Plant Profile: Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
Karen Russian olive, also known as oleaster and oil-tree, is a thorny, deciduous small tree or large shrub growing up to 23’ tall and is native to southern Europe and western…
Plant Profile: Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
Oriental bittersweet is a deciduous woody vine native to northern China, Japan and Korea growing up to 60’ tall often girlding and killing nearby shrubs and trees. It is a…
Plant Profile: Amur Privet (Ligustrum amurense)
Native to northern China this dense shrub is deciduous in cold climates, semi-deciduous in colder ones. It grows 12-15’ tall and is a member of the olive family, Oleaceae, that…
Invasive Plants and Their native Alternatives: Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila)
Siberian elm is semi-evergreen to deciduous tree growing up to 70’ tall native to northern India and China, Siberia, Mongolia, Tibet, Russian Far East and Korea. It was introduced into…
Plant Profile: Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
Also known as Japanese silverberry, Russian olive is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing 10-16’ tall and is a member of the oleaster family, Elaeagnaceae, that also includes buffalo…
Plant Profile: Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
Multiflora rose is a multi-stemmed shrub or climbing vine that is probably the parent of ramblers and the popular Polyantha roses of today. It grows five to twelve feet tall…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: European Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia)
Also known as rowan, this deciduous shrub or small tree grows up to 40’ tall and is native to light woodlands in almost all of Europe, parts of Asia, and…
Plant Profile: Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
Rose of Sharon is a vigorous deciduous shrub growing 8-10’ tall and is a member of the mallow family, Malvaceae ,that also includes okra, cotton, coffee, and hollyhock. It is…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum aka Triadica sebifera)
Chinese tallow tree is a deciduous tree growing up to 40’ tall and native to China and Japan. It was introduced in the 1700s as an ornamental valued for its…
Plant Profile: Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)
Also known as false dragonhead, this rhizomatous herbaceous perennial is native to North American and a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes mint, coleus, and lamb’s ear.…