Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with flora

Alien Fruit Identifictation

phrontist — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:38:34 -0800

My friend found this strange fruit somewhere in or around Oaxaca, Mexico. What is it?

Nature in Austin?

gavia — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:01:25 -0800

AustinNatureFilter: What are the best places in and around Austin, Texas to explore the Natural History of the area? I'm going to be in Austin next week to conduct some research. When I'm not busy with that, I would like to explore some of the natural places in and around the city. I will have access to a car, so some short trips would be fine. By Natural History I mean just that: the flora and fauna of this part of Texas.

What is the name of this plant?

BuddhaInABucket — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 21:20:59 -0800

Please identify a plant for me given this description: I first saw it in Hawaii (I have no idea if it's native there), and it's currently on exhibit at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, but it is completely impossible to find anything on their hideously designed website.

The plant reproduces in a very unique way- the periphery of the leaves of the plant develop (I think) clone offshoots that, when the leaf falls off the plant and to the ground, take root and start a new plant. The leaves and stalk are fleshy and the plant definitely grows quickly.

If you managed to find it via a google search, please let me know what words you used so that I can help improve my own google-fu.

Are these bluebells?

Shane — Tue, 03 May 2005 10:58:33 -0800

MeFi botanists: These are buebells, right, blooming now until June? (Yes, that IS my cat Widget on the scanner trying to eat them.) But what are these, fallen from a tree or plant on the NE Ohio shore of Lake Erie? (Pic is aprox 200% actual size.) Does anyone else have any plants you need to identify? Are there any good books or online flora resources you recommend that allow a person to maybe search by, say, "flowers-blue" and then narrow the search, perusing images? Thanks.

Plant, And Not Robert

Vaska — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 12:26:49 -0800

I want to keep plants in my apartment, but I keep killing them. Can anyone recommend hardy species that will resist my black thumb? I've tried lots of different plants, especially ferns which I like, but all I've managed to grow for any significant amount of time has been Mother-In-Law's Tongue and bamboo. My apartment generally gets into the high seventies, lower eighties and I'm pretty good about watering them regularly, but I'm not perfect.

Fruit Trees

Slimemonster — Wed, 24 Mar 2004 22:42:52 -0800

I've always kind of wondered this. I don't know if it's a metaphysical question, an evolution question or just a childish question, but why exactly are there fruit trees? Has anyone seen a definitive answer to this. Does it seem weird that a tree would produce fruit just so animals can come and steal it? Do fruit trees benefit from producing fruit (like I understand how the leaves come into play)? I feel like a little kid asking this, but does anyone got an answer?