Shakespeare’s Garden: Thistle
Karen Thistle refers to plants that have leaves with sharp prickles on the margins. Most of them are in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, and are native to Europe and Asia.. There…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata)
Baby’s breath is a herbaceous perennial native to central and eastern Europe and central and western Asia but naturalized in North America and is now considered invasive from new Brunswick…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Hyssop
Hyssop belongs to the genus Hyssopus in the mint family, Lamiaceae, that also includes basil, sage, and beebalm. Shakespeare’s hyssop has been identified as Hyssopus officinalis, a compact native Asia…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Oxeye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum aka Leucanthemum vulgare)
Oxeye daisy is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial native to Europe and Asia but was introduced to North America and is now found throughout the US where it grows in lawns,…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Savory (Satureja spp)
There are two kinds of savory: summer savory (Satureja hortensis) an annual, and winter savory (Satureja montana), a woody perennial. They belong to the mint family ( Lamiaceae) and are…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives : Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Japanese barberry is a thorny, deciduous shrub growing 3-6’ tall with obvate green leaves that are up to 1 ¼” long and turn yellow to red in the fall. Pendent…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Pinks
Pinks are in the genus Dianthus that is a member of the Caryophyllaceae, and includes carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) and sweet william (Dianthus barbatus). Many different species of Dianthus are called…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Pansy
Shakespeare’s pansy is the wild pansy (Viola tricolor) that we call Johnny jump up, not the large flowered hybrid that we know by that name. Also known as love-in-idleness, ,…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
Dames rocket is a biennial or short-lived perennial known by a variety of names including dame’s violet, mother of the evening, and sweet rocket. It was introduced from Eurasia into…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Pignut ( Conopodium denudatum aka Bunium flexusosum)
Pignut ( Conopodium denudatum), also called earthnut, is an herbaceous perennial in the carrot family, Apiaceae, that includes parsley, dill, and Queen Anne’s lace. It is a common weed in…