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Sweet Thorn Information In their native South Africa, Acacia karoo trees are beneficial wildlife trees. Birds nest in them and the flowers attract insects to feed the birds. Ten species of butterflies depend on the Acacia sweet thorn for their survival. The sweet gum that oozes from wounds in the bark is a favorite food of many species of wildlife, including the lesser bushbaby and monkeys. Despite the thorns, giraffes love to eat their leaves....

Is AC Condensation for Plants Safe? During the use of an air conditioner, moisture forms and is usually removed by a drip line or hose outside the home. When temperatures are high, the condensate can amount to 5 to 20 gallons (23-91 L.) per day. This water is pure, pulled from the air, and contains none of the chemicals in municipal water. Combining air conditioner water and plants is a winning way to conserve this precious and expensive resource....

Can You Transplant an Almond? Almond trees are related to plums and peaches, and, in fact, the growth habit of an almond is similar to that of a peach. Almonds thrive in areas of hot summers and cool winters. Trees are usually sold when they are one to three years of age for the simple reason that they are easier to handle at that size, but sometimes transplanting a more mature almond might be in order....

How Much Water Do Apple Trees Need? Apple tree water requirements depend on rainfall. In general, for an established tree, you won’t need to water it unless you are not getting much rain or there is a particularly dry spell or even drought. About an inch (2.5 cm.) or so of rainfall every week to ten days is adequate for most apple trees. Trees in their first growing season may need a little more than this....

What is an Arizona Poppy? Arizona poppy plants (Kallstroemia grandiflora) aren’t true poppies because they belong to a different plant family. Also called summer poppy and orange caltrop, the bright yellow-orange flowers resemble those of California poppies. They are native to the U.S. southwest, from Arizona to New Mexico to Texas. They’ve also been introduced in southern California. Bloom time is generally August to September, which coincides with desert summer rainfall....

Autumn Blaze Tree Attributes Whether you want a shade tree, spring blossoms, or a stunning fall display, Autumn Blaze pear trees (Pyrus calleryana ‘Autumn Blaze’) will provide. This is a cultivar of the Callery pear and shares its best characteristics. These trees overflow with frothy white flowers in early spring. Their dark leaves provide ample shade in summer before turning brilliant crimson in autumn. These Autumn Blaze tree attributes can also be found in the species plant....

How Many Pumpkins Per Vine? Scientists believe that pumpkins originated in North America about 9000 years ago. Since then many cultivars have developed, from tiny miniature fruit weighing about a pound (454 g.), to true monsters that weigh over 50 pounds (23 kg.) and potentially much more. A general rule of thumb is that large fruiting plants produce only a couple of pumpkins per vine. On the other hand, the smaller varieties can produce 8-10 fruits....

About American Beachgrass Beachgrass is found from Newfoundland to North Carolina. The plant is in the grass family and produces spreading rhizomes, which allow the plant to entrench itself and help stabilize soils. It is considered a dune grass and thrives in dry, salty soil with little nutrient base. In fact, the plant thrives in seaside gardens. Using beachgrass for landscaping in areas with similar environmental situations protects important habitats and delicate hills and dunes....

How to Grow Beehive Ginger This ginger variety can grow to over 6 feet (2 m.) in height with one foot long (31 cm.) leaves. Their bracts, or modified leaves which form a “flower,” are in the unique shape of a beehive and available in a number of colors from chocolate to golden and pink to red. These bracts arise from the ground rather than from amongst the foliage. The true flowers are insignificant white blooms located between the bracts....

Brush up on some bell pepper info to learn all about growing these delicious and nutritious vegetables. A little knowledge about pepper plant care will go a long way. What Growing Peppers Need to Get Started Growing bell peppers isn’t difficult, but temperature is an important factor. While they’re fairly easy to grow, pepper plant care in these early stages is critical. Always start pepper plant seedlings indoors. The seeds need the warmth of your house to germinate....

