AMERICAN GARDENER

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

Today tomato is a common food crop for the home gardener because it’s easy to grow and usually provides an abundant harvest.While it is possible to buy tomatoes in the grocery store year-round, vine-ripened tomatoes are only available during the growing season.  Globally, there are more than 2,000 tomato cultivars available. These cultivars may be … Read more

Hibiscus (Hibiscus spp.) is a genus of over 200 flowering species in the mallow family (Malvaceae), known for their large, showy flowers in bright shades of red, pink, purple, orange and yellow. Among the best known species are tropical hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis) and perennial hibiscus, (H. moscheutos). The biggest difference between the two is the … Read more

Evergreen shrubs are an ideal addition to your outdoor space, offering year-round color and providing an attractive backdrop to colorful annuals and perennial flowering plants and shrubs. The shrubs can provide a dense privacy screen all year long. Privacy hedges also serve as windbreaks, reduce street noise and block unwanted views.Shrubs are also habitats for … Read more

A caterpillar is the larval stage of a moth or butterfly. It is the second part of their four-stage life cycle (egg, larva, pupa, adult). Caterpillars have long, worm-like bodies with six true legs. They can also have a variable number of stumpy false legs (called prolegs), which help them to move and cling to … Read more

Overview The name “arborvitae” derives from Latin for “tree of life” and refers to several conifers of the cypress family native to North America and Asia. The two American species, the eastern and giant arborvitae, are, in their wild form, more commonly known as northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and western red cedar (Thuja plicata), … Read more