Jan 251 minPlant Lore: Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)Witch hazel: The name alone evokes everything from a spooky, magical potion to your facial astringent. But what about this tree?
Jun 12, 20211 minPlant Lore: Water Lilies Fragrant, beautiful, and utterly unique, water lilies have long been celebrated and implemented in ceremonies, religious symbolism,...
Apr 22, 20211 minPlant Lore: Carnation, The Flower of the GodsThe botanical term dianthus may not be familiar to many people, but everybody knows the carnation. It's one of the oldest and most...
Mar 22, 20211 minPlant Lore: Horny Goat WeedBarrenwort, Fairy Wings, Bishops Hat. There are plenty of benign names for this plant, but nothing grabs your attention quite like Horny...
Dec 11, 20201 minPlant Lore: Holiday EvergreensLong before Christmas trees and Santa Claus, civilizations around the world used evergreens to adorn their homes each December.
Oct 29, 20201 minPlant Lore: The Story Behind Jack-O'-LanternsDo you feel the urge to cover every available surface in decorative gourds this time of year? Me, too. Ever wonder why we take things a...
Oct 21, 20201 minPlant Lore: Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna)With such a spooky common name and a botanical name (Atropa belladona) fit for a Harry Potter spell, deadly nightshade seems fitting for...
Oct 15, 20201 minPlant Lore: Maples (Acer sp.)One of the most common and popular trees in the northern hemisphere, the maple is famous for many things — spectacular fall color, the...
Sep 23, 20201 minPlant Lore: Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)While autumn and spring color is reason enough to adore this tree, generations past appreciated it for a more macabre reason...
Aug 18, 20201 minPlant Lore: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) The name Achilles doesn't conjure up images of delicate wildflowers, but the Trojan hero is the namesake of this flowering perennial.
May 12, 20201 minPlant Lore: Tulip Tree Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)Tulip-shaped flowers and uniquely shaped leaves aren't all that make this native tree a standout.
May 5, 20201 minPlant Lore: European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) In the age of e-books and bookshelves organized by color, it can be hard to remember that early publications were written on tree bark.