Plant Profile: Dyer’s Broom (Genista tinctoria)
Karen Also known as dyer’s greenwood, dyer’s whin, waxen woad, and waxen wood, this deciduous shrub is native to meadows and pastures in southern Europe and Turkey. It is a member…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Gallic Rose (Rosa gallica)
Rosa gallica is probably the oldest rose in existence. Native to southern and central Europe, it was first domesticated by the ancient Greeks and Romans and most modern roses can…
Plants of the Bible: Tatarian orachea (Atriplex tatarica)
Native to saline and alkaline deserts of central and southern Europe to western and eastern Asia, this annual shrub is a member of the Amaranthaceae family that also includes spinach,…
Plants of the Bible: Camel Thorn (Alhagi maurorum)
Also known as Caspian manna, and Persian mannaplant this deciduous shrub is indigenous to temperate and tropical Eurasia and the Middle East where it grows in both wetlands and deserts.…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Native Americans smoked it in ceremonial pipes, modern Americans use it for many things from treating urinary tract problems to skin lightening, but bearberry is most valued as an outstanding…
Plant Profile: Lion’s Tail (Leonotis leonurus)
A semi-deciduous shrub, lion’s tail is native to damp grasslands of South Africa and southern Africa, and is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, that also includes basil, adjuga,…
Plant Profile: Rhinoceros Bush (Elytropappus rhinocerotis aka Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis)
Chuck Endemic to South Africa, this shrub or small tree is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. It has a deep taproot and…
Plant Profile: Boxthorn (Lycium europeaum)
Also called European tea-tree, this deciduous shrub native to Mediterranean shrublands, is a member of the nightshade family, Solonaceae, that also includes tomato, eggplant, and tobacco. The spreading many branched…