Tree and Shrub Exploration

With nature surrounding us everyday, we lose sight of how diverse plants and trees are. After some observation around Mercer , I see the various plants that reside on our campus. Here are a couple of my favorite trees and shrubs.

The Weeping Willow

The Salix babylonica, better known as the Weeping Willow, is a beautiful tree with down-turned branches that are delicate and light. Because these trees are so tall and wide, this calls for large root systems. They need plenty of space when it comes to growth. One major advantage this tree gives is their easygoing growth conditions. They can thrive in different soils, including alkaline, soggy or stone dry soil. These trees also live very long as long has they are well maintained, including an annual pruning.

The Wonderboom

The Wonderboom, translated as “Tree of Wonder” or “Miracle tree”, is a unique 1000 year old fig tree found North of the Magaliesburg Mountains in Pretoria. The tree, now a national monument, is unusually large, standing around 25 meters high and having a 5,5 meters diameter main trunk. It’s growth pattern is also unusual; as its branches grow longer, they droop towards the ground and eventually take root and form a circle of new trunks or daughter trees around the original tree. It is a very interesting tree.

The Needle Palm

The Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm) is a palm, and it is native to the subtropical southeastern United States, from central Florida to Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Alabama. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms in the world, and can be found growing in several areas with warm temperate climates.The Needle Palm assumes a shrub-like clumping form with several stems growing from a single base, the stems growing very slowly and tightly together, The flowers are borne in dense, short clusters at the top of the stems; it has male and female flowers on separate plants.

Spineless Prickly Pear

The Opuntia ellisiana, or the Prickly pear is a large, spiny cactus that bears numerous deep red, juicy-sweet fruits. Early historic observations and archeological data clearly indicate Native Americans relied on prickly pear for food, medicine, and as a source of needles, containers, and water. Prickly pear gets its name from numerous sharp spines borne on the stems, and the seasonal fruits known as pears or tunas. The long, sharp spines (the prickly part of the name) are actually modified leaves that harden as they age. Technically, the plant’s “branches,” known as pads or nopales, are succulent, evergreen stem segments. The fruit begins to ripen in midsummer to a deep red color and produces a very sweet purple-red juice.


sources:http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/st-plains/nature/images/prickly.html
             http://gopretoria.co.za/the-wonderboom
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhapidophyllum