Plants for a Plant Zoo: Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
Karen One of the earliest shrubs to bloom is pussy willow and the arrival of its fuzzy catkins renews the spirit like nothing else. Long before the first bloom appears, however,…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Woodbine (Lonicera periclymenum) Our Lady’s Fingers
Karen Meyers The link between woodbine and the Virgin Mary rests on the physical characteristics of the plant and Christian legend. The tubular flowers resemble slender fingers and may symbolize Mary’s gentle…
Plant Profile: Rocky Mountain Flowering Raspberry (Rubus deliciosus)
Also known as delicious raspberry, boulder raspberry and snowy bramble, this deciduous shrub or vine is native to Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and the Oklahoma Panhandle. It is a member…
Plant Profile: Arrowwood (Viburnum dentata)
Native to grasslands, woodlands, marshes, swamps and shores of rivers and lakes from Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Texas, this deciduous shrub is a member of the moschatel…
Weeds and Their Control: Yellow Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus)
Yellow rabbitbrush is a rounded deciduous shrub and member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, sagebrush, and lettuce. It is native to western North America and can…
Weeds and their Control: Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)
Smooth sumac is spreading deciduous shrub and a member of the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that also includes smoke tree, mango, and poison ivy. It is native to northeastern US, occurs…
Plant Profile: Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Native to swamps, woodland clearings, wetland forests, and outcroppings in eastern North America from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, south to northern Florida, Alabama and Arkansas, this deciduous shrub…
Plant Profile: Smooth Alder (Alnus serrulata)
Also known as tag alder, brookside alder, and hazel alder, this deciduous shrub or small tree is native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick south…
Plant Profile: Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
This deciduous holly is native to eastern North America from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, south to Alabama where it grows in wetlands such as bogs, swamps, and along…
Plant Profile: Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora aka Linnaea × grandiflora)
This broadleaf ever-green to deciduous shrub is a hybrid from A. chinensis and A. uniflora. It is a member of the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, that also includes weigela, pincushion flower…