Thursday, January 6, 2011

Wicked Cool Plants

So I started putting out the "wicked cool plant of the week" on the bulletin board outside my office. Last semester I actually managed to almost have a wicked cool plant each week. But now I have used them all up and am looking for new ideas for this Spring semester. And since my colleague Paul has upped the ante by putting out the "wicked cool insect of the week" (can't believe he just stole my idea, pffft), I am feeling the pressure to outdo him.

Suggestions?

7 comments:

Sparkling Squirrel said...

Not in any particular order- plants I find exceptionally interesting or at least respect for their incredibly weedy tendencies:
prairie turnips, sunflowers, evening primroses, tulips (had their own futures market crash), nutmeg/mace, poison ivy, dandelions, bindweed (seeds viable for 50+ years, 90 degree angle roots so you can't pull just one part . . . ), rafflesia, victoria amazonica (flowers change color and sex overnight!), anything carniverous, Wallace's orchid, poison hemlock, sequoia, metasequoia, sequiadendrons and bald cypress, gingko, saffron crocus, Wollemia nobilis (how could it not have been noticed until 1994?!), ephedra, welwitschia, spagnum mosses, horsetails, club mosses, saguaros (and bat pollinated), self-propellent mistletoes, ghost pipes, mycotrophs in general, pine drops, plant that get their nitrogen from fungi that eat springtails, parasitic plants in general, peyote, cinchona, coca, cacao, indigo, bastard toadflax (really just 'cause I like the name), kudzu and many others.

Jennifer said...

Thanks Lisa! I was having the botanist version of writer's block, I just couldn't think of a cool plant LOL.

I think you have just opened the flood-gates.

Molly said...

I don't have a cool plant suggestion, but just wanted to ( belatedly) wish you well after reading about the major changes in your life this past few months, Jennifer... It sounds like you've been doing some really great things!

Sparkling Squirrel said...

Welcome back Molly! We're looking forward to learning of your adventures as well.

Beth said...

pitcher plants?

Erin said...

I would add Bristlecone pines to Lisa's list. Not really wicked, but cool. And they have names like Methusela (sp?). Strangler figs are kind of wicked.

Jennifer said...

Thanks Molly - I am trying to!