Plants of the Bible: Rue (Ruta graveolens)
Karen Also called herb of grace, rue is an evergreen mounding subshrub native to the Balkan Peninsula where it grows on dry hillsides, often on limestone. The ancient Greeks used rue…
Plant Profile: Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi)
Also called nard, nardin and muskroot, this aromatic herbaceous perennial is native to the montane and subalpine zones of the Himalayas where it grows on steep, grassy slopes. Growing 4-20″…
Plants of the Bible: Bay (Laurus nobilis) or Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani)
The Hebrew word אזרח (ereh) has been translated in various ways but actually means native born, i.e. a tree not transplanted, but growing on its native soil. Some authors assumed…
Plants of the Bible: Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Dill is a cool weather annual native to northern Africa and the Arabian peninsular but is widely grown in Europe where its seeds and leaves are used as a culinary…
Plants of the Bible: Coriander (Coriandrum sativa)
Also known as cilantro and Chinese parsley, coriander is a warm weather annual native to southern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean but is widely cultivated elsewhere as a culinary herb…
Plants of the Bible: Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
Cumin is a herbaceous annual native to the eastern Mediterranean east to India and has been known from ancient Egyptian times. Although there have been many claims about the medicinal…
Plant Profile: Betony (Stachys officinalis aka Betonica officinalis)
This herbaceous perennial is native to grasslands, meadows, and open woods of Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa and is also known as common hedgenettle and bishopwort. It is a…
Plant Profile: Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum)
This herbaceous perennial bulb is native to the Balkans and Middle East and has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years dating back to the Bronze age Minoans on the…
Plant Profile: Clary (Salvia sclarea)
Clary is a biennial or short lived perennial native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region but has been introduced to a variety of locations around the world and naturalized…
Plant Profile: European Pennyroyal (Menta pulegium)
Native to Europe, North Afrcia, and the Middle East, this herbaceous perennial is also known as pennyrile, hillwort, brotherwort, run-by-the-ground, lurk-in-the-ditch, pudding grass, and pulegium. It is a member of…