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ArtemisSystem Blueprint

Artemis Labs · Living Systems

Rainbow House Botanical Encyclopedia

A rigorous longitudinal field record with a field-guide voice: taxonomy, plant biology, climate adaptation, seed provenance, morphology, phenology, pollinator ecology, and the changing color architecture of one Hudson Valley landscape.

Field project · activeHuman + AI identificationExact residence location withheld
6
Canonical flower taxa
01–06
Frozen plate sequence
2026 →
Longitudinal survey
P0–P4
Provenance evidence scale
Canonical rulings

One source of record, many augmentation layers

The registry uses a scientific evidence backbone for identity and provenance, while descriptive field-guide prose, color mapping, and landscape-layer analysis remain presentation layers. Rich narration can expand a record; it cannot silently change its identifier, certainty, or documented origin.

Canonical RH identifiers are frozen. RH-FL-005 remains Garden Cosmos; RH-FL-006 remains Glandularia sp. and will not be renumbered if the species determination changes.

Observation, identification, purchase history, and lineage are separate evidence layers. A plausible seed source is not treated as proof of origin.

Uncertain identifications remain at genus level or use cf. notation until diagnostic leaves, stems, fruit, or whole-plant views are available.

Ecological language is qualified: Tagetes nematode effects are context-dependent; zinnias are primarily insect-pollinator resources; Erigeron is a valuable pioneer rather than automatically a keystone species.

Annuals are described by frost sensitivity and life cycle rather than misleading perennial-style USDA zone labels.

Field Compendium · Plates 01–06

Master botanical registry

Each plate separates what was observed from what was inferred. Taxonomic certainty, provenance tier, ecological interpretation, and management recommendation are stored independently so future photographs or records can refine one layer without corrupting the others.

Plate 01 · RH-FL-001 · Asteraceae

French Marigold

Tagetes patula complex

Tagetes patula L.

ID status
Confirmed genus / cultivar complex
Provenance
P1
Native origin
Mexico / Central America
Life cycle here
Tender annual; frost-killed
Landscape layer
Terraced border / edge
Color index
Mahogany · orange · saffron
Observed morphology. Compact, heavily branched herb with aromatic pinnately divided foliage and a terminal composite flower head. The observed ray florets grade from mahogany-crimson through orange to saffron margins around a dense central disc.
Ecology. Useful nectar and pollen resource for small bees and hoverflies. Tagetes roots contain thiophenes, including alpha-terthienyl; suppression of some plant-parasitic nematodes is context-dependent and is strongest in sufficiently dense rotations or cover-crop use rather than as a universal neighboring-plant effect.
Management. Full sun, ordinary well-drained soil, moderate establishment water. Save fully mature dark achenes from the most distinctive bicolored heads.
Open verification. Retain dried capitula and seed-head bracts if cultivar-level comparison is attempted.
Plate 02 · RH-FL-002 · Asteraceae

Common Zinnia

Zinnia elegans

Zinnia elegans Jacq. (syn. Z. violacea)

ID status
Confirmed species; polymorphic population
Provenance
P1–P2
Native origin
Mexico
Life cycle here
Tender summer annual
Landscape layer
Cultivated rock-margin / mid-story
Color index
Magenta · blush · salmon · gold · bicolor
Observed morphology. Upright annual with opposite, nearly sessile, rough-pubescent leaves and sturdy stems. Rainbow House currently contains single, semi-double, dahlia/pompon, bicolor mahogany-gold, and partially quilled/striped morphotypes.
Ecology. Strong long-season resource for butterflies, bees, skippers, and hoverflies. Open and semi-double morphotypes generally provide easier floral access than densely double forms. Hummingbird use should be treated as secondary/opportunistic rather than the primary ecological role.
Management. Full sun, strong airflow, well-drained soil, and ground-level irrigation. Maintain separate maternal seed envelopes from the bicolor, quilled, deepest magenta, and strongest double forms for the 2027 RH-Z selection program.
Open verification. Track ray-floret versus disc-floret seed set during harvest and record which maternal heads produce viable offspring.
Plate 03 · RH-FL-003 · Asteraceae

Sulphur Cosmos

Cosmos sulphureus

Cosmos sulphureus Cav.

