Plant Profile: Black Sage (Salvia mellifera)
Karen Native to California, Baja, and Mexico, this semi-deciduous shrub is common in the coastal sage scrub and chaparral of Southern California. It is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae,…
Plant Profile: Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum)
Native to dry slopes of south coast ranges of California and northern Baja, this evergreen shrub is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes mint, rosemary, and…
Plants of the Bible: Wild Jujube (Ziziphus lotus)
Also known as lotus tree, this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, and is native to the arid and semi arid areas of…
Plant Profile: Birch Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cerocarpus betuloides)
Native to California, Baja, Oregon, Arizona and northwestern New Mexico, this evergreen shrub or small tree can be found in the dry areas of foothills and mountains of California, often…
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…
Plant Profile: Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia)
Native to coastal sage scrub and chaparral of Southern California and Baja, this evergreen shrub or small tree is a member of the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that also includes sumac,…
Genus Erysium (Wallflowers) for the Garden
Often called wallflower or blister-cress, Erysimum is a genus of about 150 species in the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that also includes cabbage, alyssum, and stock. The plants may be annuals,…
Plant Profile: Wild Jujube (Ziziphus lotus)
Also known as lotus tree, this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, and is native to the arid and semi arid areas of…
Plants of the Bible: Tumbling Saltbush (Atriplex rosea)
Also known as red orach, redscale, and tumbling orach, this annual shurb is native to Eurasia but as been introduced to many areas including the US especially in the West.…
Plant Profile: Atriplex dimorphostegia
This annual shrub is a member of the Amaranthaceae family that also includes spinach, beet, and celosia. It is native to western Asia from Arabia to Afghanistan and Tibet where…