Plant Profile: Christ’s Thorn Jujube (Zizphus spina-christi)
Karen Christ’s thorn jujube is a shrub or small tree native to Africa, the Levant, and southern and western Asia where it grows in a variety of habitats including deserts, semi-desert…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Parrot’s Beak (Clianthus puniceus)
Brighten up the garden in spring with the bright pink to red flowers of parrot’s beak, a bushy evergreen shrub endemic to New Zealand’s North Island. The waxy, 3″ long…
Plant Profile: Wild Jujube (Ziziphus lotus)
Also known as lotus tree, this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, and is native to the arid and semi arid areas of…
Plants of the Bible: Camel Thorn (Alhagi maurorum)
Also known as Caspian manna, and Persian mannaplant this deciduous shrub is indigenous to temperate and tropical Eurasia and the Middle East where it grows in both wetlands and deserts.…
Plants of Colonial Williamsburg: Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare aka Chrysanthemum vulgare)
Tansy is a perennial herb and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. It is native to Europe and Asia but was introduced…
Plant Profile: Red Sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus)
Endemic to the dry deciduous forests in the southern Eastern Ghats in South India, red sandalwood is also know as red sanders, Rakt Chandan, and saunderswood. It is a member…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Bat- Faced Cuphea (Cuphea llavea aka C. blepharophylla)border
Whether you find the flowers of this evergreen sub-shrub scary or beautiful you will have to admit they are unusual and fascinating! With a hairy purple calyx and 2 upward…
Plant Profile: Eelgrass (Zostera marina)
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…