Types of

The genus name Mimosa comes from the Greek mimos meaning “mimic” or “mime” in reference to the leaves of some species which move when touched, seeming to mimic consciousness. Admired for its fernlike foliage and strikingly fluffy, pink-tinged flowers, the mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) has been planted as a garden ornamental in the United States since the … Read more

Chestnuts are a group of hardwood, deciduous trees, native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Most chestnut species are tall trees, commonly with furrowed bark when mature. All chestnut types have oblong leaves with serrated edges.  Most male flowers are borne in long upright catkins; female flowers are arranged singly or in clusters at the base of short … Read more

A butterfly is a winged insect with scales on its wings. Butterflies come in a variety of colors, sizes, and patterns. It is estimated that there are around 20,000 different butterfly species. These different types of butterflies live all around the world. In all ecosystems, butterflies are essential to plants that depend on cross-pollination. They visit flowering … Read more

Butterflies possess some of the most striking color displays found in nature. As they fly from flower to flower gathering nectar, their brightly colored wings seem to shimmer and change colors before your eyes. Butterflies actually get their colors from two different sources: ordinary (or pigmented) color and structural color. The ordinary color comes from normal chemical pigments that absorb certain … Read more

Butterflies and moths have many things in common, including scales that cover their bodies and wings. In other words, there is no real taxonomic difference between butterflies and moths. Both are classified or belong to order Lepidoptera (from the Greek lepis meaning scale and pteron meaning wing). This order contains over 100 families of insects worldwide, some … Read more

Butterflies are nearly worldwide in their distribution. There are about 17,500 species of butterflies in the world, and around 750 species in the United States. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. Research has shown that color reflection from butterfly wings are caused by not from pigment, but from tiny scaffolding within … Read more

How many body parts does a butterfly have? Like other insects, moths and butterflies have four wings, six legs, and a jointed body divided into three sections—head, thorax, and abdomen. Perhaps the most distinctive physical features of the butterfly are its club-tipped antennae and its habit of holding the wings vertically over the back when at … Read more

A caterpillar is the larval stage of a moth or butterfly. It is the second part of their four-stage life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Caterpillars are typically voracious feeders and many of them are among the most serious of agricultural pests. Caterpillars of most species eat plant material (often leaves), but not all; some (about 1%) eat insects, … Read more

Roses (Rosa species) with their fragrant, ruffled flowers, are popular around the world. They can be found in almost any color, and range in size from large shrubs to miniature plants. A yellow rose signifies friendship and caring. A healthy yellow rose bush is a joy to behold. Yellow roses come in several different varieties … Read more

Bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) are natives of tropical and subtropical areas, but many types thrive in other climates. They add a tropical touch to your home when well cared for. This family includes plants that can look very different from one another, but they are all epiphytes. An epiphyte lives on another plant for support, such as … Read more