Poisonous Plants: False Hellebore (Veratrum viride)
Karen False hellebore, also known as Indian and American hellebore, is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the Melanthiaceae family that also includes Trillium. It is native to eastern and…
Plant Profile: Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium)
Also called fly-trap dogbane and bitterroot, this lanky herbaceous perennial is a member of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that also includes milkweed, bluestar, periwinkle, and oleander. It is native to…
Plant Combination: Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale) ‘Beauty of Livermere’ and Borage (Borago officinalis)
The beauty of a poppy flower is breath taking but fleeting and when it is gone you are left with a mess but still, it was worth it. Combine a…
Plant Profile: Water Avens (Geum rivale)
Also known as purple avens, and chocolate root, is herbaceous perennial is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes cherry, almond, and lady’s mantle. It is native…
Book Review: Backyard Foraging
Many of the plants growing in your neighborhood and own yard can provide you with a tasty feast if you know how to recognize them. Ellen Zachos’ book, Backyard Foraging,…
Weeds and Their Control: Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)
Also known as Indian hemp, this bushy herbaceous perennial is a member of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that also includes milkweed, periwinkle, and oleander. It is native to North America…
Plant Profile: Large Flowered Aster (Aster grandiflorus aka Symphyotrichum grandiflorumum)
Native to North Carolina and Virginia this herbaceous perennial grows in dry woodlands, forest edges, and abandoned fields as well as was areas such as roadsides. It is a member…
Plants of Colonial Williamsburg: Elecampane (Inula helenium)
Also called horse-heal, scabwort, and elfwort, and wild sunflower, elecampane is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. It…
Plant Profile: Island Alumroot (Heuchera maxima)
Also called Channel Islands coral bells, and Jill of the rocks, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is a member of the saxifrage family, Saxifragaceae, that also includes astilbe, tiarella, and bergenia.…
Book Review: The Plant Recipe Book
Gardener and floral designer Baylor Chapman presents 100 living arrangements in her work, The Plant recipe Book. Believing that everyone can bring a little bit of greenery inside no matter…