Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine: Cherry Cider
Karen Apple and cherry flavors go well together and my paternal grandmother, Helen S. Wright included both in a list of ingredients for cherry cider in her 1909 book, Old Time…
Plant Profile: California Coffee Berry (Frangula californica aka Rhamnus californica)
Native to California, southwestern Oregon, Arizona and Baja California, this large evergreen shrub grows in open woodland, brush canyon sides, and chaparral. It is a member of the buckthorn family,…
Book Review: Chile Peppers: A Global History
Karen Meyers Food historian and author, Dave DeWitt, presents a history of chili peppers from their origin and domestication to their spread and use around the world. Using a variety of sources…
Weeds and Their Control: Bathhurst Burr (Xanthium spinosusm)
Also known as prickly burweed and spiny cocklebur, bathhurst burr is an annual and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes sunflower, yarrow, and lettuce. It is…
Plant Profile: Hollyleaf Redberry (Rhamnus ilicifolia)
This evergreen shrub is native to western North American where it grows in chaparral and wooded areas in Oregon, California, Baja California and Arizona. It is a member of the…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Buffalo-Bur (Solanum rostratum)
Buffalo-bur is one prickly hombre so if you what a plant that will provide challenges, it is perfect for a plant zoo. The stems are covered with long, sharp yellow…
Plant Profile: Bunchleaf Penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus)
Also known as foothills penstemon and foothills beardtongue, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is endemic to California where it grows in grassland, chaparral, and forests of all of the major coastal…
Book Review: The Value of Weeds
In her book, The Value of Weeds, author Ann Cliff explores the beneficial potential of weeds and how we can use them. She begins with a discussion of the many…
Poisonous Plants: Rosary Pea (Abrus precatorius)
Rosary pea is an evergreen woody vine native to warm temperate to tropical regions of India and Asia but has been introduced in Florida as an ornamental where it has…
Plant Profile: Black Sage (Salvia mellifera)
Native to California, Baja, and Mexico, this semi-deciduous shrub is common in the coastal sage scrub and chaparral of Southern California. It is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae,…