Plant Profile: Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Karen Also known as scouring rush, this is a herbaceous perennial that bears spores rather than seeds and is more closely related to ferns than to seed bearing or flowering plants.…
Plants of the Bible: Sage-leaved Rockrose (Cistus salviifolius)
Also known as salvia cistus and Gallipoli rose, this bushy evergreen shrub is native to the Mediterranean region, including southern Europe, parts of Western Asia and North Africa. It is…
Weeds and Their Control: Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Scotch broom is a deciduous flowering shrub and member of the pea family, Fabaceae that also includes alfalfa, mimosa, and black locust. It is native to northern Africa and western…
Plant Profile: Camel Thorn (Alhagi maurorum)
Also known as Caspian manna and Persian manna plant, this deciduous shrub is indigenous to temperate and tropical Eurasia and the Middle East where it grows in both wetlands and…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Pignut (Conopodium denudatum aka Bunium flexusosum)
If you like to dig in the soil for treasures, grow pignut, dig up the tubers, cook them and enjoy a delicious treat that has a sweet taste something like…
Plant Profile: White Weeping Broom (Retama raetam aka Genista raetam)
This dense, deciduous, flowering shrub is native to arid regions of northern Africa from the Western Sahara to Sudan, Sicily, the Sinai Peninsula, the Palestine region and Saudi Arabia. It…
Plants of the Bible: Cretan Rock Rose (Cistus creticus)
Also known as hoary rock rose and pink rock rose, this evergreen flowering shrub is a member of the Cistaceae family, a small group of shrubs and semi shrubs that…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines: Raspberry Wine
If you have never had raspberry wine, you are in for a treat. Wine maker Terry A. Garey, in her book, The Joy of Home Wine Making, says of raspberry…
Plant Profile: Common Reed (Phragmites australis aka P. communis)
Native to temperate wetlands world wide, this perennial aquatic grass is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes corn, rice, and bamboo. It is a vigorous grower…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Pigsqueak (Bergenia cordifolia aka B. crassifolia)
Rub a leaf between your thumb and forefinger, hear the pig squeak and understand how the plants gets its funny name. The plant is worth growing for the beautiful shiny,…