Book Review: The Nutmeg Trail
Karen Meyers When I picked up a copy of Eleanor Ford’s book, The Nutmeg Trail, I expected a history of nutmeg and perhaps other spices. But as soon as I opened the…
Genus Witch Hazels for the Garden (Hamamelis spp)
Karen Witch hazels, Hamamelis spp., are deciduous shrubs or small trees native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. They are in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, that also includes lorpetalum,…
Plant Profile: Alpine Bottlebrush (Callistemon sieberi aka Melaleuca pityoides)sieberi,
Also known as marsh bottlebrush and river bottlebrush, this broadleaf evergreen shrub is native to Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, where is grows in and around sphagnum bogs…
Plant Profile: Henry Anise Tree (Illicium henryi)
Also known as Chinese anise tree, this broadleaf evergreen shrub is a member of the starvine family, Schisandraceae, consisting of 3 genera and 92 species. It is native to central…
Trees for the Wettest Zone of a Rain Garden
The following trees are suitable for the area of a rain garden that is the deepest and holds the most water for the most amount of time. They can tolerate…
Plant Profile: Weeping Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis aka Melaleuca viminalis)
Also known as prickly bottlebrush, this broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree is native to Australia and is a member of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that also includes clove, allspice,…
Plant Profile: Purple Anise (Illicium floridanum aka I. mexicanum)
Also known as Florida anise tree and poison bay, this broadleaf evergreen shrub is a member of the starvine family, Schisandraceae, consisting of 3 genera and 92 species. It is…
Genus Winter Hazels (Corylopsis sp)
The genus Corylopsis consists of about 30 species in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, that also includes loropetalum and fothergill. They are native to eastern Asia, mainly China, but with…
Plant Profile: Japanese Star Anise (Illicium anisatum)
Native to Japan and Korea, this broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree is a member of the starvine family, Schisandraceae, consisting of 3 genera and 92 species. The plant grows…
Plant Profile: Japanese Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume aka Prunopsis mume)
Native to forests and stream sides of China, this deciduous tree is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes cherries, almonds, and lady’s mantle. It grows 15-20′…