Blog 9: Plant ID and Group Check In

     Scientific name: Hibiscus arnottianus, Hibiscus brackenridgei, Hibiscus clayi, Hibiscus furcellatus, Hibiscus kokio, Hibiscus tiliaxeus, Hibiscus waimeae, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.

    Common name: Hibiscus, Hawaiian Punch Hibiscus, Hawaiian Hibiscus, Chinese Hibiscus

    For my plant, I was in NY for the assignment, and nothing is in bloom so it would be very difficult to find and identify plants and flowers since none of them grow in the snow and cold weather. Therefore, I used a plant I have inside my house that is partially in bloom. This plant was taken from outside in our garden and transported to the pot. So although it is not currently outside, it was at one point. This plant was a Hawaiian punch hibiscus. This type of plant is a perennial flowering shrub that is native to Asia. They are fast growing and known best for their large, colorful blooms that come in a wide variety of hues. There are two different types, the cold hardy ones and the tropical ones. The tropical varieties have larger glossier foliage and either single or double blooms. while the hardy types have duller green foliage and single blooms. There are over 200 varieties. In most regions, they will grow best in full sunlight for at least 6-8 hours a day and watering needs will change throughout the year. During spring and summer, they are heavy drinkers. Hibiscus can be susceptible to aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, mealybugs, thrips, gall midge, or Japanese beetles. Overall, hibiscus is easy to grow once understanding their sunlight, water, and temperature needs. They also will come back in the spring every year in the right growing zone. 

The website used for the naming of the plant is: common names for hawaiian punch hibiscus - Google Search

The website used for the information and research about the plant is: Hibiscus Plant Care & Growing Guide - Get Busy Gardening

Our group met on Tuesday March 7th, 2023 from 11:45 to 12:15. 

The group consisted of Abigail Richardson, Veda Reeves and Carly Regan. 

    In our group, Abigail explained that she was in Colorado due to a family related event. Due to this, she was unable to complete one of the blogs, but made our professor aware during that time. Colorado has lots of snow, therefore there are no insects out for her to complete that blog. Abigail also lives in a sorority house, and doesn't have access to a personal kitchen, therefore was unable to make bread. She also made the professor aware of this. She plans to complete those two blogs when she goes home for spring break and is especially excited to try and make the bread. For her blog with the seeds, she hasn't noticed any growth yet, but she has been bringing them outside and inside when needed since last Sunday. Abigail definitely likes the class, and the blogs because they are new to her. She feels pretty good about the rest of the semester and is preparing for the upcoming final exam. 

Veda explained that for her seeds, she used a purple cone flower pollinator and like Abigail started growing them last Sunday but hasn't seen any growth yet either. She also explained that she found mostly stink bugs for her insect blog. When we discussed the bread blog, she explained that she makes bread all the time, so this wasn't anything new to her. What was new was the recipe she used. She tried to make a gluten free beget which unfortunately didn't work, as the taste wasn't great. Veda and her roommates tried to make stir fry and dumpling soup with it to try and make it taste better but that didn't work either. It was very doughy even after being baked. Veda, like Abigail agreed that she enjoys the class and finds it interesting. She also made a good point that the class is important for people who never thought about the topics covered. She feels pretty good about the rest of the semester and is looking forward to the end since she is graduating! 

When discussing my thoughts about the past blogs, I explained that I found a variety of bugs, ranging from a moth to a roach to a ladybug and many other bugs. They were found in and around NC State's campus in Raleigh, NC. I talked about my bread baking experience which went well. My bread tasted good, and it was a fairly easy recipe that didn't require too many materials or prior knowledge about making bread. I did tell my group that I started planting my seeds on the same day as they did, and hadn't noticed any growth at that point either, but hoped and assumed I would as time went on. I told my group that I do enjoy this class and like Abigail, I agree that the blogs are fun because they are unique and something I've never done before. I am excited for the rest of the semester and the upcoming final exam. 

We all could agree that this class is an eyeopener for those who never realized the impact humans have on the environment. We also all agreed that this semester has been tough, and we are all ready for the end of the semester and for spring break. When talking about this past week, we all agreed that it has been a stressful week full of assignments and exams that piled on top of each other right before our spring break.