Plant Profile: Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis)
Karen Also called lady in the bathtub, shell flower, and molucca balm, this annual is native to Turkey, Syria, and the Caucasus. It is a member of the mint family, Laminaceae,…
Book Review: Mostly Plants
Based on the concept of the flexitarian diet, Mostly Plants presents an approach to eating that shifts the ratio of food from animals to plants. This approach is very useful…
Weeds and Their Control: Green Foxtail (Setaria viridis)
Also known as green bristlegrass and foxtail millet, green foxtail is an annual grass and a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes corn, rice, and bamboo. It…
Plant Profile: Fuller’s Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
Brought to North America from Europe in the early 1700’s to raise the nap of wool cloth, fuller’s teasel naturalized and is now considered a weed in many parts of…
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects: Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)
Butterfly bush is a flowering shrub with arching branches and native to central China. It belongs to the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, that also includes mullein(Verbascum), twinspur (Diascia), and Nemesia. The…
Edible Mushrooms: Giant Funnel Cap (Leucopaxillus giganteus)
Giant funnel cup is a saprophytic fungus found growing in arcs or fairy rings in woodland clearings, open grasslands, and roadsides of Europe and North America . It is most…
Plant Profile: Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima)
Also known as gladdon, Gladwin iris, and roast-beef plant, this rhizomatous, beardless iris is an evergreen herbaceous perennial native to northern Africa and Europe where it grows in open woods,…
Book Review: Farming
In her delightful book, Farming, Gail Gibbons explores the activities that take place throughout the year on an old fashioned, idealized, family-owned, small farm probably in the Northeast. The farmer…
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects: Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)
A native of Europe and southwest Asia, this tough biennial has naturalized in Canada and US where it grows in disturbed sites and has become invasive in many areas and…
Plant Profile: Fernleaf Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina)
Fern leaf yarrow is a herbaceous perennial native to the Causcasus, Afghanistan, and central Asia. It is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisies, sunflower, and…