AMERICAN GARDENER

With their endless variety of textures, shapes and sizes, trees and bushes both form the backbone of a landscape and help define its boundaries. Trees or shrubs that produce clusters of red berries also contribute a bright splash of color to the garden. Many fruit-producing trees and shrubs also attract beneficial wildlife such as crows, … Read more

Carrots are a widely cultivated root vegetable, belonging to the Apiaceae family. They are usually orange in color, although they can also come in purple, white, yellow, and black varieties. They are native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. The cultivation of carrots has a long history, with evidence of their domestication in Central Asia around … Read more

Cortaderia selloana is a species of flowering plant in the Poaceae family. It is referred to by the common name pampas grass, and is native to southern South America. Pampas grass is named for the Pampas plains, where it is endemic. It is cultivated as an ornamental in warm parts of the world and is considered an invasive species in some areas … Read more

Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. Geranium is also the botanical name and common name of a separate genus of related plants, also known as cranesbills. These plants are typically herbaceous perennials and can grow to a mature … Read more

Acer is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, along with lychee and horse chestnut. There are approximately 132 species, most of which are native to Asia, with a number also appearing in Europe, northern Africa, and North America.  Acer saccharum, the sugar … Read more

Platanus × acerifolia, Platanus × hispanica, or hybrid plane, is a tree in the genus Platanus. It is often known by the synonym London plane or London planetree. It is a hybrid of Platanus orientalis ( Oriental plane) and Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore). It prefer U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. … Read more

There are about 130 species of maple trees (Acer) in the world, with different varieties found throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9.  Each species has its own characteristics, including variances in leaf shape and color, bark, hardiness and overall tree form. The bigleaf maple also referred to as Oregon maple has the largest leaves of … Read more