Plant Profile: Poached Egg Plant (Limnanthes douglasii)
Karen Also known as Douglas’s meadowfoam, this fast growing annual is native to grassy wet areas of California and Washington, and is a member of a small plant family, Limnanthaceae, consisting…
Book Review: Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine
First published in 1996, this updated version reflects the enormous growth and changes in herbal medicine that have occurred since it was first written. It combines information on the traditional…
Weeds and Their Control: Perennial Sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis)
Perennial sowthistle is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisies, yarrow, and lettuce. It is native to Europe and western Asia but…
Plant Profile: Indian Hawthorn (Raphiolepis indica)
Also known as Hong Kong hawthorn, this dense evergreen shrub is native to south China to Indo-China and temperate eastern Asia including Japan, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. It is…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Crown of Thorns ( Euphorbia milii var. splendens aka Euphorbia splenden)s
Native to Madagascar, this evergreen semi-succulent shrub is a member of the spurge family, Euphorbaceae, that also includes pointsettia, croton, and castor oil plant. The plants grow up to 6′…
Plant Profile: Silver-Lace Vine (Polygonum aubertii aka Fallopia baldschuanica)
This deciduous woody twining perennial vine is also known as Russian-vine, Bukhara fleeceflower, Chinese bindweed, and mile-a-minute vine. It is a member of the knotweed family, Polygonaceae, that also includes…
Book Review: Can You Hear the Trees Talking?
Karen Meyers Peter Wohlleben’s book, Can You Hear the Trees Talking?, introduces young children to the hidden life of the forest. As a well known forester, the author combines scientific information with…
Weeds and Their Control: Witchgrass (Panicum capillare)
Witchgrass is a summer annual and a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes corn, rice, and bamboo. It is native to most of North America from the…
Plant Profile: Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Native to swamps, woodland clearings, wetland forests, and outcroppings in eastern North America from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, south to northern Florida, Alabama and Arkansas, this deciduous shrub…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Common Lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata)
Also known as Bethelehem sage, Virgin Mary’s milkdrops and Mary’s milk sile, this herbaceous perennial is native to France and Italy and is member of the borage family, Borageacea, that…