Plant Profile: Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia sphaerocarpa)
Karen Yellow wild indigo is a herbaceous perennial native to south-central US from Missouri south to Alabama, and west to Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas where it grows in prairies, meadows and…
Genus Eryngium (Sea Holly) for the Garden
Sea hollies are unique looking annuals, biennials, or perennial plants. The leaves are generally hairless, stiff, and spiny. The small green, white or blue flowers are usually carried in dense…
Plant Profile: Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia)
Also known as false heather and elfin herb, this small evergreen sub-shrub is native to Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. It is a member of the loosestrife family, Lythraceae, that also…
Book Review: Crepe Paper Flowers
Crepe paper flower are making a comeback and Lia Griffith’s book, Crepe Paper Flowers, and an excellent guide to making your own. Griffith introduces readers to the different kinds of…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Pignut ( Conopodium denudatum aka Bunium flexusosum)
Pignut ( Conopodium denudatum), also called earthnut, is an herbaceous perennial in the carrot family, Apiaceae, that includes parsley, dill, and Queen Anne’s lace. It is a common weed in…
Plant Profile: Largeflower Valerian (Valeriana pauciflora)
This herbaceous perennial is native to Eastern US from Pennsylvania west to Illinois and south to include Maryland, Tennessee and West Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama where it grows in moist…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
A native of Australia, Tasmanian blue gum has naturalized in coastal grasslands and shrublands, riparian areas and moist slopes of California. It was introduced there in the mid 1800s partially…
Plant Profile: Roundheaded Bushclover (Lespedeza capitata)
This herbaceous perennnial is a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupine, mimosa, and black locust. It is native to priaires, meadows, glades, and waste areas such…
Book Review: From Seed to Sunflower
Written for children in grades 1 and 2, Camilla de la Bedoyere’s book From Seed to Sunflower describes the life cycle of the sunflower plant from seed to flowering plant…
Summer Blooming Blue Perennials for the Garden
As the big splash of spring flowers comes to an end and spring ebbs into summer the challenge of bringing color to the shade garden changes. Blue flowers are always…