Frangula californica, or Coffeeberry is a species of flowering and fruiting shrub in the buckthorn family. Native to southern parts of North America, the coffeeberry has edible fruits. This perennial plant is also known as the Californian coffeeberry or Californian buckthorn. History The name “coffeeberry” arises from the similarity of the plant’s fruit to that … Read more
Boronia is a large genus of shrubs with many recognized species. Mostly these plants, which are in the citrus family, are native to Australia. Some species are sweetly fragrant and are popular garden plants. There are some varieties that have a less pleasant fragrance, such as the pink boronia. This perennial shrub sometimes grows as … Read more
Beautyberry is a genus of small trees and shrubs that is native to Asia, Australia, Madagascar, and the Americas. Callicarpa americana is a perennial plant commonly known as the American beautyberry, gets its name from its fantastic display of fuchsia-colored, autumn berries. This perennial deciduous shrub has an elegant shape, with graceful arching branches, and … Read more
Caryopteris is a genus of blue-flowering, deciduous shrubs that is native to eastern Asia, but one species is generally grown in gardens. Known as blue mist shrub, C.x clandonensis, is a plant with brilliant blue flowers. This hybrid is not native to any area. History Several varieties of Caryopteris grew in ornamental gardens but in … Read more
Bird’s nest spruce (Picea abies nidiformis) is a cultivar of the Norway spruce. This species of dwarf evergreen is a conifer that is native to Europe. It is a plant commonly grown to provide evergreen ground cover. This perennial is useful in gardens as it is slow-growing, evergreen and dwarf in height. History Norway spruce … Read more
For a tough plant that will offer a long period of brightly-colored, large yellow flowers, the Euryops chrysanthemoides or African bush daisy is an excellent choice. Being a perennial, it will come back year after year, and will survive in places where nothing else will! History The African bush daisy has been reclassified by botanists … Read more
The dwarf palmetto is a small species of palm that grows in both heights and spread to about 6 feet (1.83 m). Native to the southern parts of North America and Mexico, this is an evergreen plant with very large palmate leaves. The dwarf palmetto is a slow growing perennial that produces small, creamy-white, fragrant … Read more
Dombeya is a large genus of flowering shrubs with about 200 recognized species. Dombeya, also known as the tropical hydrangea or the pink ball tree, is native to India, East Africa, and Madagascar. In addition to the named species, there are also several dombeya hybrids. The dombeya can be grown as a shrub or a … Read more
This short-lived perennial is a small, flowering shrub that is popular in gardens due to its toughness and low maintenance requirements. Leucophyta brownii is the only species in the Leucophyta genus. The shrub is endemic to Australia. Commonly known as a cushion bush due to its mounded, dome shape, it is often grown as a … Read more
Elaeagnus or eleagnus, is a genus of over 50 recognized species of flowering, ornamental shrubs. This plant commonly grows in gardens in the Northern Hemisphere, in America, and in Asia. These perennial shrubs, also known as the silverberry, are grown as ornamental trees to create a windbreak or hedge. There are both deciduous and evergreen … Read more