Sanguinaria canadensis is a North American native that comes and goes quickly, with the fragrant flowers lasting no more than two days and its bloom time about two weeks in early to midspring. Known … [Read more...]

  Say that something is a member of the sunflower family and most would immediately picture a golden bloom. Bidens cernua would not belie that image, with its golden rays and bloom … [Read more...]

A member of the pink family, Cerastium arvense is a perennial herb that is better known as chickweed. To be precise, this one is field chickweed, growing usually 6 to 10 inches tall, although it can … [Read more...]

Sometimes a weed is more than a weed. Sometimes it is the mustard for your hot dog. Such is Brassica nigra, a European native that has found its way across North America. Black mustard is a member of … [Read more...]

Just its name, Allium tricoccum, should warn you of its onion-like tendency. If you were out in the wild, however, you would know it by its smell. Called ramp, wild leek, wild garlic and wild onion … [Read more...]

Call it scrawny, call it modest. We New Englanders will just ignore you as we heap our adoration on Rhododendron canadense. As hardy as Yankees themselves, Rhodora has a range from Labrador to New … [Read more...]

Viola lanceolata is a petite perennial herb that prefers wet conditions in sandy to peaty soil. Also known as lance-leaved violet and bog white violet, the plant can be as tiny as less than an inch … [Read more...]

Plants' reaction to their surroundings often prompts the common name, and Anagallis arvensis is no exception with one of its monikers, the above title of this piece. Why a weather-glass? This member … [Read more...]

Often topping 6 feet tall when in full bloom, Verbascum thapsus is a hard plant to miss. Common mullein is a non-native biennial herb found in old fields, along beaches and in disturbed sites. With … [Read more...]

With its distinctive white cross-shaped flowers and toothed heart-shaped leaves, the biennial Alliaria petiolata is also recognizable by its smell: Any part of the crushed plant smells like garlic or … [Read more...]