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If you see perennials on our list, it’s because they are also grown as annuals in colder growing zones. Some perennials do well in lower temperatures for one season, but likely won’t survive for the long term. 1. Floss Flower Botanical name: Ageratum houstonianum Common names: bluemink, blueweed USDA hardiness zones: 10 to 11 Sun exposure: full sun to partial shade Mature size: up to 36 inches tall and 18 inches wide Bloom time: summer to fall Flower colors: blue, lavender, pink, white This showy annual with “flossy” blooms is a go-to for anyone who loves blue or lavender in the garden....

No visit to Virginia is complete without a drive through some of the mountain towns nestled in the Appalachian Mountains and a stop to learn some of the unique history of the settlers who made homes in the mountains while working in the mines or scratching a living off the many mountains in Virginia. 10 Breathtaking Mountains In Virginia There are many ways that you can enjoy the mountains in Virginia....

1. Alligators Are Shy We know this sounds ridiculous considering their large size, but it’s true. Alligators are surprisingly shy animals and tend to be as shy as they’re big. Unlike crocodiles, alligators try to avoid humans and will not chase people except as a defensive mechanism. They’ll typically retreat when they find a human being approaching. So, whenever you hear stories of alligators attacking humans, find out what the person did to provoke this shy reptile....

10. Cane Corsi Are Italian The Cane Corso breed is from Italy, and knowing that may change the way you say this dog’s name, and it should. We’ll get to that later, though. However, these massive pups did not originate in Italy. It’s believed that the original dogs that became this breed were Greek. After the Romans conquered Greece, they took some of these dogs back to Italy. They were bred and put to use in many ways, and not all of them were good....

Here are ten incredible facts about the Great Dane! 1. The Great Dane is not from Denmark Even though their name suggests they are from Denmark, the breed has little to do with the country. While traveling in Denmark, French scientist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte of Buffon, identified something quite similar to the German boarhound in his 1781 book, Natural History: General and Particular. He gave the name Le Grand Danois, or Great Dane, and it stayed....

1. Ladybugs Are Not Actually Bugs Turns out, a ladybug isn’t a bug at all—it is actually a type of beetle in the scientific order Coleoptera. Most scientists consider the term “Lady Beetle” to be the most accurate name for these little beetles, but they commonly referred to as ladybugs, ladybirds, and sometimes ladycows as well. Ladybugs get their name from medieval farmers who believed they were a gift from the Virgin Mary....

Neanderthals, now extinct, were the closest known relatives to humans. The Homo sapien and Homo neanderthalensis lineages are thought to have split between 500,000 and 650,000 years ago, with the oldest evidence of a Neanderthal’s existence being close to that age. Even though you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about them, learning about Neanderthals will likely intrigue you. Based on fossils, artifacts, and other uncovered evidence, scientists have gleaned many fascinating facts about these early people....

1. They Have An Island Named After Them. Sort Of… The first European to set foot on Rottnest Island was a Dutch sailor named Samuel Volckertzoon, who believed quokkas to be a type of wild cat. The following year, Willem Hesselsz de Vlamingh, a Dutch sea captain, visited the island and mistook quokkas for enormous rats. He gave the island its name after the creatures because there were so many of them....

1. Zebra Stripes Are Unique Like Human Fingerprints A zebra stripe is unique to the animal, meaning that no two zebras alike have the same stripes. Their stripes are unique to them as fingerprints are unique to a human. Although to the human eye, these stripes seem the same, these unique stripes help other zebras tell them apart in the wild! A zebra can track its family by the pattern type of its stripes....

In this article, you will learn about 10 dinosaur species that had some of the longest necks ever, some of which are much larger than the giraffes we see today. Like giraffes, dinosaurs used their long necks to feed on plant life high in the trees and support their herbivorous lifestyles. The first sauropods came into existence during the early Jurassic Epoch period, and they existed for millions of years later....

