Articles

Elephant Bush, Portulacaria afra

Many succulents make interesting houseplants. If you want something easy to grow with an interesting name, try elephant bush. This South African native is a favorite food of pachyderms that can grow up to 15 feet tall, but it also adapts readily to container culture. Learn more about Portulacaria afra in this article….

Goldenrod Gall Fly, Eurosta solidagnis

You’ve probably seen spherical swellings on goldenrod stems at one time or another, but do you know what caused those? A type of small fly with patterned wings is responsible for the most common gall on goldenrods. To learn more about the goldenrod gall fly and how it creates those golf ball-sized growths, read this article…

Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum

Switchgrass is a North American prairie native that adapts readily to the garden, especially several cultivars that have been selected for their attractive shape or color. Learn about this low-maintenance, warm season grass with airy, pink-tinged flower spikes in this article.

Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Virginia creeper is a native vine which turns from an average green to a brilliant crimson red in fall. Learn more about this vigorous native vine that adapts to many different conditions and soils in this article.

Anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum

Anise hyssop is a great plant for attracting bees, butterflies and beetles. Learn more about this native species in this article including care and cultivars available.

Carpetweed, Mollugo verticillata

Carpetweed lives up to its common name by quickly forming a flat mat over the ground. This prostrate summer annual is common in disturbed areas – gardens, new or thin lawns, and roadsides. Find out more about this common weed in this article.

Silver spotted skipper, Epargyreus clarus

Skippers are a group of small butterflies with quick, darting flights. The silver spotted skipper is one of the largest skippers. This chocolate-colored butterfly is easily identified by the conspicuous white or silver spot on the underside of its hind wing that gives it the common name. Read about this common, but often overlooked butterfly, in this article…

Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare

Fennel is a great ornamental edible, with ferny fronds that add textural contrast in plantings, as well as tasting great. To learn more about this versatile plant in this article.

Black swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes

If you’ve seen a large, mostly black butterfly lately, chances are it was a black swallowtail, a very common butterfly of eastern North America. The colorful caterpillars feed on many herb garden plants while the adults nectar at a variety of flowers. To learn more about this species and how to encourage it in your garden, read this article…

Cenchrus (Pennisetum) ‘Fireworks’

The annual purple fountain grass cultivar ‘Fireworks’ offers pink variegated foliage in an arching form that provides great contrast in color and form. Learn more about ‘Fireworks’ grass in this article.

Black-eyed Susan Vine, Thunbergia alata

Black-eyed Susan vine is a good choice for a vine with showy flowers in the yellow and orange range. Thunbergia alata is actually a tender perennial that grows fast enough to be used as an annual in cooler climates. To learn more about this African native, read this article.

Field Pennycress, Thlaspi arvense

Field pennycress is one of many weedy plants in the mustard family. Distinctive seed pods with a bottle-brush-like appearance makes this plant very noticeable. Learn more about this introduced weed in this article.