#Plant profiles

[aisling-saoirse]

Growing Paw Paws from seed: 2024

Some of y'all may recall last year I made a Plant Profile post after finding my first Paw Paw (they don't really grow this far north in NJ so this was exciting). Well after eating the fruit I decided to see if I could propagate the seeds and I was very successful!

Below I'll describe my process and some tips, this was unconventional towards how I usually grow saplings but I was in my final year of a masters program, needed to be as cheap as possible, and this is probably easier for those of you in apartments

So you want to propagate paw paws? It's not hard it just requires a bit of understanding.

When I found my first Paw Paw I was on the University of Pennsylvania campus, I saw a tree in front of a multi-faith church and immediately recognized the fruit. My friends and I climbed up the branches to get some bigger fruits and then we basically ate them on a nearby bench.

Once I had the seeds (I started with 14, only 4 viable) I walked home and washed off any debris then I wrapped the seeds in a damp paper towel (wring out excess water) and placed them in a plastic bag in the fridge for 3ish months

Around February I decided to grow them, I had some extra cardboard pots I was starting oaks in (image 3: ps I hate these pots) and knew I could use this to to start the seeds, at the same time I asked a friend to grow paw paws so we had a diverse gene pool to produce fruit. Paw paws need deep pots because they develop a taproot that can easily reach 12" the first year, instead of buying multiple deep pots you can place disposable pots in a bigger container with soil. If you find like long/narrow containers those are your best option.

I used left over peatmoss (but loamy potting soil will be better) and placed them 1" deep each. I then cut off the bottoms of my small cardboard containers and placed those together in a deeper pot I had (image 4). You want to retain moisture, so also cover the pots in plastic wrap. Of course water enough to keep the soil moist that goes without saying.

Paw paws take about a month to germinate above the soil but still need the increased light levels. Keep an LED light on above it (these are very cheap to operate) They will start growing a taproot soon after you plant them and occasionally will break the surface, just try to keep it covered in dirt.

Once they appear above the surface (this was march-april for me), let them grow till they develop like 4-5 leaves before planting out. I kept them in my Frankenstein pots until about June when I had time to exchange with my friend (he grew like 18 with seeds from an online seller but stunted their taproots a bit).

Paw paws have a natural insecticide in their leaves, I didn't encounter any herbivory from both deer and insects but I left my best specimens in a sapling cage. I planted about 8 in my yard, all around 4 inches tall (image 5), in partial shade conditions. When you plant the sapling dig a little deeper than the taproot and leave soil around the taproot itself, it helps to have a deep trowel. For amendments, I mixed in richer compost soil with the native soil, but for a few I gave no amendment (I wanted to test if it made a big difference). Ultimately those which grew the most were in brighter conditions but they all did okay, my largest ended up being 15" (image 6) which is the same development as some nursery stock I've encountered for $165...

On a side note you're not supposed to move them once planted but I ended up having to do this with one. I did break the taproot in half, however this sapling still survived so these trees are a bit hardier than others have implied.

So, is this the best way to grow paw paws? No absolutely not. Is it cheap and basically using just garbage...yes! Try to grow your own :)

[honoringthor]

Locals (Western NY)

New England Aster (probably). Might be a NY Aster.

Michaelmas daisy, American Starwort

Aster novae-angliae now Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Native to the Eastern US and Canada 🇨🇦🇺🇸

🍂Fall flowers (Aug-Nov)

They grow in thickets and meadows, sometimes they’re cultivated in gardens. (The ones around me are wild) Many insects use asters for food, especially long tongued bumblebees. A lot of Eastern natives used New England Asters in medicine. Where I live the closest surviving natives are the Seneca (O-non-dowa-gah) who are part of the Haudensaunee (Iroquois). They used New England Asters to treat weak skin and fevers.

New England Aster is also used to treat lung, congestion, bronchitis, nerves, pain, diarrhea, 🤧

Dried roots were smoked to attract game(Chippewa) and the Meskwaki and Potawatomi use the smoke to revive unconscious people.

Symbolism

Afterthought, cheerfulness in old age, welcome, welcome to a stranger,

They can be used as protection from ghosts and witches.

🍂🍁

Sources. I’m going to try to properly cite.

Meyernik kitchen

Cornell Botanical Gardens

Dietz, S. Theresa. The Complete Language of Flowers A Definitive and Illustrated History. 2020. Sweet Water Press/ Wellfleet Press

Peterson, Roger Tory/McKenny, Margret. Wildflowers Northeastern/North-Central North America. 1996. Haughton Mifflin. (My copy is a little out dated)

Photo belongs to SJA

[unknown-till]

★🌱☘️CLOVER WEB GRAPHICS🍀💚

Found on 🌳

[azariah-z-fell]

before I took my break I want to share so can art. Feel free to use them as profile pictures if you want.

