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About Spike Moss Plants Spike moss has a similar structure to ferns. The relationship might lead one to call the plant spike moss fern, although that is technically not correct either. These common plants are part of many native flora situations and are nursery plants for some varieties of wild seed, which grow up through them. Selaginella spike mosses are spore-producing plants, just like ferns, and can produce large mats of deep, feathery green foliage....

Lebanon Cedar Information Lebanon cedar information tells us that these conifers are native to Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. In yesteryear, vast forests of Lebanon cedar trees covered these regions, but today they are largely gone. However, people around the world began growing cedar of Lebanon trees for their grace and beauty. Lebanon cedar trees have thick trunks and stout branches too. Younger trees are shaped like pyramids, but the crown of a Lebanon cedar tree flattens as it ages....

Lemon cypress in winter is a different story though. Is lemon cypress cold tolerant? Read on to learn whether you can winterize lemon cypress as well as tips on lemon cypress winter care. Lemon Cypress Over Winter Lemon cypress is a little ornamental shrub that is native to California. It is a cultivar of Cupressus macrocarpa (Monterey cypress) called ‘Goldcrest.’ This evergreen is charming indoors and out with its lemon-yellow leaves and delightful citrus fragrance....

How to Grow Ligustrum Shrubs Privets are very adaptable trees and shrubs. In fact, ligustrum plants thrive in full sun or partial shade. They tolerate most soil types, and with the exception of Chinese privets (Ligustrum sinense), they tolerate moderate amounts of salt in the soil. Don’t plant them near roadways that are treated with salt in the winter or on ocean-front property where the foliage is likely to be sprayed with salt....

Lovage Herb Uses All parts of the herb are useable. The leaves are added to salads and the root is dug up at the end of the season and used as a vegetable. Stems can replace celery and the flower yields an aromatic oil. Interestingly, the lovage herb is a commonly used flavoring for confectionaries. You can use seeds and stems in candy making. The seeds are a common ingredient in flavored oils and vinegars, which steep in the liquid, releasing their flavor over time....

About Love in a Puff Balloon Vine Love in a puff vine is so named because of the seeds inside the papery fruits. If you squeeze the fruits, which have three interior chambers, three seeds erupt through the membranes. The seeds have a distinct shape of a white heart etched onto a dark, round form. The heart leads to the common name. The botanical name, Cardiospermum halicacabum, indicates the form as well....

What Types of Plants Grow in Acidic Soil? While most plants grow best in soils between 6 and 7.5, others are favorable to more acidic conditions. Some of the most common and sought-after plants actually prefer acidic soil, even though many of them may be grown in a wide range of growing conditions. The acid-loving plants that you can grow in acidic soil include: azaleas and rhododendrons hydrangea gardenias camellias wood anemone bleeding heart various carnivorous plants holly shrubs crepe myrtle calla lilies pine trees...

Most gardeners can enjoy a hardy bird of paradise plant either indoors or out. It is a striking bush with characteristic flowers. Mandela’s gold bird of paradise has the added appeal of lemon yellow sepals flanked by bright blue petals, with the classic beak-like sheath. The Mandela’s gold plant adds vertical interest with its large banana-like leaves. About Mandela’s Gold Bird of Paradise Mandela’s gold plant can reach heights of up to 5 feet ( 1....

Common Marigold Diseases Among the most common marigold diseases are blights, rots, and mildews. Usually, these types of diseases show up when conditions are wet and warm, and fungal spores are rampant. In most cases, simply discontinuing overhead watering can stop the formation and spread of spores. As mentioned, fungal marigold plant diseases occur most often. These might be Aster yellows, wilt, and stem rot, collar rot, flower bud rot, and damping off when in the seedling phase....

What is Marsh Fern? Marsh fern plants (Thelypteris palustris) have erect stems and occasionally pendant fronds. The plant is deciduous and loses its leaves in winter. An interesting piece of marsh fern info regards the two sets of leaves it bears. One is the smaller fertile frond and the other is a larger infertile frond. Leaves are compound and pinnate with individual leaflets deeply divided and lance to oval shaped. There may be 10 to 40 pairs of leaflets on each leaf....