ID status
Confirmed species
Provenance
P1–P2
Native origin
Mexico through Central America; extending into tropical America
Life cycle here
Tender annual / ready self-seeder
Landscape layer
Meadow transition / mid-story
Color index
Tangerine · orange
Observed morphology. Erect branching annual with divided foliage and vivid warm-toned composite heads. The observed specimen shows bright orange ray florets with gently scalloped termini around orange-yellow disc florets.
Ecology. Performs well in heat, strong sun, lean mineral soils, and periodic dryness. Frequently used by bees, butterflies, and syrphid flies. Excessive nitrogen can produce excessive vegetative growth and weaker flowering structure.
Management. Allow selected seedheads to stand in naturalized zones to test self-recruitment rather than deadheading the entire population.
Open verification. Log spring 2027 volunteer emergence from undisturbed soil pockets and compare with intentionally sown areas.
Plate 04 · RH-FL-004 · Asteraceae

Fleabane

Erigeron sp. — likely E. annuus / E. strigosus complex

Species provisional

ID status
Confirmed genus; provisional species
Provenance
P0
Native origin
Eastern / central North America
Life cycle here
Annual, winter annual, or biennial behavior
Landscape layer
Volunteer native / field matrix
Color index
White · gold
Observed morphology. Erect, lightly to strongly pubescent stems carrying loose clusters of small daisy-like heads. Each capitulum has numerous very narrow white rays surrounding a broad yellow disc.
Ecology. A useful early-successional native wildflower supporting small native bees, syrphids, parasitoid wasps, flies, and other beneficial insects. It is valuable habitat structure, but the current evidence does not justify calling it a universal keystone species.
Management. Retain non-interfering drifts in meadow and stone-edge zones; thin only where dense volunteers suppress intentionally established seedlings.
Open verification. Photograph the basal rosette, lower and upper leaves, stem pubescence, and whole plant to resolve E. annuus versus E. strigosus.
Plate 05 · RH-FL-005 · Asteraceae

Garden Cosmos

Cosmos bipinnatus

Cosmos bipinnatus Cav.

ID status
Confirmed species
Provenance
P1–P2
Native origin
Mexico
Life cycle here
Tender annual / self-seeding
Landscape layer
Meadow canopy / upper border
Color index
Burgundy · magenta · lilac · blush
Observed morphology. Tall, airy annual with fine bipinnatisect foliage, long slender peduncles, and broad ray florets surrounding a yellow disc. Documented forms include carmine/burgundy, lilac-pink, and blush-white flowers with magenta basal flushing.
Ecology. Excellent late-season nectar and pollen station for bees, hoverflies, and butterflies. Lean-to-moderate fertility favors flowering; excess nitrogen promotes tall weak growth and lodging.
Management. Use as the upper moving layer of naturalistic borders. Save maternal seed separately from the most distinctive color forms and test self-sown recruitment next spring.
Open verification. Do not assign a marketed cultivar name such as Picotee until purchase or packet evidence confirms it.
Plate 06 · RH-FL-006 · Verbenaceae

Moss / Slender Verbena

Glandularia sp. cf. G. bipinnatifida / G. tenuisecta

Species provisional

ID status
Confirmed genus; species provisional (~85%)
Provenance
P1
Native origin
North / Central America if G. bipinnatifida; South America if G. tenuisecta
Life cycle here
Tender short-lived perennial; annual behavior possible locally
Landscape layer
Rocky outcrop / understory edge
Color index
Violet · lavender
Observed morphology. Low-spreading plant with finely divided foliage and dense terminal clusters of violet-purple, five-lobed salverform flowers with pale centers. The photographed morphology fits the finely divided Glandularia group but does not yet settle species identity.
Ecology. Drought-tolerant once established, strongly sun-loving, and sensitive to persistent crown/root wetness. Useful nectar resource for small butterflies, skippers, bees, and bee flies.
Management. Treat conservatively as an annual rockery groundcover until winter survival is documented. Favor sharp drainage and hot stone interfaces.
Open verification. Capture whole-plant habit, side view of the flower cluster, calyx/bract detail, stem hairiness, and leaf-base attachment.
Climate model

