Plants, Flowers & Herbs

There are hundreds of varieties of both deciduous and evergreen ornamental shrubs. Shrubs come in pyramidal, round, spreading and topiary forms. Some are wide, tall, compact or low growing. Shrubs...

Whether it is the spring or fall, worms are never welcome on any tree. The poplar tree is not immune to their infestations. Most of the time, it is easy to rid the tree of worms without the use of...

The saucer magnolia, or Magnolia x soulangiana, is a fast growing magnolia tree that can reach up to 25 feet tall. The lovely fragrant blossoms are white with a pink interior and open in late...

Saul tree is also known as Sal tree or Shorea robusta. It is large, broad-leafed tree that goes up to 30 meters -- more than 90 feet -- tall. The tree is chiefly known for its huge, leathery...

The emerald green cedar tree, or white cedar, is a lustrous green tree that resembles most Christmas trees. Thriving throughout the Pacific Northwest, these trees are widespread and grow quite...

If you want to extend your tree's life, you need to keep the trunk from rotting. According to landscape architect Elbert Peets, the easiest way to prevent trunk decay is by bracing large weak and...

Eastern redbud trees grow 20 to 30 feet tall with light to dark pink flowers blooming in the spring. The tree is particularly susceptible to the scale pest. Adult scales appear as little bumps on...

Trees are an important natural source of UV protection and energy efficiency. Not only do their leaves block the sun, but they actually convert the energy into clean air for the surrounding...

Crab apple trees are popular among gardeners for their pink or red blossoms that bloom in the spring. Plant your crab apple tree in well draining soil because they are very susceptible to fungal...

A birch tree can begin leaning for many reasons. Causes can range from soil erosion to a severe windstorm. Whatever the cause may be, it may become necessary to fix the leaning tree before the...

The cacao plant is a small evergreen tree growing in tropical areas of South and Central America, Asia and Africa. It is the source for all cocoa and chocolate products. The cacao tree only grows...

Have you ever been outside in the Pacific Northwest and wondered what kind of trees you're hiking through? Has your child ever asked you, "What's that tree called?" Or maybe you just looked out in...

Like most citrus trees, it is very easy to grow a Meyer lemon tree in a container. The Meyer lemon is commonly known as the Valley lemon in Texas, due to the fact that it is the most common...

Quaking aspen trees have pale bark, grow to between 60 and 80 feet tall and are famed for propagating themselves through suckers. Suckers are new trees that grow out of the lateral root of the old...

Guava is a low, spreading tree that fruits throughout the year. In the United States guava are grown predominantly in southern Texas, southern California, Hawaii, and Florida. The guava tree...

Cedar trees are coniferous evergreens that usually grow 100 to 130 feet tall. They are ornamental trees with needles organized into clusters and scented wood. A cedar tree does not need much...

Peach trees are propagated through both seeds and cuttings. It is easier, however, to grow a peach tree from cuttings. Cuttings from peach trees may either be taken in spring as softwood cuttings...

The redbud tree is a small tree with spreading branches and a small, short trunk. The redbud is a poplar ornamental tree. Healthy redbud trees can live up to 90 years, according to...

If you want to grow apples in your back yard and you already have a crab apple tree, you can use grafting to grow edible fruit. Grafting is a technique that allows you grow different varieties of...

Ficus trees make great indoor plants because they tend to thrive in even minimal sunlight. They also require regular pruning to keep them at a reasonable, manageable size, otherwise they will very...

Grafting, or budding of citrus trees, is the art of propagating citrus trees through surgically combining different aspects of two existent trees to create a new tree. Typically a rootstock is...

The Japanese blueberry shrub is an attractive evergreen. Its green, glossy leaves turn bright red in the autumn and will drop off, but new leaves will immediately grow in; new leaves are usually...

Pomegranates are treasured in Persian and other Middle Eastern cuisines for their acidic, tangy flavor. These fruits are easy to grow in your back yard if you can meet their optimal growth...

The Norfolk island pine tree is an evergreen suitable for growth indoors or outdoors in temperate climates. Norfolk pines prefer an average temperature of 50 degrees F or greater; if you live in a...

