Plant Profile: Alpine Aster (Aster alpinus)
Karen Alpine aster is a shot-lived herbaceous perennial native to Canada, US, and the mountains of Europe including the Alps and the Pyrenees. It is a member of the Asteraceae family…
Plant Profile: Silver Mound Artemesia (Artemesia schmidtiana)
Silver mound is a semi-evergreen perennial native to Japan and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisies, sunflowers, and lettuce. The species is rarely seen but…
Plant Profile: Mediterranean Spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites)
Also called donkey tail, this succulent perennial is native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor where it is found in grassy and rocky areas. It is a member of the…
Plant Profile: Grayleaf Cranebill (Geranium cinereum)
Also called ashy cranebill, this semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial is native to the Pyrennes. It is a member of the Geraniaceae family that also includes the common bedding plant called geranium…
Genus: Armeria (Thrift) for the Garden
Thrifts are members of the plumbago family, Plumbaginaceae, that also includes leadwort (Ceratostigma) and statice (Limonium) . There are about fifty species but only a few are considered good garden…
Plant Profile: Borago laxiflora (aka B. pygmaea)
This herbaceous perennial is native to Corsica and Sardinnia where it grows shady, rocky places and is particularly abundant after forest fires. It is a member of the borage family,…
Adonis for the Garden
Native to Europe, Africa and Asia, Adonis is a genus in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes anemone, delphinium, and hellebore. There are about twenty species but only a…
Plant Profile: Snakeweed (Polygonum bistorta aka Persicaria bistorta)
Snakeweed is a clump forming herbaceous perennial native to Europe and western and central Asia where it grows near water and damp meadows. It is a member of the knotweed…
Plant Profile: Sicilian Camomile (Anthemis punctata subsp. cupaniana)
Also called dog fennel, this mat forming, evergreen perennial is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae. The brown woody stems carry finely divided, soft textured foliage that is silver…
Soapworts for the Garden (Saponaria spp)
Saponaria is a genus of annuals and perennials in the pink family, Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe and Asia. Of the thirty to forty species in the genus, three perennials are…