Blog
What’s So Special About the Lily Flower?
What do you know about the lily flower? You may have seen it in a vase, a front yard, or perhaps a botanic garden. If it was in the summertime, you may have noticed the enormous, colorful six-petaled blooms that makes this flower famous. Maybe you even have a friend...
15 Healing Herbs You Can Grow At Home
Plants have been on the planet for just under 500 million years. Somewhere along the way, humans understood that while certain plants could kill you, others could heal ailments in amazing ways. These healing herbs are part of an ancient understanding of the world and...
Florida Plant Identification for Beginners
Florida is a state teeming with biodiversity. With the nickname “The Sunshine State,” Florida must have loads of sun-loving plant life - and indeed it does! Although there are thousands of plant species native to the state, a handful of them are quite characteristic...
How to Be Smart While Foraging for Food
Foraging is a fun way to gather your own food from nature - all for free! One of the beauties of the natural world is the bounty of food just waiting to be collected and eaten. This bounty is not just for animals like deer or squirrels. Us humans can take advantage of...
What Is Subsistence Farming?
Subsistence farming, or subsistence agriculture, is when a farmer grows food for themselves and their family on a small plot of land. Unlike other types of farming, subsistence farming is focused more on survival. There is very little or no emphasis on trading and...
Most Popular Edible Flowers (And How to Eat Them)
Imagine, 75% of the calories consumed by humans come from just 12 plant and 5 livestock species. Humans regularly cultivate only 200 species of plants for food, out of the nearly half-million that exist. With over 400,000 species of flowering plants alone, there must...
Hawaiian Flower Identification for Beginners
Hawaii is a fascinating place for all kinds of biology. This tropical paradise is made up of volcanic islands. These islands appeared in the ocean with no life whatsoever. In the beginning, the Hawaiian islands were simply mounds of lava rock. All native species on...
How to Identify the 10 Most Common Fruit Plants
Most people can easily tell apart apples from bananas, and oranges from blackberries. But, how easy is it to identify the plants they come from? To find out, here’s a guide on how to identify the 10 most common fruit plants. Before we begin, let’s go over some basics...
How To Plan and Start Growing an Herb Garden
Diving into the world of herbs is fascinating. Herbs can be used in a variety of ways - culinary, medicinal, and as companion plants. They’re pollinator-friendly additions to the garden and often add color while also being functional. Growing an herb garden isn’t...
What Is Terrace Farming?
People around the world have discovered clever ways to farm in tough conditions. Their land could be too dry, too wet, too hot, or prone to insects or damaging storms. If the land is too steep, people might try terrace farming. Cultures in Peru, Japan, the...
Top 5 Lavender Plant Uses
If you’ve ever walked past a lavender plant, you’ll know that the smell of lavender is one of the richest, most soothing scents there is. Lavender is a fragrant herb laden with small, purple flowers. It’s perhaps one of the most well-recognized scents, and it’s...
Intro to the Mint Plant (and the Top Mint Plant Uses)
Not all of us have a green thumb, but some plants are so ubiquitous that you can’t help but encounter them in everyday life. Mint is one of those plants. It’s probably in your toothpaste, or in a pot nearby as you walk down the street. There are a lot of reasons you...
History of the Poppy Flower
The history of the poppy flower is a rich one. The popular plant is not only famous for its pretty flowers, but also for its use in the production of a highly addictive drug called opium. It also allows us to produce some of the most important medicine in the world,...
How Do Pineapples Grow?
The pineapple is a tropical fruit that travels far in our modern age. Whether you live in the fjords of Iceland or the open prairies of Nebraska, chances are there are little pineapple cubes in your fruit cup, frozen bags of it in the freezer section of the grocery...
What Is Chaga? Intro to the Alaskan Medicinal Mushroom
If you haven’t heard of chaga, you aren’t alone. This mushroom, while wildly popular amongst certain groups in the far northern reaches of the planet, has yet to make it into mainstream culture. That being said, it is rapidly gaining celebrity for its wide variety of...
10 Cool Facts About Bioluminescent Mushrooms (and Where to Find Them)
Glow-in-the-dark mushrooms? Is that a real thing? Yep, it is. And no, you’re not tripping. Fungi are a source of mystery, delight, and danger for forest adventurers and plant identifiers. Recently, scientists have shed light on the way mushrooms glow in...
