I had a few photos left over from our last W & L session, so I thought it would be fun to make a compilation and see if you can identify them. They are all from plants growing within the exhibition garden and this should be a snap for you older hands…or maybe not.
Jennie will be the authoritative source for the correct answers, which will be in MG form of botanical and common name…and species or variety if known. You can make this as hard or as easy as you like. Print out the sheet and write in your answers for a self quiz. If you like, keep the completed form as a reference. To make it a little more interesting, there is a “trick” entry. See if you can spot it.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
Sue is posting another direct link to the University of Minnesota Yard & Garden newsletter in the Gardening Resources section. This extension site has a couple of interesting features we hope you will enjoy and use on a regular basis to identify some of the things around your garden. I would like to thank fellow MG Sharon Diefenthaler for telling me about this site. The “What’s this plant”, “What’s this bug” features are very popular with her students when they are quizzed on what they found in the greenhouse that day.
Please post your answers as a comment…if you want to play and impress everyone with your plant knowledge.
Monroe County Master Gardener Association 
(A) Callicarpa beauty berry
(B) Anemone
(C) maybe Plumbago?
(F) & (G) Cardinal climber
D -could that be : Viburnum dentatum ?
Agree with Mary on all others.
Mary Ellen has correctly identified four of the plants and has discovered the “trick” entry.
Sorry Linda…(D) is not correct. I will give another clue…Emoke took some suckers from this plant, which is found in the native shrub row, at the last W & L session.
As regards (E)…think about some of the other forms this common plant exhibits in the fall after it has finished flowering.
I think it is time we dropped the curtain on this quiz. Partial bragging rights go to Mary Ellen and Linda for correctly identifying 4 of the plants and finding the “trick” entry.
Thanks to Jennie for providing the comments.
(A) Callicarpa dichotoma “Issai” Beautyberry. One of those great fall color shrubs that can be cut back nearly to the ground every spring to keep it to manageable size. I inadvertently DID cut it back to the ground, thinking it was just a bunch of dead sticks. This plant was also recently featured as the blog header photograph.
(B) Anemone x hybrida “Honorine Jobert”. A premier variety of perennial Japanese anemone donated by Jeff Nicita.
(C) Ceratostigma plumbaginoides. Plumbago perennial groundcover (anyone ever recall having to weed in this dry, shaded patch?)
(D) Spiraea sorbifolia Ural False Spiraea. Pretty but unfortunately spreading by suckers, this hardy shrub needs deadheading in summer.
(E) Rosa glauca Redleaf rose. Delicate pale pink, single flowers, neat small leaves tinged with blue and abundant long-lasting hips.
(F)&(G) Ipomoea sloteri Cardinal climber. An annual morning-glory relative hardier than its appearance suggests. This vine is currently growing on the metal hoops in the Children’s Garden and is an attractive foil to the rusty trellis.
Rosa glauca is a prime example of a plant having another “life” after flowering, with its colorful fall and winter hips. Other shrubs feature attractive berries that add interest to any winterscape, as well as providing food for the birds. The office garden features many interesting plants and shrubs. As MGs we should make the effort to familiarize ourselves with what is in this garden. Please keep this as a reference.
Well, in the first look I really don’t know what are the plant names are. but still it looks familiar. Thanks for sharing this one.
Hi Resurrection Plant,
Glad you enjoy the quiz. That’s the point of the exercise in that it gives you a photo of the plant and a place to write in the answer about its name and some brief comments.
Identifying plants is difficult to do year round as we often only recognize some of them by their flowers or leaves. In late fall, this can be a problem as often all you are looking at is a bunch of bare branches and twigs.
If you would like some more specific information on a particular plant…reply with another comment and give the plant number (A), (B), etc…and maybe I can direct you to some photos on line of the plant at the different times of the year.
Why don’t you try your luck on Plant Quiz #2? Thanks for playing.
Frank