AMERICAN GARDENER

Joshua trees aren’t actually trees—they’re succulents, a type of plant that stores water. In their dry ecosystems, however, they are considered trees of the desert. Joshua trees were named for the biblical figure Joshua by 19th-century Mormon settlers who felt the outstretched tree limbs guided them along their westward journey. Joshua trees usually have a … Read more

The Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) is also commonly referred to as black pine. This evergreen tree grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8A. You can recognize the Austrian pine tree by its dark green, and rather long needles. Its shape resembles that of a pyramid — with a typical … Read more

The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is a pine species native to the Southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from East Texas to southern Virginia, extending into northern and central Florida. In this area it is also known as “yellow pine” or “long leaf yellow pine”, although it is properly just one out of a number of species termed yellow pine. The historic range of … Read more

The Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) commonly called the eastern white pine, northern white pine, white pine, Weymouth pine (British), and soft pine is native to eastern North America and is an important horticultural species, often used in landscaping and as Christmas trees. It is a fast-growing tree, capable of adding 1 meter in height annually between the ages of 15 … Read more

Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo) is a species of conifer native to high elevation habitats in southwestern to Central Europe and Southeast Europe, that is, the subalpine zones of the Pyrenees, Alps, Ore Mountains, Carpathians, northern and central Apennines, and higher Balkan Peninsula mountains. It is also known as dwarf mountain pine, mountain pine, scrub mountain … Read more

Galanthus, or snowdrop, is a small genus of approximately 24 species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. The plants have two linear leaves and a single small white drooping bell-shaped flower with six petal-like tepals in two circles. The smaller inner petals have green markings. They are commonly the earliest garden flowers … Read more

The Snowdrop Tree, also known as Two-Winged Silverbell or American Snowdrop Tree, is a species in the family Styracaceae, native to the southeastern United States from West Florida to eastern Texas to South Carolina particularly in regions with moist, well-drained soils such as riverbanks, floodplains, and lowland forests. The genus name honors Stephen Hales (1677–1761), … Read more

Pinus sylvestris, the Scots pine, Scotch pine, Baltic pine, or European red pine is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orange-red bark. The Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is one of the most widespread conifer species in the world, … Read more

Bristlecone pines belong to the genus Pinus and are members of the pine family (Pinaceae). Pine trees (Pinus spp.) are the most common coniferous tree worldwide, numbering around 100 species. These trees form large forests characterized by wide open areas with sunlight spilling to the forest floor. Pines are sun-loving trees that do not grow … Read more