|
Aborigine’s Potato, Yam Daisy, Microseris lanceolata
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Australia
Height: 6–12 inches
Climate, Habitat: Tolerates mild winter
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerates a wide range of soils; prefers well-drained, composted
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Tubers
Culinary Use: A taste similar to coconut and sweet potato, the tubers can be roasted, baked, deep-fried as French fries, and sliced in stir-fries.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: An attractive plant, similar to our dandelion, to use as a border; it is a small, perennial plant that will renew its tubers every year.
Propagation: Tubers, and easily grown from seed
Interesting Notes: This was the staple food of the Australian Aborigines.
Alfalfa, Buffalo Herb, Purple Medic, Medicago sativa
Family: Pea family (Papilionaceae); Also placed in pea or bean family, Fabaceae/Leguminosae
Native Origin: China; first mentioned in a Chinese book from 2939 B.C.
Height: To 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Throughout the world; open fields
Light Requirements: Full sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Any soil; it builds the soil
Edible Parts: Stems, leaves, flowers, and the sprouts made from its seeds
Culinary Use: As a tea; alfalfa extracts are used in baked goods, beverages and prepared foods
Health Benefit: Helps to cleanse the body of toxins; thought to increase the blood’s ability to clot; do not use if you are taking aspirin to thin the blood; not recommended for pregnant women; research is showing it might help reduce cholesterol; contains eight essential enzymes to enable foods to be assimilated in the body
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Use as a fertilizer for the soil, as a nitrogen-fixer; helps plants to be healthy
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: Has strong roots that build strength of soil; Arabs fed alfalfa to their horses, claiming it made the animals swift and strong; their name, Al-fal-fa, means father of all foods; alfalfa serves as a commercial source of chlorophyll and carotene; in ancient times, people burned alfalfa and scattered ashes around the home to protect it.
Alliums
Family: Onion family (Alliaceae)
Native Origin: Russia, China, and the Mediterranean All Alliums are edible and have been popular for thousands of years; common onion was known in the Bronze Age; all parts are edible: bulb, leaves, flower; six varieties commonly used: Chives, Garlic, Leek, Onion, Ramps, Shallot
Chives, Allium schoenoprasum; see Chives
Leek, Ampeloprasum, Allium porrum; see Leek
Onion, Fistulosum; see Onion
Ramps, Allium tricoccum; see Ramps
Shallot, Cepa; see Shallot
Garlic, Sativum; see Garlic
Garlic varieties include:
Common Garlic, Sativum; see Garlic
Elephant Garlic, Allium ampeloprasum
Purple Garlic, Allium sativum; the same as Common Garlic, except the bulb is purple
Society Garlic; note the Society Garlic, Tulbaghia violacea, is a border plant grown in gardens for its pink flower; it is not a true garlic.
Aloe, Aloe Vera, Barbadensis
Family: Lily family (Liliaceae)
Native Origin: Southern Africa
Large and Small Varieties
Aloe aristata, Torch Plant, Lace Aloe; dwarf species grows in dense rosettes of four-inch leaves
Aloe bainesii, Aloe barberae; will grow to 55 feet
Height: Variable
Climate, Habitat: Warm, temperate
Light Requirements: Sun or shade
Soil Requirements: Likes moist; drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: Red, yellow, orange
Edible Parts: Juice, leaves
Culinary Use: Juice used for medicinal smoothies
Health Benefit: Heals small wounds; soothes sunburn; skin care; minimizes frostbite; screens out radiation; calms digestion; thought to lower blood sugar and prevent cancer; to use, cut a leaf and apply the sap to the skin or wound; evidence of use in 1500 B.C.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: There are several varieties of aloe; aloe vera (barbadensis) is the best to cultivate and use
Propagation: Division or seed
Interesting Notes: It was Cleopatra’s beauty secret; Alexander the Great waged war for Socotra Island to grow ample aloe for healing his wounded soldiers; thought to be good for immortality; in Sanskrit, aloe vera is called Kumari, which means “young girl.”
Family: Amaranth family (Amaranthaceae)
Native Origin: Mexico, Peru; Central and South Americas
Amaranth Varieties
African Spinach, Celosia argentea; tall and continuous harvest in a warm climate
Chinese Spinach, Amaranthus gangeticus or Amaranthus tricolor; lettuce substitute; cultivated thousands of years ago
Red Root Amaranth, Pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus
Height: To 7 feet
Climate, Habitat: Cultivated more than 5,000 years ago in Central America, South America; also in ancient Asia and Europe
Light Requirements: Extremely adaptable
Soil Requirements: Extremely adaptable to all types of soil; drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: Beautiful plant with striking flowers of varying colors
Edible Parts: Leaves (as a vegetable), seed and flowers
Culinary Use: In Mexico it’s popped to make alegría candy (the name means “happiness”); also, a drink, atole, is made from milled amaranth seed; ancient Peruvian native people make a beer from the fermented seeds called chicha; in Nepal the seeds are cooked to make a gruel called sattoo; the flour is milled for baking Indian chapatis and is added to various types of baked goods; it does not have gluten.
Health Benefit: Highly nutritious: high in protein, with essential amino acids lysine and methionine; high in fiber; contains calcium (two times that of milk), iron (five times that of wheat), potassium, phosphorus and vitamins A and C; contains a form of vitamin E to help lower cholesterol; the leaves are also very nutritious, with more calcium, iron, and phosphorus levels than spinach
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Amaranth is a good companion plant for most other plants.
Propagation: Seeds, very easily grown; also, cuttings are very easy
Interesting Notes: A staple food for the pre-Columbian Aztecs; not a true grain, it’s related to pigweed or lamb’s quarters and cockscomb; each plant is capable of growing up to 60,000 seeds; cooked amaranth is easily digested; the leaves are rich in vitamin A; contains oxalic acid which requires boiling in water before eating—oxalates are a waste product of metabolism that is present in foods, notably spinach, chard, beets, amaranth and rhubarb.
Anise, Pimpinella anisum
Family: Celery family (Apiaceae)
Native Origin: Middle Eastern
Height: 2½ feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm, temperate
Light Requirements: Sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Light, well-drained
Flower, Color: Small white
Edible Parts: Leaves, Seeds
Culinary Use: Added to breads, cakes, pizzelle cookies, sausages, and liqueurs: Italian anisette, French Pernod, Greek ouzo; leaves are included in salads, especially with fresh apples
Health Benefit: Romans used it as a cough syrup, antidote for food poisoning and snakebite; chewing after a meal can sweeten the breath and aid in digestion; tea from seed can induce sleep.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A good hedge or bordering plant, can be grown in containers
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: Was valuable to the Romans who included it in wedding cakes; in biblical times, used as payment for taxes; dried leaves and stems can be added to potpourri; used in Asia and Europe for centuries as room deodorizer; early Virginia settlers were required to bring anise seed for flavoring and making a muscle rub by mixing anise seed with whiskey; anise deters pests from Brassicas by camouflaging their odor, and also improves the vigor of plants grown nearby; it can deter aphids and fleas and reduce cabbage worms.
Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum
Family: Mint family (Lamiaceae)
Native Origin: North America
Height: 3–4 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm, temperate
Light Requirements: Sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Good drainage
Flower, Color: Lavender-blue
Edible Parts: Flowers, Leaves
Culinary Use: Tea and potpourri; add to salad for a surprise licorice taste; Chinese add the blossoms to stir-fries; crush and scatter 10–20 fresh leaves on top of a pie crust before adding the filling; tea is a natural sweetener; tea can be used to poach peaches, pears or apricots; add to fruit salad, cookies, cakes, salad dressings and meat dishes; makes liquor anisette
Health Benefit: Refreshes skin; Cheyenne and Chippewa Native people made a tea for healing coughs; as a steam bath, helps decongestion
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Large bush; fragrant; easily pruned; fragrance garden; attracts butterflies and bees; good container plant; for color and texture, anise hyssop is very attractive next to artemisia; other companions: catmint, culinary sage, nasturtiums and roses
Propagation: Cuttings or seeds; self-seed
Interesting Notes: American native; water only when needed and never at night, because it has a tendency to mold; although this plant is in the mint family, it is not a hyssop or anise; adds wonderful aroma to potpourri
Angelica, Angelica archangelica
Family: Carrot family (Umbrelliferae)
Native Origin: Africa, brought to Europe in the sixteenth century
Height: 3–8 feet
Climate, Habitat: Likes cool climate
Light Requirements: Full sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, rich, composted soil
Flower, Color: Greenish yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Roots
Culinary Use: Add leaves to salads, fish or chicken; stems can be cooked as you would rhubarb; the stems can be candied for decorating cakes; candied stems will last up to three years and are a delicious treat; young leaves make a good tea
Health Benefit: Roots were used to help heal bronchial and digestive disorders; roots also used to clean wounds and heal skin infections; roots also used to stimulate the appetite and liver; Chinese herbalists used it to balance female hormones.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Attract beneficial insects; plant to offer shade to shorter plants; do not plant near carrots.
Propagation: Difficulty propagating with seed makes it easier to purchase a plant from a nursery.
Interesting Notes: Name is due to its blooming in May near the feast day of Archangel Michael; according to legend, an angel gave the plant for protection against the plague; colonists believed that a dash of the powdered root would reduce the teenage sex drive; it is a fish preservative in cold countries such as Greenland and Siberia.
Artemisias, Wormwoods
The collective common name is “Wormwood”; artemisias come from semi-arid areas of the northern hemisphere and are cultivated for their feathery green-gray foliage and their fragrance. A number are grown as herbs. Excellent for moonlight gardens. The following are more well-known species:
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Siberia and Europe
Artemisia Varieties
Absinthium, Artemisia absinthium; used for antiseptic and to repel fleas
Big Sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata; an evergreen shrub growing to 15 feet; although hardy, it is frost-tender
California Sagebrush, Artemisia californica
Common Wormwood, Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris; evergreen shrub, 3–4 feet high; great wildlife plant
Dusty Miller, Beach Wormwood, Old Woman, Artemisia stelleriana; good for rock gardens; blooms attract butterflies and bees
Powis Castle Wormwood, Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’; an old favorite, grows to 3 feet tall and 5–6 feet wide
Silver Sagebrush, Artemisia cana; aromatic, evergreen shrub growing 1–3 feet
Silver Mound, Angel Hair, Silver Spreader, Artemisia caucasica; a mound of extremely fine-textured, silvery, hair-like foliage
Southernwood, Artemisia abrotanum; an old-fashioned favorite found within many borders
Tarragon, French Tarragon, True Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus; garden herb; used in floral arrangements; can be used to flavor vinegars, egg dishes, and mayonnaise
White Mugwort, Artemisia lactiflora; has dark purple stems; upright perennial with vigorous growth
White Sage, Silver King, Native Wormwood, Artemisia ludoviciana; can grow to 8 feet tall; could be invasive, spreading by underground roots
Height: Ranges 1–3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, average soil; drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: Inconspicuous white, yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves
Culinary Use: It is a bitter herb; use is mainly as a spring tonic; recommended to drink tea very sparingly
Health Benefit: Tea and bath tea for anti-virus use; ancient Greeks believed it was an antidote to hemlock poisoning, toadstools, and the biting of the sea dragon
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Commonly used in moonlight; good erosion control; use in border, edging, rock gardens; it can slow growth and flowering of vegetable and fruits; flower; a good border plant; can be invasive; in some areas it will grow well with lavender; fragrant
Propagation: Seeds, cutting, division of roots; will layer itself
Interesting Notes: Mexicans celebrated their great festival of the Goddess of Salt with a ceremonial dance of women who wore on their heads garlands of wormwood.
Artichoke
Artichoke Varieties
Globe Artichoke, Cynara scolymus; see Globe Artichoke
Jerusalem Artichoke, Sun roots, Sunchoke, Helianthus tuberosus; see Jerusalem Artichoke
Arugula, Garden Rocket, Roquette, Eruca Vesicaria sativa
Family: Cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
Native Origin: Europe, Mediterranean
Height: 8 to 18 inches
Climate, Habitat: Grows in cool climates in the early spring and autumn; in southern states it grows through the winter.
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Average soil, moist
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Seed pods, Seeds
Culinary Use: Favorite of Italians as a fresh salad herb; also cooked as a vegetable; finely chopped with melted butter, is good with seafood, rice or pasta dishes; strong-tasting, spinach-like green; added to pesto, cheese and pizzas.
Health Benefit: Low in saturated fat and cholesterol; a source of protein, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamins A, C, B6 and K, pantothenic acid, zinc, copper, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and manganese
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Cold-hardy
Propagation: Seeds
Interesting Notes: Grown in Europe since the sixteenth century
Basil, Ocimum basilicum
Family: Celery family (Apiaceae)
Native Origin: Asia, Africa, Central and Southern America; it appears to have its center of diversity in Africa; basil was probably first put to cultivation in India.
Height: Variable
Climate, Habitat: Warm
Light Requirements: Sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Moist and rich
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers
Culinary Use: Any tomato recipe; favorite in pesto
Health Benefit: Repels mosquitos and flies
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Can be planted anywhere sunny and moist; plant in beds, borders or containers; always plant next to tomatoes; its plant companions are sage, rosemary, oregano, and yarrow.
Propagation: Seed or cuttings
Interesting Notes: Over 50 species; Holy Basil takes one into paradise, according to Hindu mythology; other species include Lemon, Cinnamon, Spicy, Globe, Mammoth, Green ruffles, Purple ruffles, African blue.
Bean, Leguminosae
The common annual bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, is the source of all the green beans we eat.
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae); a large family of trees, shrubs, vines and herbs bearing bean pods
Native Origin: India, Africa and the Americas have had 6,000 years of cultivation; Christopher Columbus first saw them in the Caribbean Islands; pre-Columbian peoples were utilizing the Three Sisters method of planting corn, beans and squash together; there are 4,000 bean varieties on record in just the United States; one of the longest-cultivated plants globally.
Bean Varieties
Breadroot Scurf Pea, Indian Breadroot, Prairie Turnip, Tipsin, Psoralea esculenta; see Breadroot Scurf Pea
Fenugreek, Bird’s Foot, Greek Hayseed, Trigonella foenum-graecum; see Fenugreek
Lablab Bean, Pharaoh Bean, Hyacinth Bean, Dolichos lablab; see Lablab Bean
Marama Bean, Tylosema esculentum; see Marama Bean
Pigeon Pea, Congo Pea, Cajanus cajan; see Pigeon Pea
Scarlet Runner Bean, Phaseolus coccineus; see Scarlet Runner Bean
West Indian Pea Tree, Corkwood Tree, Hummingbird Tree, Sesbania grandiflora
Winged Bean, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus; see Winged Bean
Bellflower, Harebell, Campanula versicolor
Family: Bellflower family (Campanulaceae)
Native Origin: North America, Europe, Siberia, and Japan
Varieties
Campanula poscharskyana; dwarf plant; star-shaped flowers; 5 inches tall; takes sun
Campanula cochleariifolia; runners; ground cover; 2 inches tall
Campanula garganica; dwarf; ideal for growing on walls, or along pavers; 6 inches tall
Campanula glomerata; vigorous perennial; clusters of blue flowers; will reseed
Campanula latiloba; grows to 2 feet; white spikes; forms dense mats
Campanula lactiflora; grows to 2½ feet; pink and lavender
Height: Variable
Climate, Habitat: Warm, mild, temperate; damp meadows, swamps
Light Requirements: Light shade; some varieties take sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, slightly acidic
Flower, Color: Blue, lavender or purple, white
Edible Parts: Flower, leaves
Culinary Use: Add to salads; topping for cakes
Health Benefit: Rich in vitamin C
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Perennial evergreen; the dwarf varieties can be used along pavers or stepping-stones; the taller varieties are excellent in large groupings.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: Peachleaf Bellflower and Chimney Bellflower were commonly grown in sixteenth-century England.
Bergamot, Bee Balm, Oswego Tea, Monarda didyma
Family: Mint family (Mentha)
Native Origin: North America; wildflower of the Appalachian Trail
Height: 3 to 4 feet
Climate, Habitat: Moist woods along streams
Light Requirements: Full sun; tolerant of light shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained
Flower, Color: Red
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flower, Early shoots
Culinary Use: Leaves are used to make jelly, and in fruit salad; popular tea; add leaves, flowers or early shoots to salads
Health Benefit: Fresh leaves rubbed on the skin are thought to deter gnats and mosquitoes; Native Americans used it to reduce fever, chills.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Fragrant; plant in borders or large areas; attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and other beneficial insects; good companions: yarrow, Agastaches, ornamental grasses, wild mint, Monarda menthaefolia
Propagation: Division, seeds
Interesting Notes: Various species: Horsemint, Monarda punctata; Lemon mint, Monarda citriodora; cultivar ‘Gardenview Scarlet’ cultivated because it is resistant to powdery mildew; also known as the “Freedom Tea” after the Boston Tea party of the American Revolution—when teas became scarce, Native Americans, the Oswego tribe in New York state, introduced a good substitute, Oswego Tea; leaves are used in potpourri; popular use in perfumes
Black-Eyed Susan, Coneflower, Rudbeckia
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Plains of North America; naturalized throughout North America
Varieties:
Rudbeckia amplexicaulis
Rudbeckia fulgida; parent to most of the Black-eyed Susans
Rudbeckia grandiflora
Rudbeckia hirta; found on the Appalachian Trail and in all 50 states; said to be edible
Rudbeckia laciniata; tall with lemon-colored flowers; eaten by Native Americans
Rudbeckia missouriensis; considered rare and endangered
Rudbeckia nitida; drooping petals; said to have edible seeds
Rudbeckia scabrifolia; considered endangered
Rudbeckia subtomentosa; has short petals
Rudbeckia texana
Height: To 6 feet
Climate, Habitat: Dry fields, open woods and roadsides
Light Requirements: Sun to part shade
Soil Requirements: Prefers moist and well-drained, but is tolerant of many soil types
Flower, Color: Yellow is most common, but found in rust, black or purple
Edible Parts: (Some varieties) Leaves, Stems, Flowers
Culinary Use: Tea from the root
Health Benefit: Native Americans used the root for a tea to treat colds, sores, swelling, snakebite and earaches.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: The roots have bacteria that add nutrients to the soil; easy to grow in wildflower gardens
Propagation: Multiplies readily; seeds, cuttings and division
Interesting Notes: Because the flower has various heights, abundant pollen and the bloom is very long-lasting, it attracts many insects; cut flowers make an excellent flower arrangement.
