AMERICAN GARDENER

Kale (Brassica oleracea) is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables including cabbage, collards and Brussels sprouts and is one of the most nutritionally dense foods you’ll find. Kale is often called a “superfood” because it is packed with nutrients such as calcium, potassium, betacarotene, and other antioxidants. … Read more

Overview Hollyhocks (genus Alcea) are striking flowers that can be grown as annuals, biennials or perennials. Hollyhocks grow heart-shaped leaves that clump up into a mound below the flower stalks. Flower types are single, semi-double and double with blossoms 3 to 6 inches wide. The large flowers top strong, tall stalks. Hollyhock varieties are available … Read more

Members of the family Arecaceae, palm trees are an ancient and diverse group of trees that grace commercial, public and home landscaping, thriving in warm climates around the world. They’re prized by home gardeners for their large, attractive leaves and generally low maintenance. There are generally over 1500 species of palm trees with each species … Read more

Overview A banana is an edible fruit that belong to the genus Musa. The fruit is variable in size, color, and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved, with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a rind, which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown when ripe. The fruits grow in clusters hanging from the top of the … Read more

Overview The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera. It is most recognizable for its dark vertical stripes on orange-brown fur with a lighter underside. It is an apex predator, primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and wild boar. It is territorial and generally a solitary but social predator, requiring large contiguous areas of habitat, which support its requirements for prey and rearing of … Read more

What is a Hybrid? In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera through sexual reproduction. Hybrids are not always intermediates between their parents (such as in blending inheritance), but can show hybrid vigor, sometimes growing larger or taller than either parent. The concept of a hybrid is … Read more

Overview The fern group of plants encompasses several genera and thousands of flowerless species with delicate fronds and bright-green foliage. Ferns often grow in forests and woodlands. They perform well in containers indoors or outdoors Ferns’ structure differs from the structure of many other plants. Fern leaves, which are called fronds, have two parts: a … Read more

Overview Bamboo is a member of the grass family Poaceae, with species that vary in height from 6 inches to 120 feet.The plants’ woody stems, known as culms, is usually hollow and divided into sections, or internodes, by visible joints or nodes. The upper nodes grow buds, which develop into leaves and branches. There are … Read more