs superior drainage. Could I be overwatering it?

   View Answer:

   My first guess is that you have one of the annuals, which die after setting seed. It is really hard to know for sure since there are over 500 species. You may be able to identify your Silene in the book Lychnis and Silene in the Garden, by J.L. Jones, 1999.

   The excellent section on Silene is too long to copy but is available for check-out at the Center for Urban Horticulture library in Seattle. The hours, directions, etc. can be found at:
   www.millerlibrary.org and click on Using the Library.

   Season All Season
   Date 2006-10-05
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   Keywords: Botanical nomenclature, Compositae (Daisy family), Plant identification, Anaphalis margaritacea

   PAL Question:

   I am doing some research on daisies. I have had trouble finding out what Amaranth daisy (Pearly Everlasting) looks like, and how to differentiate it from other daisies.

   View Answer:

   Pearly Everlasting is Anaphalis margaritacea, which is in the plant family Compositae (also called Asteraceae), according to David Mabberley's The Plant-Book (Cambridge University Press, 1997). Below are links to images and information about this plant.
   

   • USDA Plants Profile
   • Wikipedia
   • Connecticut Botanical Society
   • Arthur Lee Jacobson, local plant expert.

   The problem with common names like 'daisy' is that they may refer to a large number of different plants. 'Daisy' can refer to Bellis perennis, Gerbera jamesonii, Olearia species, Chrysanthemum coronarium, Felicia bergeriana, Leucanthemum vulgare, and many other disparate plants.

   Below are web links to sites which may help you with plant identification. There are also many good books on the subject, and an excellent starting place is Roger Phillips and Martin Rix's The Botanical Garden (Firefly Books, 2002).

   • Burke Museum Herbarium: search by plant family, genus, or individual plant name
   • San Diego County Wildflowers site, which has a useful key

   Season All Season
   Date 2008-05-10
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