[VoodooChile]

After 4 months of winter, and a intense short spring, ITS TIME! for a new crop of Plant of the Week.

For the many new members who want to play, a notable plant is deemed Plant of the Week and posted with some pictures. If you think you know its identity, Private Message me with your guess. After a week, the Plant of the Week's identity will be revealed.

PLEASE DON'T POST YOUR ANSWER IN THE THREAD!!!

Plant of the Week 79 is a native understory tree, with white, bell-shaped flowers in mid-Spring. Persistent seed pods and gray striated bark add winter interest. POTW 79 is reputed to be tricky to transplant, but we've never had much trouble.

Good Luck and Happy Memorial Day weekend everybody.

[VoodooChile]

Apparently POTW79 is very similar to another genus of under-story trees that also bear white bell-shaped flowers...so here are a couple more pix of POTW79 featuring its dried fruit and a close-up of its flowers.

Hope this helps. Good Luck!

[Lanelle]

I love the POTW selections that you make Voodoo! Now if I can just figure this one out....
Thank you Voodoo for doing this!

[dan deutekom]

PM sent

[Greensmith]

Haha, It is very similiar! I thought it was the "other one" at first but the flowers are just slightly different. Okay that was Master Gardener snobbish wasn't it?

[VoodooChile]

Last call on Plant of the Week 79. Answer and winners posted Sunday, along with Plant of the Week 80.

[VoodooChile]

Plant of the Week 79 is Halesia tetraptera (H. carolina, H. monticola), Carolina Silverbell.

Congratulations to Chris Heiler, Greensmith, HRLand, dan deutekom, TrickyDick, RamblinRose, jwholden, and Lanelle who all got it right.

Several people guessed Stryax japonica, Japanese Snowbell. The flowers are very similar, and the hint that POTW79 is native didn't help because it turns out there is an American Snowbell, S. americanus, as well. The fruit of POTW79 is however definitive, as shown in the second set of pictures.