Plant Profile: California Globe Mallow (Iliamna latibracteata)
Karen Also known as California wild hollyhock, this rare herbaceous perennial is a member of the mallow family, Malvaceae, that also includes okra, cotton, and hibiscus. It is endemic to the…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpureae)
Also called lady’s glove, fairy gloves, and fairy bells, this herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial is native to disturbed sites of Europe and Asia but naturalized in parts of North…
Plant Profile: Blunt Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum miticum)
Also called short toothed mountain mint, this herbaceous perennial is in the dead nettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes rosemary, ajuga, and monarda. It is native to Eastern North American…
Book Review: The Complete Vegan Cookbook
From the National Gourmet Center comes this compendium of basic techniques of plant based eating and recipes that reflect the philosophy of the Institute that the food we eat effects…
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects: Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
Ajuga reptans is a low growing evergreen herbaceous perennial native to Europe where it grows in woods and poor pasture land. It is a member of the mint family, Labiatae,…
Plant Profile: Illinois Bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoiensis)
Also called prairie mimosa and prickleweed, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, mimosa, and black locust. It is native to the…
Genus Abutilons for the Garden
Abutilon is a genus with about 150 species of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees native to the tropics and warm temperate areas of the Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas.…
Plant Profile: Lyall’s Angelica (Angelica arguta)
Lyall’s angelica is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the parsley family, Apiaceae, that also includes carrots, celery, and Queen Anne’s lace. It is native to western North America…
Book Review: A Seed is the Start
Melissa Stewart’s book A Seed is the Start treats young readers to a botanical lesson about fruits and seeds. Her refreshing approach focuses on the different ways a seed can…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Piony
There is considerable disagreement about the nature of “Piony” but some people believe the word refers to the genus Paeonia, the only genus is the family Paeoniaceae and with between…