Wildflowers: Poppies Native to the Midwest
Karen Meyers The common name, poppy, can refer to many different plants some of which are considered true poppies, while others resemble poppies but are not even in the same plant family.…
Plant Profile: Bitter Apple (Solanum incanum)
Karen Known by many common names including thorn apple, bitter tomato, apple of Sodom, and bitterball, this tropical perennial is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle east, eastwards to India.…
Plant Profile: Northern Wolfsbane (Aconitum lycoctonum)
This herbaceous perennial is is native to Europe and parts of western Asia, where it grows in woodlands and moist meadows between the lowlands and the subalpine zone. It is…
Plant Profile: Yellow Monkshood (Aconitum anthora)
Also called anthora, yellow helmet flower, hanging wolfsbane, and healing wolfsbane, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes delphinium, anemone, and hellebore.…
Plant Profile: Daphne x burkwoodii
This semi evergreen to deciduous shrub is the result of a cross between D. caucasica and D. cneorum and is a member of the Thymelaeaceae, a plant family of just…
Plant Profile: Winter Daphne (Daphne odora)
Native to southern China, Vietnam and Taiwan, this broadleaf evergreen shrub is a member of the Thymelaeaceae, a plant family of just under 900 species, most of which are unfamiliar…
Weeds and Their Control: Spotted Spurge (Euphorbia maculata aka Chamaesyce maculata)
Also known as spotted sandmat, milk-purslane, and prostrate spurge, this summer annual weed is native to North America where it is found in all 48 contiguous states growing in gardens,…
Weeds and Their Control: Virginia Copperleaf (Acalpha virginica aka A. digyneia)
Also known as mercuryweed, threeseeded mercury, and wax balls, this summer annual is a member of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that also includes poinsettia , croton, and caster oil plant.…
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…
Plant Profile: Algerian Iris (Iris unguicularis aka I. stylosa)
Also known as winter iris, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is native to north Africa, Greece, Turkey and Syria. It is a member of the iris family, Iridaceae, that also includes…