Genus Aloe for the Garden
Karen Aloes are succulents in the Asphodelaceae family that also includes daylily (Hemerocallis), red hot poker (Kniphofia), and foxtail lily (Eremurus) The genus includes over 500 species in that are native…
Plant Profile: Rose ‘Tournament of Roses’
Named for the annual Tournament of Roses festival held on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California, this Grandiflora rose bears flowers singly or in clusters of 5-7 flowers on long…
Plants of the Bible: Black Mulberry (Morus nigra)
Black mulberry is a deciduous tree originally from southwestern Asia and a member of the mulberry family that also includes figs, Osage-orange, and banyan. It has wide spreading branches that…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines: British Champagne
The name British Champagne is a paradox, of course, because real champagne only comes from a certain area of France and is made to to exacting standards. Apparently this did…
Plant Profile: Burning Bush (Kochia scoparia tricophylla aka Brassia scoparia tricophylla)
Also known as summer cypress, this this half-hardy annual often grown as a shrub is native to central and southern Europe and Asia and was introduced into the US in…
The Language of Flowers: Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
Asclepias is a genus of herbaceous perennials and a member of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that also includes blue star (Amsonia), periwinkle (Vinca), and oleander (Nerium). There are over 140…
Plant Profile: Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)
Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) Also called mosquito grass, this warm-season tufted perennial is native to southern and western US where it was the dominant grass in the short grass prairie…
Plants of the Bible: Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)
Date palm is a tender evergreen tree that probably orginated in the Fertile Crescent and has been cultivated since 7,000 BC. It is a member of the palm family, Arecaceae,…
Edible Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibaius)
The chanterelle is common throughout the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere where it grows in troops from mid summer to fall in association with spruce and pine, sometimes with…
Plant Profile: Sand Lovegrass (Eragrostis trichodes)
Native to prairies, open woods, rocky slopes and roadsides of the western plains states, this perennial grass is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes bamboo, rice,…