susan5383

By Patsy Cotterill Prairie crocus ( Pulsatilla nuttalliana ) and three-flowered avens ( Geum triflorum ) are both spring-flowering grassland plants with a number of features that make them welcome in the native plant garden.  Although they belong in different families, prairie crocus in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and three-flowered avens in the rose family (Rosacea), they have similar flowers with a simple, radially symmetrical arrangement of sepals and petals. They both also have a...

By Patsy Cotterill The Binomial System Being able to name a plant or animal is the first step in getting to know it. One can observe and become familiar with an organism without knowing its identity, but knowing a name, especially if it is a scientific name, allows you not only to communicate about that organism but also gives you access to all the information, beyond your personal information, that has been accumulated about that organism.  All living things that are known to science have at...

By Terra Albers My interest in native plants began with a simple observation in my own garden. I had plenty of beautiful (to me) non-native ornamental plants, but very few bees and birds, while mosquitos, ants, and wasps seemed to be thriving. That led me to start asking questions about what was missing. As I learned more, I began to see gardening differently. It wasn’t only about arranging plants to look a certain way; it was about participating in an ecosystem. When we work with the natural...