Anthracnose is a disease that affects many kinds of trees. It is a very serious problem for a sycamore, as anthracnose has the ability to defoliate a tree. The ailment manifests itself as a fungus...

The camphor tree is a type of evergreen native to Asia and considered an invasive plant in some parts of the U.S., including Florida. The camphor tree has oval or elliptical shaped, olive-colored...

Grafting is the ultimate marriage of beauty and brawn. In order to make an ideal ornamental tree, the grafter selects small branches from one tree and joins or grafts them to the rootstock of a...

Crabapples are versatile and low-maintanence landscape trees. They boast blooms, fall color and fruit. Leaving the fruit on the tree adds winter interest to the landscape. Buds are often a...

Pomegranate bonsai trees are also known as dwarf pomegranates. As the name suggests, they share much in common with their larger brethren with the exception of size: the fruit, flowers, leaves and...

Few things represent autumn and the Thanksgiving holiday as well as a pecan pie. Not only are pecans delicious when baked into sweets, but their trees are beautiful. The characteristic large...

Freshly planted trees require consistent moisture for healthy root development. In the early spring when soil is moist and foliage is thin, mature trees require little irrigation. In the late...

Olive trees are evergreen trees or shrubs that produce olives and olive oil. In caring for an olive plant, water is the most important ingredient. Correct watering practices encourage plant growth...

If your lemon tree is losing its leaves, but quickly replacing them only to have them turn and follow the same path, it may be suffering from salt burn. Citrus trees are salt-sensitive plants....

A fixture of Japanese gardens, the Hinoki cypress can grow in most climates and soil types. A relatively low maintenance tree, the Hinoki cypress has glossy dark green foliage and triangular...

The Date palm, scientifically known as Phoenix dactylifera, makes a good specimen-size palm. Date palms are slow growers, so growing one from seed can take a very long time to get a decent-sized...

Many homes have a large fiddle leaf fig tree growing in a sunny corner because not only are these potted trees easy to care for, but they are also attractive additions to any room. One challenge...

The history of the bonsai is cloaked in legend. It is believed that bonsai originated during the 6th century in China, where it was called penjing. It was introduced to Japan in the 8th century,...

Topiary trees are not only unique conversation pieces, but quite often they also are works of art. Properly training a topiary tree takes a lot of pruning and shaping until the tree learns to grow...

Peaches are truly a juicy jewel of nature. With their sweet smell, soft fuzz and mouthwatering flesh, it's no wonder this fruit has become so popular with home and commercial gardeners. But like...

Oak trees can be found around the world, spreading their wide branches to provide shade, acorns in the fall, and a foundation for climbing or hanging swings. However, these large trees can be...

Junipers are coniferous plants that come in tree and shrub form. They are green with needle-like leaves. Trees can reach more than 20 meters high while the shrubs grow outward. The plants require...

Lemon trees are plucked all over the world for refreshing pies, juices, and meringues. Gardeners identify lemon tree varieties by singular leaf, twig and tree trunk combinations. Some lemons are...

Avocado trees produce the popular fruit that people love to use for salads, dips and snacks. Large-scale avocado growers use areas like Southern California to grow the trees and harvest thousands...

The Kieffer pear, Pyrun communis, is resistant to fire blight and lives a long time. It bears has yellow-green fruit late in the season and it is self-pollinating. Pruning always seems like a...

Pine trees have male and female cones. Female cones are not the seed. They contain the pine tree seed within. Each cone can contain over 200 seeds. The male cones release pollen during the...

Cedar logs can be used to create firewood or can be milled for lumber. Cedar is nice for firewood because it splits easily and cleanly and produces a high heat. It burns faster than other kinds of...

Cherry trees are embedded in our national legends, and are conveniently ripe around the 4th of July. But cherry trees, including bing cherry trees, are susceptible to a bacteria that can girdle...

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...

Pomegranate trees beautify any yard with their globes of red fruit and fragrant blossoms. Pomegranates ripen in late fall, typically October or November, and the trees can be grown in the United...

Strolling through the forest, the neighborhood or the Christmas tree lot, you can identify evergreen trees by the shape and arrangement of their needles or leaves. Many evergreen trees that tower...