Everything You Need to Know About Reishi Mushrooms
Reishi mushrooms have long been used as medicine. Also known as the Ling Zhi mushroom, these fungi grow on the sides of trees. In the wild, reishi mushrooms prefer to grow at the base of maple or hemlock trees. These mushrooms are actually a group of species in the...
Why Do Cacti Have Spines? 4 Reasons Cacti are Spikey
Walking through the desert, it doesn’t take long to realize that just about everything is sharp. Large and small, strange and familiar, most cacti have spines. But why? Cactus spines aren’t just nature’s way to make the desert a rougher place to be. They serve several...
Do All Plants Use Photosynthesis?
Have you ever wondered do all plants need sunlight in order to survive? Though this may sound like a silly question, it turns out there are quite a few plants that can live with no light at all! Plant leaves are nature’s solar panels. They excel at converting carbon...
Why Are There So Many Plants In the Rainforest?
The biodiversity of plants in the rainforest is staggering. Some rainforests have more species of plant than entire continents, and a single tree in the rainforest may contain more species of epiphyte (plants that grow on other plants) than most countries. But why are...
Barrel Cactus vs Saguaro Cactus: What’s the Difference?
To those of us new to the desert, it can be hard to tell the difference between a barrel cactus vs saguaro cactus. These large cacti grow across the southwestern United States. Young saguaros can closely resemble barrel cacti, adding to the confusion. Let’s break down...
Cuttings: The Magical Way to Grow Plants
Fall is here! The sweaters are warm! The pumpkins are spiced! And leaves are falling from their trees! While many regular gardening activities are winding down, it is the perfect time to begin starting new plants from cuttings. Many of the plants you see every day...
Why Do Desert Plants Have Fat Leaves and Stems, Spines, or No Leaves?
As you wander around the desert or peruse the succulent section of your local garden shop, you might start to wonder why desert plants have such fat leaves. Cacti are famous for their spines, but they (and other desert plants) have other trademark characteristics. The...
How Do Some Trees Get So Big?
Anyone who’s ever visited a rainforest in the tropics or the Pacific Northwest will findi it impossible to ignore how tall the trees are. A defining characteristic of a tree is definitely the fact that trees are taller than bushes -- but why are trees tall? Let’s look...
Magic Plants in the Real World
We’re never too old for fairy tales. Folk stories about gingerbread houses, witches cauldrons, glass slippers, and cursed frogs have shaped our imaginations and cultures since humans first gathered around the fire. To this day, they continue to delight, enchant, and...
What Plants to Look for After Wildfires? Wildflowers!
Wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more intense throughout western North America. As climate change continues to make such extreme weather events more common, it is important to know what to expect from land that has previously been burned. And it's not all bad!...
How to Identify, Remove, and Treat Poison Oak
Poison oak, or Toxicodendron diversilobum or Toxicodendron pubescens, is another relative of poison ivy and poison sumac. There are two species of poison oak: eastern and western. Both species are common across North America in a variety of habitats, making it a good...
How (and why) to Remove Invasive European Buckthorn
Though Buckthorn is nowhere near as scary as Giant Hogweed, it’s still a serious invasive species that causes all sorts of problems where it grows. Buckthorn is shorthand for the genus Rhamnus, which includes about 110 species of shrubs and small trees. Unfortunately,...
How to Identify, Remove, and Treat Poison Sumac
Poison Sumac, or Toxicodendron vernix, is a common North American plant that causes skin irritation to people. Like its better-known cousin poison ivy, the green leaves of poison sumac sure to put a damper on an otherwise pleasant camping trip or another outdoor...
Pack Your Bookbags: The Best Plant Field Guides
Learning to identify plants, even for full-time students, is no small task. Building a library of the best plant field guides will help you learn to accurately identify plants. While field guides may seem technical and tedious at first, they are integral to building...
Why Are There So Many Plants In the Rainforest?
The biodiversity of plants in the rainforest is staggering. Some rainforests have more species of plant than entire continents, and a single tree in the rainforest may contain more species of epiphyte (plants that grow on other plants) than most countries. But why are...
Barrel Cactus vs Saguaro Cactus: What’s the Difference?
To those of us new to the desert, it can be hard to tell the difference between a barrel cactus vs saguaro cactus. These large cacti grow across the southwestern United States. Young saguaros can closely resemble barrel cacti, adding to the confusion. Let’s break down...
