Plants, Herbs, and Spices Flashcards Preview

The Eastern White Pine, as shown on the Question card, is considered to be one of the most important trees in North America. It’s used for both timber and landscape because it’s both fast-growing and long-lived.

Many species of pine tree can be found in the southeast and western mountain ranges of the US.

This southeastern U.S. tree has glossy green star-shaped leaves that turn yellow, purple, and red in the fall and stay on late into the season.

It also produces round, burr-like fruit. The American sweetgum can be found in the southeast of the US from east Texas to New Jersey.

This Douglas-Fir is an evergreen with a cone shape and becomes more pyramidal as it ages. This is also the type of tree most commonly used for Christmas.

There are about 10 native species of fir in the US and they are most commonly found in the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges.

The quaking aspen tree gets its name from the way its leaves seem to quake as the wind comes into contact with it.

Aspen are known as the largest living organisms, as they reproduce by sending sprouts from their roots.

Aspen trees are commonly found in the northern parts of the US and throughout the west such as some parts of Idaho, Arizona, and even New Mexico.

Redwood trees are incredibly strong and can withstand powerful winds and floods by extending their roots outwards, up to 100 feet (31 m) wide from the trunk.

The tree is recognizable by the red hue of its bark. Most redwood trees live up to 800 years old and grow to be between 250 (76 m) and 300 feet (91 m) tall.

You’ll find redwood trees exclusively on the central and northern Pacific coast of the US.

A giant sequoia tree can live up to 3,000 years and can grow up to 300 feet (91 m) tall (and 35 feet (11 m) in diameter!).

Sequoias can be found in limited areas of western Sierra Nevada, California.

They are easily recognizable by their red bark which is soft and shreds easily. Sequoias also don’t have very large cones - they are about the size of a chicken egg.

Easily recognizable by its biscuit-shaped flowers. The dogwood also produces glossy red berries that often attract birds.

This flowering dogwood is native to the eastern part of the US, but its range extends from Maine to New York.

Also called a “miniature tree”, the “bonsai” has become the umbrella term for dwarfed plants grown in small pots.

Fun fact: nearly any tree could be used to make a bonsai with. The technique lies in pinching buds and pruning branches.

Bonsai trees are kept under specific conditions and are not native to any actual region.

Considered to be the ‘king’ among trees, the white oak provides acorns for a wide variety of wildlife.

A fully matured oak can grow up to 80 feet (24 m). The oak tree is most commonly in the southwest of the US with some additional habitats in California and Arizona.

A tree found in India, Hawaii, and Central and South America, the banyan tree grows to have several trunks and can reach up to 60 feet (18 m) tall.

With its many leaves and trunks, a single banyan tree can provide shade for almost an entire acre of land.

An elm tree is recognizable by its dark gray-brown bark with deep, crossing ridges.

Elm trees can grow up to 100 feet (30 m) tall and have a vase-shaped trunk.

The Nature Conservancy in Vermont is actively regrowing elm trees to restore their former glory. You’ll find most elm trees in the US heartland up to the eastern states.

The orchid has more than 25,000 different species of flowered plants and are often found in wet tropic biomes.

Orchids have a distinctive shape which makes them popular as ornamental plants.

Some orchids even have culinary uses such as the vanilla plant which is actually an orchid.

The flower most iconic of spring as they pop up in gardens everywhere during the season.

The tulip originated in Iran and became a symbol of the Ottoman Empire. These flowers are recognizable by their bell-shaped flowers and bright colors.

The most top-of-mind flower when it comes to the topic of flora. The rose is common all around the world and is part of many different activities such as proms, weddings, and home decoration.

There are about 150 species in the rosa genus and thousands of cultivated hybrids.

A unique aquatic plant, the water lily is both a plant and a flower and used around the globe as ornaments in ponds.

These flowers come in all colors and sizes, some even growing to be 40cm in diameter.

Often confused with the water lily as some lily species are called lotuses. The non-aquatic lotuses are common in Asian culture as art motifs and symbols.

North America has about 20 species of the lotus (often referred with common names such as deerclover) which are often grazed by animals.

The chrysanthemum has about 40 species of flowering plants in the aster family.

You’ll find most of these flowers in subtropical and temperate areas - they are especially common in East Asia. The chysanthemum is recognizable by its armoatic leaves with a long stem.

A flower from the chysanthemum family. They are most easily recognized because of their unique look when the seeds are ripe.

When insects pollinate the florets they produce a seed called an achene. The white orb full of fertilized seeds is what we call a dandelion clock. The wind eventually blows these little “parachute” seeds away from the stem which allows them to travel far distances to eventually settle somewhere in the ground and grow into a new dandelion.

The flower itself is bright yellow and only has ray flowers. The bitter young leaves can be used in culinary recipes such as salads, and the roots are suited to make coffee-like beverages with.

Lavenders are small, evergreen shrubs with gray-green linear leaves. This flower is a common ingredient in cooking such a butter, cookies, and cakes.

The flowers also serve as a common decoration and can be extracted for their oil which has a distinctive scent.

With about 500 species in the Violaceae family, the small solid-coloured violets can be found all around the world.

The violet is often used in perfume or as decoration on top of a cake.

The narcissus comes from the same family as the onion and is named after a Greek legend.

Just like tulips, the narcissus is a sign of the spring. The flowers are recognizable by their ringlike cup or trumpet shape.

The peony or paeony (genus Paeonia) is a flowering plant native to Europe, Asia and Western North America.

Scientists believe there are between 25 and 40 species of peony.