Plant Profile: False Hellebore (Veratrum viride)
Karen False hellebore is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the Melanthiaceae family that also includes Trillium. It is native to eastern and western North America and grows in wet…
Plant Profile: Woolly Yarrow (Achillea tomentosa )
This semi-evergreen, mat-forming perennial is native to the lowlands of Europe and western Asia and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, goldenrod and lettuce.…
Plant Profile: Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)
Agrimony is a perennial herb native to Europe and sothwestern Asia where it grows in moist woods, damp meadows, pastures, and along stream banks. It is a member of the…
Plant Profile: Chinese Ground Orchid (Bletilla striata)
Not all orchids are persnickety prima donnas and this one is definitely not. A native of Japan, China, Korea, and Burma, this hardy, terrestrial orchid was introduced into to England…
Plant Profile: Devil’s Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa)
With common names like Devil’s walking stick, and Hercules’ club this plant is bound to attract attention. It is a deciduous small tree or shrub with spines on its trunks,…
Plant Profile: Seckle Pear (Pyrus communis)
Seckle pears are a great dessert treat if you can find them. They are not easy to locate but are unusual and well worth a search. The fruits are borne…
Plant Profile: White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
This native of woodland edges, stream banks, and roadsides from Massachusetts, Kentucky, and Missouri south to Florida and west to Texas, is a small deciduous shrub or tree with a…
Plant Profile: Rock Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides)
A native of the European Alps, rock soapwort is a low growing plant that scrambles over rocks and trails over walls. It’s semi-evergreen foliage forms dense mats and can be…
Plant Profile: Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina)
Native to Eastern United States, winged sumac is also called flame sumac and a tough shrub or small tree that is found on forest edges, old fields, meadows and roadsides.…
Plant Profile: Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea hybrids)
There are few homes near my southern California garden that do not have at least one bouganvillea vine blooming most of the year. The bright colors can be garish but…