Plant of the Month

FEBRUARY : Tulipa species : Tulip

Scientific name: Tulipa species Family: Liliaceae (Lily) Common name: Tulip species Photos and text by Janice Tucker The Tulip – a much-anticipated harbinger of spring – is one of the most fascinating flowers in the world. There is nothing ordinary about this plant and the following paragraphs do not even begin to scratch the surface Read more »

February 1, 2012, Plant of the Month

JANUARY : Poppy : Papaveraceae

Scientific Names include: Papaver somniferum, Papaver rhoeas, Eschscholzia californica, Argemone hispida Family: Papaveraceae By Susan Bruneini Photos: Janice Tucker Earlier (in the early 1800s) a Russian expedition docking in San Francisco Bay marveled at massive fields of golden California poppies and the myth arose that the poppies were the source of California gold, mysteriously creating Read more »

January 1, 2012, Plant of the Month

DECEMBER : Oregon grape-holly and Red barberry : Mahonia aquifolium and Mahonia haematocarpa

Scientific names: Mahonia aquifolium and Mahonia haematocarpa Plant Family: Berberidaceae – Barberry Common name: Oregon grape-holly and Red barberry By Janice Tucker Deck the halls with boughs of Mahonia! Um, shouldn’t it be “holly”, not “Mahonia”? Well, since we’re pretty hard-pressed to find a holly in Santa Fe, the Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape-holly) and Read more »

December 1, 2011, Plant of the Month

NOVEMBER : One-seed juniper : Juniperus monosperma

Scientific name: Juniperus monosperma Family: Cupressaceae – Cypress Common name: One-seed juniper, New Mexico cedar, Cherrystone juniper, Sabina By Susan Bruneni Photos Courtesy of Janice Tucker

One-seed junipers are dioecious — male and female plants are separate. The male produces masses of tiny cones (see photo). Male plants will appear more yellowish-brown than the females. Read more »

November 1, 2011, Plant of the Month

OCTOBER : Alkali sacaton : Sporobolus airoides

Scientific Name:  Sporobolus airoides Plant Family:  Poaceae (Grass) Common Name:  Alkali sacaton By Janice Tucker The seed heads are literally the crowning glory of Alkali sacaton. In the summer tiny, yellow inconspicuous flowers appear, eventually developing into triangular-shaped, delicate, feather-like seed heads that rise on sturdy stems from 4 to 16 inches above the dense Read more »

October 1, 2011, Plant of the Month

SEPTEMBER : Black-eyed Susan : Rudbeckia hirta

Scientific Name: Rudbeckia hirta Plant Family: Asteraceae (Aster) Common Name: Black-eyed Susan, Coneflower By Janice Tucker Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are equally as stunning when mixed with other plants in a domesticated flowerbed as they are growing wild in a field awash with their flowers of bright, yellow-gold petals contrasted with dramatic, dark chocolate, conical Read more »

September 1, 2011, Plant of the Month

AUGUST : Santa Fe phlox : Phlox nana

Scientific Name:  Phlox nana Plant Family:  Polemoniaceae – Phlox Common Name:  Santa Fe phlox Photos and Text by Janice Tucker It is always gratifying to find a native plant that grows well in a natural setting and is equally desirable in the home garden.  Santa Fe phlox (Phlox nana) is just such a plant, and is Read more »

August 1, 2011, Plant of the Month

JULY : Beauty Bush : Kolkwitzia amabilis

Scientific Name: Kolkwitzia amabilis Plant Family: Caprifoliaceae – Honeysuckle Common Name: Beauty Bush Photos and Text By Janice Tucker   The Beauty Bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis) was a show-stopper at the June 5th SFBG Garden Tours. In a garden first begun in the 1930s and passed lovingly from owner to owner through the years, the Beauty Read more »

July 1, 2011, Plant of the Month

JUNE : Puccoon : Lithospermum incisum

Scientific Name: Lithospermum incisum Plant Family: Boraginaceae – Borage, Forget-me-not Common Name: Puccoon, Fringed gromwell, Narrowleaf stoneseed By Janice Tucker   Home gardeners who wish to propagate the Puccoon by seed should collect them from the nutlets in late summer. Instead of cold stratifying that is often necessary for many wildflower seeds, the Puccoon seeds Read more »

June 1, 2011, Plant of the Month

MAY : Redleaf Japanese Maple : Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’

Scientific Name: Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ Plant Family: Acer – Maple Common Name: Redleaf Japanese maple By Janice Tucker While not entirely rare or uncommon, the appearance of a Redleaf Japanese maple in a Santa Fe Garden is always a bit of a pleasant surprise and a delight to see. Whether tucked into a small, Read more »

May 1, 2011, Plant of the Month