Plants

Polemonium reptans is a perennial herbaceous plant native to eastern North America. Common names include spreading Jacob’s ladder, creeping Jacob’s ladder, false Jacob’s ladder, abscess root, American Greek valerian, blue bells, stairway to heaven, and sweatroot. It is an interesting perennial plant known for its ladder-like arrangement of leaves and delicate, often blue or purple flowers. Characteristics Cultivation

Endive (Cichorium endivia) is a leafy vegetable from the Asteraceae family, similar to chicory, with slightly bitter leaves. It is believed to have originated in Egypt and Indonesia and cultivated in Europe since the 16th century.  Endive comes in two main varieties: curly endive, also known as frisée, which has tightly curled, narrow leaves with a bushy … Read more

The beetroot or beet is the taproot portion of a Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris plant in the Conditiva Group. The plant is a root vegetable also known as the table beet, garden beet, dinner beet, or else categorized by color: red beet or golden beet. It is also a leaf vegetable called beet greens. The … Read more

The radish is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. They are annual or biennial plants, they grow quickly, some varieties being ready for harvest in as little … Read more

Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. The cultivation of broccoli can be traced back to the Roman Empire in Italy over 2,000 years ago. … Read more

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum) are popular garden plants. They’re a genus of plants in the Plantaginaceae family, commonly known as dragon flowers or snapdragons because of the flowers’ fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed. They are also sometimes called toadflax or dog flower. Snapdragons have unique, … Read more

Antirrhinum is a genus of plants in the Plantaginaceae family, commonly known as dragon flowers or snapdragons because of the flowers’ fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed. They are also sometimes called toadflax or dog flower. They are native to rocky areas of Europe, the United … Read more

Chilopsis is a monotypic genus of flowering plants containing the single species Chilopsis linearis. It is known commonly as desert willow or desert-willow because of its willow-like leaves, but it is not a true willow – being instead a member of the catalpa family. It is a small deciduous tree or shrub native to the … Read more

Narcissus is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil, narcissus, and jonquil, are used to describe all or some members of the genus. They are the national flower of Wales and are often associated with St. David’s Day celebrations. The genus Narcissus is native … Read more

The pistachio tree (Pistacia vera) a member of the Anacardiaceae family, (the cashew family, which also includes mango and sumac) is a small to medium tree originating in Persia. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food. It thrives in the long hot summers and chilly winters of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant … Read more