Plant Profile: Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’)
Karen The symmetrical pyramidal form of Bradford pears is so picturesque that homeowners find it difficult to resist planting them. Their early spring bloom on the perfectly shaped trees is so…
Plant Profile: Yoshino Flowering Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis)
If you have ever seen these trees in bloom around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D. C. you will know why people flock to that city to enjoy the magnificent…
Plant Profile: Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)
Nothing announces the coming of spring better than the blooming of forsythia. Even in dead winter this tough shurb is ready to go as soon as a warm spell comes…
Plant Profile: Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica)
A carpet of Virginia Bluebells in spring is a magnificent sight! These clump forming native plants colonize and naturalize readily providing beauty to a woodland garden for about 3 weeks…
Plant Profile: Netted Iris (Iris reticulata)
This iris, native to the area of the Caucausus makes its appearance early, about the time that the snow drops, glory-of-the-snow and early crocuses bloom. One of my favorite early…
Plant Profile: Grecian Windflower (Anemone blanda)
Native to southeastern Europe, Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria Grecian windflower is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes delphinium, clematis, and hellebore. The plants grow…
Plant Profile: Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)
If you looked at the botanic name for winter honeysuckle you probably noticed a word you partially recognized, “fragrantissima”. If you take off the suffix –issima, the name tells you…
Name This Plant Game: Early Blooming Plants 3
admin This simple game tests your gardening knowledge by identifying five plants shown in photos from a list of possible names. Two photos of each plant are accompaned by a clue…
Plant Profile: Spike Winter Hazel (Corylopsis spicata)
Native to Japan, this flowering deciduous shrub is in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, that also includes fothergill and loropetalum. The unusual fragrant flowers that appear in late winter to…
Plant Profile: Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)
The bright yellow flowers of Winter Aconite stand out against the bare soil or the winter snow in late winter to early spring, a great reminder that spring really is…