Borage, Bee Bread, Borago officinalis
Family: Borage family (Boraginaceae)
Native Origin: Southern Europe
Height: 1 to 5 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm
Light Requirements: Full sun; tolerates light shade
Soil Requirements: Rich, moist
Flower, Color: Blue
Edible Parts: Flower, Leaves
Culinary Use: Add blossoms to lemonade; tastes like cucumbers—add to salads; older leaves and stems make an excellent stock for cucumber soup; add finely-cut leaves to your favorite sandwich filling.
Health Benefit: Can help reduce inflammation of skin; thought to balance adrenals and strengthen the heart; a fine source of calcium and potassium; is thought to be a excellent remedy for various bronchial, lung and chest disorders
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Attracts honey bees; a wonderful plant, a small herbal specimen; grow it close to tomatoes to attract bees, which fertilize the tomato blooms and anything else in the vegetable garden.
Propagation: Self-seeds
Interesting Notes: Long a popular herb for calmness by those sipping borage wine during stressful or fearful times.
Family: Blueberry family (Ericaceae)
Native Origin: North America
Blueberry varieties
The following are common blueberries. There are many varieties available. It is best to check with local master gardeners or the state university’s extension offices to select the variety that is hardy for your zone:
Northern Highbush Blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum; most commonly cultivated species
Rabbiteye Blueberry, Vaccinium virgatum; Southern type of blueberry in zones 7–9; can grow to 10 feet
Wild Lowbush Blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium; Northern wild variety and known for its intense blue color; from 1–2 feet high, spread through underground runners; hardy in zones 3–6
Height: Variable
Climate, Habitat: Native to North America
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Rich, composted, well-drained; fairly acid soil
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Berries
Culinary Use: Fruit
Health Benefit: High level of antioxidants; high in fiber, folic acid, carotenoids, vitamins A, B and C; thought to improve motor skills and reverse short-term memory loss; wild blueberries are used to prevent cancer and are good for the heart; help to improve night vision; the juice from fresh blueberries helps prevent urinary tract infections with a compound that inhibits bacteria from anchoring to the bladder.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Blueberry roots are shallow and need to have good drainage, ample water and compost; generally, they are self-pollinating; good companions are thyme or sage.
Propagation: Cuttings is the easiest method.
Interesting Notes: To make a cutting of a favorite blueberry, simply cut a tender shoot that is at least six inches long. Remove the lower sets of leaves. Dip the cutting in a rooting compound that can be purchased at any garden center. Stick the cutting one inch into a good potting mix. Be sure to thoroughly wet the soil prior to planting. Finally, cover the pot with a clear piece of lightweight plastic. Place the pot in indirect sunlight. After two weeks, check to see if the plant has rooted by slightly pulling on the stem; if you feel resistance, remove the plastic covering and be sure to keep the soil moist. The plant should then be treated as any other seedling.
Brassicaceae or Mustard Family
Family: Cabbage or Mustard family (Brassicaceae)
Native Origin: Europe, Asia and North America
Formerly known as Cruciferae; the Latin word brassica comes from the Celtic word bresic, which means cabbage. The English word cabbage comes from the French caboche, meaning “head.” A very large and popular group of vegetables more nutritious than any other genus: high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and disease-fighting elements. Some common examples of Brassicas: bok choy, broccoli, broccoli raab, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, cress, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, swedes, and turnips. Red cabbage may turn a grayish-blue when cooked in hard water; to sustain the red color, add a small amount of vinegar or another acid.
Height: Variable; 2 to 6 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm to temperate
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of various soil types
Flower, Color: Yellows; variable plant color from white to red
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Stems, Roots
Culinary Use: Is delicious and pretty when fresh in slaw, salads, sandwiches or cooked in stir-fries, stuffed, baked, creamed; sauerkraut is very nutritious.
Health Benefit: High amounts of vitamin C and soluble fiber; contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties: diindolylmethane, sulforaphane and selenium.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Good companions for Brassicas are geraniums, dill, any alliums, rosemary, nasturtium, sage, yarrow and borage.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: A recent poll of middle-school students revealed that this generation not only likes broccoli, but prefers it to other more traditionally kid-friendly vegetables; Thomas Jefferson, on May 27, 1767, first noted in his garden book that broccoli had been planted with lettuce, radishes and cauliflower; two brothers, Stefano and Andrea D’Arrigo from Messina, Italy, in 1922 started their own produce company in San Jose, California; their specialty was vegetables and fruits familiar to the Italian-American community; they were the first commercial growers in the West to successfully raise and ship boxloads of broccoli that was grown from seed sent from Italy by their father; they were the first fresh produce company to use a brand name for their Andy Boy broccoli.
The Cabbage Family
Brassicaceae
One of the oldest Brassica vegetables, at least 4,000 years old in Europe; today, there are many varieties, as they are very easily cross-pollinated.
Varieties of Cabbage Family with Mediterranean Origins
Broccoli, Brassica oleracea, italica; cultivated from the first century A.D. by the ancient Greeks and Romans; the word is Italian, meaning arm or branch; broccoli may be white or purple
Brussels Sprouts, Brassica oleracea, gemmifera; named after Brussels, Belgium, where they were first discovered around 1750; sweeter from your garden
Cabbage, Brassica oleracea, capitata
Cauliflower, Brassica oleracea, botrytis; originated in the Middle East; can be white, green or purple; very high content of vitamin C
Kale, Brassica oleracea, acephala
Kohlrabi, Brassica oleracea, gongylodes
Savoy, Brassica oleracea, sabauda
Brassica, Cruciferae Varieties
Dittander, Brassica, cruciferae, Lepidium latifolium; see Dittander
Maca, Brassica, cruciferae, Lepidium meyenii; see Maca
Tree Kale, Brassica oleracea, acephala; see Tree Kale
Mustard Varieties
Mustard, Black, Brassica nigra; see Mustard
Mustard, White, Sinapis alba; see Mustard
Garden Cress, Lepidium species; see Garden Cress
Peppergrass, Cow Cress, Field Peppergrass, Lepidium campestre; see Pepper Grass
Rocket, Arugula, Eruca sativa, Diplotaxis species
Watercress, Nasturtium species; see Nasturtium
Upland Winter Cress, Barbarea species
Nasturtium, Tropaeolum species; see Nasturtium
Garlic Mustard, Alliaria species; see Mustard
Brassicaceae, Cabbage Varieties with Central Asian Origins
Broccoli Raab, Brassica rapa, rapifera
Hon-tsai-tai, Brassica rapa, cruciferae ; easy to grow; deep purple leaves, raw or cooked, in salads, stews, soups; propagate by seeds; continuous-harvest vegetable
Japanese Mustard, Brassica rapa , komatsuna ; year-round crop, hot or cold; leaves eaten for greens in salads, stir-fries; see Japanese Mustard
Chinese Cabbage, Bok Choy, Brassica rapa, chinensis ; good source of vitamin A, folic acid, and potassium; eat raw or cooked; continual harvest; easily started with seeds
Mizuna, Brassica rapa, nipposinica ; feathery stalks and leaves, raw or cooked, have rich flavor; year-round crop; easily started by seed; see Mizuna
Napa Cabbage, Brassica rapa, pekinensis ; also called Chinese or celery cabbage; has a delicate texture and flavor
Turnip, Brassica rapa, rapifera
Chinese Kale/Broccoli, Brassica oleracea and alboglabra
Horseradish, Amoracia sativa
Radish, Raphanus sativus
Recent Hybrid Varieties of Brassicaceae Cabbage
Rutabagas or Swedes, Canola, Brassica napus (mix of rapa and oleracea);
Brown Mustard, Brassica juncea (mix of rapa and nigra); mustard greens
Broccolini, Brassica (mix of oleracea and alboglabra)
Butterfly Pea, Blue Pea, Asian Pigeon Wings, Clitoria ternatea
Family: Pea or Bean (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: Tropical Asia; extensively cultivated worldwide
Height: From 4 to 15 feet
Climate, Habitat: Tropical; adaptable to a wide range of temperature and rainfall
Light Requirements: Sun to light shadow; shade from hot afternoon sun
Soil Requirements: Average soil with regular watering
Flower, Color: Clitoria ternatea has creamy white; Clitoria purpurea has intense indigo flowers.
Edible Parts: Beans, Flowers
Culinary Use: Intense blue is used to color rice, cakes and other desserts; young pods can be eaten as green beans.
Health Benefit: Traditional Indian systems of medicine use it as a brain tonic, and believe it promotes memory and intelligence.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A long-life perennial, it can grow as a vine; good cover crop or green manure; easy growing on trellis, poles, or fences; continual blooming; very deep roots
Propagation: Seeds are easy with short germination period; cuttings in water also very easy; if it freezes, has good potential of coming back; produces abundant seeds; self-seeds
Interesting Notes: The top choice for Asian tropical farmers to feed their livestock.
Calendula, Pot Marigold, Calendula officinalis
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Ancient Egypt
Height: 10 to 18 inches
Climate, Habitat: Cool season annual
Light Requirements: Sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Average to rich soil
Flower, Color: Yellow, orange
Edible Parts: Flowers
Culinary Use: Remove the petals from the blossoms; its slightly peppery taste is very enjoyable; add to carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or even pasta; add petals to biscuits, muffins or breads; flower petals will give yellow tint to eggs, spreads and rice.
Health Benefit: Skin soother; reduces inflammation; helps new tissues form; new research hints that it might help with cancer prevention and cataracts; contains vitamin C and carotenoids
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Edges, looks good in containers; interesting look with hen and chickens as a circular ring around the calendula; always looks good with intense reds, oranges or lobelias’ intense blue nearby.
Propagation: Seed; self-seeding
Interesting Notes: The Romans named it because they felt it bloomed the first of the month; when people claimed to have seen Mother Mary adorned with calendula blossoms, the name “Mary Golde” was given, later changed to Marigold; because of its similar taste to saffron, calendula’s flower petals are known as the “poor man’s saffron.”
Caraway, Persian Cumin, Carum carvi
Family: Carrot family (Umbelliferae)
Native Origin: Europe, Western Asia
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm climate; cultivated gardens
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained
Flower, Color: White or pink
Edible Parts: Leaves, Fruit (erroneously called seeds), Taproots
Culinary Use: German and Austrians add to pork, cheese, bread, cookies and cakes; taproots can be eaten raw, boiled or baked; fruit is an ingredient of the liquors kummel and aquavit; delicious when added to applesauce, apple pie, cabbage and boiled potatoes.
Health Benefit: The biennial form develops taproots that are potato-like and highly nutritious, and can be cooked as carrots or turnips; the fragrance is used for soap, perfume and lotions.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: There are annual and biennial forms; the first year develops the taproot, the second year has flowers and fruits.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: This ancient herb has been found in prehistoric homes in Switzerland; legend teaches its use for keeping lovers true; known to heal hysteria.
Carob, St. John’s Bread, Ceratonia siliqua
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Height: To 30 feet
Climate, Habitat: Rocky places near the sea
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, loose and well-drained
Flower, Color: Dark red
Edible Parts: Sweet, pulpy fruit pods
Culinary Use: A chocolate substitute; widely used in health-food seeds, candy bars and cake
Health Benefit: Thought to be a laxative; the pods are a protein source and the sweet pulp is a valuable sweetener; the seed can be ground into flour which is good for diabetics because it is rich in protein and has no sugar or starch.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A mature tree can produce 400 pounds of pods each year.
Propagation: Seeds are easily germinated
Interesting Notes: Called St. John’s Bread because he survived in the wilderness by eating the fruit pods; during the war of 1812, British soldiers had the same fruits as a survivor diet; British soldiers ate as a survival food; the name is related to jewelers as the seeds were the original “carat weight”; produces a beautiful wood with a pink hue.
Cayenne, Capsicum annuum or Capsicum frutescens
Other names: Chili, Tabasco, Hot Pepper, Goat’s Pepper, Red Pepper
Family: Nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Native Origin: North and Central America; it is cultivated almost exclusively in America and Europe
Height: To 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Tropical
Light Requirements: Sun to afternoon shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of many soil types; regular watering
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Fruit, Pod
Culinary Use: Traditionally used globally, in all types of cooking, wherever a bit of heat is desired; eggs, beans, chilis with or without meat, cheese, rice dishes; a favorite in salsas
Health Benefit: Used as medicine for centuries; thought to aid digestion, and to be a cleanser of the digestive tract; believed to stop bleeding; used today as a tonic for circulation; rubbed on the feet with a bit of olive oil, will help warm cold feet in the winter; a powerful antioxidant; thought to be very beneficial to cardiovascular system; has been found to relieve pain.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Perennial; prevents root rot, so plant cayenne wherever this problem occurs; tea is an insect spray; likes the company of cucumbers, tomato, okra, squash, eggplant and escarole; the herbs rosemary, parsley, basil and oregano like to have chili peppers nearby; very rapid growth
Interesting Notes: A part of the diet of indigenous Americans since 8,000 B.C., today used by many to keep critters out of the garden: mice, squirrels, moles, raccoons; sprinkle on the ground in the areas they visit.
Chamomile, Wild Chamomile, German Matricaria recutita
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Europe
Height: German is erect to 18 inches; Roman perennial, 6–8 inches
Climate, Habitat: Dry fields and around gardens and cultivated grounds
Light Requirements: Full sun, with midday shade
Soil Requirements: Average soil
Flower, Color: White, daisy-like
Edible Parts: Flowers
Culinary Use: Tea
Health Benefit: Stress reducer; relief for sore gums; makes a good mouthwash; Ayurvedic herbalists use for harmonizing emotions; Roman variety is a good insect repellent
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Helpful to plant near new perennials; containers and edging; a good contrast to green foliage; Roman chamomile, when mowed regularly, will form a thick, fragrant walking mat; the grounds of Buckingham Palace are said to be planted with Roman chamomile; covering an old bench or chair with Roman chamomile makes a nice seat.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: German variety thought to be plants’ doctor; for herbs under stress, mulch with German chamomile stems and flowers; Egyptians dedicated the herb to the sun and used it for minimizing malaria chills; add to potpourri; Spanish use it to make a sherry called manzanilla; those who are allergic to ragweed can be uncomfortable with chamomile.
Chaya, Spinach Tree, Cnidoscolus chayamansa
Family: Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae)
Native Origin: Mexico, Guatamala
Height: 4 to 8 feet
Climate, Habitat: Native to Central America; tropical
Light Requirements: Sun to light shade
Soil Requirements: Very tolerant of all soils; drought-tolerant and resistant to hot climate
Flower, Color: Tiny, white, fragrant whole flower
Edible Parts: Leaves
Culinary Use: Because of a low level of cyanide in the leaves, they must be steamed for 3–5 minutes and water discarded; even after that, the leaves are very nutritious; in Mexico it is a wrap for tamales; I cut the steamed chaya into cubes and freeze it for later use in quiches or stir-fries.
Health Benefit: Highly nutritious; an excellent source of protein (6%) that is high in vitamins A and C, niacin, iron, thiamine, calcium, potassium and ascorbic acid
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A low-maintenance tree with character; excellent container and in garden beds
Propagation: Roots very easily from any part of a branch; tiny flowers are fragrant
Interesting Notes: Although frost-sensitive, it will grow back; I have seen small pieces of a branch, thought completely dead, turn into another tree a few weeks later; a USDA research study reported chaya’s yield of green higher that any other vegetable they have studied; insect-free.
Chervil, Anthriscus cerefolium
Family: Celery family (Apiaceae)
Native Origin: Southern Europe, Mediterranean
Height: To 24 inches
Climate, Habitat: Known to be a spring plant, lasting only 6 weeks
Light Requirements: Shade, as under a bush
Soil Requirements: Moist, rich
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Leaves
Culinary Use: Known as gourmet parsley due to its anise-like flavor and delicate appearance; one of the fines herbes in French cooking; popular in soups, stews and salads; delicious addition to salmon, spinach, asparagus, green beans, egg or chicken salad, rice or tofu; because it loses its flavor with heat, sprinkle fresh, raw chervil right before serving.
Health Benefit: Spring tonic; winter antidote; tea can be soothing to eyes
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Is a pretty houseplant
Propagation: Self-sowing; as it grows a long taproot, chervil does not transplant well; for the same reason, if growing in a container, be sure the container is deep.
Interesting Notes: In Norway and France, a bowl of minced chervil leaves is provided to sprinkle over foods.
Bitter Chicories and Endives, Genus Cichorium
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Europe; wildflower of the Appalachian Trail
Varieties
Chicory, Cichorium intybus; edible leaves, flowers, crown at the top of the roots, and fruit, which are tiny brown or black nutlets
Escarole, Cichorium endivia; open cluster of leaves
Belgian Endive, Cichorium intybus ; tight head of crisp leaves
Curly Endive, Cichorium endivia; open cluster of leaves
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus ; tight round to elongated head of red leaves
Height: Variable
Climate, Habitat: Grassy meadows, roadsides
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Flower, Color: Blue
Edible Parts: Leaves; Flowers, Roots
Culinary Use: Chicory leaves and crown of root are eaten raw in salad; root crown can be boiled 5 minutes; salt balances the bitter flavor, so serve with a salty dressing.
