According to the Bible, Mary made several significant journeys in her adult life that could have involved a resting place along the way: to the hill country of Judea to…
Native to Japan and north-central China, this evergreen herbaceous perennial also called carpet box, is a member of the boxwood family, Buxaceae. It grows 8-12″ tall from a rhizomateous root…
Also called African daisy, this native to South Africa and Mozambique is a spreading tender perennial that has become naturalized on the shores of the Mediterranean and is now considered…
The name “Madonna’s Milk” for Lamium maculatum probably arose from Christian folklore and medieval plant symbolism. The white markings on the leaves of spotted dead nettle probably suggested drops of…
This evergreen prostrate annual or biennial is native to southern Africa, Sinai, Canary Islands, and southern Europe where it grows on cliffs, coastal bluffs, sand dunes and disturbed areas. It…
The connection between heather and the Virgin Mary is obscure and speculative. Most of the legends about heather come from areas where it grows abundantly, such as Scotland, Ireland, and…
Also known as cucumberleaf sunflower, and East Coast dune sunflower, this short-lived tender perennial is a native of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the US where it grows in…
Also known as beach sand verbena and purple sand verbena, this tender perennial is often grown as an annual and is a member of the four o’clock family, Nyctaginaceae, that…
Also known as sweetscented bedstraw, this herbaceous perennial is native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa. It is a member of the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that also includes gardenia and…
Also known as redwood ivy, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is a member of the barberry family, Berberidaceae, that also includes nandina, mahonia, and epimedium. It is native to northwestern California…
Karen Meyers 
Karen