Plant Profile: Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Karen Also known as scouring rush, this is a herbaceous perennial that bears spores rather than seeds and is more closely related to ferns than to seed bearing or flowering plants.…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Pignut (Conopodium denudatum aka Bunium flexusosum)
If you like to dig in the soil for treasures, grow pignut, dig up the tubers, cook them and enjoy a delicious treat that has a sweet taste something like…
Plant Profile: Common Reed (Phragmites australis aka P. communis)
Native to temperate wetlands world wide, this perennial aquatic grass is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes corn, rice, and bamboo. It is a vigorous grower…
Plant Profile: Chameleon Plant (Houttuynia cordata)
Native to Southeast Asia, this herbaceous perennial is known by many names including fish mint, rainbow plant, heart leaf and Chinese lizard tail. A member of the lizard-tail family, Saururaceae,…
Plants of the Bible: Spotted Golden Thistle (Scolymus maculatus)
Also known as spotted oyster thistle, this annual herb is native of the Mediterranean region including southern Europe, southwest Asia, northern Africa, and the Canary Islands where it grows in…
Plants for a Zoo Garden: Cat’s Ear (Hypochaeris radicata)
Although considered a weed in many parts of the country this herbaceous perennial resembles the common dandelion with its basal rosette of leaves that lie close to the ground and…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Gopher Spurge (Euphorbia lathyris)
With alternative common names like mole plant and sassy jack you can use this engaging annual/ biennial to fill several animal slots or as a rodent (but don’t get your…
Plant Profile: Eastern Mosquito Fern (Azolla caroliniana)
Native to North America, this annual aquatic fern is also known as fairy moss and is a member of the Salviniaceae, a small family of about 20 ferns. The plants…
Plants of the Bible: Flowering Rush (Butomus umbellatus)
Also called grass rush, this aquatic perennial is native to in Eurasia and Africa where it grows in the margins of still and slowly moving water. It is a member…
Plant Profile: Greater Burdock (Arctium lappa)
Native to temperate regions of Europe and Asia, this herbaceous biennial is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. The plants produce a…