Plant Profile: Candy Corn Plant (Cuphea micropetala)
Karen Native to Mexico, this tender evergreen or deciduous perennial shrub is often grown as an annual or houseplant. It is a member of the loosestrife family, Lytharaceae, that also includes…
Plant Profile: Red Cuphea (Cuphea llavea aka C. blepharophylla)
Also known as bat cuphea, this tender evergreen sub-shrub is native to Mexico but is grown as an annual or houseplant in areas with hard frost. It is a member…
Plant Profile: Snakeweed (Polygonum bistorta aka Persicaria bistorta)
Snakeweed is a clump forming herbaceous perennial native to Europe and western and central Asia where it grows near water and damp meadows. It is a member of the knotweed…
Plant Profile: Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)
Native to the fields and prairies of central US, this mat-forming herbaceous perennial is a member of the mallow family, Malvaceae, that also includes hollyhock, hibiscus, and coffee. It grows…
Plant Profile: Sea Buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides)
Grown in China for twelve centuries for its medicial uses this spiny deciduous shrub may become the next health food fad but is a useful garden plant too. The outstanding…
Plant Profile: Siberian Peashrub (Caragana arborescens)
“Underwhelming” is probably the best adjective to describe this extremely hardy plant. Neither the small yellow-pea like flowers nor the pods or leaves will probably excite you, but if you…
Plant Profile: White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
This native of woodland edges, stream banks, and roadsides from Massachusetts, Kentucky, and Missouri south to Florida and west to Texas, is a small deciduous shrub or tree with a…
Plant Profile: Japanese Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis cinnamomea aka A. yedoensis))
Native to India, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. It grows 2-3″ tall from a rhizomateous rootstock and…
Plant Profile: Aloe (Aloe vera aka Aloe barbadensis)
Best known as aloe vera, this evergreen succulent perennial is a member of Asphodelaceae family that also includes daylily (Hemerocallis), red hot poker (Kniphofia), and foxtail lily (Eremurus) Its origin…
Plant Profile: Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)
Native to Brazil, Argentina and Chile, this perennial grass is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes bamboo, rice, and corn. Plants form large clumps of arching,…