Plant Profile: Lily of the Valley Tree (Clethra arborea)
Karen This evergreen shrub or small tree is native to the semitropical forest of Madeira and is a member of the small plant family Clethraceae that is distantly related to azaleas.…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum)
Also known as Old Man, Lad’s Love and Maiden’s Ruin, this bushy evergreen sub-shrub is native to southern Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia, and is a member of the…
Plant Profile: Winter’s Bark (Drimys winteri aka Wintera aromatica)
Also known as canelo, this evergreen large shrub or small tree is native from Tierra del Fuego to Mexico, and is a member of the Winteraceae, a primitive plant family…
Plant Profile: Japanese Skimmia (Skimmia japonica)
Native to Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, this evergreen shrub is a member of the citrus family, Rutaceae, that also includes rue, curry tree, and boronia. The plant grows up…
Plant Profile: Sweet Box (Sarcococca confusa)
The evergreen shrub is a member of the boxwood family, Buxaceae, and probably native to western China. It grows 3-5′ tall and wide, is densely branched and has glossy leathery,…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis)
Also known as bay laural, this aromatic evergreen shrub or small tree is native to the Mediterranean region and a member of the laurel family, Lauraceae, that also includes sassafras,…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Myrtle (Myrtus commmunis)
This upright evergreen shrub or small tree is native to southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, Macaronesia, and the Indian Subcontinent. It is a member of the Myrtaceae family that…
Plant Profile: Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora aka Dermatophyllum secundiflorum)
Also called mescal bean, this evergreen multi-trunked shrub or small tree is native to brushy slopes and open plains of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. It is a member of…
Plant Profile: Coyotillo (Karwinskia humboldtiana)
Native to the prairies, plains, meadows, pastures, and savannas of southern and western Texas as well as much of Mexico, this evergreen shrub or small tree is a member of…
Plant Profile: Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)
This evergreen shrub or small tree is native to the desert chaparral areas of the Mohave desert, coastal California, Baja California and Baja California Sur and is a member of…