Plant Profile: Japanese Anemone (Anemone tomentosa)
Karen Earlier to flower and hardier than other Japanese anemones, this herbaceous perennial is native to open grassy slopes in northern China. Also known as windflower, it is a member of…
Plant Profile: Mediterranean Sea Holly (Eryngium bourgatii)
Native to Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey, France, and Spain, this rosette-forming herbaceous perennial is a member of the parsley family, Apiaceae, that also includes dill, celery, and Queen Anne’s lace. It…
Plant Profile: Five Spot (Nemophila maculata)
Also known as five-spot baby or buffalo eyes, this trailing annual is endemic to California where it grows primarily in meadows and woodlands of the Sierra foothills. It is a…
Plant Profile: Sweet Sultan (Centaurea moschata aka Amberboa moschata)
Native to Asia Minor, this clump-forming cool climate annual is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. It grows 1-3′ tall and has…
Plant Profile: Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Also known by many other names including gloriosa daisy, this native of eastern and central North America is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow,…
Plant Profile: Four-O’Clock (Mirabilis jalapa)
Native to the dry tropical regions of North, Central, and South America, this herbaceous perennial, also known as marvel of Peru, is a member of the family Nyctaginaceae that also…
Genus: Sisyrinchium (Blue-Eyed Grass) for the garden
Sisyrinchium is a genus of of about 200 species of annuals and herbaceous perennials native to the New World. The plants are not grasses and are in the iris family,…
Plant Profile: Western Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)
Native to moist grassy areas and woodlands of California and Oregon west of the Sierra Nevada, this semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial is not a true grass but is in the iris…
Perennials for Wall Gardens in Full Sun
The crevices in walls provide an opportunity to create a beautiful wall garden but also present challenges. They usually have very little soil and so can dry out or get…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Zebra Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’)
With long, arching leaves horozontally striped with wide bands of cream and green this warm weather perennial grass grows 4-6′ tall in tight rounded clumps. By mid September it reaches…