Botanical Latin: Achlys
Karen Achlys (AK liss) The name of the Greek goddess daughter of Nyx (Night) who might be the first created being and personifies misery and sadness. Her name came from the…
Plant Profile: Panda Face Ginger (Asarum maximum)
Panda face ginger is a rhizomatous clump forming perennial native to China where it grows in low elevation forests. It is a member of the pipe-vine family (Aristolochiaceae) and is…
Plant Profile: Poppy Anemone (Anemone coronaria)
This tuberous short-lived perennial is native to the Mediterranean and a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) that also includes delphinium, clematis, and hellebore. The poppy-like flowers lack petals but…
Plant Profile: Common Lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata)
Also known as Bethelehem sage, this herbaceous perennial is native to France and Italy and is member of the borage family (Borageacea) along with forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.) and Siberian bugloss…
Plant Profile: Colewort (Crambe cordifolia)
A native of the Caucasus, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), along with radish, broccoli, and cabbage. It forms broad mounds of cabbage-like wrinkled, heart-shaped…
Plant Profile: Bishop’s Hat (Epimedium stellulatum ‘Wudang Star’)
Also called fairy wings and short root barrenwort, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the barberry family, Berberidaceae, and native to the Wudang Mountains of central China where it…
Book Review: Armitage’s Garden Perennials
As more and more new cultivars and varieties of plants appear each year in nurseries, selecting perennials for the garden becomes increasingly difficult. A visit to a garden center can…
Plant Profile: Leopard Plant (Ligularia dentata)
Leopard plant is a clump forming perennial in the daisy family (Asteraceae) and a native of Japan and China where it grows in moist sites. It has leathery, dark-green, kidney-shaped…
Plant Profile: Bronze Leaf Rodgersia (Rodgersia podophylla)
Rodgersia podophylla is a clump forming rhizomateous perennial native to Japan and Korea where it lives in moist soil along streams and in shaded woodlands. It is a bold plant…
Plant Profile: Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’)
Also called goutweed, this herbaceous perennial is native to Eurasia but has been introduced into the US where it is often used as a ground cover. It is a member…