Plant Profile: Ferula galbaniflua aka F. glummosa
Karen 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…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)
Attract ruby-throated hummingbirds, bumblebees and Baltimore checkerspot butterflies by adding a clump of this perennial with its flowers that resemble the head of a turtle peering out of its shell.…
Plants of the Bible: Tumble Thistle (Guendelia tournefortii)
Native to the semi-desert areas of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle-East this herbaceous perennial is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow and lettuce.…
Genus: Sisyrinchium (Blue-Eyed Grass) for the garden
Sisyrinchium is a genus of of about 200 species of annuals and herbaceous perennials native to the New World. The plants are not grasses and are in the iris family,…
Plant Profile: Western Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)
Native to moist grassy areas and woodlands of California and Oregon west of the Sierra Nevada, this semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial is not a true grass but is in the iris…
Plant Profile: Common Rush (Juncus effusus)
Also known as soft rush and mat rush, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the rush family, Juncaceae, that includes plants resembling sedges and grasses. Common rush is native…
Genus: Arenaria for the Garden
Arenaria, often known as sandwort, is a genus of over 210 species of flowering plants in the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, that also includes, pinks, baby’s breath, and chickweed. The genus…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Wolfsbane (Aconitum napellus)
Wolfbane has a long a interesting history. According to legend aconite grew on the hill where Hercules fought Cerberus, the three headed dog that guarded the underworld. The dog’s spittle…
Plant Profile: Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Also known as scouring rush, this is a herbaceous perennial that bears spores rather than seeds and is more closely related to ferns than to seed bearing or flowering plants.…