Plants for a Plant Zoo: Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)
Karen Skunk cabbage may not be the first plant that comes to mind when considering plants for your plant zoo but it offers a lot and is ripe for consideration. Also…
Plant Profile: Giraffe Thorn (Vachellia erioloba aka Acacia erioloba)
Also known as camel thorn, this evergreen tree or shrub is native to the deep, dry sandy soils of southern Africa. It is a member of the pea family, Fabaceae,…
Plants for a Plants for a Plant Zoo: Chameleon Plant ‘Chameleon’ aka Variegata, Tricolor, ‘Court Jester” (Houttuynia cordata)
Don’t bother with the species if you want a chameleon plant in your garden as it is dull by comparison to the variegated cultivar ‘Chameleon’ aka Variegata, Tricolor, or ‘Court…
Plant Profile: Hens and Chicks (Sepervivum tectorum)
Native to the mountains of southern Europe and western Asia, this evergreen succulent perennial is a member of the stonecrop family, Crassulaceae, that also includes jade plant, kalenchoe, and Echeveria.…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Elephant Ear (Alocasia macrorrhiza)
For gorgeous foliage and a tropical look even in USDA Zone 4, try growing the tender perennial elephant ear. The gigantic upward pointing leaves are 3-6 feet long and carried…
Plant Profile: Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)
Also known as swamp cabbage, clumpfoot cabbage, foetid pothos and polecat weed, this herbaceous perennial is native to wetlands and moist slopes of eastern North America. It is a member…
Plants of Colonial Williamsburg: Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Also called Indian cress, this trailing annual is in the family Tropaeolaceae and is native to the Andes from Bolivia to Colombia. Plants grow 2-12″ tall or more with support…
Plant Profile: Canna glauca
Canna glauca is a herbaceous perennial in the Cannaceae family that is most closely related to ginger, bird of paradise, and banana. It is native to the West indies and…
Plant Profile: Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
Miner’s lettuce is a rosette-forming annual native to Western North America from British Columbia to California and Mexico where it grows is moist disturbed areas. It is a member of…
Plant Profile: Sweet Violet (Viola odorata)
Native to Europe and Asia, the sweet violet is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the plant family Violaceae, that also includes pansies and johnny jump ups. It grows 4-10″ tall…