Plant Profile: Buffalo Grass (Buchloe dactyloides)
Karen This warm season perennial short grass is native to North America where it is a component of the short grass prairie. It is a member of the grass family, Poaceae,…
Plant Profile: Bunny Tail Grass(Lagurus ovatus)
Also known as Turk’s head grass and hare’s tail grass, this fine textured grass is a native of Mediterranean shores and a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Rhinoceros Bush (Elytropappus rhinocerotis aka Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis)
Somebody thought this shrub or small tree had a connection with the ear of a rhinocerous, or so the common name and specific epithet suggest. The specific epithet, rhinocerotis, comes…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Pheasant’s Breast (Aloe variegata aka Gonialoe variegata)
This tender evergreen succulent is also known as tiger aloe so can join the cat or bird parts of a plant zoo. The stripes on the leaves beg for inclusion…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides)
As the gooseneck-shaped spikes of tiny white flowers emerge in late spring and fill the garden bed, the playful, rambuctious, whimsical behavior of the plant bursts forth. Like a naughty…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus)
With its feathery plumes of tiny cream colored flowers moving gracefully over dark green leaves this shrub-like herbaceous perennial makes a beautiful presence in a woodland setting, beside a stream…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Hog Peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata)
Hog peanut is an unusual vine because it has two kinds of flowers and two kinds of fruits. The upper flowers are produced in 2″ long clusters of 2-15 in…
Plants for a Zoo Garden: Giraffe Thorn (Vachellia erioloba aka Acacia erioloba)
Armed with 3″ long thorns, this evergreen tree or shrub presents a great opportunity to introduce children to the unusual feeding habits of the giraffe. Yup, a giraffe can feed…
Plant Profile: Lambstongue Ragwort (Senecio integerrimus)
Native to grassland, shrublands, and forests of western and central North American this herbaceous biennial or perennial is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow,…
Plants For A Plant Zoo: Leopard’s Bane (Doronicum caucasicum aka Doronicum orientalis)
The profusion of yellow, daisy-like flowers of this herbaceous perennial are welcome in spring and can brighten a shady spot in the garden while it sparks the imagination of little…