Plants for a Plant Zoo: Panda Face Ginger (Asarum maximum)
Karen There are few flowers in the garden that are as cute as the black and white blooms of panda face ginger. They peak through the foliage at ground level and…
Plants of the Bible: Giant Reed (Arundo donax)
Also known as Persian reed and bulrush this warm season, clump-forming, perennial grass is native to the Greater Middle East and common in Palestine, Syria, and the Sinai peninsula, forming…
Plants of the Bible: Bitter Apple (Solanum incanum)
Known by many common names including thorn apple, bitter tomato, apple of Sodom, and bitterball, this tropical perennial is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, eastwards to India…
Plants of Colonial Williamsburg: Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
Parsley is a biennial and a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae, that also includes celery, dill, and Queen Anne’s lace. It is native to the Mediterranean area from Spain…
Plant Profile: Snail Vine ( Cochliasanthus caracalla aka Vigna caracalla)
Native to southern Mexico, Central America and tropical South America this tender perennial, twining vine is also known as corkscrew vine, snail creeper, snailflower and snail bean. It is a…
Plant Profile: Sage-leaved Rockrose (Cistus salviifolius)
Also known as salvia cistus and Gallipoli rose, this bushy evergreen shrub is native to the Mediterranean region, including southern Europe, parts of Western Asia and North Africa. It is…
Plant Profile: Horse Bean (Vicia faba var. equina)
Horse bean is a cool weather annual and a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, mimosa, and black locust. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean…
Herbs for a Medieval Physics Garden: German Iris (Iris germanica)
Also known as bearded iris and common flag, this herbaceous perennial is native to the eastern Mediterranean and may be a natural hybrid between Iris pallida and Iris variegata. It…
Plants of the Bible: Horsebean (Vicia faba var. equina)
Horse bean is a cool weather annual and a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, mimosa, and black locust. It is native to an unidentified part…
Plants of the Bible: (Anemone coronaria)
This tuberous short-lived perennial is native to the Mediterranean and a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes delphinium, clematis, and hellebore. The poppy-like flowers lack petals but…