Poisonous Plants: Rosary Pea (Abrus precatorius)
Karen Rosary pea is an evergreen woody vine native to warm temperate to tropical regions of India and Asia but has been introduced in Florida as an ornamental where it has…
Plants of the Bible: Wild Jujube (Ziziphus lotus)
Also known as lotus tree, this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, and is native to the arid and semi arid areas of…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Beach Naupaka (Scaevola sericea var. taccada)
Also known as beach cabbage and sea lettuce, beach naupaka is a dense, spreading evergreen shrub growing 3-10’ tall. The medium green leaves are elliptical, waxy, fleshy, smooth and 1.5…
Plant Profile: Syrian Thistle (Notobasis syriaca)
Also known as horse thistle, this annual plant is native to the semi-desert areas of the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. It is a member of the aster family,…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides)
As the gooseneck-shaped spikes of tiny white flowers emerge in late spring and fill the garden bed, the playful, rambuctious, whimsical behavior of the plant bursts forth. Like a naughty…
Plant Profile: Flowering Rush (Butomus umbellatus)
Also called grass rush, this aquatic perennial is native to in Eurasia and Africa where it grows in the margins of still and slowly moving water . It is a…
Plants of the Bible: Tatarian orachea (Atriplex tatarica)
Native to saline and alkaline deserts of central and southern Europe to western and eastern Asia, this annual shrub is a member of the Amaranthaceae family that also includes spinach,…
Plants for a Plant Zoo: Toad Flax (Linaria vulgaris)
Toad flax might not be the star of the show in any garden but it adds a lot of charm even growing in lean dry soil. True, it is a…
Plant Profile: Tatarian orachea (Atriplex tatarica)
Native to saline and alkaline deserts of Middle and western Central Asia, Asia Minor, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, this annual shrub is a member of the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae,…
Plant Profile: Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Also known as scouring rush, this is a herbaceous perennial that bears spores rather than seeds and is more closely related to ferns than to seed bearing or flowering plants.…