Weeds and their Control: Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
Karen Also known as eagle fern, bracken fern is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the Dennstaedtiaceae family that includes 10 genera and 240 species of ferns. It is one…
Weeds and Their Control: Rough Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium)
Also called clotbur, donkey bur, heartleaf, and woolgarie bur, this weedy annual is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes sunflower, yarrow, and lettuce. It’s native range…
Weeds and Their Control: Spotted Spurge (Euphorbia maculata aka Chamaesyce maculata)
Also known as spotted sandmat, milk-purslane, and prostrate spurge, this summer annual weed is native to North America where it is found in all 48 contiguous states growing in gardens,…
Weeds and Their Control: Virginia Copperleaf (Acalpha virginica aka A. digyneia)
Also known as mercuryweed, threeseeded mercury, and wax balls, this summer annual is a member of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that also includes poinsettia , croton, and caster oil plant.…
Genus Witch Hazels for the Garden (Hamamelis spp)
Witch hazels, Hamamelis spp., are deciduous shrubs or small trees native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. They are in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, that also includes lorpetalum,…
Plant Profile: Purple Anise (Illicium floridanum aka I. mexicanum)
Also known as Florida anise tree and poison bay, this broadleaf evergreen shrub is a member of the starvine family, Schisandraceae, consisting of 3 genera and 92 species. It is…
Genus: Clethra for the Garden
Clethra is a genus 75 species of flowering shrubs and small trees in the Clethraceae plant family, in the order Ericales that includes azaleas. There are two recognized species native…
Drought Tolerant Plants: Annuals and Perennials with Blue, Lavender and Purple Flowers
Water is essential for plant growth but plants vary greatly in their need for it. Since the amount of water on earth is finite but the demand is not, we…
Plant Profile: Fraser’s Sedge (Carex fraseriana)
Also known as lily leaf sedge, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is endemic to the southern Appalachian mountains and a member the Cyperaceae, a plant family of over 2,000 species that…
Plant Profile: Mountain Pepperbush (Clethra acuminata)
Also known as cinnamon pepperbush, this deciduous shrub or small tree is native to the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern US. It grows up to 8-20′ tall and has an…