Viewing comments posted by KFredenburg

Its beauty—golden heads held high above a tuft of gray foliage—makes it a worthwhile ornamental in dry regions.

Range: Southeastern California across southern Nevada to southwestern Utah and western Arizona, and northwestern Mexico.

Range: Southern Utah to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico.

Range: Eastern Washington to eastern California; east to northern New Mexico, Colorado, and central Montana.

The genus name Cirsium comes from the Greek word kirsos (which means "a swollen vein"), for which Thistles (kirsion), were a reputed remedy.

With its blaze of red flowers accentuated by white foliage, this is perhaps the prettiest Thistle among a group considered to be obnoxious weeds.

Chicory is grown for its roots; ground and roasted, they are added to or substituted for coffee. Young leaves may be used in salads or as a vegetable.

Rabbit brush is a common and variable species in a genus found only in western North America. Some races are light green, others have silvery hairs. Navajo Indians obtained a yellow dye from the flower heads.

The genus name means "golden flower".

Preferring disturbed ground, this unwelcome immigrant has become increasingly frequent in grazed areas. The more common Thistles, of the genus Cirsium, are very similar but have tiny hairs along the bristles at the top of the fruit, giving the bristles a feathery appearance.

The genus name comes from the Greek word kalyx, (which means "cup") and adenos (which means "gland"), referring to the peculiar glands which distinguish all but one species of this primarily California genus.

This oleander is one of the few oleanders to have two different colors on just one of its flowers. Most oleander flowers are just one solid color.

The buds of this oleander are arguably the prettiest and most eye-catching buds out of the entire genus Nerium.

Many people confuse this oleander with Double Pink Oleander (Nerium oleander 'Splendens') because the flower color and structure is very similar.

The flower color of Oleander (Nerium oleander 'Provence') can be somewhat similar to the flower color of Oleander (Nerium oleander 'Petite Salmon').

Most oleanders bloom in great numbers per year, but this oleander is one that blooms more than most oleanders. Likely the only one to bloom in greater numbers than this oleander is 'Hardy White'.

Some people have thought that my oleander 'Hardy White' bushes were 'Island of Capri' oleander bushes. The differences may seem obvious to you, but 'Hardy White' and 'Island of Capri' do get mixed up sometimes. The #1 way to identify them is that 'Island of Capri's flowers have a yellowish-orange-colored center, and 'Hardy White's flowers are just plain white.

Oleander (Nerium oleander 'Twist of Pink') has a prettier foliage than most oleanders. Most oleanders' leaves are the color of just one solid green.

Some of these plants were used medicinally by Indians.

The genus name honors Jean-Louis Berlandier, a French-Swiss physician who collected plants in northern Mexico and Texas in the early 1800's. A chocolate odor may be detected when the rays are plucked from the head.