Shakespeare’s Garden: Crabapple
Karen Crabapple is the name given to several deciduous trees in the species Malus, a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes cherry, lady’s mantle, and firethorn. The plants…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Panda Face Ginger (Asarum maximum)
There are few flowers in the garden that are as cute as the black and white blooms of panda face ginger. They peak through the foliage at ground level and…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Sawtooth Oak (Quercus acutissima)
Sawtooth oak is a medium sized deciduous tree growing up to 98” tall. It is native to northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Indochina, China, Tibet, Korea, and Japan and was introduced…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)
Japanese wisteria is a deciduous flowering vine native to Japan but was introduced into the US in the 1830s and has become invasive from new Jersey to Indiana, south to…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Scotch broom is a deciduous to evergreen, nitrogen-fixing shrub growing 4-8’ tall. It is native to dry, sandy soils in central and western Europe but was introduced into North America…
Butterflies in the Garden and How to Attract Them: Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Red admiral are found from sub arctic Canada to Central America where they inhabit open spaces such as forest margins, shorelines, gardens, parks, fields, meadows and roadsides. A warm weather…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives : Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica aka Salix x sepulcralis)
Native to northern China, weeping willow is a deciduous tree valued for its beautiful form especially when sited on the edge of a pond or lake where its reflection adds…
Butterflies in the Garden and How to Attract Them: Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
The Question Mark butterfly is in the genus with the common name of angelwings characterized by wings with ragged borders. They can be found east of the Rockies from southern…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Earleaf Acacia (Acacia auriculiformis)
Earleaf acacia, also known as wattle, is an evergreen tree native to Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea and is currently invasive in the pinelands, scrub, and hammocks of south…
Butterflies in the Garden and How to Attract Them: Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
The gray hairstreak is one of the most widely distributed butterflies in the US being absent only from the far North. They prefer open sunny sights such as coastal areas,…