Plants, Flowers & Herbs

Fungus and bacteria are the primary suspects when it comes to spots on a houseplant's leaves. If the spots vary in color from yellow to brown to black, then fungus is most certainly the cause. If...

Lemon trees are easy to care for if a number of simple steps are followed to ensure a healthy environment. By preparing an area with good drainage and keeping the area watered, the majority of...

Ever wonder how to store cilantro in the refrigerator, and keep it fresh and green? It's common to buy a bunch of fresh cilantro, also called Chinese parsley, for a specific recipe, only to have...

Elephant ear is a plant used by Central and South Americans in many different types of meals. Originally, the plant was introduced to the Americas from Africa, and intended as a food crop for...

Pieris japonica, also known as Japanese Pieris, is a member of the Heath family of plants. It's a slow growing, medium-sized shrub with dark green leaves; it can reach around eight to 10 feet tall...

Geraniums are as beloved for their fragrance as they are for their attractive, often velvety leaves and colorful blooms. Many geraniums have a pleasant, rose-like odor that emanates from the...

Ivy plants are revered for their relatively easy cultivation. With very little care and attention, you can enjoy lush, full plants year round. Ivies are prone to developing yellow leaves, which...

Short-term exposure to extremes will not kill houseplants but extended time spent in below freezing temperatures, extreme high temperatures, drought, flood or malnourishment will cause damage....

As a decorative garden plant, hostas have become a very popular choice. They are winter hardy, easy to propagate and both their flowers and foliage have terrific visual appeal. However; like all...

Bougainvillea plants are very popular in homes and gardens. The long, hardy vines sprout bright green leaves and brilliant, bracts or flowers of orange, pink, red or purple. Bougainvillea plants...

Hosta perennial plants can grow anywhere from 8 inches to 3 or 4 feet tall. Hostas have white or lavender flowers that bloom in midsummer, and the plants' leaves can be deep green, gold, blue-gray...

Farmers grow avocado trees across the Sun Belt for the harvest of their popular fruit. Large-scale avocado groves cover areas like Southern California, producing thousands of valuable avocados....

Perhaps you've inherited a yard full of young fruit trees along with your new house, or maybe someone has gifted you with a seedling that doesn't have fruit yet. You can identify each tree using...

It is time to take a new approach to the term "common weed." Instead of seeing these plants as lawn invading monsters, we should look at them for what they truly are: beautiful, delicious and...

If you're fortunate enough to live where eucalyptus can be grown, you may have thought about preserving some branches to use in dried floral arrangements or wreaths. In order to keep leaves...

Stevia is an organic sugar substitute that you can use in many things. While it is not recommended for baking, it is effective as a sweetener in drinks and other products. If you are diabetic or...

According to Cornell University (CU), Ribes are a very diverse genus with hundreds of varieties that differ in plant size and form. Commonly known as gooseberries and currants, Ribes species (in...

Stevia is an all natural, calorie-free sweetener which can be used in place of sugar. For anyone wishing to avoid the additives of synthetic sugar substitutes, stevia offers an organic...

Soybean rust is a fungal infection that has affected soybean crops worldwide, and has reduced soybean production by as much as 80 percent in some areas. The Asian strain (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) is...

Coriander, or cilantro, is an annual plant whose leaves and seeds are used in many parts of the world. Coriander seeds are often used in Asian cooking, and the leaves are widely used in Latin...

The Bay Leaf tree, or Laurus nobilis, is an evergreen with dark, aromatic leaves that are most often used as an herb in cooking. Although the tree can grow to soaring heights, it is easy to prune...

Vincas, more commonly known as periwinkles, are an eye-catching addition to a garden and are popular for their hardiness and rapid ground cover. Here are a few tips on keeping their beautiful...

Whether you grow your own basil in an herb garden or you have leftover fresh basil that you have purchased at the grocery store or farmers market, don't let those flavorful leaves go to waste. ...

The cast iron plant is a green, leafy plant that can grow up to 2 feet high and is typically used for ornamental purposes. As its name suggests, this botanical is known for its hardiness. It is...