[daeyumi]

Golden Beginning 🌼🌾☀️

i originally drew this at the beginning of this year as a sort of new years piece looking forward to TotK release (hence the bnuuy shield since 2023 is year of bun)

[mysticlilac-ec]

Random doodle of them dancing ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

[of-pale]

[tummyisyummy]

Name:Ziya

Height: 5’0

Birthday: March 12th

Age: 18

Magic: Plant magic

Occupation: Magic Knight

Squad: Golden Dawn

Birth place : unknown foreign country

Background:

Ziya was born in a foreign land. When he was a baby he was forcefully taken away by invaders in his homeland and was taken to a testing facility owned by these attackers. Since childhood he was sadly treated poorly being used for cruel experiments to enhance magic power. At age 14, he managed to escape from the facility and with the help of his new modified power (and cute forest friends :D) he has been able to live free and experience what it’s like to be a clover citizen.

Personality:

Ziya is a kindhearted soul who cares for all creatures. He’s always there for his squad mates (even though they’re never there for him ). He tends to keep to himself and is usually in the garden area of the Golden Dawn. He’s sometimes a little forgetful so a simple reminder will help greatly! He also gives out great advice! Anyone with issues always goes to him for some wisdom! He rarely looses his temper like RARELY, in fact nobody’s ever seen him angry or even irritated. He’s the nicest guy around so make time to talk to him ☆(－ｏ⌒)

Relationships:

Family

Who?

Friends

Mimosa vermillion

Plant buddies! When mimosa saw the passion and care Ziya has for plants she instantly became his friend. When both of them have nothing to do, they usually are having a pleasant conversation in the Garden! If you manage to come across them during a conversation you’ll hear them info dumping about all kinds of plants. They even hang out outside of the base! They’re besties for life !!

William Vangeance

“Woah, someone becoming buddies with a captain?” Now that’s unusual.. not only that he’s a foreigner 🫢”-alecdora probably . Same thing with mimosa he also noticed his passion for plants! He found him tending to the garden when he first joined. Ever since then they seem to talk on the regular and William even goes to Ziya for plant advice! The grass has been greener ever since he joined.

Isabella Roselei (belongs to mamavino 🚶🏾‍♂️)

Ziya was late out walking when he met her. While he was walking, he kept seeing these weird illusions. At first Ziya thought he was tired but, it turns out it was just some girl pulling pranks on him 😑 Now why would he hangout with someone who pranks him every time they meet? Welll he admires her carefree; independent nature. He sometimes wishes to explore more of this kingdom and even more. They bond over the places they want to/wish to go. Someday they’ll finally explore the world (._.)

Others:

Levi Foudre

He’s a little strange, but he has a good heart. He’s seems concerned for Ziya being in the Golden Dawn. Well since Levi does have more experience with royals/nobles and how than can act(especially around foreigners) so it’s only natural for him to be worried. Don’t worry Levi, Ziya is strong!

Trivia (^o^)／

Ziya has serial numbers on his neck from when he confined in the laboratory.(something like avernturines or something like Emma’s from the promised neverland)

He remembers nothing from that time( even though he got out 4 years ago )(he’ll remember due to a certain somebody (alecdora (ー_ー))

When he uses his magic, his hair tips glows. When he achieves a certain special form, his hair will fully change :D

He didn’t even know grimores existed till he lived in the Clover Kingdom

He can summon multiple arms

His original country is definitely based off the Middle East cultures

Only oc that has a hooked nose(in the black clover verse)

Can speak Arabic and English

Can Dance really well(even on water;D)

[kulturegroupie]

Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and manager Peter Grant in Vienna, March 16, 1973.

[meisterdrucke]

Efeu by Alphonse Mucha (1901, Druckgrafik)

[aisling-saoirse]

Tsuga canadensis - The Eastern Hemlock

Hello Everyone, today's plant profile should be familiar to you, I talk about Eastern Hemlock frequently on this blog and it's time I made a post that reflects my admiration.

To start let's deconstruct a common misnomer: While the name Hemlock connects back to the plant Poison Hemlock, Eastern Hemlock is not poisonous, English Settlers felt the scent of the foliage resembled that of the notorious herb. The Latin name Tsuga connects back to Japanese name for Hemlock Trees.

Now the basics: Eastern Hemlock is usually found in mountainous moist (but well drained) regions specifically around coves, canyons, ravines, and streams. The Tsuga family itself are a collection of evergreen conifers with an uncanny ability to grow on extreme slopes. The trunks themselves occasionally protrude from bare rock in bent forms (Image 4 from Kaaterskill falls, NY). Mature trees have pendulous flexible branches to avoid heavy snow loads.

