Plants of Colonial Williamsburg: Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
Karen Parsley is a biennial and a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae, that also includes celery, dill, and Queen Anne’s lace. It is native to the Mediterranean area from Spain…
Plant Profile: Horse Bean (Vicia faba var. equina)
Horse bean is a cool weather annual and a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, mimosa, and black locust. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean…
Herbs for a Medieval Physics Garden: German Iris (Iris germanica)
Also known as bearded iris and common flag, this herbaceous perennial is native to the eastern Mediterranean and may be a natural hybrid between Iris pallida and Iris variegata. It…
Plants of the Bible: Horsebean (Vicia faba var. equina)
Horse bean is a cool weather annual and a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, mimosa, and black locust. It is native to an unidentified part…
Plants of the Bible: Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus)
Native to an unknown place in the Mediterranean region, this cormous perennial belongs to the iris family, Iridaceae, that also includes gladiolus, crocosmia, and blue-eyed grass. It is sometimes called…
Plant Profile: Prickly Juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus aka J. deltoides)
Also known as cade, cade juniper, prickly cedar, and sharp cedar this coniferous evergreen is native to rocky sites in the Mediterranean region from Portugal and Morocco, to southern France…
Plants of the Bible: Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)
Native to Africa, Middle East and India castor bean is a tender perennial that is very fast growing and quickly becomes a suckering shrub or small tree. Plants are well…
Herbs for Medieval Physics Garden: Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum graecum)
This herbaceous annual was grown from ancient times and is native to the Mediterranean and Middle East, dating back to 4000 BC in Iraq. Also known as Greek hay it…
Plants of the Bible: 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…
Plants of Colonial Williamsburg: Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Also called Indian cress, this trailing annual is in the family Tropaeolaceae and is native to the Andes from Bolivia to Colombia. Plants grow 2-12″ tall or more with support…