Herbs for a Medieval Physic Garden: Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
Karen Cumin is a herbaceous annual native to the eastern Mediterranean east to India and has been known from ancient Egyptian times. Although there have been many claims about the medicinal…
Plant Profile: Sugar Cane (Saccharum officinarum)
Native to tropical southeast Asia, this tender perennial grass is a member of the Poaceae/Gramineae family that also includes corn, wheat, rice, and bamboo. The plants from a network of…
Plants of the Bible: Mandrake ( (Mandragora officinarum aka Atropa mandragora
Also called love-apple, mandrake ( דודאים dudaim in Hebrew) is a very variable herbaceous perennial that is native to the Mediterranean area including Israel and the Levant and some soucses…
Plants of Williamsburg: Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Also called English thyme, this well branched aromatic evergreen shrub is native to the western Mediterranean region to southern Italy. It is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, that…
Plant Profile: Tiger Flower (Tigrida pavonia)
This tender perennial bulb is native to semitropical to semialpine climates of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Hondurus and is a member of the iris family, Iridaceae, that also includes…
Weeds and Their Control: Crown Vetch (Coronilla varia)
Also called purple vetch, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, mimosa, and black locust. It is native to Europe, southwest Asia,…
Plant Profile: Paperwhite Narcissus (Narcissus tazzeta)
Also known as bunch-flowered narcissus, this herbaceous perennial is native to the Mediterranean from Portugal to Turkey but naturalized in many areas including the Middle East, Asia, Australia, South America…
Plants of the Bible: Garlic (Allium sativum)
Native to central Asia and northeastern Iran, garlic is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, that also includes onion, leek, and shallot. Growing from a…
Plant Profile: Indian Costus (Saussurea costus aka S. lappa)
Also known as kuth, putchuk, and kosht (קשט), this herbaceous perennial is native to high elevations (8,200 to 9,800 ft) in South Asia especially India and Kashmir. It is a…
Plant Combination: Catmint (Nepeta racemosa) ‘Walker’s Low’ and Sisyrinchium striatum
Soft blue and yellow make this duo a dreamy combination in the early summer border. Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ produces an abundance of small lavender-blue flowers carried in loose whorls atop…