Shakespeare’s Garden: Plantian
Karen Common plantain,(Plantago major) is an herbaceous perennial native to Europe and northern and central Asia but naturalized in the US beginning in the time of the Puritans. It thrives in…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Schinus terebinthifolius
This evergreen shrub or small tree is native to Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil but was introduced into Florida by the mid 1800s as an ornamental and has spread and is…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Stover
Wikipedia tells us that “stover is the leaves and stalks of field crops, such corn (maize), sorghum or soybean that are commonly left in a field after harvesting the grain.”…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Quince
The quince (Cydonia oblonga) belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae) along with apples, pears, and almonds. It is native to southwest Asia, Turkey, and Iran where it grows on rocky…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Cranberry Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster apiculatus)
Native to the mountains of southwestern China, this deciduous shrub grows 2-3’ tall with a spread of 3-6’. Its arching reddish branches grow in a herringbone pattern and carry ¾”…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Pear
Pears are in the genus Pyrus and family Rosaceae. Shakespeare’s pear was probably the common pear (Pyrus communis) which is native to central and Europe, and southwest Asia. They are…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives : Shoebutton Ardisia (Ardisia elliptica)
Native to India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, and new Guinea, shoebutton ardisia is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 17’ tall. It was introduced into Florida…
Plant Profile: Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana)
Wayfaring tree is a large deciduous shrub growing up to 15’ tall and wide and a member of the moschatel family, Adoxaceae, that also includes elders (Sambucus). It is native…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Barnacles
According to The Travels of Sir John Mandeville written in the fourteenth century, the barnacle tree, also called goose tree, bore a fruit that became flying birds. These trees were…
Invasive Plants and Their native Alternatives: Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila)
Siberian elm is semi-evergreen to deciduous tree growing up to 70’ tall native to northern India and China, Siberia, Mongolia, Tibet, Russian Far East and Korea. It was introduced into…