Salvia rosmarinus - History and Gardening Tips

Salvia rosmarinus, commonly known as rosemary, is a woody, perennial shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was known by the scientific name Rosmarinus officinalis.

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Rose - History and Gardening Tips

A rose is a woody perennial, flowering plant of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over one hundred different species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing, or trailing, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles or "thorns". Flowers vary in size and shape and are usually large and showy, in colors ranging from white through yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Species, cultivars, and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and often are fragrant. Roses have acquired cultural significance in many societies. Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 7 meters in height. Different species hybridize easily, and this has been used in the development of the wide range of garden roses.

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Disaphora fruticosa - History and Gardening Tips

Dasiphora fruticosa (shrubby cinquefoil; syn. Potentilla fruticosa L., Pentaphylloides fruticosa (L.) O.Schwarz) is a species of hardy deciduous flowering shrub in the genus Dasiphora (formerly Potentilla) of the family Rosaceae, native to the cool temperate and subarctic regions of the northern hemisphere, often growing at high altitudes in mountains. Dasiphora fruticosa is a disputed name, and the plant is still widely referenced in the horticultural literature under its synonym Potentilla fruticosa. Common names include shrubby cinquefoil, golden hardhack, bush cinquefoil, shrubby five-finger, and widdy.

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Chamaedaphne calyculata - History and Gardening Tips

Chamaedaphne calyculata, known commonly as Leatherleaf or Cassandra, is a perennial dwarf shrub in the plant family Ericaceae and the only species in the genus Chamaedaphne. It has a wide distribution throughout the cool temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, from eastern North America to bogs in Finland and Japan. C. calyculata is very shade-intolerant, and does well in full sun. Nutrients are low in bogs due to low mineralization, and plants can only acquire nutrients from atmospheric sources.

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Ageratum houstonianum - History and Gardening Tips

Ageratum houstonianum (flossflower, bluemink, blueweed, pussy foot, Mexican paintbrush) is a cool-season annual plant often grown as bedding in gardens. This plant is native to Central America, in Guatemala and Belize and adjacent parts of Mexico, but has become an invasive weed in other areas. It has also been naturalized in large parts of the tropics and in the southern United States. Their habitat is pastures, moist forest clearings and bushes up to altitudes of 1,000 meters. 

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Lavandula angustifolia - History and Gardening Tips

Lavandula angustifolia (lavender, English lavender - though not native to England, common lavender, true lavender, narrow-leaved lavender, and garden lavender), formerly L. officinalis, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the western Mediterranean, primarily the Pyrenees and other mountains in northern Spain, as well as France, Italy, Croatia, etc.

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Echinacea purpurea - History and Gardening Tips

Echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower, purple coneflower, hedgehog coneflower, or echinacea) is a North American species of flowering plant in the genus Echinacea of the family Asteraceae.  It is native to eastern North America and present to some extent in the wild in much of the eastern, southeastern and midwest United States, as well as in the Canadian Province of Ontario. It is most common in the Ozarks and in the Mississippi and Ohio Valley.

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Hibiscus moscheutos - History and Gardening Tips

Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp-rose Mallow, Rose Mallow, Crimson-eyed Rose Mallow, or Eastern Rose Mallow) is a cold-hardy perennial wetland plant that can grow in large colonies. The hirsute leaves are of variable morphology, but commonly found as deltoidal in form and sometimes having up to three lobes. It is found in wetlands and along the riverine systems of the southeastern United States from Texas to the Atlantic states, its territory extending northward to southern Ontario.

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Portulaca grandiflora - History and Gardening Tips

Portulaca grandiflora (Moss-rose Purslane or Moss-rose), is a succulent flowering plant in the family Portulacaceae, native to Argentina, southern Brazil, and Uruguay, and often cultivated in gardens. P. grandiflora has many common names, including Rose Moss, Eleven o'clock, Mexican Rose, Moss Rose, Sun Rose, Rock Rose, and Moss-Rose Purslane. It is also seen in South Asia and widely spread in most of the cities with old 18th-19th century architecture in the Balkans. In Bangladesh, it is called "Time Fuul", meaning "Time Flower", because the flower has a specific time to bloom. In Vietnam, it is called "Hoa mười giờ" meaning "Ten o'clock flower", because the flower is usually in full bloom at 10 o'clock in the morning.It is a small, but fast-growing annual plant growing to 30 cm tall, though usually less. However if it is cultivated properly it can easily reach this height. The leaves are thick and fleshy, up to 2.5 cm long, arranged alternately or in small clusters. Their upright, or ascending shoots usually branch near the base. The axillary shoots typically have whitish, woolly hair covering the fleshy stems.The flowers are 2.5–3 cm diameter with five petals, variably red, orange, pink, white, and yellow. Flowers can reach a diameter of  up to 4cm, with five bright colored petals which are obovate.Numerous cultivars have been selected for double flowers with additional petals, and for variation in flower color, plain or variegated. It is widely grown in temperate climates as an ornamental plant for annual bedding or as a container plant. It requires ample sunlight and well-drained soils. It requires almost no attention and spreads itself very easily. In places with old architecture it can grow between the stones of the road or sidewalk. Seeds are often sold as mixtures, such as Double Flowering Mixture. P. grandiflora grows well in sandy soils, and grows wild in countries with a frost-free climate.

