Help identifying plants!

[KMonte85]

Hi All,

Hoping someone can help me determine the name of a few plants I would like to potentially add to my gardens. Unfortunately I do not have pictures, but I will give the best description I can.... (here goes)

1. A fern-like small green and leafy plant that is sensitive to touch. I mean when you brush your finger over the leaves it slowly closes up its leaves (like a clam shell) for a few minutes. I had one when I was a little girl and I have no clue what they are called, but they make great, entertaining houseplants.

2. The second plant is a big shrub or small tree, probably 10' tall at the most. It is green, looks decidous, and has purpleish reddish fuzzy looking foliage that come out of it every which way - not sure if these are flowers, or what? They are really fuzzy, they look like if you would fringe out a ribbon. I'm trying to figure out what this thing is because it is sooo pretty and I'm thinking I might want to add one to my garden if I have the right conditions for it. A business in my hometown has these planted around their sign, but I am not entirely comfortable walking into some office and asking them what kind of plants they are.... they might think I'm some wacko!


Any ideas?? I've tried the plant encyclopedias I found on Google, but didn't have any luck.

[WildChild]

Why not visit the local garden shop or arbortorium and see if you can find out what they are?

[KMonte85]

I tried the 2 that are closest to me, but they are both kind of small mom/pop type nurseries and neither one knew what I was talking about. How could they not get it with such detailed, clear descriptions that I give about the plants in question??

I suppose I could try a bigger garden shop farther away.... I was hoping someone here might have an idea of what I'm talking about!

[WildChild]

Maybe a trip to the library? I have several books on Rocky Mountain plants with great pictures and descriptions. I'll bet there are similar books for your region.

[caterpillar79]

The first one sort of resembles a Mimosa Pudica plant...pudica - shy. You might want to look on this specie.

[caterpillar79]

Could you post the pitures of your plants here? especially the leaves...

[KMonte85]

I "googled" a bit to find some images that are close to what I have seen... Hopefully the pics work and this helps!

When I searched for "sensitive plant" this is what I found that most closely matches to what I remember the plant looking like:



The purple fuzzy tree/shrub thing was the hardest to find a pic of... I googled fuzzy purple tree and this pic is the closest I could come up with.. It is not exactly like the one I saw, but I can't take a pic of the one in my town because its fall and the tree is done being purple and fuzzy for the year. But it has the general idea of the fuzzy purple things on it! Lol.. Obvious botonist over here, right?

[uplady]

The fuzzy purple thing is a purple smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria). There are different cultivars; my favorite is "Royal Purple" because of its awesome leaf color.

The sensitive plant reminds me of Mimosa pudica.

[KMonte85]

awesome! thank you!

[caterpillar79]

Hey, KM, I used to play with pudica plants as a kid. I called it Shy-an, because it's shy.

It never occured to me that such species are being cultivated as ornamentals, because back then, it was (and still is, I suppose) considered a weed back in the forest where I came from.