Book Review: Gus and Button
Karen Gus and his dog Button live in a beige monochromatic town made entirely of mushrooms where life seems very dull and boring. When something bright green drops into the town…
Plant Profile: Golden Wattle (Acacia longifolia)
Also known as long-leaved wattle, acacia trinervis, aroma doble, coast wattle, sallow wattle, and Sydney golden wattle, this flowering broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree is endemic to coastal areas…
Plant Profile: Abelia schumanni (aka Linnaea parvifolia)
Native to the deep valleys of mountain forests in China, this evergreen to deciduous shrub is a member of the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, that also includes weigela, pincushion flower and…
Genus Daphnes for the Gardens
The genus Daphne is made up of over 70 evergreen or deciduous shrubs native to Asia, Europe and north Africa and is a member of the family Thymelaeaceae, a group…
Plant Profile: Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora aka Linnaea × grandiflora)
This broadleaf ever-green to deciduous shrub is a hybrid from A. chinensis and A. uniflora. It is a member of the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, that also includes weigela, pincushion flower…
Plant Profile: Willow Bottlebrush (Callistemon salignus aka Melaleuca salicina)
Endemic to eastern Australia, this broadleaf evergreen shrub is a member of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that also includes clove, allspice, and eucalyptus. Growing from a vigorous root system, plants…
Plant Profile: Chinese Abelia (Abelia chinensis aka Linnaea chinensis)
Native to the lower elevations in the mountains of southwest China, this semi-evergreen shrub is a member of the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, that also includes weigela, pincushion flower and teasel.…
Plant Profile: Yellow Anise Tree (Illicium parviflorum)
Also known as hardy anise shrub, Ocala anise, swamp star-anise, and small anise tree this broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree is a member of the starvine family, Schisandraceae, consisting…
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)
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,…