Dr. Grow: Get ready to grow during new year; resolve to learn more about plants and how to identify plant species during 1999

I like to spend time between Christmas and New Years doing two things, reviewing the past year and making resolutions for the next. My resolutions in the past were those common to everyone:be a better husband, father and grandfather; be a better teacher; get things done around the house.

Aside from the usual resolutions this year, I have decided that I want to do something that will be a lot of fun for me and help me as a teacher. I want to identify a new plant species each week.

Now this may seem odd to you. But think about it. Many people like to watch birds. Part of their hobby is to identify each new species that they find at their feeder. I don't think my resolution is so odd after all.

By identify, I have something very specific in mind. I want to know the Latin name, the common name, and be able to identify the species at each season of the year. I must be able to identify it by foliage, twigs, fruit, flowers and bark. In addition, I want to know under what cultural conditions it grows best. Does it like shade, sun, moisture, drought, acidic or basic soils, clay or sandy soils?

Perhaps you would like to try my hobby. It's a lot easier than identifying birds. Plants don't move while you're trying to focus your binoculars. You can look at samples in your kitchen or den any time of the day or night. Plants don't roost at night like birds do.

How do you get started? First you will need some tools. Get a hand lens (a magnifying glass will do), pocketknife and a field guide. You can find a good hand lens at the SEMO University bookstore.

Of the tools listed above the most important is the field guide. There are several on the market. Each one covers a different group of plants. Buy one that has a lot of pictures or drawings and gives a good description of the various identifying characteristics of each species.

The Missouri Department of Conservation publishes "Shrubs and Woody Vines of Missouri" written by Don Kurz. The University of Missouri Extension Service publishes "Trees of Missouri" by Carl Settergren and R.E. McDermott. Dr. Settergren was one of my instructors at Mizzou.

The Peterson Field Guide Series published by Houghton Miflin Company includes "Trees and Shrubs" by George Petrides. My favorite guide is the "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants" by Michael Dirr. This guide by Stipes Publishing LLC and the Peterson guide can be ordered through your local bookseller.

You may want to start your new hobby without spending money for a field guide. See if your local library has any field guides on their shelves.

Now that you have all of your tools, I know you will want to get started. But there is some preparatory work you will need to do. You must learn the terminology or lingo used in their field guides. The glossary in the back will tell you what terms mean. They often will include a few pages of drawings that give you a picture of each glossary term.

After you have gotten through the terminology, the fun can begin. Find a plant species that you can't identify. Or better yet, find one that you do know, and go through the motions so that you will get a feel for what you are doing I would start with an evergreen species at this time of year. Identifying trees and shrubs without leaves is a challenge that you should take up after you have some experience.

First collect foliage and twigs. If you can find some fruit and flowers so much the better. Look at the bark very closely so that you can remember its structure. Now take your samples home to the kitchen table and begin looking at each sample both with your naked eye and through your hand lens or magnifying glass.

As yourself some questions. What is the shape of the leaf? If the leaf is a needle, are they arranged singly or in clusters? How many needles are grouped together? How long are the needles? Are they stiff or soft? Is the twig slender or fat? What is the shape of the fruit? In the case of a pine, what is the shape of the cone? Look at each scale of the cone. Does it have a prickle on the end of the scale?

After observing each structural characteristic of the unknown species, compare what you have seen with pictures or drawings in your field guide. If you find a picture or drawing that is similar to the plant you have in hand, compare it closely with the written description in the field guide. If most of the characteristics match up, you can be pretty certain that you have identified your first species.

If the characteristics don't match then continue to look for other possibilities. You'll find that sometimes you need to use more than one field guide to nail down a species. You'll also find that it is not easy to identify a particular species each time you try. Sometimes you need to wait until a plant flowers or produces fruit to get a positive identification.

I hope this introduction will get you started on a hobby for life. A stroll through the park will now become a challenge of identifying each tree, shrub or perennial. I know I will be working on my New Year's Resolution.

Happy Holidays to each of you.

Paul Schnare of Cape Girardeau has been in the lawn and garden business for more than 20 years. He is an adjunct professor in horticulture at Southeast Missouri State University.