Genus Witch Hazels for the Garden (Hamamelis spp)
Karen Witch hazels, Hamamelis spp., are deciduous shrubs or small trees native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. They are in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, that also includes lorpetalum,…
Plant Profile: Purple Anise (Illicium floridanum aka I. mexicanum)
Also known as Florida anise tree and poison bay, this broadleaf evergreen shrub is a member of the starvine family, Schisandraceae, consisting of 3 genera and 92 species. It is…
Genus: Clethra for the Garden
Clethra is a genus 75 species of flowering shrubs and small trees in the Clethraceae plant family, in the order Ericales that includes azaleas. There are two recognized species native…
Drought Tolerant Plants: Annuals and Perennials with Blue, Lavender and Purple Flowers
Water is essential for plant growth but plants vary greatly in their need for it. Since the amount of water on earth is finite but the demand is not, we…
Plant Profile: Fraser’s Sedge (Carex fraseriana)
Also known as lily leaf sedge, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is endemic to the southern Appalachian mountains and a member the Cyperaceae, a plant family of over 2,000 species that…
Plant Profile: Mountain Pepperbush (Clethra acuminata)
Also known as cinnamon pepperbush, this deciduous shrub or small tree is native to the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern US. It grows up to 8-20′ tall and has an…
Plant Profile: Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum)
Also known as clammy azalea, and swamp honeysuckle, this flowering deciduous shrub is native to the wetlands of eastern and southern US and a member of the heath family, Ericaceae,…
Plant Profile: False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)
This deciduous shrub is native to North America from eastern Canada throughout much of the US and into northern Mexico, where it grows along stream and pond edges, moist open…
Genus: Illicium for the Garden
Illicium is a genus of 40- 50 species of broadleaf evergreen shrubs and small trees and belong to the the starvine family, Schisandraceae. They are found principally in east and…
Poisonous Plants: Red Bugbane (Actaea rubra)
This herbaceous perennial is native to shady areas with moist to wet soils of most of North America except the southeast US (from Virginia to Texas). It is a member…