Plant Profile: Spotted Dead Nettle (Lamium maculatum)
Karen Meyers Also known as spotted henbit and purple dragon, this herbaceous perennial is native to Europe and Asia where it grows in a variety of habitats from open grassland to woodland.…
Book Review: Complete Guide to Growing and Cultivating Herbs & Spices
Linda Gray’s book, Complete Guide to Growing and Cultivating Herbs & Spices, is a comprehensive look at cultivating and utilizing a wide variety of plants that provide flavorful additions to…
Edible Mushrooms: Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystea)
Karen Abundant in Central, South, and North America as well as Europe and Asia, the amethyst deceiver appears in troops and fairy rings from summer to early winter in both coniferous…
Plant Profile: Pussytoes (Antennaria dioica var. rosea)
Also called cat’s foot and mountain everlasting, this semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial is native to western and north-central US where it grows in many different habitats. It is a member of…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea cyanus) ‘Mary’s Crown’
Bachelor’s button has been valued for thousands of years. Evidence from ancient Egypt suggests that its flowerheads were used for grave decorations, and it became a symbol of life and…
Plant Profile: Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Also called common mullein and woolly mullein, this native of Europe, Africa and Asia, is a herbaceous biennial and a member of the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, that also includes butterfly…
Book Review: What a Bee Knows
What a Bee Knows, by Stephen Buchmann, is a guide to understand the complexities of bee behavior. As a pollination ecologist, the author has extensive experience with bees and the…
Edible Mushrooms: The Poplar Agrocybe (Cyclocybe aegerita aka Agrocybe aegerita)
The poplar agrocybe is found growing singly or in tufts on rooted stumps and roots of popular, willow, and elder from spring until fall. It prefers warm climates including southern…
Plant Profile: Grape Leaf Anemone (Anemone vitifolia)
Native to Asia, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes delphinium, clematis, and hellebore. It grows 3-4′ tall and forms a clump of…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis),”Sweet Mary”
Lemon balm has a long history as a medicinal herb and was valued for its calming, healing, and uplifting properties. The ancient Greeks believed it had the power to improve…