Lotus bamboo is a type of houseplant that is generally grown indoors. It consists of a tall stem with leaves that sprout from the top. Trimming lotus bamboo is a fairly inexact process. The bamboo...

Weeping figs, also called Ficus benjaminas, are often sold in stores with simply "ficus" on the label. These trees are popular houseplants because of the relative ease of keeping them indoors with...

Garden greens include leafy green vegetables that are harvested in early spring or fall. They include spinach, kale, collard greens, mustard greens and turnip greens. The majority of garden greens...

Lemon balm is a perennial herb with many culinary uses. Adding lemon balm to an herb garden will provide a gardener with a bountiful fresh lemon balm harvest several times over an entire growing...

Roses are one of the most popular flowering shrubs in the world. With over 100 species and just as many colors, roses add a timeless beauty aesthetic to any garden, regardless of how many bushes...

Ivies are a beautiful plant with dark green leaves that does well as either an outside or inside plant. Ivies are a popular house plant because of their beauty and ease of use. Being a hardy...

Sweet basil is a popular herb because it is easy to grow and has many culinary uses, most notably in pesto. It can be planted in a garden or grown on a window sill. This annual can provide an...

Flowers and plants that are native to the Pacific have been admired and valued for centuries. From California to Washington state, all the way up to Alaska, you can find bold, leafy plants and...

Salvia Officinalis, commonly known as garden sage, is a culinary herb favorite. It contains thujone in the volatile oil, which serves as an antiseptic, antibiotic and a vermifuge (expeller of...

Citrus trees are actually evergreen shrubs. They grow best in frost-free regions and never go dormant. You can gauge the health of a citrus tree by its leaves, which should be glossy green and...

How to harvest and dry your herbs for storage. So you can use it year round.

Bird-of-paradise is a tropical plant favored for its large foliage and dramatic blooms. It's commonly grown outdoors in the Deep South, and kept as an indoor houseplant in a brightly lighted area....

To keep your house plants healthy, if is essential to plant them in the right soil, given them the proper amount of water and light, and quickly treat any problems such as pests and fungal...

Flowers offer one of the easiest ways to identify plants. Determining the number of flower parts is the first step toward positive identification. Many flowers with seven or more petals are part...

Drying mint plants to make tea is a satisfying way to provide yourself with soothing and refreshing mint tea. According to the website Farm Fresh Living, mint plants should be harvested or trimmed...

The eucalyptus is a family of trees found throughout the world, most commonly in warm locations. The leaves of the eucalyptus tree have many uses in herbal medicine and are recognizable by a few...

The agave plant is a desert succulent used to make tequila. It is commercially farmed throughout the desert regions of the United States. It is also grown privately, either for personal use or for...

Feverfew is a perennial herb that bears feathery, light green leaves and small daisy-like flowers. It is an ancient herbal remedy for pain of all sorts, including migraines, arthritis and uterine...

The century plant (Agave americana) is found in arid parts of Mexico and the southwestern U.S. and is becoming a popular landscape plant in USDA horticultural zones 8 through 11. Although it is...

A symbol of love, purification, protection and eternal life in India, holy basil (or tulsi) makes a flavorful herbal tea. Many people in India use it as an herbal treatment for a variety of...

Patchouli's scientific name is Pogostemon cablin. This small, shrubby herb is part of the mint family and is native to India, Malaysia and the East Indies. This tropical perennial has an exotic...

With more than 18 million forested acres, Michigan is a place where you will encounter plenty of trees. More than 100 kinds of trees grow in Michigan, so it could be difficult to identify each...

The most well known and common Aloe plant is Aloe vera. It is a great plant to have on hand for burns and cuts. Its leaves hold natural healing properties and soothes skin irritations and...

As with trees, leaves provide an easy way to identify shrubs. Even in cultivars, or cultivated species, leaves can be used to, at the very least, identify a family to which the shrub belongs....

The leaves of plants make all the food that most plants need. They contain a substance called chlorophyll, which makes the leaves look green and which aids in photosynthesis.