Plant Profile: Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’)
Karen Like most conifers, blue Atlas cedar is evergreen and produces cones. It is a tall handsome tree native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco and closely related to…
Botany for Gardeners: Taxonomy – Classes of Flowering Plants, Monocots and Dicots
The plants that dominate the world today are known as flowering plants because of their method of reproduction. They produce ovules (flower eggs) that are completely contained within the ovary…
Plant Profile: Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Native to central and southeastern United States, this deciduous tree is a member of the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that also includes maple and lychee. The tree grows up to 70′…
Book Review: Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation
Andrea Wulf’s book, Founding Gardeners, is a unique work that appeals to the history buff as well as the gardener. It examines the lives of the founding fathers to show…
Weeds and Their Control: Pepperweed (Lepidium virginicum)
Peppercorn is an annual native to North American and found all over the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. A relative of the mustard family it is related to broccoli,…
Plant Profile: Corn Plant ( Dracaena fragrans)
A member of the Agave family, corn plant is native to tropical Africa where it is used as fence posts. The plant has rough-textured multiple stems that grow up to…
How to Plant Trees or Shrubs in Wet or Clay Soils
Chuck Naturally wet or clay soils can have a severe problem with drainage and planting most trees or shrubs in these locations will usually result in the plant dying unless it’s…
Plant Profile: Yew Pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus)
Native to southern Japan and southern and eastern China, this evergreen shrub or small tree is also called Buddhist pine and yew plum pine but is neither a pine nor…
Book Review: Groundhog Day!
Books about holidays are very appealing to children and a good way to teach them about the traditions that play a role in our culture. Gail Gibbons book, Groundhog Day!,…
Weeds and Their Control: Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum)
Black nightshade is a native of Europe and Asia but is found in the United States primarily along the West Coast. It is an annual or short-lived perennial that grows…