Plant Profile: Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala)
Karen Also known as eightpetal mountain-avens, creeping oak, white dryas, or white dryad, this prostate evergreen subshrub is a circumpolar species found in the arctic tundra of northern Eurasia and North…
Plant Profile: Copper Alocasia (Alocasia cuprea)
Native to the Borneo and Malaya, this tender herbaceous perennial is a member of the arum family (Arceae) that also includes jack in the pulpit, skunk cabbage, caladium, and peace…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines: Lemon Wine
Although not common, lemon wine does have its enthusiasts and the Internet has at least several recipes for making it. My paternal grandmother, Helen S. Wright, in her book Old…
Plant Profile: Large-leaved Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus)
Also called many-leaved lupine, blue-pod lupine, marsh lupine, and Washington lupine, this herbaceous perennial is native to western North America from southern Alaska and British Columbia east to Quebec and…
Edible Mushrooms: Jew’s Ear Mushroom (Auricularia auricula-judae aka Hirneola polytricha)
Jew’s ear, also called wood ear and jelly ear, grows in deciduous and coniferous woodlands in the warmer parts of the northern temperate zones. It lives on dead or living…
Plant Profile: Golden Bell Clematis (Clematis tangutica)
Also called orange-peel clematis, Russian virgin’s bower, and tube-flowered clematis, this herbaceous climbing vine is native to forests, open areas, and riparian area in central to northwestern China. It is…
Plant Profile: Lavender Cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus aka S. incana)
This semi-woody sub-shrub up to 2′ tall is native to the western and central Mediterranean area and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae that also includes daisy, yarrow,…
Plant Profile: Corsican Sandwort (Arenaria balearica)
This creeping evergreen perennial is native to the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia and mainland Italy and is a member of the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, that also includes, pinks, baby’s breath,…
Weeds and Their Control: Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
Common groundsel is a summer annual and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, dandelion, and lettuce. it is native to Europe, northern Asia, and parts…
Plant Profile: Common Thrift (Armeria maritima)
Also called sea pink, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the plumbago family, Plumbaginaceae, that also includes leadwort (Ceratostigma) and statice (Limonium). It is native to the Mediterranean area…