Book Review: Vegetables Illustrated
Karen America’s Test Kitchens cookbook, Vegetables Illustrated, is a treasure trove of recipes that make vegetables the star of the show. In spite of the title, the book is more about…
Plant Profile: Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Purple loosestrife is a herbaceous perennial and member of the loosestrife family, Lythraceae, that also includes pomegranate and crepe myrtle, but is not related to other plants called loosestrife that…
Plant Profile: Dwarf Mountain Fleabane (Erigeron compositus)
Also known as cutleaf daisy and trifid mountain fleabane, this herbaceous rhizomatous perennial is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, sunflower and lettuce. It is…
Plant Profile: Chilean Avens (Geum quellyon)
Also known as scarlet avens, double bloody Mary, and Grecian rose, this evergreen to semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial is native to central Chile. It is a member of the rose family,…
Plant Profile: Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)
Also known as the bluebell of Scotland, harebell is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial and a member of the Campanulaceae family that also includes ladybell (Adenophora), balloon flower, and Lobelia. It…
Plant Profile: Threadleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata)
Threadleaf coreopsis is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, sunflower, and lettuce. It is native to southeastern US where it…
Plant Profile: American Alumroot (Heuchera americana)
Also called rock geranium, this evergreen, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial is a member of the saxifrage family, Saxifragaceae, that also includes astilbe, bergenia, and tiarella. It is native to the eastern…
Plant Profile: Rosa Perle d’Or
The small vermilion buds of this Polyantha rose open to large, long-stemmed clusters of 5-25 deep apricot flowers that fade to mother of pearl from the outside. The petals have…
Plant Profile: Hybrid Coral Bells (Heuchera x brizoides)
Hybrid coral bells are the result of crosses between Heuchera micrantha, H. sanguinea, and H. americana and vary primarily in size, flower color and heat-tolerance. The genus, Heuchera, is in…
Plant Profile: Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum)
Japanese climbing fern is a perennial deciduous vine-type of fern and is one of 40 species of climbing ferns. It is native to eastern and southeastern Asia, India, and eastern…