Eastern Hemlocks can be found widespread throughout New England as far North as Nova Scotia and as far west as Minnesota, However as we move southward it becomes increasingly more restricted to the Appalachian mountains eventually ending in Alabama.

In it's native range, identifying Eastern Hemlock from other conifers is fairly easy, the cones (image 5 from inaturalist) are very small and round, while the needles are dark green shiny smooth on one side and a dull light green on the bottom. The needles come out flat upon the branch, almost like it's 2D when you take a cutting. The bark usually has very thick ridges (Image 7) and the tree has a lovely full triangular form (Image 10) at any age. There is only one other Tsuga species within the same range and that's Carolina Hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana), those are generally restricted to the western Carolinas, the needles protrude at any angle from the branch and cones have a type of curled spike. (taxonomy-wise they are not in the same series which is odd)

Eastern Hemlock is a long lived species, prior to the introduction of the Wooly Adelgid it was not uncommon to find groves of large trees way over 120+ feet and over 300 years old together. While more northern populations generally tend to be impressively large (Image 6 from Delaware Water Gap), Eastern Hemlock reaches its largest sizes south of Pennsylvania. Specimens in the Smokies still reach a staggering heights of 170' and ages above 500 years (Image 7 Below: Cheoah by Will Blozan). While this isn't as Impressive as its western counterpart Tsuga heterophylla which can reach an insane scale of 270', it is staggering for a tree which faces much hotter temperature conditions.

Just about all of the old growth Hemlocks in Appalachia have disappeared, but there are still old growth forests in Northern New England where the Adelgid hasn't really taken hold. Old growth groves do still exist in treated/cold winter/protected areas and somewhat thrive, I visited quite a few during my time in Pennsylvania. I believe the current species 'champion' is in the Allegheny Plateau.

So what is the Adelgid? It is an introduced aphid-like insect which appears as a wooly white growth on hemlock branches. They seems to kill older trees while younger trees are able to cope with it for a time, unfortunately these sap suckers have eradicated old growth stands throughout the Southern Appalachia. I made a post about my childhood forest loosing all of their giants years back, let me tell you it is a much different environment.

Ecologically speaking, Hemlock serves an incredibly important role in stream health. Growing on literal cliff faces this tree is also wonderful at preventing erosion. The dark evergreen shade of hemlocks not only reduces stream temperatures but retains moisture in the height of summer (image 8). it protects streams from extreme weather in winter too (Image 9). cooler stream temps serve as favorable breeding grounds for a higher diversity of stream species while also creating a refuge in winter cold.

If one wants to find moisture loving salamanders and newts in the east it is very common to find large numbers under the hemlock canopy. Tree falls of hemlock serve as fertile ground for fungi and mosses to cover the trunk. Birch and maple saplings often gain a foothold on the soft remains of Hemlock trees whose wood degrades very fast.

For human usage Eastern Hemlock has an odd history. The bark itself is very rich in tannins, settlers would use it for tanning leather. After the Industrial revolution it was used for railroad ties but today its often ignored or used as paper pulp because of its poor wood quality. As for less commercial functions Hemlock is not really an ideal tree for our consumption, The inner bark can be used as starvation food and the needles are a useful emergency Vitamin C source, However I will warn you that the needles are the least palatable of the edible conifers....

Due to it's poor wood and remote conditions it's not really unusual that so many old growth specimens survived up until the 21st century. Nearly all Eastern forest compositions are influenced by which lumber is most/least valuable.

Last portion - Landscape Value.

Eastern Hemlock in the wild is a beautiful tree in all seasons, naturally the tree will develop into a perfect form on its own, though with Adelgid it has lost popularity as a landscaping tree some people still maintain their trees with a once-every-three-year spraying. There are also many horticultural specimens worth thousands of dollars which have low growing and weeping forms, it is quite a versatile species.

So this has been my piece on the Eastern Hemlock, If you do choose to explore one of the few old growth groves still with us, please clean off your boots and gear. Happy Hunting!

[anfeycare]

"The little weed..."

it was a different idea, but it got too detailed and the original idea is more silly than this, so i turned what was already done into a piece of its own

(alternative backgrounds:)

[mystery-dingsbums]

Peaceful cow

A peaceful cow enjoying summer.

[r0tt1ngr4bb1t]

Been Wanting to Try this out with Bitty Argos for awhile Now :)

[transandgaybutworse]

My human stolitz is taking abit due to concerts and finals being very soon

So here's some eye love you matching pfps I made for me and my boyfriend's discord profiles, feel free to use with credit!

I already had the little Argos sketch so I thought it'd be fun to do the same theme for Mr. Plant

He even has a matching Argos plush! :]

[keh-arts]

🏮 07 | Physalis alkekengi (Chinese Lantern plant) these are also called Winter Cherry and Strawberry Groundcherry - which is very cute!