AMERICAN GARDENER

There are more than 1,000 species of the succulent peperomia. These evergreens range from ground-dwelling vines to upright shrubby plants that rarely surpass 12 inches tall. Peperomia plants are commonly cultivated indoors in small pots, but they also grow outside. Plants in the Peperomia genus can look so different from one to the next that it’s difficult … Read more

Dracaenas are native to Africa but can also be found in southern Asia and northern Australia. The reason you can find them there is that they are pretty drought tolerant, which is why they make great houseplants for people who want the beauty of a plant, but don’t have the time to care for one. The name … Read more

The name of the plant’s genus, Calathea, comes from the word “basket’, a Greek term referring to plants’ spacious flowers. Its perennials being famous for their bright and bold foliage. While favored as indoor plants, they are also suitable for both indoor settings and outdoor plantations. The genus Calathea—characterized by boldly marked, oblong leaves in a … Read more

Succulents encompass a large range of plants, but they all feature fleshy leaves and stems that store water so they can survive extended dry periods. Well-known varieties include euphorbia, crassula and aloe. Most succulents have deep or broad root systems and are native to either deserts or regions that have a semiarid season. Aeonium Schwarzkopf Aeonium Arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ … Read more

Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food. Although botany distinguishes true roots (such as taproots and tuberous roots) from non-roots (such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, although some contain both hypocotyl and taproot tissue), the term “root vegetable” is applied to all these types in agricultural and culinary usage. Generally, Root vegetables are generally storage organs, enlarged to store energy in the form of carbohydrates. … Read more

In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. It is a characteristic that is not used scientifically for the definition of most families and genera of plants because it often can be used as an accurate characteristic only at the single species level. Succulents have the ability to … Read more

The genus Aloe (Aloe spp.) encompasses some 400 species of succulent plants, all of which are xerophyte examples, meaning they can survive with very little water. The aloe vera xerophyte is the best-known species in the genus. Most aloe species are native to Africa and the Middle East. The name Aloe is derived from the ancient Greek … Read more

Bees are entirely dependent on flowers for food, which consists of pollen and nectar, the latter sometimes modified and stored as honey. There is no doubt that bees and the flowers that they pollinate evolved simultaneously. As bees go from flower to flower gathering pollen, a small amount is rubbed from their bodies and deposited on the flowers they visit. This … Read more