Magic Plants in the Real World
We’re never too old for fairy tales. Folk stories about gingerbread houses, witches cauldrons, glass slippers, and cursed frogs have shaped our imaginations and cultures since humans first gathered around the fire. To this day, they continue to delight, enchant, and...
What Plants to Look for After Wildfires? Wildflowers!
Wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more intense throughout western North America. As climate change continues to make such extreme weather events more common, it is important to know what to expect from land that has previously been burned. And it's not all bad!...
Beyond Giant Hogweed: Plants That Burn or Blister You
Giant hogweed is a pretty terrifying plant that hit the news late in the summer of 2018. It’s an invasive plant and noxious weed, meaning it’s harmful to people. But it’s not the only dangerous plant out there. Touching giant hogweed can cause terrible burns (and even...
How to Identify, Remove, and Treat Poison Oak
Poison oak, or Toxicodendron diversilobum or Toxicodendron pubescens, is another relative of poison ivy and poison sumac. There are two species of poison oak: eastern and western. Both species are common across North America in a variety of habitats, making it a good...
How (and why) to Remove Invasive European Buckthorn
Though Buckthorn is nowhere near as scary as Giant Hogweed, it’s still a serious invasive species that causes all sorts of problems where it grows. Buckthorn is shorthand for the genus Rhamnus, which includes about 110 species of shrubs and small trees. Unfortunately,...
How to Identify, Remove, and Treat Poison Sumac
Poison Sumac, or Toxicodendron vernix, is a common North American plant that causes skin irritation to people. Like its better-known cousin poison ivy, the green leaves of poison sumac sure to put a damper on an otherwise pleasant camping trip or another outdoor...
Pack Your Bookbags: The Best Plant Field Guides
Learning to identify plants, even for full-time students, is no small task. Building a library of the best plant field guides will help you learn to accurately identify plants. While field guides may seem technical and tedious at first, they are integral to building...
How to Identify, Remove, and Prevent Aphids on Plants
Aphids on plants are common problems for indoor and outdoor plants alike. These small, pear-shaped bugs particularly like to congregate on new growth. Here’s how to identify, control, and prevent aphids on plants. We produced a whole mini-guide to common garden pests...
How to Identify, Remove, and Treat Poison Ivy
Poison ivy is a well-known plant that’s common in the undergrowth of North America. With characteristic triads of leaves, it seems like it should be easy to identify poison ivy. However, there are several subspecies or varieties of poison ivy that make identification...
9 Common Edible Plants You Probably Walk Past Every Week
Oh, sure, we all know about apples, blackberries, and dandelions. But what if you want to branch out a bit when foraging? There are all sorts of edible plants common to North America. Chances are, you probably walk past some of these common edible plants every week!...
A Slightly Obsessive Guide to the Blackberries of the World
During a recent hike in Olympic National Park, I saw some strange berries - like blackberries, but pink. Confused, I pointed them out to my boyfriend and he explained they were salmonberries (scroll to "North American Blackberry Species" to see a photo). I definitely...
The Forager’s Guide to Plant Identification
Late summer and early fall is peak harvest. Driving around the countryside, you’ll see countless roadside stands for berries, then apples, then pumpkins. Foraging for wild food allows you to get the joy of eating ultra-local without waiting around for the farms to...
How to Identify Giant Hogweed, the Plant That Can Cause Severe Burns and Blisters
Giant hogweed is a plant that can cause severe burns and blisters. Its pretty looks earned it a spot as an ornamental plant through the 1800s, leading to its spread from its native Eurasia to Europe and North America. Giant hogweed is now a bona fide invasive species,...
How to Care for Your Plants When You Leave for Vacation
With the holidays coming up, many of us are facing hectic travel schedules. How do we care for our plants when we leave for vacation? Of course, the exact answer to this question depends on two major factors: How long will you be gone for vacation? What sort of...
Why Do Cacti Have Spines? 4 Reasons Cacti are Spikey
Walking through the desert, it doesn’t take long to realize that just about everything is sharp. Large and small, strange and familiar, most cacti have spines. But why? Cactus spines aren’t just nature’s way to make the desert a rougher place to be. They serve several...
Do All Plants Use Photosynthesis?
Have you ever wondered do all plants need sunlight in order to survive? Though this may sound like a silly question, it turns out there are quite a few plants that can live with no light at all! Plant leaves are nature’s solar panels. They excel at converting carbon...