What is Button Clover? Medicago button clover (M. orbicularis) is an annual forage plant in many European countries. Also known as blackdisk medick, button medick, or round-fruited medick, and is a member of the Fabaceae or pea family. The plant is easy to identify with its fimbriate stipules, serrated leaflets, yellow blooms, and flat, papery, coiled seed pods. Its genus name Medicago is derived from the Greek word “medice” meaning alfalfa, while orbicularis is derived from the Latin “orbi(c)” meaning “a circle” in reference to the coiled button clover fruit....

This time, we continue our tour around the Adams Ricci Park in Enola, Pennsylvania. Designed by the Master Gardeners of Central PA, the park’s butterfly garden serves as a hub for pollinators of all kinds, and as a vital waystation for migrating monarch Butterflies. The garden is planted using the 3x3x3 method. This means the garden is made up of various plants that will bloom throughout all three seasons (spring, summer, and fall)....

Whether you’re looking for milkweed bug information or just asking yourself “What are milkweed bugs?” you’ve come to the right place. There’s not a lot to know about milkweed bugs. The larger of them are medium sized insects, measuring 1/3 to 3/4 inch (1-2 cm.) long, and the smaller only slightly so at 1/3 to 1/2 inch (1 cm.) long. Both bugs feed exclusively on seeds produced by members of the milkweed family, posing little to no threat to cultivated gardens....

Mint container growing is an option if you’re concerned about the aggressive nature of this rambunctious plant or if you just don’t have space for an herb garden. Place potted mint plants on your front step where you can snip the leaves as needed or grow mint in containers indoors. Caring for Container-Grown Mint It’s possible to grow mint from seed, although germination is undependable. If you want to give it a try, plant seeds for growing indoors any time of year, but be sure they have plenty of warmth and sunlight....

Mulucca bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis) add an interesting, upright touch to the colorful flower garden. If you grow a green-themed garden, bells of Ireland flowers will fit right in. Bells of Ireland facts indicate these flowers prefer dry and arid conditions, although they also perform well in cool summer conditions. Bells of Ireland Flowers While Mulucca bells of Ireland are native to the eastern Mediterranean region, the greenish blooms lead to their common name, having nothing to do with their place of origin....

What is Bean Sunscald? Bean sunscald is a common disorder that it basically just a sunburn. As people, when exposed to too long in intense UV rays, our skin burns. Though plants do not have skin like ours, they can also experience burning or scalding from intense UV rays. Bean plants seem especially susceptible to sunscald. It first shows up as a bronze or red-brown speckling of the upper leaves of bean plants....

Chlorophytum comosum is one of the most shared houseplants due to the offsets it produces, which can be culled from the parent plant and started as separate spider plants. The attractive hanging offsets, or babies, occur when a mature plant is in the right conditions. The comment that “my spider plant has no babies” is a common theme in garden blogs. We will investigate possible reasons for this condition and some easy solutions to get your plant producing these aerial growths with whimsical appeal....

Alternaria Blotch on Orange Trees Alternaria blotch on orange trees is also known as alternaria rot or black rot. It is caused by the pathogen Alternaria citri and is a non-toxic strain of fungus. Alternaria rot can be found on both lemons and oranges. The rot is softer on lemons but more pronounced on oranges, causing hard black spots on the peel. Alternaria blotch on orange and lemon trees can cause the citrus fruit to drop from the tree and develop rotten areas....

Can Overfertilized Gardens Be Saved? Gardens that are overfertilized can sometimes be saved, depending on the amount of fertilizer you applied and how quickly you act. Managing fertilizer burn in the garden depends on your speed at recognizing the signs in your plants. Lightly damaged plants may simply wilt or look generally unwell, but plants that are seriously burned may appear to have actually burned– their leaves will brown and collapse from the edges inward....

Colors range from shades of pink, yellow, purple, burgundy, and white. Clematis plants are happy when their roots stay cool and their tops receive plenty of sunshine. Winter care of clematis plants includes deadheading and protection, depending on your climate. With a little care, your clematis in winter will do just fine and return with an abundance of blooms next season. How to Prepare Clematis for Winter Clematis winter preparation starts with snipping off spent blooms, also known as deadheading....