originally posted: December 26, 2002 | by chelsie

The English holly (Ilex aquifolium Linnaeus) is probably the best known of the hollies. The spiny-leaved evergreens have been used since ancient times as winter decorations. Native to Europe and North Africa, the first record of these trees intentionally cultivated comes from Pliny the Elder who recommended "planted in a town or country house wards off magic." (Pliny's Natural History, trans. John F. Healy, 1991) [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: December 19, 2002 | by chelsie

The spiderworts (Tradescantia species) are common roadside and meadow plants in North and South America. Most of the species have blue flowers, although a few have pink or white. The flowers have three petals and six stamens. Among the stamens are fine filaments or stamen hairs. In the blue flowered species, the filaments are usually blue. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: December 12, 2002 | by chelsie

Hops are the strobili (papery cone-like inflorescences) from the female hopbines (Humulus lupulus Linnaeus). It is not known where hopbines (or hopvines) originated, but it is thought they are native to western Asia and Europe. The plants are now grown world-wide and have naturalized in many areas. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: December 5, 2002 | by chelsie

Cattails (Typha species) are probably the most widely known of all wetland species. The ten or fifteen species belong to their own family, the Typhaceae. Some species like the broad-leaved (Typha latifolia Linnaeus) are native to both the Old and New World. Other species like the Eurasian narrow-leaved (Typha angustifolia Linnaeus) have naturalized wherever they have been introduced. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: November 28, 2002 | by chelsie

The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) is now a commonplace seasonal fruit, but three hundred years ago, it was limited to the native peoples of North America, colonists from Europe, and sailors who plied the North Atlantic trade routes. It is a relatively new food. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: November 21, 2002 | by chelsie

The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) is a fruit native to the temperate bogs of the northern U.S. and Canada. Vaccinium are in the Ericaceae, the heath family. Like their 'cousins' the azaleas and rhododendrons, the plants generally are adapted to moist, acidic soils. Besides the cranberries, the genus contains the lingonberry, bilberries, and blueberries. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: November 14, 2002 | by chelsie

The origin of the common mum (Chrysanthemum X morifolium Ramatuelle a.k.a. Dendranthema X grandiflora Tzvelev) is lost to history. The second of China's 'Four Most Graceful Plants' is believed a complex hybrid of Chrysanthemum indicum, C. japonense, C. makinoi, and C. ornatum. According to Paul Barlow (Chrysanthemum Facts, 2001), M. Blancard of Marseilles first successfully imported mums from China in 1789. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: November 7, 2002 | by chelsie

The withywind or field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis Linnaeus) is native to Eurasia and naturalized over most temperate areas of the world. The funnelform flowers range from pale pink to white. It is a nuisance in both agricultural fields and natural habitats. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: October 31, 2002 | by chelsie

A hexen-besen or witches' broom is an area of abnormally high branching with abnormally low stem elongation on shrubs and trees. There is no single cause of witches' broom; different plant species are affected by different causative agents. Witches' brooms are something of a mystery. The causative agents are being discovered, but how these agents change the plant's growth is not yet understood. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: October 24, 2002 | by chelsie

Older articles about the common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis Linnaeus) mention an odd trait of the flower pigments which is alluded to in the German vernacular, nachtkerz or night candle. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: October 17, 2002 | by chelsie

Dischidia rafflesiana Wall [dis shid' ee a ra fleas' ee ana] is a strange member of the Asclepiadaceae or milkweed family. This twining vine is native to Borneo, Australia, and India. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: October 10, 2002 | by chelsie

The red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle Linnaeus) is native to the warm coastlines of the Americas and tropical West Africa. The trees are found within 28 degrees north and south of the equator limited by winter temperatures. Red mangroves add land to the edges of the continents and serve as nurseries for marine life. [Click here to read more...]

originally posted: October 3, 2002 | by chelsie

The gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, contains five hundred species scattered among 114 genera. The plants range from the vegetable sponge (loofah) to melons, squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers. A few cucurbits are shrubby, most are trailing vines with tendrils for support. Only one of the vining cucurbits lacks tendrils, the squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium (L.) A. Richard). [Click here to read more...]