Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) is a rare perennial grown for its deep maroon, velvety petals and a scent that mixes chocolate and vanilla. Native to Mexico, the plant was thought extinct in the wild until its rediscovery in oak and pine forests, and nearly every plant in cultivation traces back to that small surviving population. […]
Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) is a climbing annual grown for its fragrant, ruffled flowers in pink, purple, white, red, and cream. The plant is a favorite of cottage gardens because it germinates quickly, climbs a trellis with twining tendrils, and produces cut flowers from early summer until frost. New gardeners sometimes confuse its life cycle
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an invasive biennial from the Mediterranean that now grows across much of the United States, recognizable by its wavy, dark green leaves streaked with white marbling and its purple, thistle-type flower heads. It was introduced to North America for its medicinal properties, and it escaped cultivation to colonize roadsides, pastures,
Sunflowers are either annuals or perennials, and the answer to whether they come back every year depends entirely on which type you plant. Annual sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) sprout, bloom, set seed, and die in a single season, then reappear only from seeds they dropped. Perennial sunflowers return from the same root system each spring and
American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is a fast-growing, deciduous shrub native to eastern and central North America, valued for its flat-topped white flower clusters in late spring and its dark purple berries in late summer. The plant belongs to the Viburnaceae family and reaches 5 to 12 feet tall with an equal spread, which makes it
Water is as important as soil and sunlight for a plant to thrive, and too much of it does as much damage as too little. Overwatering drowns the roots, blocks oxygen, and opens the door to root rot, mildew, and pests, which is why it kills more houseplants than drought. The causes are ordinary: sudden
Mums are the stars of the fall garden, and few sights say autumn like a porch lined with pots of rounded chrysanthemums covered in blooms. Plants grown in containers live under different rules than plants in the ground: less soil to hold water, roots exposed to cold air, and no reserve of moisture deep below.
Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) is a warm-season grass built for abuse. It shrugs off heat, drought, and heavy foot traffic, which is why so many lawns and sports fields are planted with it and why so many articles cover fertilizing Bermuda grass for a dense, resilient turf. Those same survival traits turn the grass into
Ivory Silk lilac (Syringa reticulata ‘Ivory Silk’) is a cultivar of the Japanese lilac tree, and it ranks among the most trouble-free flowering trees for cool climates. Creamy white flower clusters cover the canopy in early summer, and the tree keeps a neat, rounded form with bark that peels attractively as it matures. The flowers
Princess flower (Tibouchina urvilleana) is a broadleaf evergreen native to Brazil that earns its royal name with clusters of vivid purple blooms, each flower capable of reaching five inches across. The soft, hairy leaves carry a red edge that adds contrast even when the plant is not in flower, and the Royal Horticultural Society has
