I need to ID these shape plants as well as propogate them

16 years ago

I took some creeping wintergreen (?) and some other plant from my woods.

They are now in potting soil

The larger plants have roots that are shallow and spread horizontally. They aren't very fibrous at all but rather have 1 large root, or tuber, or whatever, that will spread horizonally in a single root (with small roots going off the sides, but its mainly 1 sideways taproot). The root is .5 inch wide at its max, probably, where the plant stem shoots from.

I took chunks of roots and the tall plants sprouted from them.

What's weird is that some will sprout and look really strong and great and then poop out, wither, and die.

These are definitely shade plants. Ive fertilized fish fish solution once but am guessing they don't need much fertilization if they are growing on the forest floor of maine and massachusetts. But they must like semi-acidic conditions I assume?

Thanks in advance. They are getting sunlight on the west side of my place which isnt a lot but is some.

Some of the larger plant leaves are a little deformed, as you may notice.

Comments (8)

fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
Your "creeping wintergreen" looks like Mitchella repens or Partridge Berry. The other I'm not sure.

FataMorgana
hoorayfororganic
Original Author
16 years ago
Ah, yes, definitely PB

But for the other one -

I noticed that in the spring or early summer - it will send up this stalk and on this stalk is..well..basically a poof ball. It looks like white fireworks. Originating from 1 point you have these white flowers of some sort that go out in all directions, forming a sphere that looks like a firework that has exploded

The plants themselves only get about 1ft tall and their canopy is probably a max of 1 foot as well.

They generally only have 3 "stems" that branch from the main stem, if I recall correctly.

Mine look 1/3 the size of the fully grown ones I see in the forest.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
It's definitely some sort of low light ground dweller though.
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fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
Did the flowers result in any fruiting? Knowing that would help in the identification.

FataMorgana
hoorayfororganic
Original Author
16 years ago
I don't know all I saw was this single puff ball (say, 20 "stems" originating from a single point, these stems go outwards and are .25" long)

this puffball itself was on a stem that (I think) originated from the origin of where the the 3 "stems" with leaves split

these are really common forest shade plants. i see them all over in massachusetts and in maine.
georgia-rose
16 years ago
Have you looked at Cardamine? Here are some images from the USDA. There are many species found in the NE Region, some native, others introduced.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cardamine
hoorayfororganic
Original Author
16 years ago
it is similar

but,

cardamine has only 2 leaf sets - these i have have 3
also, the flower is sort of like what i have - in that it starts from the center

but the flowers - they actually did not look like conventional flowers
and really did look like an actually ball that resembled a firework that had just exploded.

maybe I had just seen it at the point before which flowers had come out...but regardless, the flower structure looked different and more profuse to resemble fireworks

also, the leaves are not as heavily serrated. i believe they have small serrations, not large.

i wish i could help more. maybe ill take a pic. in the woods of a mature one this week.

thanks for the help! you guys and gals are always great
fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
If you could post a picture of a mature plant it would help immensely. Immature leaves don't always look the same as mature ones.

FataMorgana
kwoods
16 years ago
What does a crushed leaf smell like? I can't view the pics for whatever reason but soounds like you might be describing ramps.