Common Diseases of Tomato and Their Control: Late Blight
Karen Meyers The fungus-like water mold, Phytophthora infestans, causes late blight in tomatoes and potatoes as well as in some other members of the nightshade family, Solonaceae. It appears first as dark…
Plant Profile: False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)
Karen This deciduous shrub is native to North America from eastern Canada throughout much of the US and into northern Mexico, where it grows along stream and pond edges, moist open…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
The sacred lotus is an aquatic perennial native to Asia and cultivated in China for over 3000 years for its ornamental, medicinal, and culinary value. Although an exotic in Italy,…
Plant Profile: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tarvida’
Hydrangea paniculata is a deciduous woody shrub growing up to 12′ tall. It is native to eastern and southern China, Japan, Sakhalin, Taiwan, and Kuril Island and belongs to the…
Book Review: The Very Hungary Caterpillar
Eric Carle’s book, The Very Hungary Caterpillar, follows the life of a caterpillar from egg to butterfly with a focus on all the eating the caterpillar must do to pull…
Genus: Illicium for the Garden
Illicium is a genus of 40- 50 species of broadleaf evergreen shrubs and small trees and belong to the the starvine family, Schisandraceae. They are found principally in east and…
Plant Profile: Sweet Box (Sarcococca confusa)
The evergreen shrub is a member of the boxwood family, Buxaceae, and probably native to western China. It grows 3-5′ tall and wide, is densely branched and has glossy leathery,…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Cucumus (Cucumber and Melons)
The genus Cucumis is in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, and includes at least two species valued by the ancient Romans for food: cucumber (Cucumis sativus,) and muskmellons (C. melo). Plant…
Plant Profile: Littleleaf Lilac ‘Superba’ (Syringa pubescens subsp microphylla ‘Superba’)
Native to China, this flowering deciduous shrub is a member of the olive family, Oleaceae, that also includes privet, jasmine and forsythia. The shrub is bushy, grows up to 7′…
Book Review: The Oxford Companion to Beer
The Oxford Companion to Beer is an encyclopedic work covering every subject related to beer. Drawing on the expertise of 166 beer experts from more than a twenty countries, Editor…