Health Benefit: Two thousand years ago, Greeks used it to make medicinal remedies to calm the heart and prevent illness.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: Early settlers brought chicory for livestock feed; about 5,000 years ago, Egyptians harvested chicory to make a popular drink; endives are grown to sustain the root in the dark while growing; later, when endive is harvested, light will make it bitter, so it is kept in the dark. Helps to provide potassium to the soil.
Chickpea, Garbanzo, Spanish Pea, Cicer arietinum
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: Middle East, Southeastern Turkey
Height: To 18 inches
Climate, Habitat: Tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of many types of soil with good drainage
Flower, Color: White, pink, blue or purple
Edible Parts: Seeds; Leaves can be used for a vinegar
Culinary Use: The seeds have high levels of protein; can be eaten fresh, whole, or ground into flour that is used to make falafels and various breads; can be sprouted, boiled, roasted or fried; added to salads, stir-fries and casseroles; hummus dip is made with boiled chickpeas, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and tahini paste.
Health Benefit: A source of protein; used as an aphrodisiac, or for bronchitis, constipation, diarrhea, sunstroke and warts; acids in the leaves are thought to lower blood cholesterol levels; immature pods can be used as green beans.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Perennial crop
Interesting Notes: Evidence found of chickpeas growing in Neolithic time; harvested 95,000 years ago; cultivated in Jericho, 6500 B.C.; 80 percent of the world’s production is in India, Ethiopia and the Mediterranean; chickpeas provide a starch that allows textile sizing, giving a light finish to silk, wool and cotton cloth.
Chives, Allium schoenoprasum
Family: Onion family (Alliaceae)
Native Origin: Europe, Mediterranean
Height: To 12 inches
Climate, Habitat: Gardens
Light Requirements: Full sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Average soil
Flower, Color: Pink, lavender
Edible Parts: Leaves, Bulb
Culinary Use: Complement to all foods that include onions: salad, soup, stews, egg dishes, dips, spreads; an essential ingredient of bouquet garni and fines herbes
Health Benefit: Although eaten in small amounts, it is known to provide calcium, vitamins A, K and C, be a mild anti-inflammatory, and aid in prevention of cancer.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Alliums can be placed anywhere in the garden.
Propagation: Seed or division
Interesting Notes: Chinese cuisines have included chives for at least 5,000 years; grown in the Egyptian Pharaoh’s gardens; used by gypsies to tell fortunes and hang on their wagons for protection against evil spirits.
Clover
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: Asia, Europe
Clover, Wild Sweet Clover, Melilotus alba; extensive root mass and accumulates phosphate from rock powders
White Clover, Trifolium repens; good for under-sowing in row crops as a living mulch
Red clover, Trifolium pratense; taller with deep roots
Height: To 8 inches
Climate, Habitat: Grows throughout America
Soil Requirements: Very tolerant of all types of soils; is drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: Red, yellow, white
Edible Parts: Leaves, flowers can be used for tea; seeds need to be sprouted before eating
Culinary Use: Use very young leaves in salads; seeds can be used to flavor soups and stews; dried leaves used as vanilla-like flavoring in pastries; yellow and wild clover smell similar to vanilla.
Medicinal use: Red clover tea has been used for centuries for cleansing, coughs and bronchitis; research is showing that it serves to prevent cancer; leaves and flowering branches have been used for improving blood circulation, varicose veins and hemorrhoids; contains coumarin, which thins the blood or prevents it from clotting.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A short-lived perennial, clover is a green manure crop that helps build soil; I grow it along the edges of the garden to give rabbits something to eat and to keep them out of the rest of the garden.
Interesting Notes: Brought from Europe over 200 years ago for feeding cattle, livestock; there are about 300 species of clovers worldwide; it is poisonous if made into wine.
Comfrey, Symphytum officinale
Family: Borage family (Boraginaceae)
Native Origin: Europe
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Climate, Habitat: Damp, light shade; cultivated in gardens
Light Requirements: Sun or shade
Soil Requirements: Rich, moist soil
Flower, Color: White, pink or lavender
Edible Parts: Mature Leaves, Flowers, Roots
Culinary Use: Caution: research says to only use mature comfrey leaves; that said, it has been used for centuries as a healing herb.
Health Benefit: Although comfrey is an excellent source of calcium, potassium, trace minerals and vitamins A and C, it is recommended to ingest it sparingly; used for centuries for muscle pain and small wounds in the form of creams and salves.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A relation to borage, it will activate compost and build good soil; called “the physician of plants,” large comfrey leaves are mulch for all plants in the garden; comfrey is the most nitrogen-giving plant; can smother weeds; although comfrey is a good companion for all the plants in the garden, its friends are patchouli, scented geranium and dill.
Propagation: Seed, cutting and division
Interesting Notes: Actually called “knit bone” because it was believed to speed healing of broken bones; yellow dyes can be made from the roots.
Coneflower, Black Sampson
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: North American Plains
Varieties
Coneflower, Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea
Narrow-leafed Coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia; Grew in Thomas Jefferson’s garden at Monticello; he obtained the seed from the Lewis and Clark botanical expedition in 1804.
Height: 2 to 5 feet
Climate, Habitat: Roadside, dry open fields
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade
Soil Requirements: Average; drought-resistant when established
Edible Parts: Roots are primarily used, but all parts of plant may be eaten
Culinary Use: Very popular tea
Health Benefit: Tea made from the root has been used to build up the immune system; used by Native Americans for a variety of ailments, especially colds, cough, sore throat and infections.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Penta
Propagation: Seed; will also self-seed
Interesting Notes: Native People on the plains used coneflower extensively for reducing pain, coughs, colds, and as treatment for snakebite; has been used on horses.
Corn Salad, Mache Lettuce, Lamb’s Tongue, Winter Lettuce, Valerianella locusta
Family: Valerian family (Valerianaceae)
Native Origin: Europe, North Africa and Western Asia; naturalized in United States
Height: 6 to 12 inches tall
Climate, Habitat: Open places that have been cultivated
Light Requirements: Sun to light shade
Soil Requirements: Composted, moist
Flower, Color: White, blue
Edible Parts: Fresh leaves, flowers and flower stalks; pleasant addition to salads, potato or macaroni salad; use with spinach or Oriental cabbages; add to soup, stew, omelets or cooked vegetables
Culinary Use: Grown to sell in the farmers’ markets in France
Health Benefit: Contains 30% more iron than spinach; high in vitamin C; in Europe, used for a spring tonic.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Clump-forming, it is one of the most cold-hardy lettuces, seen to grow in snow; grows as a weed in corn fields in eastern America; continual harvest during the colder months; easy to grow and is a rapid grower; when the flowers appear, pull up the plant, or allow them to naturalize in your garden by self-seeding; wonderful as a container plant.
Propagation: Seed, and self-seeds very easily
Interesting Notes: Some varieties are harvested as baby corn; different cultivars have varying sizes and shapes of leaves; as mache lettuce got its name from growing in corn fields, other plants received their names in a similar way: corn marigold, cornflower and cockle corn poppy.
Coriander, Chinese Parsley or Cilantro, Coriandrum sativum
Family: Carrot family (Umbelliferae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Morning sun and afternoon light shade; globally grown
Light Requirements: Full sun, partial shade
Soil Requirements: Average, well-drained; drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: White, pink or lavender
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Seed
Culinary Use: This herb actually offers two distinct flavors but will lose its flavor when heated, so add just before serving; the fresh lacy leaves are known as cilantro, and the dried seeds are known as coriander; widely used in Chinese stir-fries, Indian curries, salsas and as flavoring for bread, cookies, pastries, gin, pickles, sausage and hot dogs; coriander can be used as a thickening ingredient; in India, they make a tasty seasoning by combining ground coriander, cumin and turmeric; this mixture is added to rice and lentil dishes; in Thailand, fresh coriander root is finely grated and added to chicken, fish, and vegetable salads; a great addition to gumbos or jambalayas; is added to pickles by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Health Benefit: Stimulates digestion; helps to heal itchy rashes. Ayurvedic medicine uses it to aid digestion and diminish gas; for this purpose, sprinkle the leaves on food.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Companions: parsley, cilantro, comfrey, dill, fennel and alfalfa
Propagation: Seed; will self-sow
Interesting Notes: A global favorite more than any other herb, it has been mentioned in writings 5,000 years ago; ancient Romans preserved meats with the seed; popular today and in ancient China, Egypt, Middle Eastern and Latin American countries; mentioned in the Bible as manna; ancient Egyptians used it for embalming; evidence was found in King Tut’s tomb; unbelievably, those seeds were actually able to germinate.
Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale
Family: Aster/Daisy family ( Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Europe
Height: Long taproot; plant is 2 to 8 inches
Climate, Habitat: Native to northern hemisphere; might have originated in Asia; found in open spaces
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Average soil
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Flower Petals, Leaves, Root
Culinary Use: Dandelion wine; young greens, flower buds or petals are good in salads or for adding to stir-fries, soups or stews; tonics are made from the root; flower buds and petals make a delicious dandelion soup; strong tea can be used to make jellies or jams; pollen is a good coloring agent for foods.
Health Benefit: Tea and root tinctures are used as a tonic for liver; promotes flow of bile; is a colon cleanser/laxative; commonly used by native peoples for treating heart, stomach and kidney ailments; widely used in Europe for stomach disease; thought to be a good cleanser of the liver, kidney and immune system; modern research is showing dandelion able to reduce inflammation, and it is being marketed as a diuretic; many people are juicing dandelion greens for an alkaline balancer and a tonic for teeth and gums.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Grows well with alfalfa; dandelions can stunt the growth of a plant, but at the same time help many plants to have stronger fragrance, help flowers to grow and cause fruit to ripen.
Interesting Notes: The seeds of the dandelion are a nutritious source of food for birds and many small wildlife; tortoises love dandelion leaves.
Day Lily, Hemerocallis fulva
Family: Lily family (Liliaceae)
Native Origin: Perhaps British gardens
Height: To 16 inches
Climate, Habitat: Wild along streams and in cultivated gardens
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade
Soil Requirements: Rich, moist
Flower, Color: Variable
Edible Parts: Flowers, Buds, Flower shoots
Culinary Use: Crunchy texture with fragrance; ice cream cones; stuff the flower with tuna or salmon salad, dips, mousse; embellish salads or desserts; I add the chopped petals to cheese omelets.
Health Benefit: Some use it when detoxing the body and to help to induce sleep.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Yarrow or comfrey are good companions.
Propagation: Division
Interesting Notes: Cut away the stamens and the white base at the bottom end of the flower; some people can be allergic to them, so eat sparingly; make sure you know the lily is edible; I recommend purchasing from reputable nurseries.
Dianthus, Nutmeg Clover, Dianthus caryophyllus
Family: Dianthus family (Caryophyllaceae)
Native Origin: Europe; naturalized to North America; the pink Dianthus armeria is a wildflower of the Appalachian Trail.
Height: 6 to 20 inches
Climate, Habitat: By roadside; moderate climate; best in cool mountain regions
Light Requirements: Full sun or shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, composted; likes wood ash
Flower, Color: Red, pink or white
Edible Parts: Flowers
Culinary Use: Add flowers to salads, jams, fruits, sweet-sour pickles and sweet sauces; a colorful garnish; add to vinegar; flowers were used in the seventeenth century to add nutmeg-clove flavoring to red wine.
Health Benefit: Once used to cure headaches
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A very popular bedding plant; borders and containers
Propagation: Seed, division or cutting
Interesting Notes: Dried flowers can be added to potpourri; a good flower to press for crafts, e.g., homemade paper; makes a good flower for arrangements.
Dill, Anethum graveolens
Indian Dill, Anethum sowa
Family: Carrot family (Umbelliferae)
Native Origin: Southeast Asia, India
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Cultivated garden
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Rich soil preferred
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Stems
Culinary Use: Fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor salad, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, fish, soups, vegetables, beans; leaves and seeds are added to pickles; add flowers for edible garnish; tea can be used as a delicious vegetable stock; steep some flowers in a bottle of wine; dill’s cousin, the carnation, is the secret ingredient in French liqueur Chartreuse.
Health Benefit: Tea is suggested to calm stomach and the mind; recommended for its high calcium, one teaspoon of dill seed is three times the amount of calcium in a glass of milk; dill seed oil is a longstanding treatment for chapped hands and split nails; makes a good foot oil.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Serves as a lacy background plant; good planted in containers; companions are parsley, cilantro, fennel and alfalfa.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: Most commercial dill is imported from India; Greeks and Romans hung branches to freshen the air; early American colonists called the herb “meetin’ seed” because it was chewed for refreshment during long church meetings; the name is a Norse word that means “lull to sleep.”
Dittander, Perennial Pepperweed, Perennial Peppergrass, Lepidium latifolium
Family: Cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
Native Origin: Europe
Height: To 5 feet
Climate, Habitat: Open fields
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of most soil types
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Seeds, Leaves, Flowers, Roots
Culinary Use: Leaves are very hot; leaves and grated roots have a taste similar to horseradish; flowers and seed used as a hot spice
Health Benefit: Known as a remedy to joint pain and indigestion; source of vitamins A, B9 and C, iron and calcium
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Can be used as an edible ground cover in shade.
Propagation: Seeds, spreads by aggressive root system; can be divided.
Interesting Notes: A strong tea can be used for an insect spray.
Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare
Family: Carrot family (Umbelliferae)
Native Origin: Southern Europe
Climate, Habitat: Cool, open ground
Light Requirements: Full sun, tolerates some shade
Soil Requirements: Rich soil preferred; drought-resistant
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Stalks, Root
Culinary Use: Seeds in all types of baked goods, sauerkraut, polenta, salad dressings, potatoes, cheeses, pork and fish; fennel pollen, produced in California, is becoming more well-known; raw stalks are good for salads; ground seed included in perfumes, liqueurs and candies; is the main ingredient of Chinese 5-spice powder.
Health Benefit: Tea and leaves aid digestion; relieves intestinal gas; Jamaicans use the tea to reduce head colds or congestion; tea helps nursing mothers produce more milk.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Good in containers; host for caterpillar of Anise Butterfly; likeable companions are parsley, cilantro, dill, and alfalfa.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: Valued by Greeks and Romans wearing fennel crown during victories; because a soldier ran with the stem of fennel in a 25-mile run, Greeks named it “marathon”; it became a symbol of heroism or bravery; in India, fennel seed is served after meals to aid digestion or freshen the breath.
Fenugreek, Bird’s Foot, Greek Hayseed, Trigonella foenumgraecum
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: Europe
Height: 8 to 24 inches
Climate, Habitat: Open fields, dry grasslands and hillsides
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Rich soil, but will tolerate poor soils and is drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: Small white flowers
Edible Parts: Seeds are nutritious
Culinary Use: Sprouting seeds makes them sweeter; add to falafel mix, cottage cheese or potatoes; essential ingredient of India’s curry powder; when soaked in water, seed have a thickening agent; ground seed makes a flour; added to black bean soup.
Health Benefit: Egyptians soaked the seeds, making a gummy paste that provided relief from congestion, sore throat, fever, TB or bronchitis; tea and leaves aid digestion and help nursing mothers produce more milk; used as a breath freshener, deodorant, perfume and for birth control.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Likes to grow with fennel; fixes nitrogen in the soil for nearby plants.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: An important herb in Asia, India and Africa; Egyptians used in temple incense; included in embalming processes; Egyptians considered it an aphrodisiac; globally used as fodder for cattle and used in veterinarian medicine; Romans soaked seed to make a lip balm.
Fig, Ficus carica
Family: Mulberry family (Moraceae)
Native origin: Middle East, Mediterranean
Varieties
Fig, Adriatic; origin central Italy; good, all-purpose fig; light crop, subject to frost damage
Fig, Ficus aurea; Strangler Fig, native to Florida
Fig, Ficus benjamina; a weeping fig common to southern Florida
Fig, Black Mission; origin Balearic Islands; easily dried at home; best all-round variety for south, north, coast, interior; prolific, fairly rich; tree very large, plant at maximum spacing; do not prune after tree reaches maturity; commences growth midseason; brought by Spaniards to America.
Fig, Brown Turkey; origin Provence; good flavor, best when fresh; light crop, small, hardy tree; prune severely for heaviest main crop; does best in southern California.
Fig, Desert King; origin Madera, Calif., 1920; sweet, delicious fresh or dried; commonly matures good fruit near the coast; tree vigorous and hardy in cool areas such as the Pacific Northwest
Fig, Kadota; medium, rich flavor; requires annual pruning to slow its growth; best grown in hot, dry climate
Height: To 50 feet
Climate, Habitat: Dry, warm temperature climates
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Moderate moisture, especially when fruiting; when established, is more drought-tolerant; will tolerate a large range of soil types.
Flower, Color: Flowers are insignificant and hidden behind leaves
Edible Parts: Fruit is juicy, red, brown or yellow; leaves are edible for the diabetic
Health Benefit: A natural sweetener; a source for calcium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese and magnesium; excellent in rice, grains or couscous dishes; add to salads with goat cheese; add to muffins, cakes or just serve them in a simple syrup for dessert.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Evergreen; a good plant to grow in a container and train to espalier; crop is borne on terminals of previous year’s growth; fig trees, according to Thomas Jefferson, like rue (Ruta graveolens); figs grow well with Okinawa spinach (Gynura crepioides) or alfalfa (Medicago sativa) due to their nitrogen-fixing characteristics; good fertilization is required in containers or sandy soil; in Florida, they grow naturally with cabbage palms; can be pruned after fruiting.
