Native Plants

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Wednesday - October 13, 2010

From: Chardon, OH
Region: Midwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Native plants for Ohio with common name beginning with U, X or Z
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, Are there any plants native to Ohio or the Northeast that have common names starting with the letter "U" "X" or "Z"? I'm sewing a cross-stitch sampler using the alphabet with corresponding Ohio plants. Those 3 letters have been impossible to find flowers/names to match. (I.e. Umbrella Palm isn't native to Ohio and that's all that comes up for a search on the letter "U") Thanks.

ANSWER:

This sounds like an interesting and fun project. I can provide you with several common names each for the letters "U" and "Z" that are native to Ohio, but, alas, I couldn't find any plants with a common name beginning with "X". I did find one with a short botanical name beginning with "X", however, that you might consider.

For the letter "U":

Cyperus diandrus (Umbrella flatsedge) and here are photos

Magnolia tripetala (Umbrella tree)

Proboscidea louisianica (Unicorn plant)

Mirabilis nyctaginea (Heart-leaved umbrellawort)

For the letter "Z":

Zizia aurea (Golden zizia)

Zizia aptera (Meadow zizia)

Iris brevicaulis (Zigzag iris)

Solidago flexicaulis (Zigzag goldenrod)

Tradescantia subaspera (Zigzag spiderwort)

For the letter "X":