Plant Profile: California Croton (Croton californicus)
Karen Also known as desert croton, this short lived evergreen perennial or subshrub is native to the deserts and coastlines of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Baja California, where it grows…
Plant Profile: Pineleaf Beardtongue (Penstemon pinifolius)
Native to southern New Mexico and Arizona, this long-lived evergreen perennial or subshrub is a member of the plantain family, Plantaginaceae, that also includes snapdragon, turtlehead, and foxglove. The compact…
Plant Profile: Lebanon Stonecress (Aethionema coridifolium aka A. jacunda aka Iberis jacunda)
Native to the mountains of southern Turkey and Lebanon this evergreen compact subshrub is a member of the mustard family, Brassicacea, that also includes broccoli, cabbage, and asylum. It grows…
Plant Profile: Warley Rose Stonecress (Aethionema x warleyense)
This evergreen subshrub is probably a cross of A. armenum and A. grandiflorum. It is a member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that also includes broccoli, cabbage, and asylum. Plants…
Plant Profile: Persian Stonecress (Aethionema grandiflorum aka A. pulchellum)
Persian stonecress is an evergreen rounded subshrub native to eastern Turkey, the southern Caucasus, and northern Iran where it grows on limestone slopes . It is a member of the…
Plant Profile: Sticky Monkey Flower (Diplacus aurantiacus aka Mimulus aurantiacus)
Native to southwestern North America from southwestern Oregon south through most of California, to Baja California, this evergreen subshrub is a member of the lopseed family, Phrymaceae, a small family…
Perennials for Wall Gardens in Full Sun
The crevices in walls provide an opportunity to create a beautiful wall garden but also present challenges. They usually have very little soil and so can dry out or get…
Plants of Colonial Williamsburg: Rue (Ruta graveolens)
Also called herb of grace, rue is an evergreen mounding subshrub and a member of the Rutaceae family that also includes oranges, limes, and skimmia. It is native to the…
Plants of the Bible: Rue (Ruta graveolens)
Also called herb of grace, rue is an evergreen mounding subshrub native to the Balkan Peninsula where it grows on dry hillsides, often on limestone. The ancient Greeks used rue…
Genus Anemones for the Garden
The genus Anemone consists of over 120 species and is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes delphinium, clematis, and hellabore. The garden worthy species are usually…