Rarexoticseeds

Montreal, Canada

cornus kousa chinensis is a small tree from asia. Making a beautiful bonsai tree it can also grow about 20 feet tall in the wild. Winter reveals a very attractive mottled tan and gray exfoliating bark and a distinctive horizontal branching pattern. Chinese kousa dogwood grows in a widely vase shaped to rounded form with a dark green foliage. An added bonus is a reddish fall color that ranges to reddish purple and scarlet depending on climatic conditions. Clouds of white blossoms appear after the leaves in early summer. Blossoms last as long as six weeks. The flowers are set among the leaves, instead of on the bare branches. The four white bracts, which are pointed at the tip, are greenish at first, then gradually change to a beautiful creamy white; one of the most beautiful of all flowering trees. Edible red fruits form in late summer and persist through the fall. They dangle like oversized raspberries beneath the horizontally arching branches. Hardiness zones 5-8, (-10c/15f, -26c/-15f) in winter. The chinese kousa dogwood is among the hardiest of flowering dogwoods. Best grown in acidic and well-drained soil, but don't drought tolerant. Grows in partial shade, especially during the heat of the day.

Echeveria is a large genus of about 100 species of succulents, in the crassulaceae family. They are native from mexico to northwestern south america. The genus echeveria is named after the 18th century spanich botanist atanasio echeverria codoy. Several of these species are outstanding garden plants. It's a genus of justly popular, beautiful and easily grown succulents, particularly suitable as house plants. Grouping a variety of echeveria cultivars together is an ideal way to display the diverse leaf shapes and forms. The mature rosettes grow up to 20 cm in diameter and eventually form many offsets. They mostly have fleshy leaves forming rosettes of a wide assortment of attractive, geometric designs in a range of colours from green through grey, blue, purple, pink to almost white, often with markings in contrasting shades. The plant does not require any pruning. Most species lose their lower leaves in winter. Dudleya prefer to be summer dry, which is their dormant time, whereas echeveria are winter dry with active growth during summer. Given their opposite water needs, it's not wise to put these two succulents together in a garden. Echeverias are polycarpic, meaning that they may flower and set seed many times over the course of their lifetimes. The spikes of showy, urn or bell-shaped flowers can be yellow, red or white with some having unusual hues. Hardiness zones 9-11, (-5c/25f, 4c/40f). Most species grow in the shade and can take some frost. The plant prefers bright direct sunlight. During the growing period, normal room temperature is suitable. The plant is fairly drought tolerant. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. These plants prefer dry soils and need good drainage. Do not allow the water to collect on the rosette. Use a good cactus soil mix. Fertilize once a year by diluting to half the minimum strength recommended on the label of a standard house plant fertilizer.

Sequoia is a genus in the cypress family Cupressaceae, containing the single living species Sequoia sempervirens. Common names include Coast Redwood and California Redwood. California native. It is one of the largest trees of the world. Fast growth when it is young. It can reach height of 40 m. to 60 m. This tree stands straight up, hurled, pyramidal with horizontal to slightly drooping branches. The summit is narrow and round. The tree is deprived of branches on a third or half its height. The sequoia has a very broad trunk (9 m diameter). It has thick bark (15 - 30 cm), fibrous and crevassed, of a red-orange color, and a flexible, spongy texture. The wood, of excellent qualities, deprived of resinous channels, is imperishable. It resists well to insects and fires. It is used in joinery. An adult tree produces more than 1.000 m of wood. The leaves are laid out on the secondary branches in two rows of long flattened needles. They are green on top and blue-white bands below. The leaves of the principal branches are scale-like. The foliage is persistent and aromatic. The tree is monoic. The male flowers ( 2 mm), are in the shape of yellowish droplets and the female flowers are in a narrow and greenish cones ( 4 mm). Flowering takes place in winter (February but they where on the tree since last autumn). It has tiny inflorescences at the end of the short branches. The seed cones are ovoid, 15-32 mm long, with 15-25 spirally arranged scales; pollination is in late winter with maturation about 8-9 months after. Each cone scale bears 3-7 seeds, each seed 3-4 mm long and 0.5 mm broad, with two wings 1 mm wide. The seeds are released when the cone scales dry out and open at maturity. The pollen cones are oval, 4-6 mm long. Hardiness zones: 8-10 (-10C/ 15F, 1C/ 35F) in winter. The Sequoia needs a deep, fresh, not very calcareous ground and well-drained well (acid or neutral, fertile). It adores the sun and a sheltered place.

This type of cactus is a very important religious sacrament in many cultures in cental and north-america.