A Crash Course in Aquaponics: How to Grow Plants and Raise Fish Together
For the experienced gardener and aquarium-keeper, aquaponics is a natural next step. Combining plants with fish allows the excrement from the fish to feed the plants, while the plants clean the water for the fish. You can create a symbiotic environment in your home...
Why Are There So Many Plants In the Rainforest?
The biodiversity of plants in the rainforest is staggering. Some rainforests have more species of plant than entire continents, and a single tree in the rainforest may contain more species of epiphyte (plants that grow on other plants) than most countries. But why are...
Barrel Cactus vs Saguaro Cactus: What’s the Difference?
To those of us new to the desert, it can be hard to tell the difference between a barrel cactus vs saguaro cactus. These large cacti grow across the southwestern United States. Young saguaros can closely resemble barrel cacti, adding to the confusion. Let’s break down...
Cuttings: The Magical Way to Grow Plants
Fall is here! The sweaters are warm! The pumpkins are spiced! And leaves are falling from their trees! While many regular gardening activities are winding down, it is the perfect time to begin starting new plants from cuttings. Many of the plants you see every day...
Why Do Desert Plants Have Fat Leaves and Stems, Spines, or No Leaves?
As you wander around the desert or peruse the succulent section of your local garden shop, you might start to wonder why desert plants have such fat leaves. Cacti are famous for their spines, but they (and other desert plants) have other trademark characteristics. The...
How Do Some Trees Get So Big?
Anyone who’s ever visited a rainforest in the tropics or the Pacific Northwest will findi it impossible to ignore how tall the trees are. A defining characteristic of a tree is definitely the fact that trees are taller than bushes -- but why are trees tall? Let’s look...
Magic Plants in the Real World
We’re never too old for fairy tales. Folk stories about gingerbread houses, witches cauldrons, glass slippers, and cursed frogs have shaped our imaginations and cultures since humans first gathered around the fire. To this day, they continue to delight, enchant, and...
18 Plants You Can Grow from Table Scraps (With Instructions)
Composting leftover food is great and all, but what if you could make more food come from your table scraps? This isn’t the stuff of dreams for starving college students - it’s real. You can grow plants from table scraps. It's nice to know where your food comes from...
What Plants to Look for After Wildfires? Wildflowers!
Wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more intense throughout western North America. As climate change continues to make such extreme weather events more common, it is important to know what to expect from land that has previously been burned. And it's not all bad!...
Beyond Giant Hogweed: Plants That Burn or Blister You
Giant hogweed is a pretty terrifying plant that hit the news late in the summer of 2018. It’s an invasive plant and noxious weed, meaning it’s harmful to people. But it’s not the only dangerous plant out there. Touching giant hogweed can cause terrible burns (and even...
Here are 7 Things to Do With Your Extra Garden Veggies: From Pickling to Potlucks
As you’re digging up the 10,000th spud or trimming the millionth cucumber (didn’t you only plant two of those?), you might be wondering what to do with all of your extra veggies. While most gardeners are certainly happier to have surplus produce than to have an empty...
A Guide to James, Jellies, and Preserves: From Apples to Peaches
It’s that time of year - pumpkin spice lattes are all over everything, leaves are turning colors, and… you’re drowning in extra fruits and berries that you need to find a way to preserve. Or is that just me? While you might want to make jams or jellies year ‘round (I...
All Your Questions About Instant Flower Identification, Answered
As spring reaches much of the northern hemisphere, you might notice more and more flowers blooming. You might notice some pretty pink flowers in the trees near your bus stop, an unusual red flower on your hike, or small blue flowers along the sidewalk. Identifying...
Top 7 Mosquito Repellent Plants
Looking forward to spring and summer, it’s time to start thinking about the downsides of warmer weather… mosquitos. As much of a downer as these biting bugs can be, they’re a fact of life for warmer months. But did you know that there are mosquito repellent plants?...
Top 10 Flowers to Grow for a Winter Garden
Winter can be a tough season for a lot of us. Less sun and colder temperatures make life seem to come to a halt. Many plants drop their leaves and go dormant until the spring. For others, winter is just another season for growing! Certain plants, even edible ones,...