Regional zone + local microclimate

The project uses an approximate USDA 6b–7a design envelope as a regional planning frame, not as a substitute for site measurement. Each record also receives a Rainbow House microclimate class because slope orientation, stone thermal mass, drainage, wind exposure, snow cover, and soil moisture can dominate survival at plant scale.

South-facing sunny slopeStone / rock marginOpen meadowWoodland edgeFoundation thermal zone
Provenance scale
P0
Unknown
No source evidence yet.
P1
Possible
Could originate from a documented seed mix or purchase event.
P2
Probable
Timing, known composition, sowing area, or morphology strongly align.
P3
Confirmed purchase
The exact species or plant appears in a transaction / shipment record.
P4
Confirmed lineage
Purchase + planting location + emergence + photographic continuity are established.
Landscape chromatic architecture

Color organized by elevation

Upper canopy · 3–5 ft: RH-FL-005 Garden Cosmos — diffuse, wind-responsive carmine, lilac, and blush color.
Mid-story · 1.5–3 ft: RH-FL-003 Sulphur Cosmos + RH-FL-002 Zinnia — denser tangerine, amber, magenta, and bicolor blocks.
Understory · 6–18 in: RH-FL-006 Glandularia — violet ground-plane accents along sharply drained stone edges.
Volunteer matrix: RH-FL-004 Erigeron threads small white/gold flowers through the intentionally planted layers.
Morphology Study MS-01

Developing bud / involucre study

The previously ambiguous “Nigella or Cosmos” image is not assigned an RH-FL taxon. It is retained as a structural morphology plate documenting a developing terminal bud and surrounding bracts. Its taxonomic identity remains unresolved until it can be linked to a mature flower or whole plant.

Governance rule: morphology studies may illustrate developmental architecture, but they do not receive a species identifier unless diagnostic evidence supports one.
Documented procurement trail

Seed provenance is part of the science.

Purchase records document multiple waves of intentional introductions: January 2025 eBay specialty lots including Gardenia, Nicotiana, Gomphrena, foxglove, lavender, climbing rose, columbine, and “blue daisy” listings; a September 2025 Amazon order containing pampas grass, multiple creeping-thyme lots, Japanese wisteria, hydrangea, and climbing-rose seed; and an April 2026 Amazon 10,000+ seed butterfly / hummingbird wildflower mix advertised as 21 annual/perennial varieties. These records establish purchase events, not automatically field lineage.

A purchased Eastern redbud can be P3 even before its current field location is documented. By contrast, cosmos or zinnia remain P1–P2 candidates for the April mix until the original ingredient list and planting continuity are recovered.

Open field actions

What closes the next evidence gaps

01

Recover the April 2026 Amazon 21-variety wildflower mix ingredient list or packet image before elevating zinnia/cosmos/verbena provenance beyond P1–P2.

02

Create a Glandularia voucher set: whole plant, side inflorescence, calyx/bracts, stem hairiness, and leaf-base detail.

03

Create an Erigeron voucher set: basal rosette, lower/upper leaves, stem, flower cluster, and whole-plant scale view.

04

Isolate maternal seed from RH-FL-002D/002E and the most distinctive RH-FL-005 color forms for 2027 segregation tracking.

05

Begin GPS/bed codes and phenology logging: emergence, first flower, peak bloom, first mature seed, frost damage, and dieback.

Future records: RH ID · Plate · specimen photo · date · GPS/bed code · provenance tier · microclimate · phenology · seed action · verification status.