Plants for a Plant Zoo: Buffalo-Bur (Solanum rostratum)
Karen Buffalo-bur is one prickly hombre so if you what a plant that will provide challenges, it is perfect for a plant zoo. The stems are covered with long, sharp yellow…
Plant Profile: Bunchleaf Penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus)
Also known as foothills penstemon and foothills beardtongue, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is endemic to California where it grows in grassland, chaparral, and forests of all of the major coastal…
Book Review: The Value of Weeds
Karen Meyers In her book, The Value of Weeds, author Ann Cliff explores the beneficial potential of weeds and how we can use them. She begins with a discussion of the many…
Poisonous Plants: Rosary Pea (Abrus precatorius)
Rosary pea is an evergreen woody vine native to warm temperate to tropical regions of India and Asia but has been introduced in Florida as an ornamental where it has…
Plant Profile: Black Sage (Salvia mellifera)
Native to California, Baja, and Mexico, this semi-deciduous shrub is common in the coastal sage scrub and chaparral of Southern California. It is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae,…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Goat’s Foot (Ipomea pes caprae)
This evergreen, creeping, perennial vine is native to tropical and subtropical coastal areas around the world, especially on upper beaches and dunes. The plant grows 6-16″ high and has a…
Plant Profile: Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum)
Native to dry slopes of south coast ranges of California and northern Baja, this evergreen shrub is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes mint, rosemary, and…
Plants of the Bible: Wild Jujube (Ziziphus lotus)
Also known as lotus tree, this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, and is native to the arid and semi arid areas of…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: English Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
English holly is a broadleaf evergreen tree or shrub growing 15-20’ tall. It has attractive glossy dark green leaves with sharp spines on the edges and red to yellow berries…
Plant Profile: Birch Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cerocarpus betuloides)
Native to California, Baja, Oregon, Arizona and northwestern New Mexico, this evergreen shrub or small tree can be found in the dry areas of foothills and mountains of California, often…