Propagation: Seed and cuttings
Interesting Notes: Evidence has traced figs back to 5,000 B.C.; California ranks third in global production, next to Turkey and Greece; at the Olympic Games, athletes were fed figs for strength and speed.
Fuchsia, California Fuchsia, Hummingbird Trumpet, Zauschneria californica
Family: California Fuchsia family (Onagraceae)
Native Origin: California
Height: Low-growing, 6 to 12 inches; shrubby perennial
Climate, Habitat: Warm, dry; seasonal creeks
Light Requirements: Sun with afternoon shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained; drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: Red, orange, pink
Edible Parts: Flowers
Culinary Use: Embellishment for foods
Health Benefit: A tea for wounds
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Great for containers, but add liquid soil, as fuchsia likes lots of water; attracts hummingbirds
Propagation: Seed, cuttings
Interesting Notes: Evergreen, thrives in dry climates, hot climates; container plants, low maintenance; showy flowers
Fuki, Huki, Butterbur, Petasites japonicus
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Japan
Height: 3 to 4 feet
Climate, Habitat: Under big trees, shady and moist
Light Requirements: Likes shade; if in sun, requires water
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of all types, but must be moist
Flower, Color: Pale yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Leaf stalks, Flower buds
Culinary Use: Leaf stalks can be boiled and pickled for soups or miso, or cooked as rhubarb
Health Benefit: Found to be anti-allergenic and expectorant
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: An amazing ground cover, providing shade
Propagation: Seed and division
Interesting Notes: Its huge leaves are used by Japanese children as umbrellas, and older people use them for walking sticks; if it falls on the ground from lack of water or at the end of its growing period, it will begin a new plant.
Garlic, Allium sativum
Family: Onion family (Alliaceae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Varieties
Common Garlic, Allium sativum
Elephant Garlic, Allium ampelloprasum
Purple Garlic, Allium sativum; the same as common garlic, except the bulb is purple
NOTE: The Society Garlic, Tulbaghia violacea, is a border plant grown in gardens for its pink flower; it is not a true garlic.
Height: To 2 feet
Climate, Habitat: Cultivated in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt 2,000 years ago; open fields
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, composted, moist
Flower, Color: Lavender or white
Edible Parts: Bulb, Leaves
Culinary Use: Used in all savory foods, fresh or raw
Health Benefit: Used as a preventative to illness; Romans boiled 16 whole bulbs in a bucket of wine to treat a hangover; modern research is showing garlic helps to lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels; contains protein, potassium and vitamin C.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Can be planted throughout the garden to deter bugs, e.g., beside roses
Propagation: Separate the cloves of the garlic bulb, planting the clove with top slightly covered
Interesting Notes: As it was thought to sustain physical strength, Ramses III paid his slaves with it; Roman athletes and soldiers ate huge amounts; Chinese used garlic to treat snakebite; during World War I, garlic juice was used to clean and disinfect wounds; an ingredient of the Egyptian embalming process.
Geranium
Family: Geranium family (Geraniaceae)
Native Origin: Southern Africa
The names of geraniums are often confusing. There are two separate names:
Geranium and Pelargonium
Varieties
Pelargonium/Geranium; Pelargonium is the genus of 200 species of flowering plants commonly known as geraniums; they are natives of South Africa; heat- and drought-tolerant
Pelargonium graveolens; rose-scented, most commonly cultivated for the perfume industry; takes place of roses
Pelargonium hortorum; zonal varieties; the bedding varieties; faint fish-like scent; most commonly sold at nurseries
Pelargonium peltatum; ivy-leaved, hanging varieties
Pelargonium domesticum; French geraniums; includes the “Martha Washington” geranium
Pelargonium crispum and citronellum; two most commonly used for lemon flavor
Pelargonium tomentosum; most commonly used for peppermint flavor More Pelargonium flavors include cinnamon, lime, orange, strawberry, nutmeg and peach.
Height: Variable
Climate, Habitat: Warm, cultivated gardens
Light Requirements: Sun, will tolerate light shade
Soil Requirements: Sandy, composted, moist soil
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers
Culinary Use: Add as flavor and scent to cakes, breads or jellies; tea, cream cheese, ice cream or butter; flavor sauces
Health Benefit: In aromatherapy, used to soothe muscles, anxiety, lift depression, and balance the emotions
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Garlic; good in containers
Propagation: Seed or cuttings
Interesting Notes: Natives of South Africa; Thomas Jefferson had several varieties at the White House gardens.
Geranium/Cranesbill, Crane’s Bill; Crow’s Foot, Wild Geranium, Geranium carolinianum
Family: Geranium family (Geraniaceae)
Native Origin: North America and Europe
Geranium/Cranesbill Is the correct botanical name of a separate genus of related plants often called Cranesbills: Crane’s Bill; Crow’s Foot, Wild Geranium, Geranium carolinianum
Varieties
These Cranesbills species were in gardens by the sixteenth century:
Geranium, Geranium pratense; Meadow Cranesbill
Geranium, Geranium phaeum ; hedges and woods edges
Geranium, Geranium sanguineum
Geranium, Geranium maculatum; wildflower of the Appalachian Trail
Height: Low-growing plants that spread by rhizomes
Climate, Habitat: Drought-tolerant once established
Light Requirements: Full sun, will tolerate light shade
Soil Requirements: Average soil, well-drained
Flower, Color: Variable
Edible Parts: Young leaves; Root
Culinary Use: Cook young leaves of Geranium carolinianum with other greens.
Health Benefit: The root is primarily used in herbal medicine.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Good for the rock garden, border or as a ground cover; suitable for cut flowers; companion plants: Bellflower (Campanula), Coral Bells (Heuchera), Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla), Hosta Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) and Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla)
Propagation: Seeds
Interesting Notes: A ground cover that smothers weeds; must be cut down almost to the ground after flowering to keep it from taking over.
Germander, Teucrium chamaedrys
Family: Mint family (Labiatae)
Native Origin: Europe and Southwest Asia
Varieties
Germander, Wall Germander, Common Germander, Wood Sage
Height: To 2 feet
Climate, Habitat: Zones 4–10; cultivated gardens
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Average, well-drained soil
Flower, Color: Pink to reddish purple flowers
Edible Parts: Tea with leaves or flowers
Culinary Use: N/A
Health Benefit: N/A
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Germander sprigs brighten up the counter or dining table with their evergreen leaves that can last for months; an excellent low-growing ground cover and border plant that is easily trimmed and evergreen throughout cold weather; plant along walkways; attracts bees; it is evergreen and used in nineteenth-century knot gardens.
Propagation: Slow to grow from seed, but cuttings root easily and also can be divided or layered
Interesting Notes: Fast grower with very low maintenance; it will tolerate poor and rocky soil and does perform best in alkaline conditions; Bush germander will obtain heights of four to six feet tall and spreads of six feet.
Ginger, Chinese Ginger, Cooking Ginger, Zingiber officinale
Family: Ginger family (Zingiberaceae)
Native Origin: Tropical Asia
Height: 2 to 4 feet
Climate, Habitat: Moist, shaded
Light Requirements: Sun, light shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained
Flower, Color: Variable
Edible Parts: Root
Culinary Use: Similar to garlic as it is used to flavor all types of foods; can be sliced, grated, juiced
Health Benefit: Tea or fresh ginger is used extensively for soothing stomach, headaches; said to help reduce nausea of chemotherapy and used as a preventative to illness; a ginger footbath is very soothing; thought to sustain mental clarity; reduces morning sickness
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Plants are beautiful addition to any garden in warm climates
Propagation: Root
Interesting Notes: For centuries in China, ginger has been considered an aphrodisiac; around the world, ginger is the most popular flavoring after garlic.
Globe Artichoke, Cynara cardunculus or Cynara scolymus
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Height: To 6 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm, dry
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, composted
Flower, Color: Individual flowerlets are lavender and the immature flower bud is green.
Edible Parts: Immature flower head petals or leaves, and the base of the bud, or the very center or heart; this is called the choke.
Culinary Use: Wealthy Romans ate them prepared in honey and vinegar with cumin; Martha Washington used to make a famous Hartichoak Pie.
Health Benefit: Ancient Greeks and Romans considered artichokes a delicacy and an aphrodisiac; it was thought to secure the birth of boys.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Butterfly plant; its bold foliage and color and huge purple, flower heads makes it a good plant for an interesting garden.
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings and division
Interesting Notes: It is a perennial thistle; the Dutch introduced artichokes to England; they were growing in Henry VIII’s 1530s garden; the United States received them in the nineteenth century, allowing French immigrants to take artichokes to Louisiana; Spanish immigrants brought them to California.
According to an Aegean legend, and praised in song by the poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, the first artichoke was a lovely young girl who lived on the island of Zinari. The god Zeus was visiting his brother Poseidon one day when, as he emerged from the sea, he spied a beautiful young mortal woman. She did not seem frightened by the presence of a god, and Zeus seized the opportunity to seduce her. He was so pleased with the girl, whose name was Cynara, that he decided to make her a goddess, so that she could be nearer to his home on Olympia. Cynara agreed to the promotion, and Zeus anticipated the trysts to come whenever his wife Hera was away. However, Cynara soon missed her mother and grew homesick. She snuck back to the world of mortals for a brief visit. When she returned, Zeus discovered her un-goddess-like behavior. Enraged, he hurled her back to earth and transformed her into the plant we know as the artichoke.
Goji Berries, Matrimony Vine, Happy Berry, Lycium barbarum
Family: Nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Native Origin: Tibet and Mongolia; growing for centuries in China
Height: 6 to 8 feet
Climate, Habitat: Heat- and drought-tolerant
Light Requirements: Sun to part sun
Soil Requirements: Does well in alkaline, well-drained earth and is tolerant of many soil types
Flower, Color: Purple, star-shaped
Edible Parts: Fruit, Red berries
Culinary Use: Wolfberries have a slight licorice taste and can be eaten fresh or dried; the dried wolfberries can be made into jams or jellies; add to rice dishes, soups, sauces or sweet syrups; the dried berries are good in snacks or cakes and cookies; a mild licorice-flavored tea can be made from the ripe, roasted or dried berries; young leaves are good in salads or other common dishes; the leaves make a tonic, Lord Macartney’s tea; a traditional herbal tea, Essential Harmony, is also made from the leaves.
Health Benefit: In Chinese herbal medicine, goji berries are thought to tone male sexual organs; contains 18 different amino acids, vitamins B1, B2, B6, C and E, and antioxidants; found to have more beta-carotene than carrots; one of the richest sources of vitamin C in the world
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A 2,000-year-old perennial vine; grows well on banks and slopes; place the seedlings in a large pot that can be shaped and sized; it will take three years before it sets fruit.
Propagation: Seeds or cuttings; self-sows freely
Interesting Notes: The fruit is ongoing, ripening for about a month; the tree has spines that can hurt, requiring care during harvest; in Tibet, there is a two-week festival celebrating the “happy berry”; in China, there are 80 cultivars; it is a hardy, easy-to-grow shrub that will tolerate temperature down to 24 degrees.
Ground Cherry, Husk Tomato, Physalis virginiana
Wild Ground Cherry, Physalis pubescens; is an excellent trail snack and dessert
Family: Nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Native Origin: North America
Height: To 24 inches
Climate, Habitat: Dry sandy or rocky woods, openings and clearings; rich soils in open woods and prairies
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained
Flower, Color: Flower is yellow and orange, husk of the fruit is soft green
Edible Parts: Fruit, which is covered in an inedible husk; the fruit falls before it is ripe, so pick in late summer and allow it to ripen in your home; it makes an excellent snack and dessert.
Culinary Use: Eat fruit raw or cooked; good in jam; add fresh to salsa and salads, or sauté, roast or add to stews and soups.
Health Benefit: Extracts and infusions of the plant might help to reduce dizziness and prevent cancer.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Good companions are basil, sage, parsley, onions, garlic, leeks, chives, lettuce, spinach, corn, asparagus, peas, celery, carrots, radishes, brassicas, marigolds and nasturtiums
Propagation: Seed, cuttings and division; heirloom seeds
Interesting Notes: Harvest when ready to fall to the ground, e.g., after frost; hundreds of years ago, native peoples of the Southwest included ground cherries in their diet.
Hibiscus
Family: Mallow family (Malvaceae)
Native Origin: Eastern and Central Africa
Hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis; remedies inability to connect with one’s female sexuality or lack of warmth and vitality, often due to prior abuse; promotes warmth and responsiveness in female sexuality; integration of soul warmth and bodily passion.
Hibiscus False Roselle
Cranberry Hibiscus
African Rose Mallow, Hibiscus acetosella
Height: To 5 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm, cultivated gardens
Light Requirements: Full sun, light shade
Soil Requirements: Drought-tolerant, well-drained
Flower, Color: Red, pink
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers
Culinary Use: Colorful, lemony flavor to add to salads, stir-fries or slaws; excellent as a flavor in smoothies; tea can be added to lemonade or other fruit drinks; large leaves make excellent “sandwiches,” rolled up or stuffed.
Health Benefit: High in vitamin C
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Good companions are pentas and mallows
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings
Interesting Notes: Can be easily pruned for shaping or for a hedge.
Hummingbird Tree, West Indian Pea Tree, Corkwood Tree, Sesbania grandiflora
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae) (also placed in Pea family, Papilionacae)
Native Origin: Asia; native to India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines
Height: To 30 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm, no-frost climate
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Composted is the best; likes well-drained but tolerates clay soil; high tolerance for drought and salt
Flower, Color: Large, white or pink
Edible Parts: Tender leaves, Seed pods, Flowers
Culinary Use: Eaten as a vegetable mixed into stir-fries, soups, stews, curries or salads; before eating the flower, the bitter center is removed; eat the leaves in moderation, as they may cause diarrhea with large amounts.
Health Benefit: Flower juice can alleviate headaches or any respiratory ailment and help to reduce fevers; a poultice of the leaves can reduce swelling and bruises.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds; it does not have heavy foliage, but can be used in a hedge or windbreak with other trees; used as a shade crop to shield propagation seedlings and cuttings.
Propagation: Seed or cuttings; grows fast enough to be able to use as a green manure.
Interesting Notes: Indonesia farmers use the branches and leaves to feed cattle and goats; trunk-poles are used to make trellises; when cut, a red gum is exuded which is used to strengthen fishing lines and nets; research indicates that the extract from the bark may be toxic to cockroaches.
Hyssop, Azob, Hyssopus officinalis
Family: Mint family (Labiatae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Relatively easy to grow in semi-tropical areas
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, compost-enriched
Flower, Color: Fragrant blue, white or pink
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers
Culinary Use: Add depth to soup or salad dressing
Health Benefit: Traditionally used to treat coughs or chest congestion; as a compress, helps to remove black and blue spots from bruising.
Landscape Use and Favorite companions: Perennial shrub that makes a great hedge; ideal for container growing; favorite companions with creeping thyme, especially in containers; helps grapes to increase their yield; repels cabbage butterflies that are very destructive to orchards and cabbage crops; do not grow next to radish.
Propagation: Seed, division or tip cuttings
Interesting Notes: Hyssop means “holy”; early Christian priests used it to purify the temples; lepers used it for cleansing; in the Middle Ages, hyssop was strewn over the floors of the home to purify the air; today, Japanese researchers are studying hyssop as a treatment for cancer and HIV; early settlers to the Virginia colony were required to bring anise, as it was valued as a flavoring but also placed in whiskey to use as a muscle ointment; Roman soldiers carried it as an antidote to snakebite and food poisoning.
Japanese Mustard, Japanese Spinach, Brassica rapa , komatsuna
Family: Cabbage family (Brassica rapa)
Native Origin: China
Height: 8 to 12 inches
Climate, Habitat: Open fields
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Compost-rich, moist; tolerant of hot and cool climate
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Stems
Culinary Use: Add to salads, soup, stir-fries
Health Benefit: Although it is low in calories, it is high in cancer-prevention ingredients, carotenoids, folic acid, and vitamin A.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Year-round crop; fast grower
Propagation: Easily by seed
Interesting Notes: A Japanese favorite pickled instead of raw; its nickname is “spider mustard”; germinates very quickly; two to five weeks after seeding, it’s ready for harvesting; one plant can produce up to five harvests.
Jerusalem Artichoke, Sun roots, Sunchoke, Helianthus tuberosis
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: North America
Height: To 8 feet
Climate, Habitat: Native to North America, coastal areas; zone 3–9
Light Requirements: Sun with light shade
Soil Requirements: Average, drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Roots
Culinary Use: Tasty perennial vegetable, similar to a water chestnut; can be eaten raw, baked, steamed, boiled or added to stir-fries; crunchy texture when added to salads
Health Benefit: A very good source of potassium, niacin and thiamine
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Drought-tolerant; short root length, six inches, which helps one to see the tubers close to the ground; spreads by tubers
Propagation: Planting tubers; also will reseed, so it can grow abundantly
Interesting Notes: Native people introduced it to the pilgrims and it became their staple food; this plant was a food source for Lewis and Clark on their exploration of the West; pigs, birds and squirrels love to eat them; being researched for use as ethanol; used as a fructose sweetener.
Katuk, Sweetleaf Bush, Katook, Star Gooseberry, Sauropus androgynus
Family: Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae)
Native Origin: Southwest Asia; native to India and Saudi Arabia
Height: To 6 feet; if it grows taller, it sometimes falls over; if so, just trim shorter
Climate, Habitat: Hot, humid
Light Requirements: Does best in light shade but grows in sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of varied soils; likes moist, composted
Flower, Color: Pink; the flowers are very tiny but beautiful sprinkled over rice or other grain dishes
Edible Parts: Nutritious leaves, Shoots
Culinary Use: Leaves, young or mature, flowers and fruits are added to salads; cooked leaves are in soup, stews, stir-fries; flowers and fruits are added to desserts.
