Author: Roberta (Page 190 of 562)

Seed of the Week: Hooker’s Evening Primrose

July 29, 2014 / Roberta / 1 Comment

Our mystery seeds from last week were from a Hooker’s evening primrose, Oenothera elata subsp. hookeri.

The first thing that catches your eye when you see this plant are the brilliant yellow flowers.

You have to be quick, however, because the flowers open in the evening and close later the next day. Because they open in the evening, their nectar is a favorite food of moths.

Hooker’s evening primroses are perennials that are native to western North America.

Unlike some of their low-growing relatives, these primroses may reach four or more feet tall.

Hooker’s evening primroses are wonderful additions to moonlight or scent gardens because of their lovely nighttime fragrance.

Have you ever grown primroses? What do you think of them?

Bug of the Week: Scorpion Under Glass

July 23, 2014 / Roberta / 0 Comments

A few days ago I needed a glass vase for a project. When I pulled it down from the shelf, look who I found inside:

Fortunately scorpions can’t climb glass, so it was definitely trapped in there.

Although the lighting was less than ideal, it was a good opportunity to see the scorpion parts close up.

If you are interested in learning more about scorpion anatomy, try our previous post about scorpions.

Scorpions are most active during the summer in Arizona. They hunt for insects at night and hide during the day. People usually don’t like them very much because they can deliver a painful – and potentially health-threatening if it is a bark scorpion – dose of venom when they sting.

Scorpions have an intriguing side, however. One really cool thing about scorpions is that they have a natural fluorescence. They glow at night under ultraviolet lights. See, for example, in this video:

Still not convinced scorpions can be interesting? Wired Magazine recently had an article about a doctor who is researching the use of a component of scorpion venom to mark brain tumors. Fascinating!