Tuesday’s with Annie – 9/29/09

If you are looking for the answers from yesterday’s brain teasers, here you go. I’m putting the inspirational gardening thought of the day by Alice Walker before the answers. “Expect nothing, live frugally on surprise.” Now that’s a brain teaser! You might have to think about that one for a bit. Enjoy the day.

True or False – Corn was the first subsidized crop in the United States.
False - The first subsidized crop in the United States was blue false indigo (Baptisia australis). This plant’s flower was used for blue dye; it was extremely valuable to the textile industry.

True or False – Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) blooms in the spring.
This is kind of a trick question depending on your zone and variety. Witch Hazel blooms sporadically in the late fall but its primary bloom time is late winter into early spring. It is one of the first blooming shrubs of the season. Some varieties have spectacular color; yellow, orange and sun-burst. Varieties like Hamamelis mollis 'Pallida' and Hamamelis x intermedia 'Primavera' have an amazing fragrance as well. This interesting shrub should be a potential contender in any home garden.

True or False – The fig is related to the mulberry.
True – the fig and mulberries are both members of the Moraceae family. Bread fruit from the tropics is also included in the Moraceae family.

True or False – Oak trees of different species in New England often cross-pollinate.
True – it is common to find during a walk in the woods all variations of oak leaf forms due to cross-pollination of various oaks.

True or False – The largest known Asian longhorned beetle was found in Central Massachusetts.
Unfortunately for Central Massachusetts, this is true. The Asian longhorned beetle has found a very fertile territory for proliferation. Just last Friday, the Worcester Telegram reported that the Asian longhorned beetle quarantine zone has now expanded another eight miles, which includes the town of West Boylston, Massachusetts. The total square miles of quarantined area has reached 74 miles. http://www.telegram.com/article/20090925/NEWS/909250344 It is an extremely destructive insect. Learn to identify this insect and report any and all sightings to http://massnrc.org/pests/alb/ or by calling 1-866-702-9938.