Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Fig (Ficus carica)
Karen Native to the Middle East and Asia this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the mulberry family, Moraceae, that also includes banyan, breadfruit, and Osage-orange. The edible…
Plant Profile: Mezereum (Daphne mezereum)
Also known as February daphne, spurge laurel or spurge olive, this deciduous shrub is native to limestone soils in mixed woodlands of most of Europe and western Asia, north to…
Plant Profile: Chaparral Currant (Ribes malvaceum)
Endemic to California and Baja California where it grows in chaparral, foothill oak woodlands, and closed-cone pine forests, this deciduous shrub is a member of the gooseberry family, Grossulariaceae, that…
Plant Profile: White Flowering Currant (Ribes indecorum)
Also called white chaparral currant, this deciduous shrub is native to Baha California and coastal areas of California. It is a member of the currant family, Grossulariaceae, that consists of…
Plants of the Bible: Wild Jujube (Ziziphus lotus)
Also known as lotus tree, this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, and is native to the arid and semi arid areas of…
Plants of the Bible: Boxthorn (Lycium europaeum)
Also called European tea-tree, this deciduous shrub native to Mediterranean shrublands, is a member of the nightshade family, Solonaceae, that also includes tomato, eggplant, and tobacco. The spreading many branched…
Plant Profile: Christ’s Thorn (Paliurus spina-christi)
Also known as Jerusalem thorn, garland thorn, or crown of thorns, this deciduous shrub or small tree is native to the Mediterranean region and southwest and central Asia. It is…
Plant Profile: Christ’s Thorn Jujube (Zizphus spina-christi)
Christ’s thorn jujube is a shrub or small tree native to Africa, the Levant, and southern and western Asia where it grows in a variety of habitats including deserts, semi-desert…
Plants of the Bible: Camel Thorn (Alhagi maurorum)
Also known as Caspian manna, and Persian mannaplant this deciduous shrub is indigenous to temperate and tropical Eurasia and the Middle East where it grows in both wetlands and deserts.…
Plants of the Bible: Common Fig (Ficus carica)
Native to the Middle East and Asia, this large shrub or small tree is a member of the mulberry family, Moraceae, that also includes banyan, breadfruit, and Osage-orange. It grows…