Health Benefit: Highly nutritious: vitamins A and C, iron, and a good source of protein
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Perennial peanut is a good companion; fertilize frequently with compost; grow a fence, support beans, or have a privacy screen
Propagation: Seeds of cuttings
Interesting Notes: Staple vegetables in Borneo; lung damage can occur with massive ingestion of juice, as seen during a popular weight-loss program using the katuk juice.
Lablab Bean, Pharaoh Bean, Hyacinth Bean, Dolichos lablab
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: Africa and Asia
Height: Twining vine that can reach 30 feet
Climate, Habitat: Tolerant of many climates; likes warm and moist
Light Requirements: Full sun for best growth
Soil Requirements: Any type; likes moisture, but is drought-tolerant when established
Flower, Color: Lavender, pink or purple
Edible Parts: Flowers, Beans, Young leaves, Root; NOTE: Seeds must be cooked—they are poisonous when raw
Culinary Use: Flowers are delicious, tasting similar to green beans; smother with a dessert sauce; popular as a garnish; young beans sustain their purple color with cooking; shell as with lima beans; the beans can be left on the vine to dry, and will keep for a very long time; young leaves are cooked in soups, stir-fries, etc.; root tubers, the size of a turnip, can be sliced, boiled, baked or roasted.
Health Benefit: Even seeds are antiseptic but are also poisonous unless cooked; some use to reduce inflammation and a fever; beans are a source of protein.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Although China has been growing this vine for centuries, it is now cultivated worldwide; excellent cover crop and nitrogen-fixer
Propagation: Easily from seeds; in a frost-free area, it will grow and bear for several years.
Interesting Notes: Easy to grow in all types of soil; used as livestock fodder; flowers are grown in America for ornamental purposes; used in floral arrangements.
Lamb’s Quarters, Pigweed, Chenopodium album
Family: Beet or Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae)
Native Origin: Europe and Asia; naturalized throughout North America
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Grows in multiple climates from cool to hot
Light Requirements: Full sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Grows easily on all types of soils
Flower, Color: Insignificant, green and may turn red
Edible Parts: Entire plant
Culinary Use: Use as spinach; the seeds can be cooked to make a gruel; seeds can be sprinkled on pastries and breads as poppyseed or ground into flour; the seeds can be sprouted; give some to the birds—they also enjoy them.
Health Benefit: It is a good source of iron, vitamin C and A; as spinach, the leaves contain a small amount of oxalic acid, so should be cooked before eating; seeds are a rich source of protein, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and niacin.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: When days become cooler, thousands of tiny seeds will appear; collect the seeds after the frost; to catch the seeds when harvesting, place in a white paper bag.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: Closely related to epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides)
Family: Mint family (Labiateae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Varieties
Lavender, English Lavender, Lavandula officinalis; makes the best essential oil
Lavender, Lavandula augustifolia; also makes excellent essential oil
Lavender, Lavandula munstead; the easiest to grow in northern climates with cold winters; flowers are very fragrant
Height: Various heights; 6 to 14 inches
Climate, Habitat: Near beaches; herb gardens; does not like wet feet
Light Requirements: Full sun, light shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained
Flower, Color: Purples and blues
Edible Parts: Leaves; Flowers
Harvest time: When flowering and in the early morning
Culinary Use: For bread dough, use with rosemary or thyme; marinade for chicken or lamb; lavender and rosemary butter for grilled fish or corn on the cob; vinegars
Health Benefit: Skin care products; reduces headache, coughs; calms the mind, relieves anxiety; heals insect bites and cleans minor cuts or wounds; soaps and candles; helps to control fleas
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Container gardening; use in moonlight gardens, fragrance gardens, kitchen gardens; favorite companions are rosemary, thyme, scaevolas, petunia, or trailing convolvulus
Propagation: Division and cuttings
Interesting Notes: Flowers contain tannins that are astringent to the skin; add the fresh or dried flowers to your favorite skin toner; fragrance is sharper when grown at high altitude; lavender grown at low altitude makes a sweeter and softer aroma; it is a source for blue dye; add flowers to fruit salad or a cup of soup.
Leek, Wild Leek, Ampeloprasum, Cultivated Leek, Allium porrum
Family: Onion family (Alliaceae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean and Asia
Height: To 9 inches
Climate, Habitat: Temperate
Light Requirements: Sun to part shade
Soil Requirements: Composted, mulched and kept moist
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Leaves, Bulb, Root
Culinary Use: Called the “poor man’s asparagus,” it is used fresh in salads, or cooked in soups.
Health Benefit: Thought to have anti-cancer properties
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: It has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years; leeks’ shallow root system requires sustaining a moist soil, well mulched.
Propagation: Seeds
Interesting Notes: The wild leek is similar in size to shallots or scallions, and has a very strong aroma and flavor.
Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis
Family: Mint family (Lamiaceae/Labiatae)
Native Origin: Southern Europe, northern Africa; naturalized in England and North America
Height: To 2 feet
Climate, Habitat: Wasteland, roadsides, foothills of mountains
Light Requirements: Full sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Loose, sandy soil, composted soils
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers
Culinary Use: Add to salads, drinks, or whenever a soft, lemony fragrance is desired; e.g., two fresh leaves in a glass of iced tea or ginger ale; from a pot of tea, make ice cubes, each with a tiny sprig of lemon balm; the tea is also used to poach fruit, peaches, apricots, pears or nectarines; finely-cut leaves and flowers are used to make herb butter, cream cheese, or add to cottage cheese or yogurt.
Health Benefit: Its heart-shaped leaves were thought by the Greeks to aid the heart; today, research shows lemon balm can calm digestion.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Can be used as a ground cover; once it is established, it will form clumps; very good for containers; attracts bees and butterflies; companions include parsley, oregano, nasturtium, lemongrass, rosemary, basil, marjorum or comfrey.
Propagation: Seed, division or cuttings
Interesting Notes: Very easy to grow in warm climates; simmer fresh leaves in a pot to freshen a room; said to provide a wonderful massage; lemon balm is a refreshing mist during hot days; a handful of stems and leaves makes a good furniture rub.
Lemon Grass, Cymbopogon citratus
Family: Grass family (Poaceae/Gramineae)
Native Origin: India
Height: 3 to 8 feet
Climate, Habitat: Native in India and Sri Lanka; zones 9B-11; tropical, subtropical
Light Requirements: Full sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained
Flower, Color: Green grass
Edible Parts: Fragrant leaves and softer inner part of stems
Culinary Use: Used to infuse flavor into herbal tea, soups, stir-fries; young shoots eaten fresh; in Asian cuisine, lemon grass is added with coriander leaf, garlic, ginger and some hot chilies
Health Benefit: Thought to cheer the spirit; ancient Indonesians offered lemon grass tea for depression; the oil tones skin; aromatherapists suggest adding its essential oil to skin care creams.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Forms clumps of thick shoots; makes an edible border or tall specimen plant; can be killed by a freeze.
Propagation: Division; purchase fresh at an Asian market and put it in a sandy, moist and sunny spot to grow your own; it will freeze during cold winters but usually will come back to grow a big clump in the spring, summer and fall.
Interesting Notes: Lemon grass oil is used in soaps and shampoos, hair tonics, perfumes and deodorants, muscle toning lotions and vitamin A capsules; it is added to insect and pest repellent, polishes and dishwashing liquid.
Lemon Verbena, Aloysia triphylla (before its name change, it was called Lippia citriodora )
Family: Verbena family (Verbenaceae)
Native Origin: South America
Height: To 3 to 8 feet with a spread of 2 to 5 feet
Climate, Habitat: South American plant; zone 8–9
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Rich, moist, well-drained, more alkaline and sheltered
Flower, Color: White, lavender
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Stems
Culinary Use: Refreshing addition to drinks; Ecuadorians combine it with hibiscus—cranberry hibiscus would be excellent; leaves are best fresh to sustain the lemony fragrance and flavor; it is added to many fruit pastries, butters, cheeses, drinks and fine liquor.
Health Benefit: Thought to calm nerves, stomach; rub fresh leaves on tired feet.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Known to repels midges, flies, and other pests; it makes a very nice small shrub that will die back in frost-cold weather and not always come back in the spring; the leaves can be harvested and added to other teas before pruning to the ground; to sustain it is best to take a cutting before cold weather or bring into the house to grow in a sunny area.
Propagation: Cuttings
Interesting Notes: A relative of Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens); a popular fragrance for perfumes; roots do not like to sit in water.
Lettuce, Lactuca
Wild lettuces are heirloom varieties. There are thousands of varieties of lettuce that evolved from the three wild lettuces mentioned.
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Europe, Mediterranean
Varieties
Biannual Lettuce, Lactuca ludoviciana; native to North America
Indian Lettuce, Lactuca indica; likes 80–90° weather; self-seeds
Wild lettuce, Lactuca virosa; contains elements for mild sedative; a strong antioxidant; for women, can increase breast milk production, especially in combination with alfalfa.
Wild lettuce, Lactuca canadensis
Wild lettuce, Lactuca serriola; considered an aphrodisiac and sex enhancer
Modern lettuce has been distinguished by four types of growth pattern: butterhead, crisphead, loose-leaf and romaine.
Height: Various heights to 6 feet
Climate, Habitat: Native to China, Europe and Northern Africa; tolerates various climates
Light Requirements: Partial shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, moist
Flower, Color: White, yellow
Edible Parts: Young and older leaves and seeds; salad comes from the word “sal” or salt, related to an old habit of dipping greens into salt.
Culinary Use: Young leaves eaten raw; older leaves can be steamed or boiled, adding a bit of vinegar.
Health Benefit: Vitamins A and C; used as an herbal medicine for hundreds of years, mainly as a mild sedative and cough suppressant.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Year-round harvesting; a good companion plant, is a nitrogen-fixer and good growing mulch, e.g., with yarrow; other good companions for lettuce are dill, garlic, beets, beans, cabbage, cucumbers, onions, radish and strawberries; resistant to nematodes; makes a nice bordering or edging plant; good for containers; lettuce is shallow-rooted, so requires good watering supply.
Propagation: Seed, many self-seed; easily grown from cuttings, which can usually be placed in a container or directly into the ground
Interesting Notes: Lettuces range from bitter to sweet; to the ancient Egyptians (fourth century B.C.), the fertility god, Min, attributed to Lactuca serriola aphrodisiac and sex-enhancing properties; later, the Greeks changed Min to the god Pan; the Roman naturalist Gaius Plinius Secundus (23 A.D.–79 A.D.), better known as Pliny the Elder, wrote extensively about the health benefits of lettuce; 4500 B.C. Egyptians cultivated lettuce for edible oil from the seeds; was introduced into Britain in the eighteenth century, where it was cooked; in the fourteenth century, lettuce was used as a salad with oil and vinegar.
Licorice, Black Sugar, Sweet Herb, Glycyrrhiza, spp .
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native origin: China, Mediterranean; cultivated in India
Height: To 4 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm and sunny
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Deep, composted, moist
Flower, Color: Lavender, white
Edible Parts: Dried root, Juice extracted from root
Culinary Use: Used to make sugar, licorice candy; used in China to flavor 5-spice powder
Health Benefit: Contains calcium, potassium; cultivated in China and India for medicine; dates to ancient Egypt, where it was used as a respiratory medicine; in China, is given to children to eat as candy for promoting muscle growth.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Perennial
Propagation: Seed and division
Interesting Notes: Can increase blood pressure
Lovage, Sea Parsley, False Celery, Love Parsley, Levisticum officinale
Family: Carrot family (Umbelliferae)
Native Origin: Southern Europe
Height: 3 to 7 feet and wide
Climate, Habitat: Mediterranean native
Light Requirements: Sun to light shade
Soil Requirements: Rich, composted, well-drained
Flower, Color: Small, yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Roots, Flowers, Fruit, Seeds
Culinary Use: Can be a salt substitute; lovage is similar to celery in appearance and flavor, but stronger and taller; older leaves are added to soup; seeds are used in pickle recipes; Italians use it in bread or biscuits; fish flavored with it is excellent; add to potato salad, tomatoes, chicken and rice dishes.
Health Benefit: Thought to be a diuretic; soothes sore throats; high in vitamin C; tea from stems and leaves can be used for an eye wash; heavily used in cosmetics and perfumes; included in some bath and deodorant products; in ancient monastery gardens, lovage was grown for urinary trouble, jaundice and stomach disorders.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Wonderful, magical addition to child’s garden; it grows fast; grows nicely in a big container.
Propagation: Seeds, division
Interesting Notes: Seeds, mixed with yarrow, were used to make love potions; the hollow stems make a fun drinking straw; a good revival is to put some leaves in your shoes to keep feet feeling fresh, or throw into a bath for a refreshing soak; the ancient Roman Emperor Charlemagne recommended lovage be grown in every imperial garden; was also commonly grown in Benedictine monastery gardens.
Malabar Chestnut, Guiana Chestnut, Saba Nut, Pachira aquatica
Family: Mallow family (Malvaceae)
Native: Mexico, Central America, Amazon Basin
Height: From 15 to 90 feet; can be pruned to sustain any size
Climate, Habitat: Warm, along river banks; is grown in homes as a money tree and needs to be watered regularly.
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Composted, well-drained; moist during growing season, dry during cooler season
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Very young leaves, Flower buds, Flowers, Seeds
Culinary Use: Add the very young leaves to salads; sweet flowers and buds can be eaten, added to a salad, and also can be steamed, baked, boiled or added to soups, stews and rice or corn dishes; seeds that are similar to peanuts in taste are eaten raw, roasted or ground into flour; some people toast and grind the seed for a beverage.
Health Benefit: Not yet found to be nutritious, rather in a metaphysical way as it is known as the Good Luck Tree
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: This is the popular money tree; can be a container plant and will bloom when it is six feet tall; can be an excellent 60-foot-tall specimen tree.
Propagation: Seeds or cuttings
Interesting Notes: A cousin to the famous baobab tree in Africa which lives for centuries; blossom is the size of a baseball.
Malabar Spinach, Indian Spinach, Basella alba, Basella rubra
Family: Malabar Spinach family (Basellaceae)
Native Origin: Asia
Height: A vine can grow up to 20 feet
Climate, Habitat: Indian native; hot weather
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Compost, rich and well-drained
Flower, Color: Tiny white flowers that grow into berries; to allow stronger vine and more abundant leaves, pinch the flowers off
Edible Parts: Leaves, Berries
Culinary Use: The larger leaves can be use as mini wraps or roll-ups; delicious in stir-fries or in sandwiches as a lettuce substitute; the color of the berry juice is a striking red; add to salads, stew or soups and tofu dishes or curries; the leaves can be steamed and added to quiche, omelets, savory turnovers, or vegetable, chicken or beef pot pies; can be used a thickener
Health Benefit: A good source of vitamins A and C, iron and calcium; contains cancer-fighting components; some use the sap to clear acne blemishes; soothes minor burns and itches.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Hot-weather species; spinach that chooses to grow on a trellis; good companion for beans; vigorous growth; likes to grow in containers or on a sunny windowsill indoors; common economic crop.
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings
Interesting Notes: Best grown on a trellis to provide ample room to grow
Marama Bean, Marama Nut, Tylosema esculentum
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: Kalahari Desert, southern Africa
Height: Up to 20 feet; its tubers can be 90% water and weigh up to 20 pounds
Climate, Habitat: Arid, semi-arid grasslands; very hot climate
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Deep, loose sandy soils
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Seeds
Culinary Use: To the people in its native habitat, it is a delicacy and an essential part of their diet; tubers can be sliced then fried, roasted, baked or dried for a trail mix; add diced to soups, stir-fries, casseroles; roasted beans are similar in taste to cashews or almonds; the seeds are up to 40% protein and yield a good quality of vegetable oil; seeds or beans can be roasted then ground into flour or cereal, be mixed with cornmeal to make a gruel, or used as a thickener for soups.
Health Benefit: Best to cook before eating; seeds are more nutritious in protein than peanuts or soybeans; seed can be roasted for a snack food.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A long-lived perennial vine; below ground, it produces a tuber.
Propagation: Seeds; It is recommended to start seed in a one-gallon pot; the heavy seed coat can be nicked, so do not soak in water; keep the soil moist but not wet, and above 65 degrees; once growth begins, sustain soil moisture; when established, and the tubers are beginning to form, water only when it is dry.
Interesting Notes: Seen in the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, when the natives squeeze water from a big tuber. Because the marama bean tuber can be up to 90% water, it is a traditional source of water for !Kung and Hottentots; once harvested, the beans can be stored without refrigeration for several years; in cooler climates, the plant will die back, so keep the tuber heavily mulched to help it come back in the spring.
Marigold
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Mexico, Guatamala
Varieties
Marigold, Sweet Scented, Anise-Flavored, Tagetes lucida
Marigold, Tagetes patula; also called the French marigold
Marigold, Tagetes filifolia; is a tiny, 6-inch, white-flowered marigold with ferny foliage
Marigold, Tagetes tenuifolia; the species Lemon-gem and Tangerine gem are recommended varieties for eating
Marigold, Tagetes erecta; also known as Aztec Marigolds and similar to the African variety
Climate, Habitat: Native to Mexico
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Very tolerant of soils and amount of moisture
Flower, Color: Oranges to yellows
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flower petals (without the white part at the bottom edge of the petals)
Culinary Use: Used for centuries in beverages, and a spicy addition to rice, egg, salad or vegetable dishes
Health Benefit: Tagetes erecta (wan shou ju) and Tagetes patula (xi fan ju) both are used in Chinese medicine; added to lotions; used to reduce coughs, treat dizziness, mastitis or convulsions.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Tagetes patula is the most effective marigold species to dispel nematodes in the soil; although a native of Mexico, it is globally grown; excellent for borders and containers.
