Plant Profile: Spring Adonis (Adonis vernalis)
Karen Native to dry grasslands of Europe and Asia, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes anemone, delphinium, and hellebore. The plant forms a…
Plant Profile: Widow’s Iris (Iris tuberosa aka Hermodactylus tuberosus)
Also called snake’s-head, black iris, and velvet flower-de-luce, this herbaceous perennial is native to the Mediterranean region and a member of the iris family, Iridaceae, that also includes crocus, gladiolus,…
Plant Profile: Sternbergia candida
Native to the edges of cedar woods in south-west turkey, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the Amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, that also includes agapanthus, daffodils and onion. The plant…
Plant Profile: Spring Starflower (Ipheion uniflorum aka Brodiaea uniflora aka Triteleia uniflora)
Also known as springstar, Mexican star and starlikes, this herbaceous perennial is native to Argentina and Uruguay and is a member of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, that also includes onion,…
Poisonous Plants: Red Bugbane (Actaea rubra)
This herbaceous perennial is native to shady areas with moist to wet soils of most of North America except the southeast US (from Virginia to Texas). It is a member…
Plant Profile: Nippon Daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum aka Chrysanthemum nipponicum)
Also called Montauk daisy and Japanese chrysanthemum, this deciduous flowering sub-shrub is native to cliffs and rocky sites in the coastal regions of Japan and is a member of the…
Plant Profile: Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum)
Also known as David’s harp, and ladder-to-heaven, this rhizomatous herbaceous perennial is native to Europe and temperate Asia. It is in the asparagus family, Asparagaceae, that also includes yucca, hosta,…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Garlic (Allium sativum)
Native to central Asia and northeastern Iran, garlic is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, that also includes onion, leek, and shallot. It was cultivated…
Plant Profile: Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
Native to moist rich woodlands of eastern North America and the Columbia Basin in the Pacific Northwest, this herbaceous perennial is a spring ephemeral and a member of the fumitory…
Plant Profile: “Headbourne Hybrid’ Agapanthus (Agapanthus x “Headbough Hybrids’)
These rhizomatous perennials are hybrids that include in their parentage A. campanulatus, A. inapertus, A. praecox, and probably some others. They are members of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, that also…