Call the Botanist! How to Save Your Dying Plants
It's surprisingly emotional to watch a plant die in front of you. You can't ask your plant what's wrong, and sometimes a remedy actually makes it worse. We're here to help you save your dying plants - and save yourself from the stress of killing (yet another)...
5 Houseplants That Produce the Most Oxygen
Houseplants can change your home’s atmosphere in more ways than one! Choosing houseplants that produce the most oxygen can greatly help improve your indoor air quality. We all rely on plants to create breathable air. Our lungs breathe the oxygen that plants produce...
How to Care for Your Plants When You Leave for Vacation
With the holidays coming up, many of us are facing hectic travel schedules. How do we care for our plants when we leave for vacation? Of course, the exact answer to this question depends on two major factors: How long will you be gone for vacation? What sort of...
Guide to Growing Snake Gourds (and the Best Recipes for Them)
Image by Health Jade Snake gourds might be the most distinctive and delicious crop most home gardeners have never heard of. Getting its name from the serpentine growth habit, this long, slender squash is a great choice for gardeners and home chefs who are...
A Crash Course in Aquaponics: How to Grow Plants and Raise Fish Together
For the experienced gardener and aquarium-keeper, aquaponics is a natural next step. Combining plants with fish allows the excrement from the fish to feed the plants, while the plants clean the water for the fish. You can create a symbiotic environment in your home...
Cool Examples of Moss Graffiti and Plant Art
The hustle and bustle of the city can be contagious. Everyone’s got somewhere to be, something to do, and people move quickly along the streets and avenues lined with multi-story buildings, apartment complexes and neighborhood shops. But nearby, many cities...
Cuttings: The Magical Way to Grow Plants
Fall is here! The sweaters are warm! The pumpkins are spiced! And leaves are falling from their trees! While many regular gardening activities are winding down, it is the perfect time to begin starting new plants from cuttings. Many of the plants you see every day...
Enjoy These Nine Gorgeous Decorative Christmas Plants: Classic to Chic
As the snow starts to fall across the northern U.S., you may be ready to bring some greenery into your life. Festive plants will help you get into the holiday spirit and stave off seasonal depression during the winter months. If you’re not ready to put up your...
18 Plants You Can Grow from Table Scraps (With Instructions)
Composting leftover food is great and all, but what if you could make more food come from your table scraps? This isn’t the stuff of dreams for starving college students - it’s real. You can grow plants from table scraps. It's nice to know where your food comes from...
Here are 7 Things to Do With Your Extra Garden Veggies: From Pickling to Potlucks
As you’re digging up the 10,000th spud or trimming the millionth cucumber (didn’t you only plant two of those?), you might be wondering what to do with all of your extra veggies. While most gardeners are certainly happier to have surplus produce than to have an empty...
A Guide to James, Jellies, and Preserves: From Apples to Peaches
It’s that time of year - pumpkin spice lattes are all over everything, leaves are turning colors, and… you’re drowning in extra fruits and berries that you need to find a way to preserve. Or is that just me? While you might want to make jams or jellies year ‘round (I...
Planning a Last Minute Winter Vegetable Garden
As the summer growing season slows and leaves begin to turn, it’s nice to start thinking about all of the vegetables and greens that you can keep eating fresh all through the winter. Here are some tips to prepare your last minute winter vegetable garden! While the...
Identifying the 27 Most Common Vegetable Plants
In all of the excitement of planting your vegetable garden, you forgot to label the rows of greenery. Now you’re looking at lines of little green seedlings (or a tangled mess of adult plants), and wondering what’s going on in your garden. Before you throw in the...
Use These Plant Photography Tips and Exercises to Showcase Your Garden
As you marvel at the beauty of a flower or the intricacies of a forest, you may wonder how to capture that feeling in a photograph. These plant photography tips will help you take the best photos of plants. You’ll be ready to showcase your garden or share snapshots...
How to Identify Succulents with an App
Ok, we get it. Pintrest (and the rest of the internet) loves succulents. Whether you’re just catching onto the trend now, or you’ve been building succulent terrariums since before it was cool, you probably would like to know exactly what is in your succulent garden....
Dog Safe Plants and How to Make a Dog-Friendly Garden
If you love both dogs and gardening, you probably have already asked yourself: are there dog safe plants out there? Given some dog’s propensity to much on leaves and sniff around in the dirt, you might even want to take it a step further: creating a dog-friendly...
