Plant Profile: Panda Face Ginger (Asarum maximum)
Karen Panda face ginger is a rhizomatous clump forming perennial native to China where it grows in low elevation forests. It is a member of the pipe-vine family (Aristolochiaceae) and is…
Plant Profile: Poppy Anemone (Anemone coronaria)
This tuberous short-lived perennial is native to the Mediterranean and a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) that also includes delphinium, clematis, and hellebore. The poppy-like flowers lack petals but…
Plant Profile: Common Lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata)
Also known as Bethelehem sage, this herbaceous perennial is native to France and Italy and is member of the borage family (Borageacea) along with forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.) and Siberian bugloss…
Plant Profile: Colewort (Crambe cordifolia)
A native of the Caucasus, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), along with radish, broccoli, and cabbage. It forms broad mounds of cabbage-like wrinkled, heart-shaped…
Plant Profile: Bishop’s Hat (Epimedium stellulatum ‘Wudang Star’)
Also called fairy wings and short root barrenwort, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the barberry family, Berberidaceae, and native to the Wudang Mountains of central China where it…
Book Review: Armitage’s Garden Perennials
As more and more new cultivars and varieties of plants appear each year in nurseries, selecting perennials for the garden becomes increasingly difficult. A visit to a garden center can…
Plant Profile: Leopard Plant (Ligularia dentata)
Leopard plant is a clump forming perennial in the daisy family (Asteraceae) and a native of Japan and China where it grows in moist sites. It has leathery, dark-green, kidney-shaped…
Plant Profile: Bronze Leaf Rodgersia (Rodgersia podophylla)
Rodgersia podophylla is a clump forming rhizomateous perennial native to Japan and Korea where it lives in moist soil along streams and in shaded woodlands. It is a bold plant…
Plant Profile: Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’)
Also called goutweed, this herbaceous perennial is native to Eurasia but has been introduced into the US where it is often used as a ground cover. It is a member…
Plant Profile: Aster x frikartii ‘Monch’
A hybrid of A. amellus x A thomsonii this perennial aster from Switzerland combines the large flowers of A. amellus and the long bloom time of A. thompsonii. The leaves…