Plant Profile: White Sage (Salvia apiana)
Karen Also known as bee sage, and sacred sage, this evergreen perennial is native to southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, and is especially associated with the coastal sage scrub and…
Plant Profile: Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii var. splendens aka Euphorbia splendens)
Native to Madagascar, this evergreen semi-succulent shrub is a member of the spurge family, Euphorbaceae, that also includes pointsettia, croton, and castor oil plant. The plants grow up to 6′…
Plant Profile: New Mexico Locust (Robinia neomexicana)
Also known as southwest and desert locust, this deciduous multi branched shrub or small tree is native to areas in southwestern US where it can be an understory tree or…
Plant Profile: Snake Flower (Bulbine frutescens aka B. caulescens)
Snake flower is an evergreen perennial and is a member of the Asphodelaceae that also includes aloe, torch lily (Kniphofia), and foxtail lily (Eremus). It is native to southern Africa…
Book Review: The Bold Dry Garden
Located about twenty five miles west of San Francisco in Walnut Creek, California, is the Ruth Bancroft Garden known for its incredible collection of cacti and succulents. The garden is…
Plant Profile: Broadleaf Paintbrush (Castilleja integra)
A native of dry plains and open mountain woodlands at medium elevations from Colorado to Arizona and Texas, broadleaf paintbrush is a colorful short-lived perennial that brightens the garden for…
Book Review: The World Encyclopedia of Cacti and Succulents
With the increasing concern for water availability the interest in xeriscaping has risen and what better plants to use than cacti and succulents? Their variation in shape, size, and colors…