AMERICAN GARDENER

Freesia is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1866 by Christian Friedrich Ecklon (1886) and named after the German botanist and medical practitioner, Friedrich Freese (1795–1876). It is native to the eastern side of southern Africa, from Kenya south to South Africa, most species being found in Cape Provinces. The plants usually called “freesias” in horticulture and floristry … Read more

St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), also known as buffalo turf in Australia and buffalo grass in South Africa, is a species of grass in the family Poaceae. The grass has bluish-green leaves with 1/3-inch wide, flat blades. It has a low, creeping habit and spreads via stolons. forming dense mats that outcompete weeds. St. Augustine … Read more

Maranta leuconeura, widely known as the prayer plant due to its daily sunlight-dependent movements, is a species of flowering plant in the family Marantaceae native to the Brazilian tropical forests. Prayer Plant has oval-shaped leaves, which have unique and vibrant patterns. The leaves often display a mix of greens, with darker green veins or spots, … Read more

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