Plants

Lodgepole pine is one of the most widely distributed pines in western North America, a tough, fast-growing conifer that has learned to turn wildfire into a planting program. Its cones can stay sealed with resin for decades, and they open only when heat melts the seal, which is why lodgepole forests so often rise from … Read more

The catalpa tree is a group of deciduous flowering trees known for huge heart-shaped leaves, showy trumpet-like flowers, and long bean-like seed pods. Botanical authorities such as Kew accept 8 species, spread across 3 regions: the central and eastern United States, the Caribbean, and China. Only 2 species are native to North America, and each … Read more

Catalpa Tree (Catalpa spp.): The Tree That Grows Its Own Fishing Bait The catalpa tree is one of the easiest trees in North America to recognize and one of the hardest to ignore, with heart-shaped leaves as big as dinner plates, showy trumpet-like flowers in early summer, and long bean-like pods that hang from the … Read more

Sitka Spruce: The Giant of the Pacific Coast Sitka spruce is the largest spruce in the world, a towering rain forest conifer that grows in a narrow band along the Pacific coast from northern California to southern Alaska, where it is the official state tree. Trees have been measured at more than 300 feet tall, … Read more

The pecan tree is the largest of the hickories and the only major nut crop native to North America, growing wild in the Mississippi River floodplain and in the river bottomlands of Texas and northern Mexico. It thrives in the long, hot summers and moderately cool winters of that region, and its name comes from … Read more

Mulberry trees are among the oldest cultivated trees in the world, grown for thousands of years for their sweet, dark berries and for their leaves, which are the preferred food of silkworms. The tree has shaped trade, farming, and even legislation, and it now grows on nearly every inhabited continent. The name covers a group … Read more

The tamarack tree, also called eastern larch, is one of the most unusual conifers in North America because it is deciduous, turning golden yellow each autumn and dropping every needle before winter. It is the only conifer in Minnesota that sheds all of its needles every year, and its name comes from an Algonquian word … Read more

Tamarack, also called eastern larch, is a deciduous conifer, which means it bears cones and needles like a pine but drops all of its needles each autumn. Its soft, bright green needles are about an inch long and grow in tufts on short spur shoots, and they turn golden yellow before falling. It is the … Read more

Drought tolerant plants survive dry spells through a handful of well-documented adaptations, including deep roots that reach water far below the surface, small, waxy, or hairy leaves that lose less moisture to the wind, silvery foliage that reflects heat, and fleshy tissue that stores water for later. Australia is the ideal testing ground for these … Read more

I have been growing pumpkins for quite some time, and one thing I have learned is that no two varieties behave exactly the same in the garden. Some spread aggressively and need plenty of room, while others are more compact. The pumpkins can also differ greatly in size, shape, color, skin texture, and the time … Read more