Propagation: Seed, cuttings
Interesting Notes: In India, it is a sacred herb; in China, Aztec marigolds are added to chicken feed to make yolks a stronger yellow; repels mosquitos.
Marjoram, Sweet Marjoram, Pot Marjoram, Knotted Marjoram, Origanum majorana
Family: Mint family (Labiatae)
Native Origin: Europe, North Africa, Turkey
Height: 18 to 24 inches
Climate, Habitat: Sunny, warm
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Good drainage, composted soil and watering
Flower, Color: Cream-greenish
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Stems
Culinary Use: Sweet and delicate in fragrance and flavor, it is used in all types of dishes with vegetables, meat, cabbage; frequently combined with sage for poultry dishes; mixed with thyme, it is included in sausage recipes; in Lebanon, Jordan and Israel it is added to lamb or flatbreads; sprinkle over fried potatoes, in various bean soups or fish chowders.
Health Benefit: Is a healing plant for plants.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Likes to have compost or fish emulsion added; grows well with valerian, holy basil, bush daisy, mountain mint, comfrey or lemon grass.
Propagation: Easily grown from seed
Interesting Notes: Marjoram freezes easily.
Mint, Mentha
Family: Mint family (Labiatae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Varieties
Apple Mint, Mentha suaveolens; soft-leaved, white-flowered, apple flavor
Chocolate Mint, Mentha piperita; actually offers a hint or the feeling of chocolate
Chocolate Mint, Mentha pulegium; this variety is a creeping plant with dark green leaves which has a chocolate scent; good for a ground cover and in containers or hanging baskets
Orange Bergamot, Mentha piperita citrate; citrus-flavored; a nice English-type breakfast tea; used in potpourri
Pennyroyal, English, Mentha pulegium ; not edible; strongest mint for flea and insect repellent
Peppermint, or White Peppermint, Mentha x piperita; most commonly found in nurseries
Peppermint, or Black-Stemmed Peppermint, Mentha x piperita var.; best species for fragrance and flavor; a dark purple, and purple-flowered
Pineapple Mint, Mentha suaveolens var.; pineapple fragrance when young; popular in floral arrangements for leaves at the base of the flower or lining the rim
Spearmint, Mentha spicata; this is to be used when recipe calls for mint; classic mint julep ingredient
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Varied
Light Requirements: Shade in hot climates, sun in cooler climates
Soil Requirements: Very adaptive to various soils; likes to be kept moist and composted; keep well drained
Flower, Color: White, pink, purple or red
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers
Culinary Use: Gather only the top 3–5 leaves, as the lower ones are too pungent for cooking; flavors tea, drinks, candies, salads, cakes and pastries; used extensively in candles and essential oils
Health Benefit: In Medieval Europe, mint was used to prevent milk from spoiling; healing vapors of mint reduce congestion, aid digestion, improve the appetite; thought to repel lice, fleas by mint vapor; an essential ingredient which is used as a popular cleansing of the body; provides high concentration of vitamin C and A; was given to sailors to prevent scurvy and seasickness; mint is able to subdue pain with a cooling action; perfumes and cosmetics use mint.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A good container plant and also in hanging baskets; low-growing mints make good borders and edging walkways, and are also excellent ground covers.
Propagation: Seed, division; however, seeds are very slow and do not always appear true to the variety on the seed packet.
Interesting Notes: Hybridizes very easily, which creates hundreds of varieties; ancient Egyptians valued mints which were included in the tombs to be carried into the afterlife; thousands of years ago, Japanese grew many varieties.
Mizuna, Tokyo Bean, Brassica rapa, nipposinica
Family: Cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
Native Origin: Only cultivated
Height: To 9 inches
Climate, Habitat: Warm, moist
Light Requirements: Sunny
Soil Requirements: Slightly acidic, moisture-retentive, well-drained; tolerant of various soil conditions
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Stalks
Culinary Use: Stalks are very juicy; dark green, feathery leaves are peppery; pick baby leaves for salads; mature leaves are excellent addition to chicken dishes.
Health Benefit: Excellent source of iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, niacin, potassium, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Vigorous, adaptable to soils and climates; tolerant; clump-forming, lacy, decorative plant is good in borders; cut regularly to keep a good crop of small leaves; requires nitrogen-producing plants, e.g., yarrow, comfrey, alfalfa; good for a container plant.
Propagation: Seed
Moringa
Also known as: Drumstick Tree, Horseradish Tree, Diabetes Tree, Miracle Tree
Family: Moringa family (Moringaceae Dumort)
Native Origin: Moringa oleifera native to India; Moringa pterygosperma native to Africa
Varieties
Moringa oleifera
Moringa pterygosperma; larger leaves and easier to prepare, more drought-tolerant, stronger with cold freezes
Height: As high as continual pruning will allow
Climate, Habitat: Warm, arid or moist
Light Requirements: Sun, will tolerate light shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of all types of soils
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Leaves, Blossoms, Young seed pods, Tiny branches, Roots
Culinary Use: Does not have much flavor; add to smoothies, sandwiches, salad, any cooked greens
Health Benefit: Exceptionally nutritious tree; is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, used for skin lesions and fights staphylococcus; it’s believed moringa can help rid body of worms and other parasites; helps to sustain good health for mothers and their babies; leaves can be used for making a remedy for diarrhea, dysentery and colitis.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A good companion for plants; can be used as fertilizer for other plants.
Propagation: Seeds
Interesting Notes: Fresh leaves can irritate skin; root bark is toxic—peel off before grating; eat in moderation; drought-tolerant; an amazing energy- and stamina-booster and body strengthener; good for feeding livestock.
Gram for gram, moringa leaves contain:
7 times the vitamin C in oranges;
4 times the calcium in milk;
4 times the vitamin A in carrots;
2 times the protein in milk;
3 times the potassium in bananas.
Mountain Spinach, Garden Orache, Chenopodiaceae, Atriplex hortensis
Family: Beet or Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae)
Native Origin: Asia; naturalized in Europe and North America
Height: 4 to 6 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm climate; found along roadsides
Light Requirements: Sunny
Soil Requirements: Well-drained; tolerates many different soil types; salt-tolerant
Flower, Color: Red, green or white leaves
Edible Parts: Nutritious leaves
Culinary Use: Leaves are tasty eaten raw or cooked; good in salads, stir-fries, soups and stews
Health Benefit: Is a mild laxative; high in vitamins C, A, E, B6 and thiamin; a good source of protein and trace minerals; some use the juice for cancer-fighting properties.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Makes a colorful background plant; flower spikes are used in arrangements.
Propagation: Seed, stem cuttings; germinate seeds on a moist paper towel.
Interesting Notes: First cultivated by the Persians; during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries they wrapped fireworks with paper that was soaked in spinach water.
Mustard
Family: Cabbage or mustard family (Brassicaceae)
Native Origin: Europe, Asia; grows throughout America
Varieties
Mustard, Black, Brassica nigra
Mustard, White, Sinapis alba
Garlic Mustard, Alliaria species
Height: 2 to 8 feet
Climate, Habitat: Weedy meadows, roadsides
Light Requirements: Sun to light shade
Soil Requirements: Composted, well-drained
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Seeds
Culinary Use: Mustard oil is used in India to flavor many meat and vegetable dishes; the seeds are used to flavor curries, salads, dressings, soups, or stir-fries; leaves are usually cooked and added to soups, stews, or just served as “greens.”
Health Benefit: Mustard is used both as a tonic and as a purging agent; seeds mixed with honey are used in European countries to suppress cough or other respiratory ailments.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Cultivated for thousands of years
Propagation: Seeds
Interesting Notes: Attracts small beneficial insects.
Nasturtium, Tropaeolaceae majus
Family: Nasturtium family (Tropaeolaceae)
Native Origin: South America
Height: 6 to 18 inches; vines to 10 feet
Climate, Habitat: Cultivated gardens
Light Requirements: Sun, shade
Soil Requirements: Rich, composted, moist
Flower, Color: Vivid orange, red, pink and yellow
Edible Parts: Flowers, Stems, Leaves
Culinary Use: Add to salads, relishes or salsas; makes a colorful garnish, a cream-cheese “cone”; seeds are good in pickle recipes; pickled seed can be used as capers or a mild horseradish substitute.
Health Benefit: Tea from the leaves can make an antiseptic, cleansing mouthwash; flowers and leaves are rich in vitamin C.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Excellent in containers, window boxes or as edging.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: Its pungent smell gave it a Latin name, “to twist the nose”; only the seeds have oxalic acid, which can be removed by heating the seeds in a small amount of vinegar for 2–3 minutes, then discarding the vinegar.
Noni, Canary Wood, Indian Mulberry, Morinda citrifolia
Family: Coffee family (Rubiaceae)
Native Origin: Indonesia and Australia; naturalized on most Pacific Islands
Height: To 10 to 20 feet; can be pruned for a smaller tree
Climate, Habitat: Tropical island forests, shorelines, tide pools and lava flows
Light Requirements: Very adaptable to different climates
Soil Requirements: Very tolerant of soil types; very salt- and drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: White and very fragrant
Edible Parts: Seeds, Fruit, Leaves
Culinary Use: Puree and juice, powders made from the juice, leaves and fruit are common uses of noni; teas are made from powdered leaf and fruit; the juice is made after removing the seeds; whole fruit powders are made from fresh fruit, sun-dried, sliced and ground; very young leaves, sliced, add to a salad
Health Benefit: Research shows noni to be a good source of vitamin C, antioxidants and potassium, and it is acidic as a lemon; noni fruit powder, sold as a nutritional supplement, is made from the whole fruit with seeds, or just the fruit; the fruit powder is a source of manganese and selenium; the powder is used to make tea, bath soap and is an ingredient in cosmetics; heated leaves can be applied to the chest for coughs, nausea or colic.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Hot weather species; small shrub that is a great companion for fruit trees; evergreen; grows fast; minimum temperature tolerated is 40°F.
Propagation: Seeds germinate best when it is warm; also, cuttings from vertical branches; to hasten the germination time, the flat end of a seed can be scratched or scored with a fingernail clipper.
Interesting Notes: The shelf life of well-aged juice is about two years; leaves are to be used sparingly.
Okinawa Spinach, Gynura crepioides
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Indonesia, Africa
Height: 2 to 4 feet
Climate, Habitat: Tropical, hot and dry
Light Requirements: Full sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates any soil, bur prefers well-drained and composted
Flower, Color: Leaves are dark green on top with purple underneath
Edible Parts: Leaves
Culinary Use: Leaves and the top four inches of shoots are harvested; can be eaten raw or cooked; add to salads, sandwiches, wraps, stir-fries, soups or other vegetables when cooking
Health Benefit: Some say it lowers cholesterol levels.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Hot-weather species; small shrub that is a great companion for fruit trees; forms a dense cover, suppressing weeds; good for containers; attracts butterflies.
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings; cuttings are easy: even a branch will root if simply placed in moist ground.
Interesting Notes: Freeze-sensitive and mound-forming; will spread quickly in hot weather which harvesting will help keep under control; the purple pigment in the leaves can color other foods that are cooked with them.
Onion, Fistulosum
Family: Onion family (Alliaceae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean, northern Africa, central Asia; naturalized in North America
Height: 6 to 10 inches
Climate, Habitat: Bulb
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained soil
Flower, Color: Green stalks
Culinary Use: Eaten in prehistoric times; in Ancient Egypt, 3200 B.C., on tomb walls, artists painted scallions and piles of onions on a dining table.
Health Benefit: Has been used for strength.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A good companion is white clover; to increase plants’ resistance to pests or disease, onions can be grown throughout the landscape, especially near roses, carrots, beets and chamomile; onions might deter rabbits and moles.
Propagation: Division of bulbs
Interesting Notes: Cultivated thousands of years ago, perhaps first in Afghanistan or Iran; through the ages, with other alliums, has been considered to be aphrodisiac; Alexander the Great fed them to his soldiers from a belief that onions would make them strong; Emperor Charlemagne cultivated them in all his gardens; strings of onions were accepted as payment for renting lands.
The juice of the common onion is used as a moth repellent. A tonic spray made from onion or garlic bulbs can increase plants’ resistance to pests and diseases. Garlic bulbs have been used as a fungicide: spray throughout the garden where necessary. It can also be used as a rust preventative on metals and as a polish for copper and glass.
Orchid Tree, Mountain Ebony, Camel’s Foot Tree, Butterfly Tree, Bauhinia purpurea
Family: Cassia family (Caesalpinaceae)
Native Origin: Southeast Asia
Height: 20 to 30 feet
Climate, Habitat: Heat and humidity
Light Requirements: Sun in the afternoon, part shade in the morning
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of many soil conditions
Flower, Color: Pink, white, lavender
Edible Parts: Flowers, Flower buds, Seeds
Culinary Use: Flowers and buds are cooked as a side dish or pickled as capers; add to salads, potato and rice dishes, or add to Indian curries; seeds can be roasted and added to foods.
Health Benefit: Seeds are used as a tonic and an aphrodisiac; use the bark to treat skin diseases; flowers are used as a laxative.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Excellent screen or accent plant; good for containers to move into the house in colder weather; if it does freeze to the ground, it will re-grow.
Propagation: Seeds planted in small pots
Interesting Notes: Minimum freeze is 22°F; can be sustained as a small shrub.
Oregano, Wild Marjoram, Origanum vulgare
Family: Mint family (Lamiaceae)
Native Origin: Arabia
Height: Upright shrub grows to 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Native of Mediterranean and Asia; zones 4–8; fields and roadsides
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, more alkaline; drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: Pink
Edible Parts: Leaves
Culinary Use: Origanum vulgare hirtum is the best culinary species; loses its flavor with heat, so add to cooking at the last minute; adds flavor to chicken, vegetable dishes, casseroles, sauces, soups, tomato and rice dishes.
Health Benefit: In the fifth century B.C., Hippocrates recommended oregano for treating stomach and respiratory ailments.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Some varieties are mat-forming low to the ground; a good companion to tomatoes and peppers and many other plants; likes to be planted with beans.
Propagation: Cuttings or root division; seed can be used, with no guarantee of the best flavor.
Interesting Notes: Ancient Mediterraneans used it for preserving meat.
Family: Celery family (Apiaceae)
Native Origin: South Europe, Mediterranean
Varieties
Parsley, Petroselinum crispum; typical curly leaf
Parsley, Petroselinum neapolitanum; Italian or flat
Parsley, Petroselinum tuberosum; grown for flavorful parsnip-like roots
Height: 9 to 18 inches
Climate, Habitat: Cultivated everywhere
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Compost, well-drained; mildly acidic
Flower, Color: Tiny, greenish-yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Roots, Seeds
Culinary Use: A great blender of all other flavors; works well with all foods except sweets; main ingredient for Middle Eastern tabbouleh and Mexican salsa verde; the Japanese deep-fry it in tempura batter
Health Benefit: Higher vitamin C content than an orange; also high in vitamins A and B, calcium, iron and chlorophyll.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: The only plant eaten by caterpillars of the black swallowtail butterfly; it makes a nice-looking edge or border, or filler in a flower garden; sets off flowers of bright colors; plant in window boxes, or other containers; can improve fragrance of roses when planting at the base; a good companion plant for asparagus, tomatoes, corn, roses, carrot, chives and onions
Propagation: Seeds
Interesting Notes: Each variety of parsley has several cultivars; frozen parsley has more flavor than dried; the Greeks used it for wreaths at funerals; parsley oil is added to shampoos, soaps, perfumes and skin lotions.
Family: Passion Flower family (Passifloraeae)
Native Origin: Southeastern United States; Purple Passion is native to Florida
Varieties
Passion Flower, Maypop, Passiflora incarnata ; an American native
Passion Flower, Passiflora edulis
Passionfruit, Giant Granadilla, Passiflora quadrangularis
Yellow Passionfruit, Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa; prettiest, largest variety; can grow 12 feet long and weigh up to six pounds; in tropical areas, continual flowering might be the case.
Ornamental species
Blue Passion Flower, Passiflora caerulea; very fast growing; egg-shaped orange fruits with deep red, edible pulp; good for indoor containers.
Crimson Passion Flower, Passiflora vitifolia; small, edible green-yellow passion fruit; the flowers are a beautiful deep red; frost-sensitive.
Height: 15 to 30 feet
Climate, Habitat: Open fields, roadsides, rocky slopes, fence rows and thickets
Light Requirements: Sun or shade
Soil Requirements: Any soil with good drainage
Flower, Color: Most common is purple or lavender, but various species have flowers of different colors.
Edible Parts: Flower, Young shoots, Leaves, Stems, Fruit, Root
Culinary Use: Native people of North and South America and Australia ate the fruit raw, or cooked to make a syrup or fermented fruit drinks; a tea can be brewed from leaves and flowers; leaves and young shoots were added to other cooked greens.
Health Benefit: Crush leaves to apply a poultice for small wounds; a salve for hemorrhoids is made by pulverizing stems; fruit juice is an eyewash; modern research indicates passion flowers can relax, induce sleep, calm the nerves, reduce pain and be used to prevent cancer or Parkinson’s; infusions from the roots are used to treat boils, small wounds or scratches, or liver problems; used to make an oil of infusion to treat earaches.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Very hardy vine; attracts butterflies; requires trellis, fence or arbor.
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings or new shoots; mature seeds are brown in color with no traces of white; wash the gelatinous covering from the seeds if they are to be stored for any length of time; it is best to plant the seeds directly into an outdoor seedbed; the seedlings may be trans-planted after they have three or four leaves or, once established, they can be used to provide cuttings or divisions; cuttings should be taken in the early spring; remove the lower leaves from a 15–20cm cutting before placing it in the rooting medium; removing the suckers that develop around the established plants provides materials for propagating by division; with a shovel, separate and remove the suckers and roots; transplant the divisions and water them immediately.
