Hairy Ball Tree

November 16, 2024 Post a Comment

Hairy ball tree

Gomphocarpus physocarpus, commonly known as hairy balls, balloonplant, balloon cotton-bush, bishop's balls, nailhead, or swan plant, is a species of dogbane. The plant is native to southeast Africa, but it has been widely naturalized. It is often used as an ornamental plant.

Is hairy balls milkweed poisonous?

White blooms attract butterflies and other pollinators to the garden. Perennial zones 6-9. All parts of the milkweed plant are poisonous if ingested.

Is hairy ball milkweed invasive?

Native to South Africa, this plant is an invasive in tropical climates, but in my zone 6-7 area, winter cold keep it in check. Here are some facts about this amazing plant: Fast growing annual Milkweed, hardy in zones 8-10. Can sustain lots of munching monarch caterpillars late season.

Is hairy balls milkweed a perennial or annual?

It is a perennial in zones 8-10 but can be grown as an annual elsewhere. The white flowers are not particularly showy and occur in drooping clusters. They are only pollinated by vespid wasps and hornets. The follicles are the most ornamental feature.

What are these balls on my tree?

Oak galls are abnormal plant growths found on foliage and twigs that are produced by small oak gall wasps. Shapes of galls vary from spherical to urn-shaped to star-shaped to fuzzy. Inside the galls are the eggs and larvae of the insects.

What tree has furry catkins?

White willow (Salix alba) After pollination by insects, the female catkins lengthen and develop small capsules, each containing tiny seeds encased in white down. These white feathery attachments help seeds to float on the wind like a dandelion seed head. White down makes willow catkins appear fluffy.

Why is milkweed a problem?

Tropical milkweed becomes a problem when planted in temperate areas where it does not die back in winter. A protozoan parasite of monarch butterflies, Ophryocystis elektroscirrha or OE for short, can travel with monarchs visiting the plants and become deposited on leaves.

What happens if you touch milkweed?

All parts of the plant contain toxic cardiac glycosides, which can cause nausea, diarrhea, weakness, and confusion in small amounts, and seizures, heart rhythm changes, respiratory paralysis, and even death in large amounts. Milkweed can also irritate the skin and eyes if touched.

Can milkweed hurt humans?

A small taste of milkweed is typically not fatal to animals, but can be dangerous if large quantities are consumed. Medicinal uses of milkweed have been documented, but outside of such traditional practices any part of the milkweed plant should not be consumed by humans.

Where should you not plant milkweed?

It is not recommended to plant milkweed within 10 miles of the coast in central and northern California where milkweed did not occur historically. Instead, plant a variety of flowers native to your region that provide nectar from early spring through fall to support monarchs and other pollinators.

Should I remove milkweed from my garden?

Be patient and wait to remove milkweed plants until after the butterflies have emerged from their crysalids, or in the late spring before the butterflies arrive. If you decide to remove all of the common milkweed from your garden, consider replacing it with other less aggressive native milkweed species.

Where is the best place to plant milkweed?

Best growing practices suggest milkweeds be planted in the sunniest parts of your yard or garden. If you have a choice of soil, most milkweed species thrive in light, well-drained soils with seeds planted a quarter-inch deep.

Should milkweed be cut back in the winter?

It is recommended to prune the milkweed stalks to about 6 inches in height during the fall and winter months to discourage monarchs from establishing winter-breeding colonies. Cutting back the milkweed will also help to eliminate OE spores that may be present on the plant.

Will milkweed come back year after year?

These native milkweed are perennials, meaning they come back year after year. Their aerial parts (flower, leaves, stem) die back but their rootstock remains alive throughout the winter. Cut back milkweed stalks in the late fall or winter, after they have produced seed pods and these seeds have had time to mature.

Does milkweed spread a lot?

Common Milkweed Can Spread Aggressively Anyone in its native range (zones 3 to 8) with space for a wildflower garden can consider common milkweed. But gardeners should be aware that this species is considered very aggressive. It spreads not only by seed but by underground rhizome, and can be very difficult to control.

What are the round fuzzy balls falling from oak trees?

The fluffy balls attached to oak leaves is wooly oak gall. Tiny insects infest some of the oak leaves in the spring and cause the leaves to grow the fuzzy tan galls on their undersides. The insects live and feed inside the galls during the summer.

What does a tree grub look like?

May/June beetle white grubs have a distinctly C-shaped, cream-colored body with a reddish brown head and three pairs of legs. Grubs vary in size (depending on their stage of development), and can be up to 1¼ inches long when fully mature.

What are the weird growths on trees?

Burls are abnormal swellings or growths that develop on the trunks and branches of trees. Burls can be found on deciduous trees and evergreens. The exact cause is unknown. Possible causes include bacteria, fungi, insects, wounds or environmental stress.

Do catkins turn into acorns?

Catkins are the male flowers in oaks. Some people refer to them as tassels or worms. The airborne pollen from these catkins were part of the reproductive process in fertilizing the female oak flowers that ultimately resulted in all of these acorns.

What do aspen catkins look like?

Flowers are found in catkins, which look like soft caterpillars hanging from twigs; blooming is completed before leaves emerge. Male flowers: Fuzzy catkins emerge in late winter, and lengthen in early spring to reveal red/pink pollen sacs.