Plant Profile: Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus)
Karen Native to shrubland and wooded rocky slopes of the Mediterranean area of Europe and northern Africa, this evergreen shrub or small tree is a member of the moschatel family, Adoxaceae,…
Plant Profile: Menzies’Goldenbush (Isocoma menziesii)
This semi evergreen subshrub is native to sandy soils of California, Baja California, and Baha California Sur where it grows in areas such as coastal strand and coastal sage scrub.…
Plant Profile: Crisp Dune Mint (Monardella crispa)
This rare herbaceous perennial is endemic to California where it grows on unstable sand dunes along the coastline of San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara Counties. It is a…
Book Review: OMFG, Bees!
Karen Meyers In spite of its irreverent name, OMFG, Bees!, Matt Kracht’s book is full of good information on bees. Covering a wide variety of topics about bees, Kracht manages to entertain…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus)
Laurustinus is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to shrubland and wooded rocky slopes of the Mediterranean area of Europe and northern Africa. It is a very attractive plant…
Plant Profile: Indian Tobacco (Lobelia inflata)
Also known as puke weed, this herbaceous annual or biennial is native to eastern North America from southeastern Canada, south to Alabama and west to Kansas, where it grows in…
Plant Profile: Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora aka Dermatophyllum secundiflorum)
Also called mescal bean, this evergreen multi-trunked shrub or small tree is native to brushy slopes and open plains of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. It is a member of…
Plant Profile: Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
Native to moist rich woodlands of eastern North America and the Columbia Basin in the Pacific Northwest, this herbaceous perennial is a spring ephemeral and a member of the fumitory…
Plant Profile: Stinging Lupine (Lupinus hirsutissimus)
Native to dry rocky slopes of the coastal mountains of California and Baja California, this herbaceous annual is a member of the legume family, Fabaceae, that also includes beans, mimosa,…
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…