AMERICAN GARDENER

Abies procera, the noble fir, also called red fir and Christmas tree, is a species of fir native to the United States. It occurs at altitudes of 300–1,500 meters (980–4,920 ft). David Douglas discovered the species in the Cascade Range in the early 19th century, calling it “noble fir”. The specific epithet procera means “tall”. It is the world’s tallest true fir. Noble fir is found in … Read more

Abies concolor, the white fir, concolor fir, or Colorado fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Sierra Nevada and southern Rocky Mountains, and into the isolated mountain ranges of southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Northern Mexico and may occasionally reach 350 years of age. It can be found from 6000 ft. to 11,000 … Read more

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) is one of the more important conifers in the northern United States and in Canada. Within its range it may also be referred to as balsam, Canadian balsam, eastern fir, and bracted balsam fir. It is a small to medium-sized tree used primarily for pulp and light frame construction. Young trees are highly … Read more

Ruellia simplex, the Mexican petunia, Mexican bluebell or Britton’s wild petunia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae that is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. It has become a widespread invasive plant in Florida, where it was likely introduced as an ornamental before 1933, as well as in the eastern Mediterranean, South Asia and other parts of the eastern … Read more

The two types of lantana commonly grown in cultivated landscapes are trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis) and shrub lantana (L. camara). Trailing lantana grows 18 to 24 inches tall with a spread of up to 4 feet. Shrub lantana grows up to 4 feet tall with a spread of 1 to 3 feet.  Lantana camara is … Read more

Bluebells are a quintessential British wildflower. They are a genus of bulbous, perennial herbs with bell-shaped flowers that are often violet-blue but can also be white or pink. Bell-shaped or tubular, drooping to one side of the flowering stem. Each flower has six petals that curl back slightly at the tips. Flowers are borne on one … Read more

Calendula is a genus of about 25 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae that are often known as marigolds. They are native to Europe, North Africa, Macaronesia and West Asia, and have their center of diversity in the Mediterranean Region. Typically bright yellow to deep orange, sometimes with two-toned … Read more

Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. The genus includes four species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and north of Iran. They were later introduced to France, Germany and various other countries in Europe. Some species are … Read more

Digitalis purpurea, the foxglove or common foxglove, is a toxic species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, native to and widespread throughout most of temperate Europe. It has also naturalized in parts of North America, as well as some other temperate regions. It has also naturalized in parts of North America, as well as some other temperate regions. … Read more