Plants

Bird of paradise is one of the most dramatic flowering plants grown in tropical and subtropical gardens, named for blooms that closely resemble the head and crest of an exotic bird in flight. The name is actually shared by two entirely unrelated plant groups, one a small genus of just 5 species native to South … Read more

Canna lily is one of the boldest, most tropical-looking flowering plants grown in temperate gardens, prized as much for its broad, paddle-shaped foliage as for its vivid, showy blooms. Despite the common name, canna lilies are not true lilies at all, belonging instead to their own distinct plant family more closely related to bananas, heliconias, … Read more

Gladiolus, often affectionately shortened to “glads,” is a genus of perennial flowering plants prized for its tall, sword-like foliage and dramatic, densely packed flower spikes. The genus includes roughly 300 recognized species, the vast majority native to southern and central Africa, along with hundreds of additional cultivated hybrid varieties developed over more than a century … Read more

Plumeria is one of the most fragrant flowering trees grown in tropical and subtropical gardens, best known for producing the blooms traditionally used in Hawaiian leis. A single plumeria cultivar can produce anywhere from 50 to 200 flowers per cluster over the course of several months, with the exact count varying significantly depending on the … Read more

Clematis is one of the most versatile flowering vines grown in home gardens, with the genus containing more than 300 recognized species and several hundred additional named hybrids developed through more than a century of breeding. A single well-established clematis vine can produce over 100 blooms in a single flowering flush, and some repeat-blooming cultivars … Read more

Hellebores are among the earliest flowering perennials in the garden, often blooming while snow is still on the ground and continuing their display for as long as 8 to 10 weeks before fading. The genus includes roughly 20 recognized species, but decades of hybridizing have expanded that number into the hundreds when named cultivars and … Read more

Freesias are among the most fragrant flowering bulbs grown in gardens and greenhouses today, prized for a sweet scent so distinctive that it remains a leading note in perfumes, candles, and lotions worldwide. A single freesia stem typically produces between 6 and 10 individual blooms arranged in a one-sided row along a gently arching flower … Read more

Flowers are among the most common decorative blocks in Minecraft, appearing in more than a dozen biomes across the Overworld, the Nether, and the End. As of the current version of the game, there are roughly 30 distinct flower types available to players, ranging from simple single-block blooms to rare variants that only appear under … Read more

Petunias are among the most popular flowering annuals grown in gardens, containers, and hanging baskets around the world, prized for their trumpet-shaped blooms and nearly endless color range. Native to South America, particularly Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, petunias were brought to Europe in the early 1800s and quickly became a garden favorite due to … Read more

Picture: Dungeness Crab At California State Capitol Museum Crabs are one of the most diverse, most ecologically significant, and most commercially important groups of crustaceans on earth, encompassing over 7,000 recognized species distributed across every ocean, from the shallowest tropical coral reefs to the deepest abyssal trenches, as well as in freshwater rivers, lakes, and … Read more