Plant Profile: Japanese Iris (Iris ensata syn. kaemperi)
Karen The Japanese have spent over 500 years breeding this beardless iris and have created a spectacular flower that are very different from those of the more familiar German or Siberian…
Plant Profile: Purple Rock Cress (Aubrieta deltoidea)
A wildflower native to the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, purple rock cress is a member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that also includes cabbage, broccoli, and stock. It grows 4-6″…
Perennial of the Year (2011) :Arkansas Blue Star (Amsonia hubrichtii)
Arkansas Blue Star (Amsonia hubrichtii) has been named the Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association, a trade organization established to promote the use and sale of…
Plant Profile: Basket-of-Gold (Aurinia saxatilis)
A native of central and southeastern Europe, basket-of-gold is an evergreen perennial also known as yellow alyssum, madwort, goldentuft, and gold-dust. It is a member of the cabbage family, Brassicaceae,…
Plant Profile: Jack-in-the Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Jack-in-the Pulpit is a herbaceous perennial in the arum family, Araceae, that also includes skunk cabbage, calla lily, and elephant ear. It is native to eastern North America where is…
Plant Profile: Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis)
This is one of those plants that has a certain aura because of its association with the “doctrine of signatures”, a belief that links the shape of a plant with…
Plant Profile: Arkansas Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii)
I bought my first Arkansas bluestar at a Master Gardener’s Fall plant sale. It was a puny little plant but since I had never had one but had always heard…
Plant Profile: Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata)
admin Envision a gently flowing brook under trees newly leafed out in spring with a mass of fragrant blue flowers blowing in the breeze underneath. Those blue flowers could be Wild…
Plant Profile: Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica)
A carpet of Virginia Bluebells in spring is a magnificent sight! These clump forming native plants colonize and naturalize readily providing beauty to a woodland garden for about 3 weeks…
Plant Profile: Grecian Windflower (Anemone blanda)
Native to southeastern Europe, Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria Grecian windflower is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes delphinium, clematis, and hellebore. The plants grow…