Plant Profile: Water Hyssop (Bacopa monniere)
Karen Also called thyme-leafed gratiola, herb of grace, and Indian pennywort, this herbaceous perennial is native to moist to wet places such as on streams, river and pool margins, and in…
Book Review: Ancient Remedies
Karen Meyers Are you concerned about Big Pharma and the rising cost of medicines, dangerous side effects, false advertising, and addiction? If so, Josh Axe’s book, Ancient Remedies, may be of interest…
Poisonous Plants: Black Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger)
Also known as stinking nightshade, this herbaceous annual or biennial is native to rocky arid areas of Europe and Asia and is a member of the nightshade family, Solanaceae, that…
Plant Profile: Caucasian Daphne (Daphne caucasica)
Native to the Caucasus, this deciduous shrub is a member of the Thymelaeaceae, a plant family of just under 900 species, most of which are unfamiliar to North American gardeners.…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus)
Laurustinus is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to shrubland and wooded rocky slopes of the Mediterranean area of Europe and northern Africa. It is a very attractive plant…
Plant Profile: Night Gladiolus (Gladiolus tristis)
Also known as sad-flowered sword lily, marsh Afrikaner, ever-flowering gladiolus and evening flower, this tender perennial is native to southern Africa and is a member of the iris family, Iridaceae,…
Book Review: Beer: A Global Journey through the Past and Present
Beer is nothing new! It was invented over 10,000 years ago and has been influencing society since then to modern times, according to anthropologist John W. Arthur, author of Beer:…
Common Diseases of Corn and Their Control: Smut
Caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis, this disease can affect all above ground parts of the plant but is most economically significant when it attacks the ears. It causes the…
Plant Profile: Dragon Fruit (Selenicereus undatus aka Hylocereus undatus)
Also known as pitaya, Belle-Of-The -Night, Cinderella Plant, Honolulu Queen, and Jesus in the Cradle (to mention just a few names), this lithophytic or hemiepiphytic perennial vine is a cactus…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis)
Also known as bay laural, this aromatic evergreen shrub or small tree is native to the Mediterranean region and a member of the laurel family, Lauraceae, that also includes sassafras,…