- Author: Lowell Cooper
I am very thankful for the many responses I got to the saga of my mysterious visitor. I guess I should say that it was a mystery for me but not for many of you, who knew that it was an Empress Tree, Paulownia tomentosa. It turns out that it looked so different from another Empress Tree that I have growing only about 10 feet away from it, that it never occurred to me that they were the same. The leaves on the spawn are about 5 times as large and it is too tall for me to see if there are any buds forming. However, it is so close to my house that it is unwelcome and, with my help, is about to come down.
But it is connected with another discovery – an iPhone app called “plantsnap”. When I first saw the visitor, I dutifully followed the app instructions, basically taking a picture, fussing a bit with focus, and then the diagnosis would appear. A diagnosis did in fact appear, but the app was almost always wrong. I tried it on any number of plants, some of which I knew. When I submitted this blog initially, several of you responded so as to suggest you were helped by an app, or some electronic helper, in deciding on your diagnosis. I am impressed. Could you let me know what your source material was, if you have a chance, as I would love to use it myself.
I am humbled by the number of smart people there are who read this blog. This is especially true when it is obvious that 2 versions of the same plant growing in the same environment look so different. But the wise are not fooled. Nature has taught me a valuable lesson. It turns out, incidentally, that I grow a lot of roses and it is often true that the color of the flowers changes in the course of the life of a bloom, depending on the amount and intensity of sun, and other cultural conditions. So it is a generalization akin to the identical-twin studies. While there is a great overlap in genetic make-up, it is possible to observe phenotypal distinctions. This has been a real learning experience for me. Not only did I finally identify this mysterious visitor, but I realize that it took a village to teach me just how subtle and varied nature can be. Thanks.
We are disappointed there were issues with the images you submitted for identification. Would you share them with us at support@plantsnap.net so we can determine the cause?
Thank you!
PlantSnap Support