Nearly two centuries ago, Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, an English physician and amateur botanist, made a surprising discovery. Ward liked to study moth chrysalises, which he kept secure in sealed glass containers. Inspection of one such container revealed that seeds embedded in a bit of dirt inside had germinated and sprouted. He left the container unopened … Read more
So often in botanical circles plants with lovely common names, like shooting stars or Peruvian lilies, have absolutely awful-sounding botanical names. Cape primrose is a case in point. Botanically speaking, it is known as Streptocarpus, which sounds dangerously close to streptococcus, the bacteria that causes strep throat. Some streptocarpus is so beautiful that it will … Read more
We always try to be fashion forward my household, so I expect that we will be the first in town to lay hands on the large and showy Medinilla magnifica. I saw one at a local nursery during the December holidays. It was big for a house plant–about three feet tall– and its broad, ribbed … Read more
