Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus)
Karen Laurustinus is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to shrubland and wooded rocky slopes of the Mediterranean area of Europe and northern Africa. It is a very attractive plant…
Plant Profile: Greenbark Ceanothus (Ceanothus spinosus)
Also known as redheart, this evergreen shrub is native to the scrub and chaparral of the coastal strip of southern California south of San Luis Obispo County to northern Baja…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Gopher Apple (Licania michauxii aka Geobalanus oblongifolius)
If you live along the southeast coastline and want to attract the gopher tortoise, this wiry evergreen shrub provides a fruit that is favored by this very special reptile. Why…
Plant Profile: Cretan Rock Rose (Cistus creticus)
Also known as hoary rock rose and pink rock rose, this evergreen flowering shrub is a member of the Cistaceae family, a small group of shrubs and semi shrubs that…
Plant Profile: Beach Naupaka (Scaevola sericea var. taccada)
Also known as beach cabbage and sea lettuce, beach naupaka is a dense, spreading evergreen shrub growing 3-10’ tall and native to beaches and tropical coastal habitats such as salt…
Plant Profile: Cassiope ‘Edinburgh’
This dwarf alpine shrub is evergreen and native to North America. It has flexible branches that form an attractive clump covered with tiny dark green lance-shaped, overlapping leaves. The white…
Plant Profile: Scotch Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
Also called ling, this evergreen shrub is native to northern Europe and Asia. It is a member of the heath family, Ericaceae, that also includes rhododendron, blueberry, and cranberry. Plants…
Plant Profile: Escallonia (Escallonia rubra)
This native of Chile is a tough evergreen shrub with medium texture growing up to thirteen feet high. It has glossy dark green aromatic leaves and produces loose panicles of…
Plant Profile: Mexican Orange (Choisya ternate)
As it name suggests, Mexican orange is a member of the citrus family, and bears an abundance of similar, sweetly scented, white flowers but no edible fruits. The star-like flowers…
Plant Profile: Natal Plum (Carissa macrocarpa)
This evergreen shrub has shiny dark green leaves, sharp spines, and fragrant white or pink fragrant flowers that are followed by edible red fruit. The sweet cranberry flavored fruits are…