Plant Profile: Fuller’s Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
Karen Brought to North America from Europe in the early 1700’s to raise the nap of wool cloth, this fuller’s teasel naturalized and is now considered a weed in many parts…
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects: Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)
Butterfly bush is a flowering shrub with arching branches and native to central China. It belongs to the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, that also includes mullein(Verbascum), twinspur (Diascia), and Nemesia. The…
Edible Mushrooms: Giant Funnel Cap (Leucopaxillus giganteus)
Giant funnel cup is a saprophytic fungus found growing in arcs or fairy rings in woodland clearings, open grasslands, and roadsides of Europe and North America . It is most…
Plant Profile: Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima)
Also known as gladdon, Gladwin iris, and roast-beef plant, this rhizomatous, beardless iris is an evergreen herbaceous perennial native to northern Africa and Europe where it grows in open woods,…
Book Review: Farming
In her delightful book, Farming, Gail Gibbons explores the activities that take place throughout the year on an old fashioned, idealized, family-owned, small farm probably in the Northeast. The farmer…
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects: Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)
A native of Europe and southwest Asia, this tough biennial has naturalized in Canada and US where it grows in disturbed sites and has become invasive in many areas and…
Plant Profile: Fernleaf Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina)
Fern leaf yarrow is a herbaceous perennial native to the Causcasus, Afghanistan, and central Asia. It is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisies, sunflower, and…
Genus: Heucheras for the Garden
The genus Heuchera is in the saxifrage family, Saxifragaceae, that also includes foamflower (tiarella), pigsqueak, and false spirea (Astilbe). It consists of over fifty species of herbaceous perennials that are…
Plant Profile: Joseph’s Coat (Alternanthera ficoidea)
Native to Mexico and South America, this herbaceous tender perennial is a member of the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae, that also includes beets, spinach, celosia, and gomphrena. It grows 6-12″ tall…
Book Review: Fabulous Frogs
Linda Glaser’s book, Fabulous Frogs, introduces young readers to the life cycle, behavior, and appearance of frogs in general with a focus on leopard frogs, spring peepers, and bull frogs.…