How to Grow and Care for Torenia (Wishbone) Flowers

How can you not immediately fall in love with a plant called “American beautyberry”? It just makes the heart swell. Here, take a Kleenex.The emotive lexicon is well deserved.This large, deciduous shru

For an impressive dose of prehistoric drama, consider sago palm.The Cycad genus in the Cycadaceae family inclu

Beloved by many gardeners for its heat tolerance and shade-loving nature, but reviled by others for its eagerness to spread with abandon, R. simplex can be divisive.Thanks to its sweet purple flowers, however, we come down firmly on the pro-ruellia side of

Verbena is a genus containing about 250 species, many of which also simply go by “verbena” in common parlance, or if we’re lucky, something like the highly specific “purple verbena.”When I saw that my colleague here at Garden

Salvia, a genus of plants in the mint (Lamiaceae) family with nearly a thousand members, is known for its toughness.Heat tolerant, chill tolerant, drought tolerant, impervious to pest

While its brilliantly-colored beauty is enough to make even the sourest puss happy, a crocus poking its brightly hued head through the snow is known to trigger frenzied joy in those who feel perpetually winter-afflicted.Many gardeners look to the appearance

A child in a beloved cartoon strip. A mother’s tender nickname for a tiny baby. A character on a TV show popular with young adults.Sweet peas one and all. All named for the lovely vining an

Show of hands – who’s ever heard of epazote? If you’re a fan of southern Mexican or Guatemalan food, you may be familiar with this ingredient, which is comprised of the leaves and stalks of the epazote (eh-puh-ZO-tay) plant.This plant is considered a weed by some, but proudly

A gift from the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, sun-loving turpentine bush is native to the southwestern United States, including southeastern California, west Texas, southern New Mexico, and southern Arizona, as well as north-central Mexico.And in addition to tolerating blistering desert heat, this tough ev

Apparently, “sweet root vegetable” just didn’t have the same ring to it as “sweet potato,” so we’re stuck with a misnamed – albeit delicious – vegetable.For the sweet potato is not related t

Hey, get your cats straight! CatMINT is not catNIP.Unlike its cousin catnip (Nepeta cataria), Faas

True to its name, American beautyberry is certainly a beauty, and a plant – once you’ve had a sampling – you might want more of.Gardeners love beautyberry’s large le