Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Field Pansy (Viola arvensis)
Karen Also called johnny jump up, this herbaceous annual is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, and a member of the violet family, Violaceae. The ancient Roman naturalist, Pliny…
Plant Profile: California Goldfields (Lasthenia californica)
Native to a variety of habitats in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Baja California, this herbaceous annual is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes sunflower,…
Book Review: 40 Projects for Building Your Backyard Homestead
David Toht’s book, 40 Projects for Building Your Backyard Homestead offers directions for a variety of projects to aid in sustainable homesteading. The projects were chosen with simplicity of construction,…
Plant Profile: Four-O’Clock (Mirabilis jalapa)
Native to the dry tropical regions of North, Central, and South America, this herbaceous perennial, also known as marvel of Peru, is a member of the family Nyctaginaceae that also…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine: Gooseberry Wine 2
Although my paternal grandmother, Helen S Wright, author of the book, Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine (published in 1909), includes 8 recipes using gooseberries, she does not specify…
Plant Profile: Stinging Lupine (Lupinus hirsutissimus)
Native to dry rocky slopes of the coastal mountains of California and Baja California, this herbaceous annual is a member of the legume family, Fabaceae, that also includes beans, mimosa,…
Poisonous Plants: Pokeweed (Phytolaccaceae americana)
Pokeweed, also called inkberry and scoke, is a herbaceous perennial native to eastern United States, the Midwest, and the Gulf Coast where it grows in open woods, thickets and disturbed…
Plant Profile: Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus)
Also known as rock poppy, wartwort, tetterwort, nipplewort, and swallowwort, this herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial is native to Europe and western Asia but has been introduced as an ornamental…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Giant Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica ?)
A fresco in the House of the Golden Bracelet shows a vine with heart shaped leaves and white trumpet-shaped flowers. This plant has been identified by some scholars as a…
Plant Profile: Sky Lupine (Lupinus nanus)
Also known as field lupine, dwarf lupine, ocean-blue lupine and Douglas’ annual lupine, this native of western US grows on slopes and open or disturbed areas of California, Nevada, and…