Home And Garden

Common Names:  brassaia, octopus tree, umbrella tree Family:   Araliaceae  (ginseng Family) Description This slim upright tree is made up of multiple trunks, each topped with a small crown of large showy leaves. The compound leaves form an umbrella shape rosette which gives the tree one of its common names. Ten to fifteen stalks of bright red flowers appear in summer and are followed by round dark berrries. Location Native to Australia. A common landscaping plant in frost free areas like south Florida and Hawaii. This tropical tree has become a popular indoor houseplant everywhere. Culture Light:  Full sun or shade. Moisture:  Prefers rich moist soil but is adaptable. Propagation:  Seeds, easy to increase by cuttings. Usage Use for screens, windbreaks, hedges, specimens, street plantings, and patios. A popular container plant for use indoors and out. Used extensively in south Florida along freeways and turnpikes. Trim to one trunk for a more tree-like specimen with additi

Common Names:  black willow Family:   Salicaceae  (willow Family) Description Black willow is typically a tree, but is often shrubby with multiple trunks, and often forms thickets. It can reach 65 ft (20 m) in height, but often assumes a leaning posture. Leaves are alternate, variable in size, lance shaped, and generally three times longer than wide. The tops and bottoms of the leaves are green and usually hairless. Compare this to the similar and closely related Carolina willow ( S. caroliniana ), which has whitish-glaucus leaf undersides that are often sparsely pubescent. Male and female flowers (catkins) are on separate plants, and come out before the leaves in early spring. The seeds are tiny and sail on the wind with long silky white hairs. Location Salix nigra  occurs naturally from New Brunswick west to Minnesota and thence southward to Georgia and northern Florida. Black willow grows in wetlands and along stream banks and the shores of ponds and lakes. It frequently colon