Plant Profile: Chinese Ground Orchid (Bletilla striata)
Karen 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…
Plant Profile: Maple-Leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)
Growing in mixed mesic forests, and wooded ravines, this native of Eastern United States is a medium sized deciduous shrub that does well in both full sun and partial shade,…
Plant Profile: Carpathian Harebell (Campanula carpatica)
The tidy mounds of wavy heart-shaped leaves covered with flowers make an ideal edge for the border. The first flush of flowers in mid summer is followed by a short…
Plant Profile: Wood Vamp (Decumaria Barbara)
Found in low woods, swamps, and pond margins, this native of Southeastern United States from New York to Florida and west to Louisiana, wood vamp is a woody semi-evergreen vine…