Introduction to Classroom Cactus Identification: Ideas for Educators
Teaching a class to recognize cacti is a great intro to the natural world -- cacti are fascinating, and relatively easy to find if you’re in their neck of the woods. Cacti can also be surprisingly challenging to recognize, especially if you have a lot of species near...
Low-Light Houseplants That Will Survive Your Dark Office Cubicle
A few low-light houseplants can turn a bare, sterile space into one that’s much more inviting. Indoor plants improve concentration and can relieve stress. Just looking at a plant every so often can help you focus. Plants even filter out toxins and release fresh...
Why Are There So Many Plants In the Rainforest?
The biodiversity of plants in the rainforest is staggering. Some rainforests have more species of plant than entire continents, and a single tree in the rainforest may contain more species of epiphyte (plants that grow on other plants) than most countries. But why are...
Barrel Cactus vs Saguaro Cactus: What’s the Difference?
To those of us new to the desert, it can be hard to tell the difference between a barrel cactus vs saguaro cactus. These large cacti grow across the southwestern United States. Young saguaros can closely resemble barrel cacti, adding to the confusion. Let’s break down...
Magic Plants in the Real World
We’re never too old for fairy tales. Folk stories about gingerbread houses, witches cauldrons, glass slippers, and cursed frogs have shaped our imaginations and cultures since humans first gathered around the fire. To this day, they continue to delight, enchant, and...
What Plants to Look for After Wildfires? Wildflowers!
Wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more intense throughout western North America. As climate change continues to make such extreme weather events more common, it is important to know what to expect from land that has previously been burned. And it's not all bad!...
Beyond Giant Hogweed: Plants That Burn or Blister You
Giant hogweed is a pretty terrifying plant that hit the news late in the summer of 2018. It’s an invasive plant and noxious weed, meaning it’s harmful to people. But it’s not the only dangerous plant out there. Touching giant hogweed can cause terrible burns (and even...
How to Identify, Remove, and Treat Poison Oak
Poison oak, or Toxicodendron diversilobum or Toxicodendron pubescens, is another relative of poison ivy and poison sumac. There are two species of poison oak: eastern and western. Both species are common across North America in a variety of habitats, making it a good...
How (and why) to Remove Invasive European Buckthorn
Though Buckthorn is nowhere near as scary as Giant Hogweed, it’s still a serious invasive species that causes all sorts of problems where it grows. Buckthorn is shorthand for the genus Rhamnus, which includes about 110 species of shrubs and small trees. Unfortunately,...
How to Identify, Remove, and Treat Poison Sumac
Poison Sumac, or Toxicodendron vernix, is a common North American plant that causes skin irritation to people. Like its better-known cousin poison ivy, the green leaves of poison sumac sure to put a damper on an otherwise pleasant camping trip or another outdoor...
Pack Your Bookbags: The Best Plant Field Guides
Learning to identify plants, even for full-time students, is no small task. Building a library of the best plant field guides will help you learn to accurately identify plants. While field guides may seem technical and tedious at first, they are integral to building...
How to Identify, Remove, and Prevent Aphids on Plants
Aphids on plants are common problems for indoor and outdoor plants alike. These small, pear-shaped bugs particularly like to congregate on new growth. Here’s how to identify, control, and prevent aphids on plants. We produced a whole mini-guide to common garden pests...
How to Identify, Remove, and Treat Poison Ivy
Poison ivy is a well-known plant that’s common in the undergrowth of North America. With characteristic triads of leaves, it seems like it should be easy to identify poison ivy. However, there are several subspecies or varieties of poison ivy that make identification...
9 Common Edible Plants You Probably Walk Past Every Week
Oh, sure, we all know about apples, blackberries, and dandelions. But what if you want to branch out a bit when foraging? There are all sorts of edible plants common to North America. Chances are, you probably walk past some of these common edible plants every week!...
A Slightly Obsessive Guide to the Blackberries of the World
During a recent hike in Olympic National Park, I saw some strange berries - like blackberries, but pink. Confused, I pointed them out to my boyfriend and he explained they were salmonberries (scroll to "North American Blackberry Species" to see a photo). I definitely...
The Forager’s Guide to Plant Identification
Late summer and early fall is peak harvest. Driving around the countryside, you’ll see countless roadside stands for berries, then apples, then pumpkins. Foraging for wild food allows you to get the joy of eating ultra-local without waiting around for the farms to...