Interesting Notes: In the Caribbean, the stems were crushed for making a perfume; valued by Native Americans as an aphrodisiac.
Pepino, Melon Pear, Melon Shrub; Pipino Dulce, Solanum muricatum
Family: Nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Native Origin: South America, temperate mountain regions of Colombia
Height: 4 to 6 feet
Climate, Habitat: Well-suited to much of Hawaii, southern California; likes warm, not hot, climate coastal climates
Light Requirements: Sun to partial shade
Soil Requirements: Average soil; tolerant of various poor soils; a shallow root system requires frequent watering
Flower, Color: Purple/white
Edible Parts: Fruit
Culinary Use: Fruits are juicy and eaten raw, added to fruit salad, served with wine and cheeses; cooked fruits make good jelly, jam or pie; can be dried for easy storage; unripe pepinos can be used like a cucumber.
Health Benefit: Contains iodine; known to be a diuretic
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: An evergreen small bush or shrub that usually requires staking or a trellis; easily germinated, a rapid grower, and provides continual harvest; a good container plant; self-pollinators, they enjoy the company of other species growing nearby.
Propagation: Seed, but the easier way is by cuttings
Interesting Notes: Fruit, similar to a tomato, is 2 to 5 inches; has been domesticated since pre-Hispanic times in the Andes; commercial crops now grown in southern California, New Zealand and Chile; good as a snack food while hiking through desert areas.
Peppergrass, Cow Cress, Field Peppergrass, Lepidium campestre
Family: Cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
Native Origin: Europe
Height: 8 to 16 inches
Climate, Habitat: Disturbed sites, crop lands; throughout America
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of varied soils
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Leaves, Seeds
Culinary Use: Young green leaves can be added to salads or stir-fries; seed pods add to soups and stews
Health Benefit: Leaves contain vitamins A and C, protein and iron
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Grows throughout the landscape naturally; I like its colorful, interesting shape everywhere; very easy to pull up
Propagation: Seeds
Interesting Notes: The plant has a rosette of leaves that encircle the stem at the ground which are good to eat; once the seeds have formed, strip them off gently to use for pepper.
Pigeon Pea, Congo Pea, Cajanus cajan
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: India, Southeast Asia; Africa
Height: To 5 feet
Climate, Habitat: Humid, warm
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained; tolerant of a wide range of soils; drought-tolerant and somewhat tolerant of salt
Flower, Color: Yellow, orange
Edible Parts: Young and dried beans and leaves
Culinary Use: Young seeds have a rich flavor, similar to peas; dried beans can be stored to last a long time; can be cooked and fermented as tempeh; add cooked to soups, stews.
Health Benefit: Known to reduce fever, inflammation and heal small wounds; astringent and diuretic; balances menstruation; relieves coughs, reduces mucus.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Short-lived perennial, up to five years; a green manure crop; windbreak hedge; a nitrogen-fixer
Propagation: Seeds; soaking seeds helps germination
Interesting Notes: Can be feed for cattle, chickens and pigs; currently researching use as a mulch crop.
Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata
Family: Pickerelweed family (Pontederiaceae)
Native Origin: North America
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Shallow fresh water of ponds, bogs, swamps, shorelines
Light Requirements: Sun to partial sun
Soil Requirements: Shallow water, rich soil, marsh, swamp
Flower, Color: Blue is most common but also white, purple
Edible Parts: Young unfurled leaf stalks, Flowers, Seeds
Culinary Use: Fruit looks green and small seeds can be dried to add to granola or ground into flour.
Health Benefit: Benefits the shoreline and aquatic wildlife
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Perennial herb; attracts bees; suitable for bog, wetland and water gardens
Propagation: Division of rhizomes
Interesting Notes: Provides cover for fish and other aquatic wildlife, nectar for bees and butterflies.
Prairie Turnip, Breadroot Scurf Pea, Indian Breadroot, Tipsin, Psoralea esculenta
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: North America, Great Plains; native wildflower in North Dakota grasslands
Height: To 1 foot
Climate, Habitat: Warm, dry
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, tolerant of dry and moist
Flower, Color: Lavender
Edible Parts: Tubers, Roots; harvest when tops die down
Culinary Use: Can be eaten raw or cooked; if dried, can be ground into flour for breads, cookies and cakes which can be dried to make into trail snacks.
Health Benefit: Native peoples used it for coughing, sore throats or chest ailments.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Nitrogen-fixer; a good soil stabilizer; once in place, do not disturb the roots; when it arrives in June, check the location carefully, because the top leafy part of the plant dries and will fly away as tumbleweed.
Propagation: Seed
Interesting Notes: Brought back from the western wilderness by Lewis and Clark.
Prickly Pear Cactus, Opuntia humifusa
Family: Cactus family (Cactaceae)
Native Origin: United States
Height: Can grow 6 to 10 feet tall, 5 to 8 feet wide; very easy to trim
Climate, Habitat: Roadside, woods, dry areas
Light Requirements: Full sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, dry
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Flowers, Red fruit, Tender green pads or tunas
Harvest time: Spring
Culinary Use: Ripe fruit can be eaten raw; as a juice, strain through a double cheesecloth or coffee filter; peel tender green pads, cut into strips to cook like green beans.
Health Benefit: In Texas, has been used for cattle forage and human consumption since the early 1700s; some believe it helpful in treatment of diabetes and to lower cholesterol.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Grows well with firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis), other succulents, saltbush.
Propagation: Leaves, pads, tunas or fruit laying on the ground; can be invasive; when growing in your garden, plant in a deep, walled hole to help prevent roots from taking over garden; remove all small plants from where they are not wanted.
Interesting Notes: Handle very carefully using kitchen tongs; because the spines and tiny bristles are very hard to dislodge from your hand or arms, wear gloves and long-sleeved shirt when harvesting; the bristles can be washed off with a strong stream of water or rubbed off with paper towels; found throughout Mexico, Central America; worldwide, the production of prickly pear tunas is larger than that of strawberries, avocados or apricots.
Notes on harvesting: With kitchen tongs, harvest ripened fruit and place into a five-gallon bucket; with a strong stream, hose off the fruit to remove the spines and tiny bristles; in the kitchen, still handling with tongs, cut the fruit lengthwise and place into a large saucepan; add 1–2 cups of water and simmer 20 minutes or until the fruit looks mushy; mash with a potato masher; place the mashed fruit into a strong, unbleached cotton cloth or sheet; pull the corners together and hang over a glass bowl; the juice is delicious and certainly worth the work.
Family: Portulaca family (Portulacaceae)
Native Origin: Southern Europe, North America, Caribbean
Varieties
Green Purslane, Portulaca oleracea
Cuban Spinach, Portulacaceae Montia perfoliata; also known as Winter Purslane; native to North America and Caribbean; gold prospectors, during the California Gold Rush of 1849, sustained their lives by eating raw what they found naturally growing on the stream banks.
Sea Purslane, Sesuvium maritimum
Sesuvium portulacastrum
Height: Low to the ground
Climate, Habitat: Fields, waste ground, roadside, in gardens and by the sea
Light Requirements: Full sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Any type of soil with good drainage; drought-tolerant; a better salad crop is grown with regular moisture.
Flower, Color: Pink, orange, yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Stems
Harvest time: Summer
Culinary Use: Raw in salad; cook leaves and stems; stir-fry; pickle parboiled stems
Health Benefit: Used to treat constipation, stomachache; decreases cholesterol up to 20%; helps build strong heart and body.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Good ground cover; companion plant to roses, helping them to be pest-free; good filler plant in a container; living mulch along walkways and as an edging in the garden
Propagation: Seed or cuttings
Interesting Notes: Wash well, as they tend to be very sandy; easy to digest; high in vitamins A and C, rich in iron, calcium and phosphorus
Pyrethrum, Painted Daisy, Chrysanthemum coccineum
not edible; included here because insecticide spray is made from its flowers.
Ramps, Wild Leeks, Allium tricoccum
Family: Onion family (Alliaceae)
Native Origin: Eastern North America
Height: 6 to 12 inches
Climate, Habitat: Shade-loving; cool winters allow it to carpet the forest floor
Light Requirements: Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist to wet soil; mulching with leaves; likes soil to be acidic
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Leaves, Bulbs
Culinary Use: Leaves can be cooked as a green and bulbs used like any onion or leek
Health Benefit: Appalachian mountain people believe they are excellent blood cleansers; high in iron and antioxidants
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Clump-forming, spread very slowly; rather easy to grow—however, they leaf out in the spring for a short period of time; mulch heavily.
Propagation: In cultivation, division is the best; in the wild, ramps drop seed as they slowly move across the forest floor.
Interesting Notes: Today, ramps are at risk of being over-harvested in the wild; it is important to establish an area in edible gardens where they can be sustained; wherever possible, sustain their presence in a moist, deciduous forest floor.
Roman Chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Western Europe
Climate, Habitat: Dry fields, around gardens and cultivated grounds
Light Requirements: Sun or semi-shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained; tolerant of dry and poor soil
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Flowers, either fresh or dried
Culinary Use: Tea
Health Benefit: Can help reduce inflammation, stomachache
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Herb garden; kitchen garden
Propagation: Seed; spreads by creeping stems that root along the way
Interesting Notes: Strong aroma; taste is slightly bitter; excess intake can cause diarrhea or decrease iron in the body; people who are allergic to ragweed can be uncomfortable with chamomile.
Rose
Family: Rose family (Rosaceae)
Native origin: North America, Mediterranean, China; according to fossil evidence, the rose is 35 million years old; at the end of the eighteenth century, China’s Rosa chinensis was discovered, which blooms from summer to autumn; China, then, became the birthplace of our modern garden rose.
Varieties
By 1200 A.D., five groups of roses began cultivation: Alba, Centifolia, Damask, Gallica, and Scots Roses.
Rosa alba; old, white garden rose; dates back to the second century A.D.; became the Rose of York during the War of the Roses
Rosa centifolia; the old cabbage rose
Rosa damascena; Damask rose; probably a Mediterranean hybrid between Rosa gallica and Rosa phoenicia; about 50 B.C. the African Rosa damascena semperflorens bloomed to become an ancestor to some of today’s roses; research is showing this rose to be a hybrid between Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata.
Rosa gallica officinalis; the red rose of Lancaster; the oldest rose identified, referenced in Persia, twelfth century B.C.; very fragrant; called the “Apothecary’s Rose”
Rosa mucosa; the Moss rose
Rosa mundi; Martha Washington made her famous rosewater from this variety; a tall, semi-double bloom makes it one of the largest of old-fashioned roses; it is said to be still available to purchase for your garden.
Rosa pimpinellifolia; Scots roses are from this species.
Height: Variable of shrub and climbing
Climate, Habitat: Meadows
Light Requirements: Sun to part shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, very deep, rich soil
Flower, Color: All colors
Edible Parts: Petals, Hips
Culinary Use: Rosewater is added to cakes, pastries, drinks and liquors
Health Benefit: Rosewater can be sprinkled anywhere for lovely fragrance
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Evergreen shrub
Propagation: Cuttings
Interesting Notes: Confucius mentioned roses that were growing in the Imperial Garden, 500 B.C.; a strong symbol of love; Cretan murals of 1700 B.C. illustrate roses; of 200 species of wild roses worldwide, at least 35 are said to be indigenous to the United States.
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis
Family: Mint family (Lamiaceae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Varieties
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary, Rosmarinus prostratus; creeping rosemary, great for containers
Climate, Habitat: Mediterranean, dry, salt-tolerant
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, most any soil type; drought- and salt-tolerant
Flower, Color: Blue is the most common; some varieties have white or indigo
Edible Parts: Leaves, tiny flowers
Culinary Use: Aromatic, pungent flavor can be added to fish, meat rubs, poultry, dressings, and egg or cheese dishes; prostrate varieties are softer in texture and flavor; make a tea to drink or to freshen the room.
Health Benefit: Modern research indicates it can help prevent cancer; known for relaxing muscles, digestive organs; infusions can lighten, strengthen and condition hair; infusion is also good as facial toner and astringent.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Tolerates pruning to shape; good for topiaries and containers; evergreen; it will grow to fit the pot; upright, bushy, except Rosmarinus prostratus, which is a ground cover or falls over the edge of a container; the dark green foliage is very pretty with silvery leaves of the artemisias or lamb’s ears, or plant next to bright-colored flowers such as nasturtiums; a good seashore plant; it is a companion plant for cabbage, sage, beans and carrots.
Propagation: Layering, seeds
Interesting Notes: An aphrodisiac for lovers, a symbol of love, friendship and integrity; for centuries, has been added to potpourris to freshen the air, disinfect, and put a shine in hair; a nice plant to put on your desk, or where the children do their homework; repels mosquitos.
Rue, Herb of Grace, Ruta graveolens
Not recommended to eat; a good moth and insect repellent; figs like to grow nearby rue.
Family: Iris family (Iridaceae)
Native Origin: Crete, Greece; western and central Asia
Height: 4 to 6 inches
Light Requirements: Sun or partial sun
Soil Requirements: Rich, sandy and composted, moistened but not wet
Flower, Color: Purple
Edible Parts: Saffron threads from the center of the bloom
Culinary Use: Soaking in liquid gives a yellow-orange color with an intense fragrance; most commonly added to rice
Health Benefit: Although nutritional information is available, there is such a tiny amount used in cooking as to negate any real health value; contains vitamin C, B6, iron, magnesium and manganese.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Clumping growth; left alone, it will multiply; use for a bed of color or for borders.
Propagation: Bulb
Interesting Notes: Might have first appeared in Crete; known to the Sumerians 5,000 years ago; today, Spain and Iran are its largest producers; it takes about 8,000 flowers to produce 3½ ounces of the dried stigmas.
Sage, Salvia officinalis
Family: Mint family (Lamiaceae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean, Southwest North America
Varieties
Sage, Garden Sage, Salvia officinalis
Clary Sage, Salvia viridis
Pineapple Sage, Salvia elegans
Purple Sage, Salvia officinalis purpurascens
Height: 10 to 15 inches
Climate, Habitat: Dry roadsides, hillsides
Light Requirements: Sun, will tolerate shade
Soil Requirements: Dry, well-drained
Flower, Color: Lavenders, blues
Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers
Culinary Use: Sage is a very strong herb that can overwhelm other flavors; commonly used with poultry and in stuffings; flowers make a nice tea; the leaves can be cooked in cream to add to an orange salad; add it to rice and cheese dishes.
Health Benefit: For centuries, Native Americans have used Grandmother Sage for purification rituals; mixed with lavender and put into drawers to deter moths; used as a mouthwash and rubbed on teeth to whiten them; infusion or tea can be added to shampoo; tea is an aid to digestion, antiseptic and antifungal; known to reduce sweating and treat cold or cough.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A shrub that attracts bees of varying sizes
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings
Interesting Notes: In ancient Greece and Rome, sage was considered to be sacred and a way to immortality; the name salvia means “to save”; the Chinese valued sage as symbol of wealth.
Saltbush, Fourwing Saltbush, Atriplex canescens
Family: Beet or Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae)
Native Origin: North America
Height: 2 to 8 feet
Climate, Habitat: Native to the Southwest
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Sandy, desert, grassy uplands
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Leaves, Seeds, Roots
Culinary Use: Seeds are ground for flour; add leaves to salad or cook in stir-fries; Hopi value saltbush for a sacred kiva fire; mix the ashes with blue cornmeal to sustain the blue color of the cornmeal; in the 1700s, Rio Grande Pueblos stirred saltbush ashes into dough, turning the naturally purplish-grey cornmeal to greenish-blue.
Health Benefit: Good source of vitamins and iron; ancient Anasazi at Chaco used the tops of the roots in a tea to treat gastric pain.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Attracts birds and butterflies; a good hedge; silvery foliage and yellow flowers are striking.
Propagation: Seeds, requiring male and female flowers; good for reducing soil erosion
Interesting Notes: Leaves are made into a soapy lather and used to wash the hair or to reduce itching or rashes; ashes were used to make special yellow and deep red dyes.
Savory, Satureja hortensis
Family: Mint family (Lamiaceae)
Native Origin: Western and central Asia, eastern Mediterranean to Iran
Varieties
Savory, Summer Savory, Pepper Herb; Bean Herb, Satureja hortensis
Savory, Winter Savory, Satureja montana; this variety is more pungent
Savory, Pink Savory, Satureja thymbra; a variety with fuzzy foliage and small, fragrant, pink flowers; the Cretans brew a delicious tea called barrel sweetener because it is used to clean wine barrels.
Height: To 18 inches
Climate, Habitat: Very tolerant of all soil types except wet
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, likes rich, composted
Flower, Color: Pink, white, lavender
Edible Parts: All parts, Leaves, Flowers
Culinary Use: Both fresh and dried savory is very potent—use lightly; because of its peppery taste, it has been an essential ingredient in European cuisine for the past 2,000 years; even today, savory is used to describe spicy food; Italian, German and Swiss cuisine uses it when cooking beans, lentils and cabbage dishes; French use it when slow-cooking lamb or beef; it goes well with fresh trout and in seasoning sausages, pâtés, potatoes, mushrooms and poultry; pink savory leaves can season brine-cured olives, grilled meat and roasted vegetables; add to any egg or cheese dishes; in modern American cuisine, savory is used as a salt substitute.
Health Benefit: Thought to be helpful for digestive discomfort; rub on bee stings or insect bites.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: It is a companion plant for beans.
Propagation: Seed, layering; always plant with fresh, newly-bought seed.
