Plant Profile: Eelgrass (Zostera marina)
Karen Also known as seawrack and tapegrass, eelgrass is a submerged perennial native to shallow marine environments from subtropical to subpolar regions of North America and Eurasia. It is a member…
Plants of the Bible: Judean Sage (Salvia judaica)
Native to Mediterranean woodlands and shrub lands, this tender herbaceous perennial is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes mint, rosemary, and beebalm. The plants grow up…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Bachelor ‘s Button (Centaurea cyanus )
Also known as bluebottle, bluet, bluecap, and cornflower, this cool weather annual is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, sunflower, and lettuce. It is native…
Plant Profile: Blue Lotus (Nymphae caerulea)
A member of the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae, this tropical aquatic perennial goes by many names including Egyptian lotus, blue water lily, Cape water lily, frog’s pulpit, and sacred lily…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis)
Called fuzzy wuzzy by early pioneers because of its fluffy, tufted seeds, this West Coast native was important to the Indians who used its leaves to reduce swelling and its…
Plant Profile: White Egyptian Lotus (Nymphae lotus)
Also known as tiger lotus, Egyptian white water lily, and white lotus, this aquatic fresh water perennial is a member of the water lily family, Nymphaceae, a small family of…
Plants of the Bible: Tumbling Saltbush (Atriplex rosea)
Also known as red orach, redscale, and tumbling orach, this annual shurb is native to Eurasia but as been introduced to many areas including the US especially in the West.…
Genus: Sisyrinchium (Blue-Eyed Grass) for the garden
Sisyrinchium is a genus of of about 200 species of annuals and herbaceous perennials native to the New World. The plants are not grasses and are in the iris family,…
Plant Profile: Western Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)
Native to moist grassy areas and woodlands of California and Oregon west of the Sierra Nevada, this semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial is not a true grass but is in the iris…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Native Americans smoked it in ceremonial pipes, modern Americans use it for many things from treating urinary tract problems to skin lightening, but bearberry is most valued as an outstanding…