Plants have more benefits than one. If you have them in your office or at home, they can serve as a great boost to your mood and fitness. It has been proven that if we stay close to plants, they reduce our stress and increase our productivity levels. Apart from this, we all know they give a sense of beauty to a place.
You would be surprised to know how many plants species there are in the world. For example, can you name any flower or plant that starts with ‘U’? It is hard enough finding general names with this letter. So, if your answer is no, read on to find some very interesting plant, flower and tree names with ‘U’.
Flowers and plants that start with ‘U’
Umbrella Pine
Umbrella Pine is a Japanese tree that holds the position of one of the five sacred trees for the people of Japan. Historically, this tree has been used for health and used on graves to lead the spirits back to this Earth. They are called “Koya-maki” in Japan. Things like this and its attractiveness make this tree very unique.
Their texture is not the usual texture that pine trees have. The needles it has are dark and shiny so much so that, at first glance, you might mistake it to be fake. The needles are up to five inches long and tend to grow in circles around the branches. They can be either shaped like a spire or have a more rounded form.
Although it is a beautiful tree which sets up to four inches long and two inches wide cones once it matures, it is not one of the fastest trees when it comes to growing. To reach its mature size, it can take close to a hundred years. Secondly, since they grow so slowly, they are quite expensive, too. The gardeners have to care for it for years before they can have a sapling that is worth selling.
Despite this, if you do decide to get this plant, you would be glad to know that it does not ask for too much of your attention or time. It can tolerate almost any condition as long as it has room to grow.
Flowers that start with ‘U’
Ursinia is a flower that belongs to the daisy family. It is an African plant and is named in honour of a German scholar. It has more than ten species. One of these is Ursinia antimonides which is also called the solar flower. It is an easy to grow flower and it comes into its form in the spring. It has large, orange-yellow petals. Around the centre, there is are dark pinkish rings which give it a unique look. If the rain is right, these flowers can bloom all year round.
Urn plant is another one of the flowers that start with ‘U’. It is a South American plant and is commonly known as an air plant. To take care of this flower, it is important to know how it takes care of itself in the wild and try to give it a similar environment. In the wild, it grows on other taller plants or trees so it has access to the heavy rains and can receive nutrients from the plant’s or tree’s decaying debris. At home, you should keep its centre always filled with water and change it only once a week. The soil should be moist but not over-watered. The plant is pink in colour with purple shades and is quite attractive to look at.
Trees that start with ‘U’
Upas trees are usually found in the tropical areas of Australia, Asia and Africa but they do grow all around the world, too. It can have a height of up to forty meters. It is quite a poisonous tree. Their latex has traditionally been used in Asia as an arrow or dart poison. It brings its poisonous side into effect by forcing the contradiction of heart muscles. Previously, it was believed that even breathing the air of this plant can cause but this has proven to be false by multiple studies. For a long time, ‘upas tree’ was synonymous with anything toxic or poisonous.
Another tree that starts with ‘U’ is called Ulmus glabra and has the common name, Wych Elm. They shed their leaves in the autumn season. They can grow up to forty meters in height. Its crown is dome-shaped. It requires a lot of water so it is usually found next to streams, or in damp woods. Traditionally, due to its durability to wet conditions, its wood was used to make water pipes that could be placed underground. It has more capacity to fight against the Dutch elm disease that most plants cannot tolerate.
Ulex
Ulex is the last mention in the list of plants that start with ‘U’. It is a plant that stays green throughout the year and does not shed leaves. They can grow up to two meters in height. Its leaves are like spines and the mature shrubs tend to have about an inch-long spine on their branches. It has yellow flowers that bloom during the winter season. It also bears fruit in the shape of long, hairy pods.
Conclusion
Plants have numerous benefits and growing them around you can help you in many ways. There are unique plants and flowers that most people have not heard of but can serve as a true beauty for offices and homes. Some of these are mentioned above where we have told you about plants that start with ‘U’ from around the world.
Some of these plants are easy to grow. They are quick and take no extra effort since they can tolerate any condition. Others are slow and require time and care. If you are starting with your hand at gardening, you should probably go with an easier plant but if you are more experienced, dive in and get one of these beautiful plants that start with U for your place.
