Plant Profile: Wild Jujube (Ziziphus lotus)
Karen 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…
Plant Profile: Cretan Rock Rose (Cistus creticus)
Also known as hoary rock rose and pink rock rose, this evergreen flowering shrub is a member of the Cistaceae family, a small group of shrubs and semi shrubs that…
Plants for a Zoo Garden: Giraffe Thorn (Vachellia erioloba aka Acacia erioloba)
Armed with 3″ long thorns, this evergreen tree or shrub presents a great opportunity to introduce children to the unusual feeding habits of the giraffe. Yup, a giraffe can feed…
Plant Profile: Kotschy’s Crocus (Crocus kotschyanus aka C. zonatus)
Native to parts of Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, this perennial corm is a member of the iris family, Iridaceae, that also includes gladiola, freesia, and crocosmia. Plants produce goblet-shaped pale…
Plant Profile: White Weeping Broom (Retama raetam aka Genista raetam)
This dense, deciduous, flowering shrub is native to arid regions of northern Africa from the Western Sahara to Sudan, Sicily, the Sinai Peninsula, the Palestine region and Saudi Arabia. It…
Plant Profile: Tumbling Saltbush (Atriplex rosea)
Also known as red orach, redscale, and tumbling orach this annual shrub is native to Eurasia but has been introduced to many areas including the US especially in the West.…
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…
Plant Profile: Aegean Wallflower (Erysimum cheiri aka Cheiranthus cheiri.)
Native to Greece, this perennial subshrub is often grown as an annual or biennial. It is a member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that also includes cabbage, alyssum, and common…