Plant Profile: Indian Tobacco (Lobelia inflata)
Karen Also known as puke weed, this herbaceous annual or biennial is native to eastern North America from southeastern Canada, south to Alabama and west to Kansas, where it grows in…
Book Review: Fairy Gardening
Fairy Gardening, by Julie Bawden-Davis and Beverly Turner offers an exciting adventure into the world of fairy gardens. With abundant photographs, the authors provide a guide to creating these miniature…
Plant Profile: Moonseed (Menispermum canadense)
Also known as yellow parilla, this twining woody perennial vine is native to thickets, moist woods, and stream banks of eastern North America, from southern Canada to northern Florida, and…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Garlic (Allium sativum)
Native to central Asia and northeastern Iran, garlic is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, that also includes onion, leek, and shallot. It was cultivated…
Plant Profile: Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus aka S. rivularis)
Also known as waxberry, this deciduous flowering shrub is a member of the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, that also includes weigelia, scabiosa, and abelia. It is native to North America where…
Poisonous Plants: Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
This tender perennial vine is native to the new World tropics and is a member of the Convolvulaceae family that also includes sweet potato, cypress vine, and dodder. Usually grown…
Plant Profile: Bitter melon (Momordica charantia)
Known by many names including bitter apple, bitter gourd, bitter squash, and balsam-pear, this herbaceous tropical to subtropical, annual vine is native to Africa and Asia and is widely grown…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Downy Oak (Quercus pubescens)
Native to dry, lime-rich soils of southern Europe, parts of central Europe, and southwest Asia, this deciduous tree thrives in submediterranean climates where summers are dry and hot and the…
Plant Profile: Poison Oak (Toxicodendron quercifolium aka T. pubescens, aka Rhus quercifolium)
Also known as eastern poison oak and Atlantic poisonous oak, this deciduous shrub is native to central and eastern US where it grows in the dry and sandy areas of…
Plant Profile: Oregon Manroot (Marah oreganus aka Echinocystis oregana)
Also known as coastal manroot and western wild cucumber, this perennial trailing or climbing vine is native to the streams, washes, and open areas from Canada to northern California west…