Plant Profile: Arizona Ash (Fraxinus velutina)
Karen Also known as velvet ash, this deciduous tree is native to southwestern North America. It is a member of the olive family, Oleaceae, that also includes jasmine, privet, forsythia, and…
Plant Profile: Rose ‘Compassion’
Classic Hybrid Tea-like buds open to flowers with ruffled petals in a mixture of apricot, salmon pink and orange. The flowers fade to a dirty white and fail to drop…
Plant Profile: Chinese Parasol Tree (Firmiana simplex)
Also known as varnish tree and Phoenix tree, this deciduous tree is native to China, Japan, and Korea. It is a member of the mallow family, Malvaceae, that also includes…
Plant Profile: Angels’ Trumpets (Brugmansia suaveolens aka Datura suaveolens)
Also called angel’s tears, this tender perennial is a semi woody shrub or small tree and a member of the nightshade family, (Solonaceae) that also includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and…
Plant Profile: Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
Also known as princess tree and foxglove-tree, this flowering deciduous tree belongs to the Paulowniaceae family and is a native of central and western China but has is cultivated in…
Plant Profile: Black Mulberry (Morus nigra)
Black mulberry is a slow growing deciduous tree originally from southwestern Asia and a member of the mulberry family that also includes figs, Osage-orange, and banyan. It has wide spreading…
Book Review: Heaven is a Garden
Gardens traditionally have been said to be a piece of paradise for their owners but have you ever tried to create such a paradise for yourself? It is not easy…
Plant Profile: Common Fig (Ficus carica)
Native to the Middle East and Asia this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the mulberry family, Moraceae, that also includes banyan, breadfruit, and Osage-orange. It grows…
Plant Profile: Giant Fibert (Corylus maxima)
The giant filbert is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia but it widely cultivated for its edible nuts which have a sweet, rich…
Plant Profile: Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)
Also called mountain dogwood, this flowering deciduous tree or tall shrub is native to the West Coast from southern British Columbia to the mountains of southern California, with an isolated…