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…
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…
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…
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, ,…
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…
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…
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…
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…