Poisonous Plants: Pokeweed (Phytolaccaceae americana)
Karen Pokeweed, also called inkberry and scoke, is a herbaceous perennial native to eastern United States, the Midwest, and the Gulf Coast where it grows in open woods, thickets and disturbed…
Plants that Attract Beneficial Insects: Colorado Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea/ coerulea)
This herbaceous perennial is native to the Rocky Mountain states from Montana to Arizona and New Mexico where it grows in rich, moist, well-drained soil It is a member of…
Plant Profile: Butterfly Mariposa (Calochortus venustus)
This herbaceous perennial is endemic to California where it grows in sandy soils of grasslands and open wooded areas of the mountains and foothills. It is a member of the…
Poisonous Plants: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Also known as Canada puccoon, bloodwort, redroot, red puccoon, Indian paint, and black paste, bloodroot is a member of the poppy family, Papaveraceae, that also includes bleeding heart, greater celandine,…
Plant Profile: Cardinal Catchfly (Silene laciniata)
Also known as fringed Indian pink and Mexican campion, this herbaceous perennial is native to northern Mexico and southwestern US from California to Texas and is a member of the…
Poisonous Plants: Common Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum)
Also known as eagle fern, bracken is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the Dennstaedtiaceae family that includes 10 genera and 240 species of ferns. It is one of…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides)
As the gooseneck-shaped spikes of tiny white flowers emerge in late spring and fill the garden bed, the playful, rambuctious, whimsical behavior of the plant bursts forth. Like a naughty…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus)
With its feathery plumes of tiny cream colored flowers moving gracefully over dark green leaves this shrub-like herbaceous perennial makes a beautiful presence in a woodland setting, beside a stream…
Plant Profile: Ferula galbaniflua aka F. glummosa
Native to the mountains of Iran and Turkmenistan, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the parsley family, Apiaceae, that also includes carrots, celery, and poison hemlock. Growing from a…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Toad Flax (Linaria vulgaris)
Toad flax might not be the star of the show in any garden but it adds a lot of charm even growing in lean dry soil. True, it is a…