Sicalis flaveola: Saffron finch

The saffron finch [Sicalis flaveola] is a tanager from South America that is common in open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin. They have a wide distribution in Colombia, northern Venezuela [where it is called “canario de tejado” or “roof canary”], western Ecuador, western Peru, eastern and southern Brazil [where it is called “canário da terra” or “native canary”], Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, and Trinidad and Tobago. It has also been introduced to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and elsewhere. Although commonly regarded as a canary, it is not related to the Atlantic canary.

Photos: Jurong Bird Park, Singapore [20150316]

Source: Wikipedia

Dahlia cv. [red orange, white tips, yellow center]

.cv is an abbreviation of Cultivar, generally regarded as a blend of “cultivated” and “variety”, but could also be derived from “cultigen” and “variety”. A cultivar is not the same as a botanical variety.

Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico. A member of the Asteraceae [or Compositae], dicotyledonous plants, related species include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum and zinnia. There are 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. Flower forms are variable, with one head per stem; these can be as small as 2 in [5.1 cm] diameter or up to 1 ft [30 cm] or “dinner plate”.

Photos: Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore [20150131]

Source: Wikipedia

Dahlia ‘Striped Vulcan’

Worthy of its fiery namesake, ‘Striped Vulcan’ boasts golden yellow blooms with vivid red streaks and stripes. A spectacular Dahlia that adds excitement to the perennial border and bouquets. Semi-cactus form.

Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico. A member of the Asteraceae [or Compositae], dicotyledonous plants, related species include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum and zinnia. There are 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. Flower forms are variable, with one head per stem; these can be as small as 2 in [5.1 cm] diameter or up to 1 ft [30 cm] or “dinner plate”.

Photos:  Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore [20150125, 20150206]

Source: White Flower Farm, Wikipedia

 

 

Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’: Purple coneflower

Common Name: Purple coneflower

Type: Herbaceous perennial

Family: Asteraceae

Height: 2.50 to 3.00 feet

Spread: 1.00 to 1.50 feet

Bloom Description: Rosy purple

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Dry to medium

Maintenance: Low

Flower: Showy, Good Cut

Attracts: Butterflies

Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Clay Soil, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil

Photo: Brookhaven, Georgia, USA  [201400809]

Source: Missouri Botanical Garden

Rudbeckia hirta: Common Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta, commonly called black-eyed Susan, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the Eastern and Central United States. It is one of a number of plants with the common name black-eyed Susan. Other common names for this plant include: brown-eyed Susan, brown Betty, gloriosa daisy, golden Jerusalem, Poorland daisy, yellow daisy, and yellow ox-eye daisy.

^ [left] Erynnis horatius: Horace’s Duskywing; [right] Hylephila phyleus: Fiery skipper

It is an upright annual [sometimes biennial or perennial] growing 30–100 cm [12–39 in] tall by 30–45 cm [12–18 in] wide. It has alternate, mostly basal leaves 10–18 cm long, covered by coarse hair, with stout branching stems and daisy-like, composite flowers appearing in late summer and early autumn. In the species, the flowers are up to 10 cm [4 in] in diameter, with yellow ray-florets circling conspicuous brown or black, dome-shaped disc-florets. However, extensive breeding has produced a range of sizes and colors, including oranges, reds and browns.

The genus name honors Olaus Rudbeck, who was a professor of botany at the University of Uppsala in Sweden and was one of Linnaeus‘s teachers.

Photos: Chamblee, Georgia, USA  [201400809]

Source: Wikipedia

Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’

Family: Lamiaceae

Genus: Salvia

Cultivar: Wendy’s Wish

Category: Perennials

Bloom Color: Magenta [Pink-Purple]

Foliage: Herbaceous

This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds

Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping

Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater

Suitable for growing in containers

Photos: Florida Museum of Natural History, Butterfly Rainforest, Gainesville, Florida  [20140727]

Source: Dave’s Garden, Wikipedia

Iris sp.: Tall Bearded [TB] Iris

Tall Bearded irises have stalks with a height of 70 cm [27 1/2 inches] and above, with branching and many buds. Each stalk, in itself, makes a stately arrangement in the garden or in a vase. In addition to a wide variety of colors and patterns, the TBs display other qualities such as ruffling and lacing more frequently than do the other classes.

