Hi Mary. The jade plants are very run-of-the-mill specimens. I think the species name is Crassula ovata. I have one plant that is somewhat different in that the leaves are a little smaller and the growth is somewhat more compact. I also have some of the jades with "tubular" leaves. I'll see if I can find some photos.

Whoa Josh!!! Gee, thanks for all the neat "links" you posted for me!! I was in reading last night for quite a length of time, & there is much info on alot of this stuff! Now, I'm not sure if Missouri's type of foliage & flowers are similar to ours here in Idaho, as I think they might "differ" a bit... mostly due to our Desert climate right in our area. The MOBOT Herbarium Instruction page was a "mind-blower," as it was some really in-depth reading, and I could go for hours on that one! Wow! I was really glad to hear you know what "Prickly-Pear" Cactus' are, because they grow wild here, by the "scads," and alot of folks use them in their rock gardens & such. When roaming or hiking in the mountains or Desert areas around here, you really have to watch where you're stepping, because of the large groups of them that grow everywhere! I've even seen them growing right out of the tops of lava rocks around here... with no soil!!! Too bad I can't figure out a way to get the beautiful blossoms off of them to "press & dry!" (... that would be a real fiasco` though, because of how sharp they are!) You had mentioned the "Yucca" Plant. That is one I am not very familiar with. I did try to grow some "Yucca" at one time out here, but as usual, I had no luck. It is just too dry on our Ranch here. I will have to ask around & see if folks grow any Yucca around here. I have not navigated around on the Site much here yet, since I have been a Member, so haven't went into the "Native forum" yet... but will do that. Thanks. You are right when you stated that right now, we should have a vast array of tiny flowers & things growing out in the Desert here on our Ranch. Always in the Spring time here in our area, everything of Nature is just loaded with many unusual Spring flowers & foliage. I am hoping to get out and pick some wild "Indian Paint Brush" to press & dry, that's for sure! This was something I wanted to do over the Easter week-end, but our weather was really stormy with alot of high gusts of Wind,... so I couldn't get out to do that. I am like you Josh... not only do I like to attempt to press & dry "flowers," but I also like the foliage... alot of it, & am always so interested in dried "leaves" and such. "Moss" fascinates me too!! I was reading on some of the previous "links" you gave to me on various plants, & it was telling how to "skeletonize" leaves & such... That was quite interesting to me! (maybe something I'll have to try sometime, but realize it's also difficult to do.) As far as me "trading" any plants from your area, I would be willing just to send you some of my Western "sage" foliage from out here... because that's all it is, is "leaves," but I would have to "press & dry" some first. Let me know what you think? Thank you for responding & Posting Josh.. it's always good to hear from you, & I will be in reading more of the info in the "links" you sent to me as well. Take care, & I will anticipate hearing from you again~ Warmest regards, ~ IndianPaintBrush ~

Actually, a fair number of commercially available pond plants are natives: lizardtail (Saururus cernuus) fragrant water lily (Nymphaea odorata) blue flag iris (Iris versicolor) cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) giant blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) golden club (Orontium aquaticum) arrow arum (Peltandra virginica) arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia, etc) marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) threeway sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum) cottongrass (Eriophorum) common rush (Juncus effusus) cattails (Typha latifolia, Typha angustifolia, but note that some other Typha species are not native) thalia (Thalia dealbata) -- not native to Maryland, but native elsewhere in the south dwarf horsetail (Equisetum scirpoides) -- native farther north creeping spearwort (Ranunculus flammula) -- native farther north

This is the one I like: Wildflowers of the Eastern United States Author: Duncan Hardcover: 380 pages Publisher: University of Georgia Press (June 1999) ISBN: 0820321079 Also, less of a field guide but indespensible for cultivating wildflowers is the excellent book: The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada Author: Cullina Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (April 15, 2000) ISBN: 0395966094 Happy reading, Joseph