How to Identify Giant Hogweed, the Plant That Can Cause Severe Burns and Blisters
Giant hogweed is a plant that can cause severe burns and blisters. Its pretty looks earned it a spot as an ornamental plant through the 1800s, leading to its spread from its native Eurasia to Europe and North America. Giant hogweed is now a bona fide invasive species,...
Carnivorous Plants You Can Keep at Home
If you’re looking for a unique and interesting houseplant, it’s hard to get more unique than a carnivorous plant. Unlike other plants, carnivorous plants need to “digest” animal or insect matter to get all of their nutrients. Most carnivorous plants are native to...
Benefits and Uses of the Sage Herb
Sage, or Salvia officinalis, is a part of the mint family Native to the Mediterranean region, the sage herb is a perennial plant that has naturalized across the globe and can grow to two feet tall. Its leaves are fuzzy with an oval shape. Different varieties range in...
What’s So Great About the Jasmine Flower?
Jasmine has been cultivated and prized by humans for millennia. The showy plant is famous for its beautiful white flowers and rich fragrance. Many people have heard of the flower, or maybe even have a friend named Jasmine. But, not many people know of the importance...
How to Stock Your Pantry by Drying Herbs
Though picking fresh herbs for each meal is ideal, that's not always possible. The winter will spell the demise for much all of your annual herb garden. Even perennial herbs will stop growing fresh, fragrant leaves. Though you can grow many herbs indoors, this...
How To Use the Aloe Vera Plant
Have you ever spent too much time in the sun, only to find yourself as red as a lobster the next day? The discomfort of a bad sunburn can last days and might be one of the worst setbacks to enjoying a relaxing weekend at the beach. Luckily for us, there’s a plant that...
Why Do People Love The Jade Plant?
The jade plant, otherwise known as Cassula Ovata, is a popular succulent shrub native to South Africa. In their native habitat or other similarly arid environments, they can grow to up to 10 feet tall. Similar to cactus and aloe plants, jade has evolved to...
8 Edible Flowers That Taste Great In Salads
Whatever time of year it is, we can’t help but think fondly of warm sunshine, fresh produce, and summertime salads. Before we know it, flowers will be blooming along the boulevards and bursting out of buckets at your local farmer’s market, ready to be added to a...
Tips to Grow an Indoor Herb Garden
I hate having to throw out fresh culinary herbs that have started to wilt and die. Unfortunately, dried herbs just don’t have the same aromatic flavor. The best way to make sure you always have fresh herbs available is to grow them yourself! A mint plant in your...
What Plant Makes Tequila and Mezcal?
The bartender plops a little glass of clear liquid in front of me, accompanied by a small plate of salt, candied fruits, fried crickets, and limes. It's Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico, which means it's time to drink a little (or a lot). But what was the clear drink in...
What’s So Special About the Hibiscus Flower?
The hibiscus flower is one of the most recognizable flowers due to its color, size, and overall beauty. Keep in mind that hibiscus is an entire genus of plants, and there are actually over 300 species! Of all the different species of hibiscus, they are mostly found in...
Top 7 Mosquito Repellent Plants
Looking forward to spring and summer, it’s time to start thinking about the downsides of warmer weather… mosquitos. As much of a downer as these biting bugs can be, they’re a fact of life for warmer months. But did you know that there are mosquito repellent plants?...
5 Edible Desert Plants
The desert may not be the first place you would go looking for wild food. It actually has far more to offer than meets the eye.
Best Plants to Give as Christmas Gifts
As we all turn our gaze towards the holidays, it’s fun to start thinking about gifts for our loved ones. Since plants can help stave off seasonal depression and improve air quality, they are a great Christmas gift. But what are the best plants to give as Christmas...
Everything You Need to Know About Acacia Trees
First things first, what is an acacia tree? When you hear the word Acacia, do you think of umbrella-shaped trees in the African Savanna? Or maybe shrubs in the dry American Southwest? Or even the Australian outback? Acacias are a group of trees and shrubs with over...
11 Edible Mushrooms in the U.S. (And How to Tell They’re Not Toxic Lookalikes)
Mushroom hunting is a rewarding way to get outside and learn more about nature. There are many different edible mushrooms in the United States, including tasty chanterelles and morels. Mushroom hunting can also be quite dangerous - many mushrooms are very similar in...
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