Plant Profile: Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris)
Karen Also called Southern pine and Georgia pine, this evergreen coniferous tree is native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains in southeastern US from Virginia west to Texas and south…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Common Oat (Avena sativa)
Common oat is an annual and a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes barley, rice, and bamboo. The origin of common oat is obscure but probably arose…
Plant Profile: Lydian Woodwaxen (Genista lydia)
Native to the Balkans, Turkey and Syria, this low growing shrub is evergreen in areas with warm winters and deciduous in areas with cold winters. It is a member of…
Weeds and Their Control: Annual Sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus)
Also known as common sowthistle, milk thistle, and several other names, annual sowthistle is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes dandelions, yarrow, and lettuce. It is…
Plant Profile: Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Also known as Canadian hemlock, this coniferous tree is native to eastern North America and is a member of the pine family, Pinaceae, that also includes cedar and spruce. The…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Italian millet (Setaria italica aka Panicum italicum)
Also known as foxtail millet, this warm season annual grass is a member of the Poaceae family that also includes corn, rice and bamboo. It was first cultivated about 8,000…
Plant Profile: Lilac Daphne (Daphne genkwa)
This deciduous shrub is native to East Asia, China and Korea where it grows in the margins of paddy fields, hillsides and valleys. It is a member of the Thymelaeaceae…
Book Review: A Year in the Edible Garden
Sarah Raven’s book, A Year in the Edible Garden, shows how to have a beautiful garden and a bounty of delicious, fresh, edibles all at the same time. She gives…
Weeds and Their Control: Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta)
Hoary vervain is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the vervain family, Verbanaceae, that also includes lantanas, s verbenas, and sandpaper vines. It is native to the Midwest, the…
Plant Profile: Nepalese Paper Plant (Daphne bholua)
Growing at altitudes of 5,5000-12,500′ in the Himalayas and neighboring mountain ranges from Nepal to southern China, this flowering shrub tends to be evergreen at lower elevations and deciduous at…