 

Types of Irises

Irises are classified into two major groups, Rhizome Irises and Bulbous Irises. Within those groups are countless species, varieties, cultivars and hybrids, according to the American Iris Society.

Rhizome Irises are thickened stems that grow horizontally, either underground or partially underground. After planting, iris rhizomes produce sword like leaves that overlap, forming flat fans of green foliage. Three popular irises in this group are Bearded, Beardless and Crested Irises.

• The bearded iris has four distinct parts: the Standards, Falls, Stigma flaps, and Beard
• The beardless variety has: Standards, Falls and Stigma flaps, but usually have crests
• The crested Irises or Evansia Iris has: Standards, Falls and Stigma flaps and in addition to a ridge on the falls of the blossom, they have ridges like crests instead of beards

Crested irises are often considered in the same manner as the beardless iris. These plants spread freely by underground stems and produce flat flowers in the shades of blue, violet and white. Often the flowers and leaves are found on bamboo like stems which can vary in height from 5-200 centimeters in height.

Varieties of Bearded Iris: Miniature Dwarf Bearded Iris, Dwarf Bearded Iris,  Intermediate Bearded Iris, Border Bearded Iris, Miniature Tall Bearded Iris, Tall Bearded Iris

Varieties of Beardless Iris: Siberian Iris, Japanese Iris, Louisiana Iris, Dutch Iris, Yellow Flag Iris, Blue Flag Iris

Bulbous irises grow from bulbs that require a period of dormancy after they have bloomed. The bulbous irises are typically smaller than rhizome irises and usually produce smaller blossoms. 

Photo: Atlanta, GA [20060405]

Source: American Iris Society, The Flower Expert

Cornus florida: Flowering Dogwood

Cornus florida [flowering dogwood] is a species of flowering plant in the family Cornaceae native to eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southern Ontario, Illinois, and eastern Kansas, and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas.

Flowering dogwood is a small deciduous tree growing to 10 m [33 ft] high, often wider than it is tall when mature. The leaves are opposite, simple, ovate, 6–13 cm [2.4–5.1 in] long and 4–6 cm [1.6–2.4 in] broad, with an apparently entire margin; they turn a rich red-brown in fall.

The flowers are individually small and inconspicuous, with four greenish-yellow bracts 4 mm [0.16 in] long. Around 20 flowers are produced in a dense, rounded, umbel-shaped inflorescence, or flower-head, 1–2 cm [0.39–0.79 in] in diameter. The flower-head is surrounded by four conspicuous large white, pink or red “petals”, each bract 3 cm [1.2 in] long and 2.5 cm [0.98 in] broad, rounded, and often with a distinct notch at the apex.

Photo: Atlanta, GA [20060405]

Source: Wikipedia

Crocosmia cv.: Coppertips

Crocosmia is a small genus of flowering plants in the iris family, Iridaceae. It is native to the grasslands of the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa.

They have colourful inflorescences of 4 to 20 vivid red and orange subopposite flowers. The terminal inflorescence can have the form of a cyme or a raceme.

They are commonly known in the United States as coppertips or falling stars, and in the United Kingdom as montbretia. Other names, for hybrids and cultivars, include antholyza, and curtonus. The genus name is derived from the Greek words krokos, meaning “saffron”, and osme, meaning “odor” – from the fact that dried leaves of these plants emit a strong smell like that of saffron [a spice derived from Crocus – another genus belonging to the Iridaceae] – when immersed in hot water

Photos: Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome, Singapore [20140630]

Source: Wikipedia 

Tulipa cv. ‘Britt’

Botanical name: Tulipa cv. ‘Britt’

Common names: Tulip, Double Late Tulip

Year Registered: 2005

Spring Bloom Season: Late

Special Classifications: Double-flowered

Leaves: Spring ephemeral

Flowers: Showy, Fragrant, Pink

Flower Time: Spring, Late spring or early summer

Underground structures: Bulb

Uses: Cut Flower

Photos: Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore [20140422, 20140425]

Source: allthingsplants.com