AMERICAN GARDENER

Lemon trees are part of the citrus genus of plants, and are prized by home gardeners for their lush green foliage and juicy, flavorful fruit. Two common varieties found in home gardens are the eureka lemon tree (Citrus limon ‘Eureka’) and the Meyer lemon tree (Citrus limon ‘Meyer’). Meyer and Eureka are both hardy varieties of … Read more

Buttercup, (genus Ranunculus), genus of about 300 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Buttercups are distributed throughout the world and are especially common in woods and fields of the north temperate zone. Most buttercups have tuberous or fibrous roots. The flowers are solitary or loosely clustered and have five green sepals, five to many glossy yellow (sometimes white) petals, and numerous male and female … Read more

A lime is a citrus fruit, which is round, lime green in colour, 1-3 inches diameter, and contains acidic juice vesicles. Lime fruits make their way into innumerable foods and beverages as a flavoring agent, and lime essential oils are used in the formulation of many household products. The two commonly recognized lime tree species: Tahitian limes (Citrus latifoila) and Mexican limes (Citrus … Read more

Nigella damascena, love-in-a-mist, or devil in the bush, is an annual garden flowering plant, belonging to the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is native to southern Europe, north Africa and southwest Asia, where it is found on neglected, damp patches of land. The plant’s seeds were historically used in cooking and medicine. They have a slight … Read more

Genus Centaurea, commonly known as cornflower or bachelor’s button, is native to Europe. In the past, it often grew as a weed in cornfields with double 1 1/2-inch blooms that resemble miniature carnations hence its name. The cornflower plant is easy to grow by seed and makes a long-lasting cut flower, even retaining the blue color when … Read more

Morning glory (Ipomoea spp.) is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics are in flux. As the name suggests, most morning glory flowers unfurl into full bloom in the early morning. The flowers usually start to fade a few hours before the corolla begins to display … Read more

Hyacinthus is a small genus of bulbous herbs, spring-blooming perennials. They are fragrant flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae and are commonly called hyacinths. An old-fashioned spring-flowering bulb, Hyacinth is valued for its waxy, sweet-smelling flowers that come in colors ranging from pale pastels to intense shades of blue and purple. The spiky … Read more

Sweet William, also known as Dianthus barbatus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to southern Europe and parts of Asia, including the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, and the Balkans. It has also adapted to northeastern China, Korea, and southeastern Russia. Sweet William is a short-lived perennial or biennial plant, growing … Read more

Nitrogen-fixing plants span a wide range of ecosystems and uses, from reforestation and agroforestry to ornamental gardening and agriculture. These plants have the unique ability to convert atmospheric nitrogen, which is not directly usable by most plants, into a form that can be assimilated into plant tissues. This process is called nitrogen fixation and is … Read more