Plant Profile: Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus)
Karen Also called monk’s pepper, chaste tree is a sprawling deciduous shrub and a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, that also includes basil, deadnettle and ajuga. It is native to…
Plant Profile: European Cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. opulus)
European cranberry is a large deciduous suckering shrub and a member of the moschatel family, Adoxaceae, a small family of flowering plants that includes viburnums and elders. It is native…
Plant Profile: Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Common hawthorn is a thorny deciduous shrub or small tree and a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes cherry, lady’s mantle and almond. It is native to…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: European Cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. opulus)
European cranberry a large deciduous suckering shrub native to Europe and North Africa and northern Asia where it is found in wet, swampy sites. It was introduced into the North…
Plant Profile: Tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima)
Native to Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, tamarisk is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing 6-15’ tall with a deep root system, smooth reddish brown bark and small…
Plant Profile: Shrub Yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima)
This small deciduous shrub is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes anemone, columbine, and delphinium. It is native to damp woods and stream edges in eastern…
Plant Profile: Smallflower Tamarisk (Tamarix parviflora)
Smallflower tamarisk is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to southeastern Europe but has become as an introduced species in the US has become invasive in western North America.…
Plant Profile: Japanese Spirea (Spirea japonica)
Also known as Japanese meadowsweet, Japanese spirea is native to riparian areas, bogs, and other wetland habitats in Japan, China, and Korea but was introduced into North America as an…
Plant Profile: Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Japanese barberry is a thorny, deciduous shrub growing 3-6’ tall and a member of the barberry family, Berberidaceae, that also includes heavenly bamboo (Nandina), Oregon grape (Mahonia), and barronwort (Epimedium).…
Plant Profile: Jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens)
Jetbead is a mounding deciduous shrub growing 3-6’ tall and is native to Japan and central China. It was introduced into the US in 1866 as an ornamental and has…