Shakespeare’s Garden: Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Karen Bilberry , also called common bilberry or blue whortleberry, is a deciduous shrub with many branches. It is native to Europe including England, northern Asia, Greenland, Western Canada, and the…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Samphire
The samphire mentioned by Shakespeare is probably rock samphire, Crithmum maritimum, a coastal species which grows on the southern and western coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)
Also called wild carrot, bird’s nest, and bishop’s lace, this herbaceous biennial is a member of the parsley family, Apiaceae, that also includes celery, dill, and poison hemlock. It is…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Carnation
Shakespeare’s carnation, also called gillyflower and clove pink, was probably the herbaceous perennial Dianthus caryophyllus. The genus Dianthus is in the family Caryophyllaceae and has over 300 species including pinks…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpureae)
Also called lady’s glove, fairy gloves, and fairy bells, this herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial is native to disturbed sites of Europe and Asia but naturalized in parts of North…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Piony
There is considerable disagreement about the nature of “Piony” but some people believe the word refers to the genus Paeonia, the only genus is the family Paeoniaceae and with between…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Pomegranate
The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a member of the Lythraceae family that includes crape myrtle, loosestrife, and henna. It is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub or small tree growing sixteen to…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Fennel (Foenicum vulgare)
Fennel is a herbaceous perennial native to the shores of the Mediterranean but has naturalized in the US where it grows along roadsides, in pastures and in other open sites…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Five Leaf Akebia (Akebia quinate)
Also called chocolate vine, this twining, deciduous, woody vine is native to Japan, China, and Korea but was introduced into the US in 1845 as an ornamental and is now…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Rye
Rye, Secale cereale, is an annual grass related to barley and wheat, and grown for grain, and as a forage and cover crop. It can grow three to six feet…