Suburban Garden Planning There are as many ways to garden as there are people who work the soil. First, think about how much time you have and how much equipment you will need. I prefer to use the raised bed-no till method of gardening. My equipment list includes a shovel, spade, and a good pair of gloves. The entire garden should be planned in detail before anything is planted. There are thousands of sites on the internet that will give you free plans for your gardens; these plans include flower, herb, water, or vegetable gardening....

About African Violet Soil Since these specimens demand proper watering, you’ll want to use the right African violet growing medium. You can mix your own or choose from a number of brands available online or at your local garden center. The right potting mix for African violets allows air to reach the roots. In their native environment of the “Tanga region of Tanzania in Africa,” this specimen is found growing in crevices of mossy rocks....

What is American Bittersweet Vine? American bittersweet is a vigorous deciduous, perennial vine that grows 15 to 20 feet (4.5-6 m.) tall. It is native to central and eastern North America. They produce yellowish green flowers that bloom in spring, but the flowers are plain and uninteresting compared to the berries that follow. As the flowers fade, orange-yellow capsules appear. In late fall and winter, the capsules open at the ends to display the bright red berries inside....

How to Make a Dracaena Bonsai Tree Dracaena marginata, commonly known as a Madagascar dragon tree or red-edged dracaena, is the species that’s most frequently trained as a bonsai. In the wild they can grow to 12 feet (4 m.) in height, but if kept in a small pot indoors, they should stay small. If you want to train a dracaena as a bonsai, start by laying the potted plant on its side in the bright sun....

What Leads to Bougainvillea Flower Drop? Like every other plant, bougainvillea has particular growing needs that must be met if it is to bloom and grow happily. You may not get long-lasting blossoms if you fail to meet them. Bougainvilleas require warm weather. Bougainvillea flower drop can be caused by temperatures that are lower than those the plant is used to. Generally, bougainvillea plants are hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 and above....

Buckwheat Growing Buckwheat is one of the earliest crops cultivated in Asia, most likely in China 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. It spread throughout Asia to Europe and was then brought to the American colonies in the 1600’s. Common on farms in the northeast and north central United States at that time, buckwheat was used as a livestock feed and as a milling flour. Buckwheat is a broadleaf, herbaceous plant that flowers abundantly over the course of several weeks....

What are Budworms? Budworms are moth caterpillars that chew their way into the tightly coiled buds of flowers and slowly eat them from the inside out. Budworm caterpillars start life as tiny larvae that measure less than 1/16 inch (1.5 ml.) long, but grow up to 2 inches (5 cm.) over the course of the summer. These larvae start out cream colored with brown heads and light colored stripes, but mature into colors ranging from green to rust to black....

Pests on a Clove Tree Clove trees are small trees, also called tropical myrtle, and are native to the Molucca Islands. They are usually grown for cloves, their unopened flower beds. Most cultivated cloves are used by the tobacco industry to flavor cigarettes. Some cloves are cultivated for use as cooking spices, either whole or in powder form. Those who grow clove trees have to deal with a variety of clove tree pests....

Symptoms of Burrknot Borers Burrknot borers, more commonly known as dogwood borers, are the larval form of a clearwing moth. Females lay eggs that will hatch in a little over a week in burrknots on trees. When the tiny larvae emerge, they bore into the burrknot, pushing out a rust-colored frass as they go. This discoloration on the surface of the burrknot may be the first and only sign of infestation....

Cabbage Head Tying Easy to grow, provided cool temperatures abound, cabbages are nonetheless havens for a variety of pests such as: Cabbage loopers Slugs Imported cabbage worms Cabbage root maggots Aphids Flea beetles To avoid the ravage that accompanies their presence, it’s important to keep the garden clean of debris that fosters pest infestation. Some people use panty hose to tie up cabbage heads to deter cabbage moths from laying their eggs, which in turn become pesky cabbage worms....