Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Thursday - April 30, 2009

From: Florissant, MO
Region: Midwest
Topic: Compost and Mulch, Shrubs
Title: Shelf life of hawthorn leaves in Florissant, MO
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I have a bag of hawthorn leaves that were harvested in 2007. Do you know if they're still effective? How long is the shelf life of hawthorn leaves? Thank you for your assistance.

ANSWER:

Shelf life for hawthorn leaves? We don't understand your question. The only thing we have ever used leaves for is compost. There is one member of the genus Crataegus, Crataegus phaenopyrum (Washington hawthorn), native to Missouri. If compost is what you are planning to do with your bag of leaves, certainly you can dump them in. If there was some other reason for your question, please let us know.