Plant Profile: Spanish Broom (Genista hispanica)
Karen Also known as Spanish gorse, or anlaga, this deciduous shrub is native to southern France and northern Spain where it grows in scrub on open rocky hills. It is a…
Book Review: Weed All About It
In his book, Weed All About It, Danny Mallo presents a guide for growing and using marijuana. After giving background material, the author delves into the nits and grits of…
Weeds and Their Control: Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
Oriental bittersweet is a deciduous woody, climbing or trailing vine belonging to the bittersweet family, Celastraceae, that also includes crucifixion thorn and euonymus. It is native to northern China, Japan…
Plant Profile: Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Also known as redgum, American storax, hazel pine, bilsted, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, and alligatorwood, this deciduous tree is native to eastern US and Mexico where it grows in a variety…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Apple (Malus domestica )
Apples originated in Central Asia and were domesticated 4000–10000 years ago in the Tian Shan mountains. From there they spread and by 1300 BC the Egyptians were planting orchards along…
Plant Profile: Dyer’s Broom (Genista tinctoria)
Also known as dyer’s greenwood, dyer’s whin, waxen woad, and waxen wood, this deciduous shrub is native to meadows and pastures in southern Europe and Turkey. It is a member…
Book Review: Sugar Changed the World
Karen Meyers Written for children in grades 7-9, Sugar Changed the World, by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos, is an examination of slavery using sugar as the focal point. True, Part I…
Weeds and Their Control: Smooth Bedstraw (Galium mollugo)
Smooth bedstraw, also known as false baby’s breath, is a herbaceous perennial and member of the madder family, Rubiaceae, that also includes coffee, gardenia, and Pentas. It is native to…
Plant Profile: Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Also known as scarlet maple, swamp maple, soft maple, Carolina red maple, Drummond red maple, and water maple, this deciduous tree is native to eastern and central North America. It…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Common Grape (Vitis vinifera)
Also called European grape, this deciduous woody vine is native to the riversides and damp woods in the Mediterranean region including central Europe, southwestern Asia, and north Africa. It is…