Plant Profile: Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum)
Karen Known as rush broom and weaver’s broom, this flowering deciduous shrub is native to southwestern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Azores where it grows on dry, sandy, sunny sites. It…
Plant Profile: Mormon Tea (Ephedra viridis)
Also known as Indian tea and green ephedra, this evergreen coniferous shrub is native to western US from the Arizona deserts to California, east of the Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin…
Plant Profile: Rose Acacia (Robinia hispida)
Also known as bristly acacia, this flowering deciduous shrub is native to eastern and central US and is a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes mimosa, lupine,…
Plant Profile: Rubber Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus aka Ericameria nauseosus)
Rubber rabbitbrush is a deciduous shrub and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisies, yarrow, and lettuce. It is naive to the western third of the…
Plant Profile: Pineleaf Beardtongue (Penstemon pinifolius)
Native to southern New Mexico and Arizona, this long-lived evergreen perennial or subshrub is a member of the plantain family, Plantaginaceae, that also includes snapdragon, turtlehead, and foxglove. The compact…
Plant Profile: Fern Bush (Chamaebatiavia millefolium)
Also known as desert sweet, this sweetly-aromatic semi-deciduous shrub is native to western US from Oregon to California, east to Idaho, Utah, and Arizona where it grows in scrub, woodland,…
Plant Profile: Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Oleander is an evergreen shrub or small tree and a member of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that also includes blue star (Amsonia), periwinkle (Vinca), and milkweed (Ascelpius). Its native range…
Plant Profile: Feathery Cassia (Senna artemisioides aka Cassia artemisiodes)
Endemic to Australia, this compact evergreen shrub is also known as silver senna, wormwood senna and silver cassia. It is in the pea family, Fabaceae that also includes beans, lupine…
Plant Profile: Perennial Flax (Linum perenne)
Native to Europe, this semi-evergreen short-lived perennial is a member of the flax family, Linaceae, that includes 250 species. It grows 1-2′ tall from a deep taproot and has thin…
Plant Profile: Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Native to southern Italy, this short-lived perennial is a member of the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, that also includes pinks, baby’s breath, and chickweed. The spreading plants form mats of densely…