Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Olive (Olea europaea)
Karen The olive was first cultivated from wild olive at the frontier between Turkey and Syria between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago. By 3000 BC it was cultivated by the Minoans…
Plant Profile: Sticky Phacelia (Phacelia viscida)
Also known as tacky phacelia and scorpion weed, this annual is native to the coastal hills and mountains of central and southern California and northern Baja California where it grows…
Poisonous Plants: English Ivy (Hedera helix)
This evergreen climbing vine is a member of the Aralia family, Araliaceae, that also includes Fatsia and Schefflera and is native to most of Europe and western Asia where it…
Plant Profile: Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)
This evergreen shrub or small tree is native to the desert chaparral areas of the Mohave desert, coastal California, Baja California and Baja California Sur and is a member of…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine: Western Cider
The dictionary tells us that cider is a fermented or unfermented drink made from fruit, usually apples. My paternal grandmother, Helen S. Wright, devoted considerable space to various aspects of…
Plant Profile: Chaparral Currant (Ribes malvaceum)
Endemic to California and Baja California where it grows in chaparral, foothill oak woodlands, and closed-cone pine forests, this deciduous shrub is a member of the gooseberry family, Grossulariaceae, that…
Plant Profile: Lanceleaf Liveforever (Dudleya lanceolata)
Native to the mountains of southern California and Baja California, where it is found in rocky areas and slopes, this evergreen perennial succulent is a member of the stonecrop family,…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Lemon (Citrus limon)
The lemon is a small evergreen tree in the rue family, Rutaceae, that also includes curry tree, kumquat, and Skimmia. Native to Northeast India and Northern Myanmar, lemons probably are…
Plant Profile: Purple Needle Grass (Stipa pulchra aka Nassella pulchra)
This perennial bunch grass is native to California where it grows in a variety of habitats including grassland, chaparral and oak woodland. It is a member of the grass family…
Book Review: It’s Spring!
Linda Glaser’s book, It’s Spring!, celebrates the spring as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Written in the first person, the book explores the sensory delights that spring…