FFF322 - INDIAN HAWTHORN

Rhaphiolepis is a genus of about fifteen species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical eastern and southeastern Asia, from southern Japan, southern Korea and southern China south to Thailand and Vietnam. In searching literature it is well to remember that the name commonly is misspelt "Raphiolepsis". The genus is closely related to Eriobotrya (loquats), so closely in fact, that members of the two genera have hybridised with each other; for example the "Coppertone loquat" is a hybrid of Eriobotrya deflexa X Rhaphiolepis indica.

The best known species is Rhaphiolepis indica (Indian hawthorn) from southern China, grown for its decorative pink flowers, and popular in bonsai culture. Rhaphiolepis umbellata (Yeddo hawthorn) from Japan and Korea has blunter leaves and white flowers. It is the hardiest species, tolerating temperatures down to about −15 °C. Its fruit is edible when cooked, and can be used to make jam.

Indian hawthorn is a mainstay horticultural specimen in temperate climates. It is often found in commercial as well as in private landscapes. Often it is trimmed into small compact hedges or balls for foundation plants. It has been successfully pruned into a standard form as well as small dwarf-like trees up to 3 metres in height. It is apt to develop leaf spot.

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1.	IPOMOEA	8.	Jesh StG	15.	Nicole/Frau Frieda	22.	islandrambles
2.	TUBEROSE	9.	Pictografio	16.	HYSSOP	23.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA
3.	DAHLIAS	10.	Shiju Sugunan	17.	Edith from Germany	24.	Sara Chapman #2
4.	hapzydeco	11.	ladyleemanila	18.	Mums and Roses	25.	Sara Chapman #3
5.	Mascha	12.	Dekotraum - Austria	19.	not afraid of color	26.	Sara Chapman #4
6.	Reflections from the romantic rose garden	13.	orchid(Japan)	20.	Anne Seltmann	27.	WoollyMuses
7.	Villroses hage	14.	Moos	21.	Dawn M. Miller

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FFF321 - PINCUSHION PROTEA

Leucospermum (Pincushion, Pincushion Protea or Leucospermum) is a genus of about 50 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, native to Zimbabwe and South Africa, where they occupy a variety of habitats, including scrub, forest, and mountain slopes. They are evergreen shrubs (rarely small trees) growing to 0.5-5 m tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, tough and leathery, simple, linear to lanceolate, 2-12 cm long and 0.5-3 cm broad, with a serrated margin or serrated at the leaf apex only.

The flowers are produced in dense inflorescences, which have large numbers of prominent styles, which inspires the name. The genus is closely related in evolution and appearance to the Australian genus Banksia. Shown here is a Leucospermum patersonii hybrid. An excellent ornamental hardy shrub for most well-drained soils and full sun positions. It is a relatively fast growing landscape shrub for coastal or inland gardens. The two-tone orange-red flowers make a great long stemmed cut flower. Grown commercially.

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1.	AUSTRALIAN BINDWEED	8.	WoollyMuses	15.	Little and fast flower arrangement	22.	Christmas Cactus Blooms, Comfort Spring
2.	HIPPEASTRUM	9.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA	16.	Dawn M. Miller	23.	Reflections
3.	CORAL TREE	10.	Sara Chapman #2	17.	The Bay Leaf: Days of Wine and Roses	24.	veredit
4.	Pictografio	11.	Dekotraum - Austria	18.	not afraid of color	25.	Al, California
5.	Jim, Sydney, Australia	12.	Ein kurzer Spaziergang durch den Garten	19.	islandrambles
6.	Jesh StG	13.	Mascha	20.	Nicole/Frau Frieda
7.	orchid(Japan	14.	bettyl - NZ	21.	Sara Chapman #3

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FFF320 - CREPE MYRTLE

Crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) are among the world's best-loved flowering trees. They are native to eastern Asia and are hardy in most parts of Australia. They are deciduous, vase-shaped trees about 6-8m tall. The tree is often severely pruned and grown as a shrub 3-4m tall.

Trusses of white, pink, mauve or purple blooms appear in late summer. The petals are ruffled, with a crepe-like texture. In autumn the mid-green leaves turn yellow, orange or red (depending on the variety) before falling. Unpruned crepe myrtles develop beautifully coloured, smooth, mottled trunks.

