Plants

Types of palm trees in California span a considerably wider range than most people assume, since the state is only naturally home to a single native species. Calscape, the California Native Plant Society’s plant database, says that the California fan palm is the only palm native to the western United States and the country’s largest … Read more

Perennial herbs that grow in Zone 5 have to survive winter temperatures that can drop to between negative 20 and negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and according to University of Illinois Extension, hardy perennials like chives, lovage, lavender, salad burnet, French tarragon, winter savory, and mint are genuinely well suited to surviving that cold in the … Read more

Spices that are good for dogs make up a considerably shorter list than the spice rack most people cook with, and getting the distinction wrong can genuinely harm a pet. According to reporting on canine nutrition from Bow Wow Labs, garlic and onion, whether raw, cooked, or powdered, damage a dog’s red blood cells and … Read more

Spices that grow in cold climates represent a genuinely narrower category than most people expect, since the majority of the world’s most famous spices, including cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom, are tropical plants that can’t survive outside USDA Hardiness Zones 9 through 12. According to House Digest’s reporting on home spice gardening, black pepper … Read more

N/B: This is a neutral article about cannabis that focuses on history, legal status, health effects and botanical classification, it is not a promotional or strain-selection content for marijuana. Types of marijuana strains fall into a genetic history that traces back thousands of years, and according to the cannabis education resource Verilife, cannabis genetics can … Read more

Illegal plants in Indiana fall under a single state regulation, and according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Terrestrial Plant Rule designates 44 species of plants as invasive pests, making it illegal to sell, gift, barter, exchange, distribute, transport, or introduce any of them anywhere in the state. The rule was signed by … Read more

Invasive plants in Hawaii pose a uniquely severe threat given the islands’ extreme isolation, since native Hawaiian plants evolved for millions of years with almost no outside competition, leaving them with few defenses against aggressive newcomers. According to research published through the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, miconia has earned the nicknames “green cancer … Read more

Invasive plants in Australia are formally tracked through a government classification called Weeds of National Significance, and according to the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, that list of 32 species was determined through an assessment process prioritizing invasiveness, potential for spread, and environmental, social, and economic impact. Prickly pear and blackberry, 2 … Read more

Invasive plants in Maryland are regulated through a 2-tier system rather than a single flat ban, and according to the Code of Maryland Regulations, a Tier 1 invasive plant cannot legally be propagated, imported, transferred, sold, purchased, transported, or introduced anywhere in the state, while a Tier 2 plant can still be sold, but only … Read more

Invasive plants in Ontario are tracked through both provincial legislation and a dedicated advocacy organization, and according to Ontario’s Invasive Species Act, 2015, species can be formally classified as either “prohibited” or “restricted,” each carrying different legal obligations for possession, sale, and transport. Giant hogweed, one of the most dangerous plants on this list, was … Read more