AMERICAN GARDENER

Marigolds (​Tagetes spp.​) are known to produce cheerful, abundant, multiple blossoms on upright plants with bright green pungent foliage. Seeds evolve in tight clusters just below the flowers and, if not harvested, fall off and often produce new plants the following year. Even at the height of summer, they bloom profusely, and come in a … Read more

The magnolia genus (Magnolia spp.) consists of 80 species of deciduous or evergreen trees and shrubs characterized by large, deeply fragrant blooms, which emerge in the spring or summer in shades of white, pink, magenta and yellow. Popular varieties include: Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) Chinese Magnolia  (Magnolia x soulangiana) Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata) Sweetbay Magnolia … Read more

Cassava, Manihot esculenta, is a perennial shrub in the family Euphorbiaceae grown primarily for its storage roots which are eaten as a vegetable. The cassava plant is a woody plant with erect stems and spirally arranged simple lobed leaves with petioles (leaf stems) up to 30 cm in length. The plant produces petal-less flowers on a … Read more

The first eucalyptus was catalogued in 1770s, in Australia by botanist David Nelson, a member of Captain James Cook’s famous Endeavor voyage. Today, the name eucalyptus describes more than 800 species of varying sizes and growth habits, with some of the largest species reaching up to 325 feet in height. Eucalyptus or gum trees are … Read more

The Crabapple trees can be divided into two broad types, those typically grown for their fruit crop and those grown primarily for their showy springtime flowers. Crabapple fruit is green or red. Some species and cultivars have orange and pink blushes. The small fruits are 2 inches or fewer in diameter, and the tree leaves … Read more

Acer palmatum, commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple, is a species of woody plant native to Japan, Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. The tree is characterized by a low growth habit, usually staying under 20 feet tall, and deeply dissected palmate leaves, which may be up to 5-inches long. … Read more

Both evergreen and deciduous trees change the color of their foliage in response to growth, season, temperature, disease, air pollution and soil conditions. Autumn is the most colorful time for most trees, as many different species exhibit their colorful fall foliage. Vivid shades of yellow, orange, red, rust and purple compete in a range of … Read more

Bark is the outer covering of a tree’s trunk and branches. Bark is analogous to an animal’s skin. Its purposes are conserving water and protecting the tree’s essential living systems from temperature extremes and storms as well as from attacks by diseases, animals and insects. Some tree species have extra-thick bark that protects the tree … Read more

Cherry trees (Prunus spp.) exist in a huge variety, both ornamental and cultivated. Those varieties are often hard to tell apart, or even to tell apart from closely related fruit trees. The appearance of blossoms, leaves and fruit can be used to distinguish the cherry tree species from one another. Cherry trees have two kinds … Read more

What Are Heirloom Tomatoes? Heirloom, a term used interchangeably with Heritage, refers to varieties of tomatoes whose seeds have been passed down for generations. In other words, Heirloom tomatoes are varieties that have been grown without crossbreeding for 50 or more years. This tomato Varieties are often open-pollinated, which means that they are pollinated naturally, … Read more