Talinum paniculatum

Commonly known as:

• Old Ladies' Hatpin
• Pink baby-breath
• Jewels of Opar

Jewels of Opar do very well in containers indoors in a sunny window

Small pinkish-red flowers on wiry stems

 

• Easy care succulent from the Southwest   
• Well suited for indoors with adequate bright light.
• A tender perennial with wiry flower stalks topped by a spray of bright pink flowers and ruby-like seedpods. 
• Has a tuberous Ginseng-like root, 
• Drought tolerant. Likes a well drained soil. No soggy or flooded soils.
• Chronic over watering can kill the plant, let the soil dry.
•  Fertilize at one-third strength during the growing season.

In this novel Tarzan returns to Opar, a lost colony of fabled Atlantis

Creeping Mazus

Mazus reptans
MAY-zus REP-tanz

Creeping Leopard's Tongue
lavender-blue flowers with
yellow and white centers

• Cupflower 
• Himalaya-Löwenmaul 
• Lippenmäulchen 
• Himalayan Snapdragon
• Creeping Mazus
• Creeping Leopard's Tongue

USDA Zones 3 - 9
Mature height is 2"

Semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial

Himalayan Snapdragon

In late spring Creeping Mazus is covered in lavender-blue flowers with yellow and white centers.

Kusamono

Creeping Mazus prefers moist soil, so provide regular moisture with good drainage. Creeping Mazus will tolerate excess wetness better than dryness. It grows quite flat, sending out runners that root and it can quickly form a ground-hugging carpet of bright green foliage.

Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring.

Mazus reptans can be grown in container. In warmer climates, the herbaceous perennial will stay green year-round. If kept in a container, the plant should be protected from extremes of temperature. The plant will tolerate hot, humid summers if the soil is kept moist.

Kusamono:

• Pygmy bamboo (Pleioblastus pygmaeus)
• Creeping Mazus (Mazus reptans)
• Chocolate Chip Ajuga (Ajuga reptans 'Valfredda')

Cogon grass confiscated at port

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists assigned to the port of Savannah have made more than 60 interceptions of cogon grass on commercial cargo containers since mid-October. Cogon grass is considered one of the 10 worst invasive plant species in the world.

Imperata cylindrica — Japanese blood grass
Hosta sp. — Dwarf hosta
Pinellia ternate — Pinellia
National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

The Art of Kusamono

July 14-22, 2007 

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has issued a statewide ban on the sale of Cogongrass(Imperata cylindrica), a non-native and aggressively invasive species of grass. The grass is sold under the names Japanese Blood Grass and Red Baron grass. Japanese Blood Grass is often grown as Kusamono Bonsai and as a Companion Plant (Shitakusa) for formal Bonsai Display.















Cogongrass Distribution - Southern United States

This plant is listed by:
United States: Noxious weed
Alabama: Class A noxious weed
California: Quarantine
Florida: Noxious weed
Hawaii: Noxious weed
Minnesota: Prohibited noxious weed
Mississippi: Noxious weed
North Carolina: Class A noxious weed
Oregon: Quarantine
South Carolina: Plant pest
Vermont: Class A noxious weedImperata cylindrica 'Red Baron' is excluded from quarantine in Oregon




USDA blog: 
A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests

Agriculture Dept. Bans Sale of Cogongrass

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has issued a statewide ban on the sale of Cogongrass(Imperata cylindrica), a non-native and aggressively invasive species of grass. The grass is sold under the names Japanese Blood Grass and Red Baron grass. Japanese Blood Grass is often grown as Kusamono Bonsai and as a Companion Plant (Shitakusa) for formal Bonsai Display.