Category: Nelson Columns

Mystery Plant! #752 John Nelson Posted 12/6/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comOne of the nice things about moving to a new neighborhood, like we did recently, is taking new walking adventures. There’s always something to see: maybe a hidden garden behind someone’s house, or maybe a winter-time water feature, complete with late season...

Mystery Plant! #751 John Nelson Posted 11/29/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comIt's a member of the tomato family, and it doesn't matter which way you pronounce it. The tomato family is also quite properly referred to as the potato family, as well, and again, don't worry about pronunciation. The take-home here is that...

Mystery Plant! #749 John Nelson Posted 11/20/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comThe other day I was getting a bit philosophical…or at least introspective, I suppose, thinking about how things change, especially people. Can it be that during our lifetimes, each of us goes through a number of identities as we age? Well, sure....

Mystery Plant! #748 John Nelson Posted 11/8/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comDuring my first semester in college, a few years back, I had a class every Saturday (true!) at 8 AM. It was a real ordeal getting there on time, and fortunately, I think, we don't have things scheduled that way now. But...

Mystery Plant! #746 John Nelson Posted 10/25/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comIt would not be exaggerating to say that grasses are the most important plants, economically, in the world. For one thing, it turns out that every major civilization has depended upon one (or more) grass species as a major food source. (Consider...

Mystery Plant! #745 John Nelson Posted 10/18/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comThey are Brussels sprouts, obviously…but what the heck are they actually? Today, you learn.You also learn that Brussels sprouts and cooked carrots were my most hated foods, as a kid. I believe that I can speak for many thousands of former children...

Mystery Plant! #744 John Nelson Posted 10/11/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.com Most of us have been thinking that this past summer was really long, hot one. Then they say that this has been the hottest year on record, temperature-wise. This climate change business has very important effects on our local plant life,...

Mystery Plant! #743 John Nelson Posted 9/27/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comFrequently the leaves and stems of a plant will prove to be just as fascinating as its flowers. This is a plant like that, and it is a native, aquatic species.Except for its leaves, the entire plant grows below the surface of...

Mystery Plant! #741 John Nelson Posted 9/20/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.com"The average American's simplest and commonest form of breakfast consists of coffee and beefsteak."                                                         ...

Mystery Plant! #739 John Nelson Posted 9/6/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comWhen it rains it pours, and I don’t mean that recent hurricane.Among the plant identification requests we got last week here in the Herbarium, there were three separate questions about this very odd plant. I can’t quite figure out if it is...

Mystery Plant! #722 John Nelson Posted 5/10/23 By John Nelson johnbnelson@sc.rr.com All of the maple trees of the world belong to a genus which has been named “Acer”. There are well over 100 different species, and practically all of them are native to the northern hemisphere. Maples play an important...

Mystery Plant! #714 John Nelson Posted 3/16/2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.com“And, most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath…”                                                            Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act 4, scene 2.You probably remember James Cagney in the 1935 film version of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s a classic! Cagney played Nick...