Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Garlic (Allium sativum)
Karen Native to central Asia and northeastern Iran, garlic is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, that also includes onion, leek, and shallot. It was cultivated…
Plant Profile: Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus aka S. rivularis)
Also known as waxberry, this deciduous flowering shrub is a member of the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, that also includes weigelia, scabiosa, and abelia. It is native to North America where…
Book Review: High Tea
Karen Meyers If the title, High Tea, conjures up ladies enjoying scones and finger sandwiches accompanied by Earl Grey tea you will be surprised by Diana Isaiou’s book. As a food stylist…
Poisonous Plants: Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
This tender perennial vine is native to the new World tropics and is a member of the Convolvulaceae family that also includes sweet potato, cypress vine, and dodder. Usually grown…
Plant Profile: Bitter melon (Momordica charantia)
Known by many names including bitter apple, bitter gourd, bitter squash, and balsam-pear, this herbaceous tropical to subtropical, annual vine is native to Africa and Asia and is widely grown…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Downy Oak (Quercus pubescens)
Native to dry, lime-rich soils of southern Europe, parts of central Europe, and southwest Asia, this deciduous tree thrives in submediterranean climates where summers are dry and hot and the…
Plant Profile: Poison Oak (Toxicodendron quercifolium aka T. pubescens, aka Rhus quercifolium)
Also known as eastern poison oak and Atlantic poisonous oak, this deciduous shrub is native to central and eastern US where it grows in the dry and sandy areas of…
Book Review: Micromonsters in the Garden
Did you know that one gram of soil may harbor up to 10 billion microorganisms of possibly thousands of different species? It’s a scary thought especially considering that many of…
Common Diseases of Corn and Their Control: Gray Leaf Spot
Gray leaf spot is one of two common foliar fungal diseases of corn. It is caused by either Cercospora zeae-maydis or Cercospora zeina and appears as grey rectangular, brown to…
Plant Profile: Oregon Manroot (Marah oreganus aka Echinocystis oregana)
Also known as coastal manroot and western wild cucumber, this perennial trailing or climbing vine is native to the streams, washes, and open areas from Canada to northern California west…