There is an Australian native crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia archeriana), which grows to around 7m tall and has pinkish mauve flowers. The Indian Summer Crepe Myrtle range (Lagerstroemia indica x L. fauriei) which is widely planted in Melbourne as a street tree, has been specially bred to resist powdery mildew, a fungal disease that can be seen on some older crepe myrtle varieties. Each cultivar is named after an American Indian tribe, and they range in size from around 3-6m fully grown. Illustrated here is the variety "Tonto".

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1.	ROSA 'MR LINCOLN'	7.	Camellia - Jesh StG	13.	Sara Chapman #2	19.	Dawn M. Miller
2.	WATER GUM	8.	Pictografio	14.	Sara Chapman #3	20.	Florida Botanical Garden, Comfort Spring
3.	SUNFLOWER	9.	Jim, Sydney, Australia	15.	orchid(Japan)	21.	Sara Chapman #4
4.	WoollyMuses	10.	Dekotraum - Austria	16.	Edith from Germany	22.	veredit
5.	Mascha	11.	Basteln mit Ästen	17.	Nicole/Frau Frieda	23.	bettyl - NZ
6.	Jesh StG	12.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA	18.	colorado carnations!	24.	image-in-ing - weekly photo linky

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FFF319 - BLUE SPIDERWORT

Tradescantia virginiana, the Virginia spiderwort, is the type species of Tradescantia (spiderwort) in the family Commelinaceae, native to the eastern United States. Spiderwort is commonly grown in gardens and many garden spiderworts seem to be hybrids of T. virginiana and other Tradescantia species (e.g. T. ohiensis).

Tradescantia virginiana is a herbaceous plant with alternate, simple leaves, on tubular stems. The flowers are blue, purple, or white, borne in summer. It is is a perennial forb/herb. It likes most moist soils but can adapt to drier garden soils. Plants may be propagated from seed but they are more easily started from cuttings/divisions, in which latter case they will preserve the parent plant's characteristics.

Tradescantia virginiana is found in eastern North America, west to Missouri, south to northern South Carolina and Alabama, and north to Ontario, Vermont, and Michigan. Much of the northern range, however, may represent garden escapes rather than indigenous wild populations. It is an attractive garden plant and many showy hybrids  bear striking, large blue flowers, such as this one illustrated, T. virginiana 'Zwanenburg Blue'.

Look closely at a bloom and you'll notice tiny hairs covering the stamens. Under normal circumstances, they're the same blue colour as the flower. However, as Steve Bender and Felder Rushing revealed in their classic, best-selling book, "Passalong Plants", in the presence of radiation the hairs turn pink. Thus, spiderwort is an essential part of any garden near nuclear plants! Your very own natural Geiger counter in your garden...

Spiderwort had many uses in First Nation’s culture as food and medicine. The seeds are edible when roasted and are ground into a powder (although they are somewhat bitter to taste). Leaves can be made into a tea or tossed into salads, soups, etc. The root can be collected all year round. The flowers can be tossed on top of a salad and eaten. (Dried, powdered flowers were once used as a snuff for nosebleeds).

Externally, this plant can be used as a poultice to help heal wounds and haemorrhoids. Internally the leaves and roots are a valuable alternative medicine used by medical herbalists for their patients as an antidiarrhoeal, analgesic, anthelminthic, antiperiodic, astringent, diaphoretic, emetic, emmenagogue, expectorant, sedative, tonic, vermifuge, and vulnerary. Also, drinking spiderwort tea is supposed to be a good for increasing breast milk (galactagogue).

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1.	SUNFLOWERS	6.	Jim, Sydney, Australia	11.	Rita	16.	Favorite Flowers of 2017, Comfort Spring
2.	SUMMER FLOWERS	7.	orchid(Japan	12.	Pictografio	17.	Linda, Shenandoah Valley, VA
3.	BLUE GERANIUMS	8.	Jesh StG	13.	Edith from Germany	18.	Reflections from the romantic rose garden
4.	WoollyMuses	9.	Dekotraum - Austria	14.	Elke	19.	2017 Gardening Year in Review
5.	Shiju Sugunan	10.	Spring is coming	15.	Dawn M. Miller	20.	Ulla Laiho

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