Book Review: Flower School
Karen Meyers Calvert Crary’s book, Flower School, is a philosophical guide to flower arranging that urges the reader to take joy in the process of making arrangement and experiment often. The book…
Poisonous Plants: Pokeweed (Phytolaccaceae americana)
Karen Pokeweed, also called inkberry and scoke, is a herbaceous perennial native to eastern United States, the Midwest, and the Gulf Coast where it grows in open woods, thickets and disturbed…
Plant Profile: Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus)
Also known as rock poppy, wartwort, tetterwort, nipplewort, and swallowwort, this herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial is native to Europe and western Asia but has been introduced as an ornamental…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Giant Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica ?)
A fresco in the House of the Golden Bracelet shows a vine with heart shaped leaves and white trumpet-shaped flowers. This plant has been identified by some scholars as a…
Plant Profile: Sky Lupine (Lupinus nanus)
Also known as field lupine, dwarf lupine, ocean-blue lupine and Douglas’ annual lupine, this native of western US grows on slopes and open or disturbed areas of California, Nevada, and…
Book Review: Celia Planted a Garden
Phyllis Root and Gary Schmidt introduce young readers to the life of Celia Laughton Thaxter, New England poet, artist, gardener, and nature lover, in their book, Celia Planted a Garden.…
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects: Suckering Shadbush (Amelanchier canadensis)
Suckering shadbush is a deciduous, multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree native to eastern North America from Canada to Alabama. It is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that…
Plant Profile: Peyote (Lophophora williamsii)
Also called mescal button, this spineless cactus is native to southern Texas and northern Mexico, and is a member of the cactus family, Cactaceae, that also includes prickly pear and…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Lentil (Lens culinaris aka Lens esculenta)
Lentil is an annual and a member of the bean family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, alfalfa, and black locust. It was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent by 6,000…
Plant Profile: Greenbark Ceanothus (Ceanothus spinosus)
Also known as redheart, this evergreen shrub is native to the scrub and chaparral of the coastal strip of southern California south of San Luis Obispo County to northern Baja…