Money Tree Plant

Scientific Name: Pachira glabra

Clade: Gymnosperms, Vascular Plants.

Date Collected: March 30th, 2012

Location Date: This plant was collected in my house, specifically it sits on a counter.

Habitat: This plant requires weekly watering and dry soil. P. Glabra is native to Brazil, but is grown throughout tropics and subtropics.

Special Notes: The attractive trees are easily grown in pots, and are cultured in bonsai form as “lucky trees” or “money trees”. The bark is used to treat stomach problems and headaches, and is taken to “fortify the blood”.

Resources:

• Montoso Gardens

Rose Plant

Scientific Name: Rosa

Clade: Angiosperm, Vascular Plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: John Burroughs middle school, front side.

Habitat: Regular watering is required, and filtered light is necessary. Rose plant is native to Asia.

Special Notes: Rose, normally mistaken as a flower is actually a shrub or vine. Different species of rose plants hybridize easily, and this has been used in the development of the wide range of garden roses.

Resources:

• Britannica

Silver Vine

Scientific Name: Epipremnum aureum

Clade: Gymnosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the Garden.

Habitat: This plant is a house plant, which needs regular watering and moist soil. This plant's roots and stem rot quickly, and mealybugs often eat the plant. E. aureum is native to  to southeastern Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia) and New Guinea.

Special Notes: This plant is very toxic; and the doctors recommend pets and children to be kept away from this plant (as it is found in most of the houses). It is sometimes mistakenly labeled as a Philodendron in plant stores. 

Resources:

• University of Vermont
  
  

Pygmy Date Palm

Scientific Name: Phoenix roebelenii

Clade: Angiosperm, Vascular plant, and seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This Plant was collected from outside of grocery store.

Habitat: It is a small to medium size, slow-growing slender tree growing to 2-3 meters or 6-10 feet tall. The plant likes partial shade to full sun, but local climate must be taken into account when deciding where to plant. weekly watering is necessary for this plant. This plant is native to Southwestern China and Northern Vietnam.

Special Notes: This plant is deer resistant and drought tolerent; It is also resistant to pests. The plant also contains small yellow flowers and thin-fleshed dates (which are edible).

Resources:

• Floridata 
• Backyard Gardener

lacy tree philodendron

scientific name: Philodendron selloum

Clade: Gymnosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the Garden.

Habitat: This plant is a tropical shrub with large deep cut leaves. The plant prefers full sun and moist soil. This plant is native to South America, namely to Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay but is also cultivated as a landscape plant in the gulf coast and east coast of the United States, such as in Florida.

Special Notes: Approximately 15-20 years are required for P. selloum to grow to an appropriate size and produce flowers in an indoor environment where space is limited. For this plant, leaves can grow up to 4–5 m tall and wide.

 Resources:

• Floridata

Variegated Gold Dust Plant

Scientific Name: Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'

Clade: Angiosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the Garden.

Habitat: Full or partial shade is suggested for this plant; also, good orgnic matter and regular watering will keep the plant fit and healthy. A. japonica is native to Japan.

Special Notes: This plant's leaves are a mixture of gold and green, which gives a soothing feel to the whole garden. Also this plant's growth rate is very slow. Moreover, in the winter time there are red berries hanging out of the plant.

Resources:

• U of A (University of Arkansas)
• monrovia
• Better homes and Gardens

Bush Lili

Scientific Name: Clivia miniata

Clade: Gymnosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the Garden.

Habitat: This plant is a shade loving plant, which needs regular watering (weekly, but more in extreme heat). A temperature between 15°C to 25°C is also necessary for this plant. C. miniata is native South Africa.

Special Notes: This plant grows to a height of about 45 cm, and its flowers are red, orange or yellow, with a faint, but very sweet perfume. The plant also contains small amounts of lycorine, making it poisonous.

Resources:

• Monrovia

Japanese Aralia

Scientific Name: Fatsia japonica

Clade: Gymnosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the garden.

Habitat: This plant is an outdoor plant, which normally grows well in a frost-free climates. Bright light and moist soil is necessery for this plant. F. japonica is native to southern Japan.

Special Notes: This fast-growing, evergreen shrub is easy to care for. It seems to shrug off pests and diseases, and needs little attention to thrive. Also, the name "Fatsia" or "Fatsi" is older Japanese, meaning 'eight', referring to the eight lobes.

Resources: 

• Guide to Houseplants
  
  

Silver King Euonymus

Scientific Name: Euonymus japonica

Clade: Angiosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the garden.

Habitat: This plant is an evergreen shurb, which needs full extensive sunlight; and regular watering- weekly, or more often in extreme heat. E. japonica is native to Japan, Korea and China.

Special Notes: E. japonica is a good plant to use where heat tolerance is important and soil conditions are unfavorable. This plant attracts birds and butterflies, but it is completely poisonous to humans.

Resources:

• Monrovia
• Backyard Gardener

Dumb Cane

Scientific Name: Dieffenbachia

Clade: Angiosperm, Vascular plant, seed producing.

Date Collected: March 29th, 2012

Location Collected: This plant was collected in my house, specifically in the garden.

Habitat: This plant is a houseplant, which normally grows indoors; bright filtered light and water 1-2 times per week is highly recommended. The Dieffenbachia plant is native to South America where it is commonly found growing in tropical jungles, especially in Brazil.

Special Notes: The Dieffenbachia was named by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, the director of the Botanical gardens in Vienna, to honor his head gardener Joseph Dieffenbach (1796–1863). If this plant's leaf is chewed, there can be a burning sensation in the throat, due to raphides (needle-shaped calcium oxalate crystals).In Brazil the plant is said to ward against "negative energies".

Resources:

• Britannica: Dumb Cane
• ucc.edu