Hawaii is an island chain and has shark attacks each year. In fact, Maui has the most shark attacks of any of the Hawaiian islands. Let’s take a look and discover the Maui beaches with the most shark attacks. The results may surprise you! Is Maui a hot spot for shark attacks? Hawaii is the second most likely state for someone to have a shark encounter. And by “encounter,” we mean a bite, fatal or nonfatal alike....

1. 2014 Oso Washington Landslide Washington city has had its fair share of bad days, and March 22nd, 2014, was one of them. Washington’s Steel Head Haven Community lost about 43 residents to the ghastly Oso Landslide. Also known as SR530, the landslide was a massive one, and it covered a surface area of about 1.5 square miles. Besides, it had a mass of 18 million tons of debris. It created a temporary lake from the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River that flooded houses in SteelHead Haven Community....

What are 9 of the lakes worldwide that are saltier than the ocean? This article will discuss such lakes. 1. Lake Assal Djibouti is home to Lake Assal, which happens to be the lowest point geologically in Africa. It is also the third-lowest place on earth. It is ten times saltier than the ocean, and it is the third saltiest body of water on the planet. No real ecosystem exists in the water, though there is bacterial life....

Tarantula Bites Generally, the tarantula is not an aggressive spider. They are known to be pets and are even docile when handled gently and well cared for. But when provoked or threatened, a tarantula can bite in self-defense, which can be very painful. However, tarantulas are collectively classified into two groups: the New World and the Old World tarantulas. The Old World tarantulas are way more venomous and are only allowed to be kept as pets by experts....

1. African Penguins Can’t Fly All penguins are flightless; their bodies are adapted for swimming through cold marine waters like avian torpedoes. One of the most interesting African penguin facts is that these birds may not fly, but they’re excellent swimmers. They can dive up to 400 feet deep and hold their breath for over two minutes! 2. They’re Only Two Feet Tall Another African penguin fact is that they weigh between 5-10 pounds and stand between 24-28 inches tall....

Common loon facts are that these are cute water birds that inhabit the colder regions of North America and Europe. These water birds are known to be noisy and expert divers. But, they have a stocky build which makes lift off a bit of a challenge. But there are many other common loon facts to explore, starting with the ten below. 1. Common Loon Fact: These Birds Make Distinctive Sounds Common loons make a range of sounds, like a yodel, a wailing sound, tremolo, and a hooting sound....

Interested in learning more about these flightless birds? With the common and Somali ostriches being the only two breeds of ostriches left, let’s dive into 10 incredible ostrich facts you probably didn’t know! 1. During their Breeding Season, Ostriches Produce an Egg Every Two Days The breeding season for ostriches often stretches between March and September. During this time, female ostriches produce one egg every two days. After completion, a single nest may hold up to 60 eggs which both the male and female ostrich may incubate....

The following are ten interesting Tasmanian tiger facts that you won’t believe! 1. The Tasmanian Tiger Wasn’t Actually A Tiger Tasmanian tigers were carnivorous marsupials. They were actually more closely related to the Tasmanian devil than they were to tigers. They got their name from their resemblance to tiger stripes on the lower back. Some people even refer to them as the Tasmanian wolf because of their dog-like appearance. Like other marsupials, including kangaroos, Tasmanian tigers also housed and carried their young in pouches....

Are you ready to learn about 12 interesting sharks that live in the Pacific Ocean? Keep reading! 1. Broadnose Sevengill Shark As you may have guessed, broadnose sevengill sharks have seven gills instead of the normal five. These large fish may look friendly and smiling, but they are great hunters with their tough skin. These large sharks grow up to 9.8 feet long and weigh 283 pounds. They also are not picky eaters and will consume stingrays, chimeras, juvenile sharks, and seals....

1. Bite Patterns If you’re waking up with pink marks all over your body, that’s clearly a sign of something wrong. But it isn’t necessarily a sign of bed bugs in your home. These bugs venture out from their homes to seek out the blood at night, but it can be difficult to distinguish a bed bug bite from the bites of chiggers, mosquitos, or other insects. The strongest indication that you’re dealing with a bed bug infestation — rather than an outbreak of another type of insect or an allergic reaction — is if the bites you’re suffering from appear in a pattern....