Plants of the Bible: Bulrush (Cyperus papyrus)
Karen Also known as paper reed and Nile grass, this tender aquatic herbaceous perennial is native to lakes, rivers and swamps of northern Africa, and was cultivated in the Nile Delta…
Plants of the Bible: Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Also known as Greek hay, fenugreek is a herbaceous annual native to the Mediterranean and Middle East. It is a member of the legume family, Fabaceae, that also includes beans,…
Plants of the Bible: Giant Reed (Arundo donax)
Also known as Persian reed and bulrush this warm season, clump-forming, perennial grass is native to the Greater Middle East and common in Palestine, Syria, and the Sinai peninsula, forming…
Plants of Colonial Williamsburg: Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
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…