Plant Profile: Common Rush (Juncus effusus)
Karen Also known as soft rush and mat rush, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the rush family, Juncaceae, that includes plants resembling sedges and grasses. Common rush is native…
Plants of the Bible: 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…
Genus: Arenaria for the Garden
Arenaria, often known as sandwort, is a genus of over 210 species of flowering plants in the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, that also includes, pinks, baby’s breath, and chickweed. The genus…
Plant Profile: Canary Creeper (Tropaeolum peregrinum)
Also known as canarybird flower, canary bird vine, and canary nasturtium, this tender perennial vine is native to western South America, in Peru and possibly Ecuador. It belongs to the…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Wolfsbane (Aconitum napellus)
Wolfbane has a long a interesting history. According to legend aconite grew on the hill where Hercules fought Cerberus, the three headed dog that guarded the underworld. The dog’s spittle…
Plant Profile: Tatarian orachea (Atriplex tatarica)
Native to saline and alkaline deserts of Middle and western Central Asia, Asia Minor, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, this annual shrub is a member of the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae,…
Plant Profile: Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Also known as scouring rush, this is a herbaceous perennial that bears spores rather than seeds and is more closely related to ferns than to seed bearing or flowering plants.…
Plants of the Bible: Sage-leaved Rockrose (Cistus salviifolius)
Also known as salvia cistus and Gallipoli rose, this bushy evergreen shrub is native to the Mediterranean region, including southern Europe, parts of Western Asia and North Africa. It is…
Weeds and Their Control: Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Scotch broom is a deciduous flowering shrub and member of the pea family, Fabaceae that also includes alfalfa, mimosa, and black locust. It is native to northern Africa and western…
Plant Profile: Camel Thorn (Alhagi maurorum)
Also known as Caspian manna and Persian manna plant, this deciduous shrub is indigenous to temperate and tropical Eurasia and the Middle East where it grows in both wetlands and…