Plant Profile: Diascia fetcaniensis
Karen This sprawling, semi-evergreen perennial is native to South Africa and is a member of the figwort family, Scrophylariaceae, that also includes butterfly bush, mullein, and nemesia. It grows up 10-…
Plant Profile: Common Sunflower (Helianthus annus)
Although there are many perennial sunflowers there is only one annual that is garden worthy but that one has dozens of cultivars and is very popular. A native of western…
Plant Profile: Hybrid Japanese Anemone (Anemone x hybrida)
Hybrid Japanese anemone is a herbaceous perennial often sold as A, japonica. It is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes delphinium, clamatis, and hellebore. Plants form…
Plant Profile: Perennial Flax (Linum perenne)
Native to Europe, this semi-evergreen short-lived perennial is a member of the flax family, Linaceae, that includes 250 species. It grows 1-2′ tall from a deep taproot and has thin…
Plant Profile: Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)
This clump-forming herbaceous perennial is a native of central and eastern North America from Ontario and Quebec south to Florida and Louisiana, and west to Oklahoma and Iowa where it…
Plant Profile: Willowleaf Sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius)
Willowleaf sunflower is a clump forming perennial native to south-central US, primarily in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas where it grows in limestone prairies and rocky outcrops. It is a…
Plant Profile: Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Native to southern Italy, this short-lived perennial is a member of the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, that also includes pinks, baby’s breath, and chickweed. The spreading plants form mats of densely…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Larkspur (Consolida ajacis aka C. ambigua) “Mary’s Tears’
Karen Meyers The name “Mary’s Tears” is derived from the resemblance of the droplet-shaped larkspur flowers to tears and is associated with the sorrow and compassion of Mary especially during the Passion…
Plant Profile: Quaking Grass (Briza media)
Native to meadows and pastures of Europe and Asia, this creeping perennial grass is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes wheat, rice, and bamboo. It is…
Plant Profile: Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)
Also called noble goldenrod, this rhizomatous herbaceous perennial is native to central and eastern US where it grows in open woods and fields. It is a member of the aster…