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Caladium - History and Gardening Tips

Caladium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. They are often known by the common name elephant ear (which they share with the closely related genera Alocasia, Colocasia, and Xanthosoma), Heart of Jesus, and Angel Wings. There are over 1000 named cultivars of Caladium bicolor from the original South American plant.

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Lobelia erinus - History and Gardening Tips

Lobelia erinus, also called Edging Lobelia, Garden Lobelia or Trailing Lobelia, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae, native to southern Africa, from Malawi and Namibia south to South Africa. It is a low-growing, prostrate or scrambling herbaceous perennial plant growing to 8–15cm tall. The basal leaves are oval, 10mm long and 4-8mm broad, with a toothed margin; leaves higher on the stems are slender and sometimes untoothed. The flowers are blue to violet in wild plants, with a five-lobed corolla 8–20 mm across; they are produced in loose panicles. About 0.5 to 4.5 inches long inflorescence stems are about 5 inches long, loose racemose inflorescences with many flowers. The hermaphrodite flower is zygomorphic with a length of up to 1 centimeter and quinate with double perianth. The five sepals are fused. The fan-shaped lower lip is trilobed. The color of the crown varies depending on the variety between white, blue, purple, purple, pink or red the center is yellow or white. The five stamens are 3 to 7 millimeters long. The fruit is a 5–8mm capsule containing numerous small seeds.

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Phlox drummondi - History and Gardening Tips

Phlox drummondii, commonly called Annual Phlox or Drummond's Phlox, is a flowering plant in the genus Phlox. This plant is native to Texas, but is widely distributed in the southeastern United States, especially along public highways. P. drummondii is often used as an ornamental plant. According to J. P. Kelly "the colors have a wide range from white and cream through pinks, lilacs, roses, purples and reds, to almost black".The said phlox is named after Scottish botanist Thomas Drummond, who sent it and a variety of other plant samples back to Britain following his 1833–1835 expedition to Texas.The branches of the Phlox drummondii have sharp, pointed, lengthy, ciliated leaves with rounded flowers. The flowers are generally one-inch singles or double, with star shaped petals and a flatness. They have a light fragrance. The flowers mature to 8-10 inches x 8-10 inches. Due to the flower's experience with northern temperate zones, it tolerates cold weather well, but requires healthy watering and dislikes drought, wind and heat.Article excerpt is from Wikipedia.org under the Creative Commons License.Image reused under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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Ilex - History and Gardening Tips

Ilex, or holly, is a genus of approximately 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones worldwide. The genus Ilex is widespread throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of the world. It includes species of trees, shrubs, and climbers, with evergreen or deciduous foliage and inconspicuous flowers. Its range was more extended in the Tertiary period and many species are adapted to laurel forest habitat. It occurs from sea level to more than 2,000 meters with high mountain species. It is a genus of small, evergreen trees with smooth, glabrous, or pubescent branchlets. The plants are generally slow-growing with some species growing to 25m tall. 

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Digitalis purpurea - History and Gardening Tips

Digitalis purpurea, foxglove or common foxglove, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, in the genus Digitalis, native and widespread throughout most of temperate Europe. It is also naturalized in parts of North America and some other temperate regions. The plants are well known as the original source of the heart medicine digoxin, (also called digitalis or digitalin).

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Convallaria majalis - History and Gardening Tips

Convallaria majalis, commonly known as Lily of the Valley, is a poisonous woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers. Other names for C. majalis include May bells, Our Lady's tears, and Mary's tears. Its French name, muguet, sometimes appears in the names of perfumes imitating the flower's scent. In pre-modern England, the plant was known as glovewort (as it was a wort used to create a salve for sore hands), or Apollinaris (according to a Greek legend that it was discovered by the god, Apollo).

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Polygonatum odoratum - History and Gardening Tips

Polygonatum odoratum, also known as Angular Solomon's Seal or Scented Solomon's Seal, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, the Russian Far East, China, Mongolia, Korea, and Korea. In Britain, it is one of three native species of the genus, the others being P. multiflorum and P. verticillatum. There are four recognized varieties of P. odoratum: P. odoratum var. maximowiczii (Japan and Russian Far East), P. odoratum var. odoratum (widespread from Portugal and Great Britian to Japan and Kamchatka), P. odoratum var pluriflorum (Japan and Korea), and P. odoratum var. thunbergii (Japan and Korea).

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Monarda didyma - History and Gardening Tips

Monarda didyma, also named Crimson Bee Balm, Scarlet Bee Balm, Scarlet Monarda, Oswego Tea, or Bergamot, is an aromatic herb in the family Lamiaceae, native to eastern North America from Maine west to Ohio and south to northern Georgia.

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