Plant Profile: Statice (Limonium sinuatum)
Karen Also known as sea lavender, sea pink, and notch leaf marsh rosemary, this tender short-lived perennial is often grown as an annual, and is a member of the leadwort family,…
Plant Profile: Larkspur (Consolida ajacis aka C. ambigua)
Also called doubtful knight’s spur and rocket larkspur, this cool weather annual is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. It is in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes…
Plant Profile: Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus)
This Mediterranean native is a thistle-like tender perennial and a member of the Aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and artichoke. Plants form an impressive 3′ tall clump…
Plant Profile: Mountain Spinach (Atriplex hortensis)
Also known as orache, this annual is a member of the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae, that also includes beets, quinoa, and lamb’s quarters. It is native to Asia and Euroe and…
Garden Plants for Flower Arrangements: Giant Sea Holly (Eryngium giganteum)
Giant sea holly is a short lived herbaceous perennial often considered a biennial, and is native to the Caucasus and Iran. The first year it produces a basal rosette of…
Plant Profile: Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’)
Also called goutweed, this herbaceous perennial is native to Eurasia but has been introduced into the US where it is often used as a ground cover. It is a member…
Plant Profile: Knapweed (Centaurea macrocephala)
Also known as hardheads, this vigorous perennial is native to the Caucasus and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. A relative of…
Plant Profile: Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum)
A native of Greece and western Asia, the opium poppy is the oldest poppy in cultivation, dating back to ancient Sumerian times, 4000 BC. The ancient Minoans, 2000-1450 BC, made…
Plant Profile: Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica)
A native of Europe and western Asia, sneezewort is a rhizomaceous perennial that spreads and naturalizes if the soil is good. It is a membet of the aster family, Asteraceae,…
Plant Profile: Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
The sacred lotus, also known as Indian lotus, is an aquatic perennial native to tropical Asia and Australia. It is one of two extant species in the Nelumbonaceae family and…