Plant Profile: Soap Aloe (Aloe maculata aka A. saponaria)
Karen Also known as zebra aloe, this evergreen succulent perennial is native to southern and eastern South Africa, and south-eastern Botswana and Zimbabwe where it grows in a variety of habitats…
Plant Profile: Dyer’s Broom (Genista tinctoria)
Also known as dyer’s greenwood, dyer’s whin, waxen woad, and waxen wood, this deciduous shrub is native to meadows and pastures in southern Europe and Turkey. It is a member…
Plant Profile: Silky Leaf Woodwaxen (Genista pilosa)
Also known as hairy greenweed, silky leaf broom, and creeping broom, this deciduous shrub is native to central and western Europe from southern Sweden to the Mediterranean where it grows…
Plant Profile: Lydian Woodwaxen (Genista lydia)
Native to the Balkans, Turkey and Syria, this low growing shrub is evergreen in areas with warm winters and deciduous in areas with cold winters. It is a member of…
Genus Genistas for the Garden
Genista is a genus of more than 144 species of shrubs and small trees in the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, mimosa, and black locust. They are native…
Genus Daphnes for the Gardens
The genus Daphne is made up of over 70 evergreen or deciduous shrubs native to Asia, Europe and north Africa and is a member of the family Thymelaeaceae, a group…
Plant Profile: Widow’s Iris (Iris tuberosa aka Hermodactylus tuberosus)
Also called snake’s-head, black iris, and velvet flower-de-luce, this herbaceous perennial is native to the Mediterranean region and a member of the iris family, Iridaceae, that also includes crocus, gladiolus,…
Plant Profile: Sternbergia candida
Native to the edges of cedar woods in south-west turkey, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the Amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, that also includes agapanthus, daffodils and onion. The plant…
Plant Profile: Spring Starflower (Ipheion uniflorum aka Brodiaea uniflora aka Triteleia uniflora)
Also known as springstar, Mexican star and starlikes, this herbaceous perennial is native to Argentina and Uruguay and is a member of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, that also includes onion,…
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…