Really? I've not tried cuttings that way yet, just some raspberries I took too young last year. Maybe I'll work up my courage and knock on their door . . .I know you can do that with forsythia and pussy willow. Thank you for the suggestion. york rose, yes, I did find the common name is fringe tree. I guess they can get quite large; I wouldn't want one any bigger than the one I photographed (didn't show the whole shrub, more bushlike in form), but I suppose I could keep one in check by pruning if it starts getting too big. One can hope, I'm lucky to get things to grow at all sometimes.

"I'm curious as to what they look like when not fertile." Well, here's what Polytrichum ohioense looks like when it's just growing vegetatively: There're also a few old spore capsules in there... I don't have any pictures of Polytrichum juniperinum, though--only saw it once and didn't have time for photography. I look forward to seeing more images of these guys. Polytrichum's one of my favorite mosses. "By the way Patrick, your pictures on your home page are amazing! I had a 3.1 digital Nikon, and just upgraded to a 6.1 Kodak. May I ask what digital camera you use to take your photos?" Thanks! Right now I'm using a Canon Digital Rebel, a digital SLR. I've had this camera since the December before last and before that I was using a Nikon Coolpix 4500 (or, earlier still, a Coolpix 995). On the web page, the smaller images were taken with the Coolpix, the larger images with the Digital Rebel. The difference in size is just the result of a change in my preferences for web photo sizing, rather than anything to do with the cameras themselves. Patrick Alexander

It's one of the scarab beetles....some of the most beautiful insects in the world. This one is called the Delta scarab...it's a flower beetle. Here is a link that might be useful: Delta scarab

You're right. Some are serrated and some are not. Could be 2 plants? Thank you again. The person who asked me for an ID said she had removed some dry branches. It's not clear why they died. Plant is on north facing windowsill. Gets watered once a week. Any thoughts?