Plants for a Plant Zoo: Pigsqueak (Bergenia cordifolia aka B. crassifolia)
Karen Rub a leaf between your thumb and forefinger, hear the pig squeak and understand how the plants gets its funny name. The plant is worth growing for the beautiful shiny,…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Peacock Lily Gladiolus murielae)
The long slender stems topped with delicate white flowers punctuated with a purple spot belie the rugged origins of this relative of gladiolus. A native of eastern Africa, peacock lily…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Monkey Plant (Mimulus ringens)
What could be more charming and enticing than monkeys in the garden? Monkey flower is a bushy herbaceous perennial with lots of lilac-blue (occasionally pink or white) flowers that resemble…
Plants For A Plant Zoo: Leopard’s Bane (Doronicum caucasicum aka Doronicum orientalis)
The profusion of yellow, daisy-like flowers of this herbaceous perennial are welcome in spring and can brighten a shady spot in the garden while it sparks the imagination of little…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)
Skunk cabbage may not be the first plant that comes to mind when considering plants for your plant zoo but it offers a lot and is ripe for consideration. Also…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album)
Also called goosefoot, fat-hen and pigweed, this weedy annual is not much to look at but is grown extensively in India as a food. The plants rapidly grow into a…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Deer Fern (Blechnum spicant aka Struthiopteris spicant )
A shady nook is always made more appealing by lush green vegetation that looks soft and inviting. Deer fern is a good plant to use in the shade with its…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Few plants have flowers that are as appealing as common foxglove. The 2-3″ long blooms that cover the 4-5′ tall flowering stalks are purple with enticing spots inside and appear…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
The unique orange and blue flowers of bird of paradise never fail to catch the eye and add a touch of the exotic to the surroundings. From spring to fall…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: European Alder (Alunus glutinosa)
European alder , also called black alder, is a small to medium sized deciduous tree native to Europe, northern Africa and western Asia where it grows in wet areas along…