Interesting Notes: For those who are allergic to pepper, this herb has been used as a substitute; its name comes from the word satyr, the mythological half-man/half-goat with a legendary libido, giving savory a longstanding reputation as an aphrodisiac.
Scarlet Runner Bean, Scarlet Emperor, Fire Bean, Red Giant, Phaseolus coccineus
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: Central America; Zimbabwe, Africa
Height: Vines 12 to 15 feet
Climate, Habitat: Adaptable to a wide range of climates; likes warm and dry
Light Requirements: Sun, tolerates light shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of many soil conditions, likes well-drained and composted
Flower, Color: Red, pink, white; beans can range in color: red, speckled, brown or white
Edible Parts: Young pods, Beans, Green seeds, Flowers, Young leaves, Tubers
Culinary Use: Young beans are cooked as snap beans; mature beans are dried and stored; immature leaves can be added to stir-fries, other greens, soups and stews; starch tubers can be boiled, roasted, sliced for tempura, stir-fried or just added to soups, stews and casseroles.
Health Benefit: Rich in protein
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Runner type is perennial and bush type is annual; a resilient bean crop that likes dry and will tolerate cold to 20 degrees; can live up to 20 years; a dense vine under-cover, also does well on a trellis, arbor or fence.
Propagation: Seed (seed companies frequently marked as an ornamental)
Interesting Notes: Although grown in Canada and America as an ornamental, in England it is a very popular green bean; the climbing variety are perennial and the bush varieties are annuals.
Sea Holly, Blue-Stem Sea Holly, Cardo, Eryngo, Sea Hulver, Eryngium maritimum
Family: Celery family (Apiaceae)
Native Origin: Europe
Height: 1½ to 2 feet
Climate, Habitat: Rare plant living in Lithuania’s coastal dunes
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of wide variety of soils; prefers more alkaline, well-drained and sandy; drought- and heavy wind-tolerant
Flower, Color: Blue/gray
Edible Parts: Young shoots, Leaves, Flowers, Roots
Culinary Use: Its flavor is similar to celery; roots, similar to a long carrot, taste sweet when boiled, baked or roasted; in Shakespeare’s time, sliced and candied roots were called eryngoes and valued as an aphrodisiac or a spring tonic.
Health Benefit: Fragrant, used as air freshener
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Perennial evergreen; valuable erosion-control plant; flowers attract bees and butterflies; growth habit is mounding; hardy to about 10°F.
Propagation: Seed or root cutting
Interesting Notes: Good for the beach, as the roots are several feet deep which helps stabilize sand dunes.
Family: Beet or Goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean, north Africa and Eurasian coasts; naturalized in Britain
Mountain Spinach, Chenopodiaceae Atriplex hortensis; a cousin in the same family and similar genus; see Mountain Spinach
Climate, Habitat: Found along North American sea coasts
Height: 3 to 10 feet
Climate, Habitat: Highly alkaline, rocky, salty seashore areas
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of poor soil, likes well-drained, sandy; tolerant of drought, salt and coastal wind
Flower, Color: Blue
Edible Parts: The entire plant is edible, raw or cooked: Leaves, Flowers, Seeds
Culinary Use: Leaves, similar in size and shape to lamb’s ears, are eaten raw or cooked; its spicy, salty flavor is good in salad, cooked greens, soup and stir-fries; seeds are added to soups to flavor and thicken, or they can be ground into a flour for baked goods or cooked cereals.
Health Benefit: High in vitamins A, C, and D and the mineral chromium
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Evergreen shrub; very tolerant of pruning; provides an edible hedge and windbreak; its deep roots do not allow easy transplanting; good for woodland gardens, hedges and sunny border.
Propagation: Cuttings, seeds
Interesting Notes: A wilderness survival plant; along with being salt-tolerant, will actually draw salt out of the soil to desalinate contaminated areas; the ash from burning the bushes is alkali needed to make soap; blue dye is obtained from the flowers; in the Middle East and north Africa, shepherds as well as their flocks enjoy eating salt bush.
Family: Onion family (Alliaceae)
Native Origin: Descended from the common onion, Allium; domesticated thousands of years ago in the Mediterranean region
Height: 18 to 24 inches
Climate, Habitat: Tropical climates, best for Florida
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Rich, composted soil, likes to be watered
Flower, Color: Pink, yellow, white
Edible Parts: Bulb, Leaves
Culinary Use: Shallots are more refined, less pungent in taste; very popular in Northern France where shallots are essential to red wine sauces; used to make the classic sauce béarnaise
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Clump-forming perennial; widely grown in the tropics; white clover ground cover can help reduce weeds; container plants
Propagation: Divide each year
Interesting Notes: Shallots have up to five small bulbs; popular worldwide.
Sorrell, Rumex acetosella
Family: Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae)
Native Origin: Europe and Asia; it has naturalized in the northern areas of United States and can be a cool-weather crop in the southern states.
Varieties
Sheep Sorrel, Rumex acetosella; the normal garden variety in America
Wild Sorrel, Rumex hastatulus
French Sorrel, Rumex scutatus; this is the French sorrel with larger leaves and less oxalic acid
Red leaf Sorrel, Rumex sanguineus; an attractive sorrel with red leaves and veins
These plants, found in the wild, have similar names but are not related to Rumex sorrels:
Common Wood Sorrel, Oxalis montana; wildflower of the Appalachian Trail
Violet Wood Sorrel, Oxalis violacea
Yellow Wood Sorrel, Oxalis stricta
Height: 6 to 20 inches
Climate, Habitat: Acidic fields and meadows; cultivated gardens
Light Requirements: Full sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of all soils; if kept moist and composted, the leaves will be less sour
Flower, Color: Green, yellow, red or purple
Edible Parts: Leaves
Harvest time: Anytime before flowering, tender leaves
Culinary Use: Salad; sandwiches; cooked with other greens; bruised leaves can make a cold drink; popular soup in Europe; nice flavor for eggs, fish and poultry.
Health Benefit: Leaf tea used as a diuretic; tea of flowers and leaves sweetened with honey helps to heal mouth ulcers or a sore throat; it is a thirst-quenching snack food.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A perennial herb; develops a long root system, giving it the potential to expand into a neighbor’s yard; do not let it go to seed; best grown in containers to harvest the leaves and flowers; requires dividing every 3–4 years.
Propagation: Division or seed
Interesting Notes: Has a distinct sour taste; excessive use may interfere with calcium absorption; because sorrel contains oxalic acid, eat in moderation; cooking twice, throwing the first water away, is an easy way to prevent ingesting the oxalic acid.
Spiderwort, Blue Jacket, Day Flower, Tradescantia ohiensis
Family: Spiderwort family (Commelinaceae)
Native Origin: North America; a wildflower of the Appalachian Trail
Climate, Habitat: Moist, wood edges, thickets, roadsides
Light Requirements: Sun to partial shade
Soil Requirements: Rich, moist, well-drained, composted
Flower, Color: There are various wild species in eastern North America, blue, pink or white
Edible Parts: Flowers, Young leaves, Stems
Culinary Use: Tradescantia and virginiana might be the best-tasting species; flowers, young leaves and stems can be added to salads; flowers can be candied for decorating cakes and other pastries.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Butterfly and bee attractor
Propagation: Seed, cutting and root; can be a nice-sized clump in a shady area
Interesting Notes: Named after an Englishman and his son who brought the plant back to England from their travels to early Virginian colonies; the father, John Tradescant, was gardener to the royal families.
Spinach
Varieties
African Spinach, Amaranthaceae, Celosia argentea; see Amaranth
Chinese Spinach, Amaranthaceae, Amaranthus gangeticus or Amaranthus tricolor; see Amaranth
Indian Spinach, Basella alba, Basella rubra; see Malabar Spinach
Malabar Spinach, Ceylon Spinach, Basella alba, Basella rubra; see Malabar Spinach
Mayan Spinach, Spinach Tree, Chaya, Cnidoscolus chayamansa; see Chaya
Mountain Spinach, Chenopodiaceae Atriplex hortensis ; see Mountain Spinach and Sea Orach
Okinawa Spinach, Gynura crepioides; see Okinawa Spinach
Sunflower, Common Sunflower, Helianthus annuus
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: North America, Canada to Mexico
Height: Depending on species, 2 to 5 feet
Climate, Habitat: Cultivated gardens, prairies, dry, open spaces
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Moist, average to composted; slightly alkaline
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Flower petals, Seeds
Culinary Use: The sunflower’s delicious buds can be cooked in butter sauce; seeds make a tasty snack; Native Americans used it extensively for food and oil.
Health Benefit: Good source of vitamins E and B1; contains manganese, magnesium, selenium, and phosphorus.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Creates maximum impact when planted toward the middle or back of a border; companions are parsley, cilantro, dill, fennel and alfalfa; adds nutrients to the soil; attracts parasitic wasps; needs to reseed and be mulched; in Florida they are biennial; bees and butterflies are attracted; cultivated for seeds, birdseed and cooking oil.
Propagation: Seeds
Interesting Notes: “Aster/Daisy family, Asteraceae/Compositae Bicentenary” has been selected by the Royal Horticultural Society and included in their prized Bicentenary Plant Collection celebrating 200 years of the RHS. This cultivar features attractive 15cm (6-inch) rich gold and bronze flowers sitting above unusual, soft, silver-green foliage; easy to grow, producing many multi-headed stems; Russia is the largest grower in the world, next is Argentina, and the United States is third.
Sweet Potato, Ipomoea batatas
Family: Morning Glory family (Convolvulaceae)
Native Origin: Tropical America
Climate, Habitat: Cultivated gardens and crop fields; hot, dry climate
Light Requirements: Sun and tolerates partial shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of a wide variety of soils
Flower, Color: Leaves are various shades of green and purple
Edible Parts: Young leaves, Stems, Tubers
Culinary Use: Young leaves can be added to salads; stems are used to make the popular, spicy Korean appetizer kimchi; along with the common uses of sweet potato in this country, candies, cakes and breads are also produced.
Health Benefit: Roots contain a large amount of vitamin A.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Perennial vine with various leaf forms and colors
Propagation: Stem cutting
Interesting Notes: Native American were growing before Columbus visited, and were cultivated in the south by 1648; what we call yams in United States are really sweet potatoes; sweet potatoes are really not potatoes, as they are related to morning glory, but are an edible-leaved ground cover.
Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare
Not edible or for internal use; it is a natural insecticide.
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Climate, Habitat: Roadsides
Light Requirements: Sun to partial shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerant of many soil types; medium water
Flower, Color: Yellow
Edible Parts: Research is finding tansy to be toxic; use leaves and flowers for spreading on floors or ground to repel bugs.
Culinary Use: None
Health Benefit: Used for strewing on floors; insecticide
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Good companion for beans, fruit trees, roses and raspberries; use it as mulch, especially where there are unwanted bugs, mice, ants, squash bugs or cucumber beetles.
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings
Interesting Notes: Dedicated to Mother Mary during the Middle Ages; it is poisonous to livestock and not good for people to eat. I include it because it has the ability to make soil healthy; good for compost with its high potassium content.
Thyme, French Thyme, Thymus vulgaris
Family: Mint family (Lamiaceae)
Native Origin: Europe, Asia; Mediterranean
Varieties
Caraway Thyme
Coconut Thyme
Dune Valley Thyme
Elfin Thyme
Hall’s Woolly Thyme
Lavender Thyme
Lemon Frost Thyme
Lime Thyme
Mint Thyme
Pink Chintz Thyme
Reiter’s Creeping Pink Thyme
Silver Needle Thyme
White Moss Thyme
Woolly Thyme
Height: Varies according to type; ranges 4 to 18 inches
Climate, Habitat: Sunny
Light Requirements: Sun to partial shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates many soil types, likes to be watered regularly
Flower, Color: White
Culinary Use: Traditionally used in salads, dressings, cheese, meat and vegetable dishes; gives flavor to liquors.
Health Benefit: Thyme and thyme oil is antiseptic, disinfectant and stimulates circulation; herbalists feel it helps to alleviate chest or respiratory ailments and to balance menstrual flow; it is a main ingredient in mouthwashes; fights salmonella and Staphylococcus bacteria; thyme is said to aid in the digestion of fatty foods.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Evergreen; short species are excellent ground cover; shrub species are good for borders; all varieties are good to fill containers; common in rock gardens, between pavers, along pathways; good for bees.
Propagation: Seed, easily by cuttings
Interesting Notes: Used for producing soap, lotions, perfumes and sachets.
Tree Kale, Brassica oleracea, acephala
Family: Cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
Native Origin: Mediterranean
Height: 2 to 6 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm climate
Light Requirements: The best leaves are in partial shade but will grow in the sun
Soil Requirements: Although tolerant of varied soils, likes composted, slightly acid
Flower, Color: White
Edible Parts: Leaves
Culinary Use: Leaves in salads, soups, stews or stir-fries; larger leaves can be used for wraps.
Health Benefit: A nutritious plant; may contain cancer prevention phytochemicals.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: It can be a salad bar for several years as a perennial; when spent, simply lay it down on the ground to begin to root for a new “tree”; production is increased by its companion plants: plant near legumes or any other nitrogen-fixer and fruit trees to add shade for them.
Propagation: Easily from cuttings
Interesting Notes: Perennial, year-round harvesting crop. Once it grows to over 4 feet it will fall over and begin making new plants from the stem lying on the ground. Because of this strange habit people call it the “walking stick kale”; it is an excellent forage crop for livestock.
Violet, Viola ssp.
Family: Violet family (Violaceae)
Native Origin: Temperate northern hemisphere; naturalized in Hawaii, Australia and South America
Height: 3 to 5 inches
Climate, Habitat: Grows throughout North America; meadows, open space, cultivated
Light Requirements: Sun to shade
Soil Requirements: Likes rich, composted soil that is well-drained and on the dry side
Flower, Color: Blue, yellow, white
Edible Parts: Flowers
Culinary Use: Used for garnish on any dish; candied for cakes and other pastries
Health Benefit: In ancient Greece, Pliny suggested wearing a garland of violets on the head to treat headaches.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Container plant, edging
Propagation: Seeds, division or root cuttings
Interesting Notes: A state flower in New Jersey, Rhode Island and Illinois; along with the Romans, the ancient Greeks in 500 B.C. began to cultivate violets to make wine and sweeten food, for herbal remedies, and in festivals; Romans and Greeks gave violets aphrodisiacal qualities for love, considered them a symbol of fertility and used them in love potions.
Winged Bean, Four-Cornered Bean; Asparagus Bean, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
Family: Pea or Bean family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae)
Native Origin: Africa, in Madagascar; from Africa to Asia
Height: To 10 feet
Climate, Habitat: Hot, humid tropics and frost-free climates
Light Requirements: Sun
Soil Requirements: Although it likes soil well-drained and composted, it also tolerates dry weather
Flower, Color: Pale blue or lavender
Edible Parts: Leaves, Young shoots, Bark, Flowers, Tubers
Culinary Use: Leaves can be juiced; mature pods are dried and shelled; tubers taste sweet and nutty; the mushroom-tasting flowers can be eaten raw or cooked; the dried beans can be used similar to soybeans in making winged-bean milk, feeding animals and extracting a rich oil.
Health Benefit: The bark was used by Europeans to treat smallpox; a rich source of protein.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: A nitrogen-fixer that helps to prevent erosion and build healthy soil; provide a trellis or some other support; thrives in hot summers.
Propagation: Seeds or tubers
Interesting Notes: Perennial, climbing vine that provides continuous harvest; nematodes or viruses may be a problem; for a crop of beans, trellis the vine; for a crop of tubers, let the vine sprawl on the ground and pick the flowers off by hand.
Yarrow, Sneezewort, Soldier’s Friend; Woundwort, Milfoil, Achillea millefolium
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native Origin: Europe, western Asia; grows worldwide
Height: 8 inches to 2 feet
Climate, Habitat: Open fields, meadows, roadside
Light Requirements: Sun or light shade
Soil Requirements: Will grow in any poor soil and bloom through mild winter with snow; drought-tolerant
Flower, Color: White, red, pink or yellow
Edible Parts: Flowers, Stems, Leaves
Culinary Use: A salad green; used to flavor liquors: Russians added it to vodka; some commercial drinks have yarrow added as a substitute for chamomile.
Health Benefit: Pregnant mothers should not ingest yarrow tea; yarrow is an astringent for the skin; in Roman times it was called herba militaris; the generic name Achilles came from Achilles’ soldiers using the herb to treat their wounds; it is thought to stop bleeding and disinfect a wound; a potent love potion, brides frequently held bouquets of yarrow; it is an ingredient in cosmetics.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: As a nitrogen-fixer, it is a good companion of all plants; good in containers, along walkways, borders; a mass ground cover that helps to stop weeds; well-suited for formal and informal gardens; yarrows enhance all flowers’ appearance with lacy, evergreen foliage.
Propagation: Cuttings, seeds; it readily multiplies roots which makes it very easy to plant where it is needed for giving nitrogen. Add it to the compost for faster compost making.
Interesting Notes: Great to put along roadway with a wild flower garden; a good cutting flower for fresh arrangements; the Druids used yarrow to dowse the weather; Native Americans used yarrow as a preservative for fish and a perfume, household fragrance and shampoo.
Yacon Fruit, Mexican Potato, Earth Apple, Smallanthus sonchifolius
Family: Aster/Daisy family (Asteraceae/Compositae)
Native origin: Andes regions of South America
Height: 5 to 7 feet
Climate, Habitat: Warm, temperate mountains of the Andes; frost will kill the plant
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Thrives in a variety of soils and climates; moisture is needed; best likes soils that are rich, composted
Flower, Color: Large yellow to orange
Edible Parts: Roots
Culinary Use: Crisp, juicy, similar to apples; sweetness increases with storage; usually eaten raw or sun-dried, but delicious steamed, baked or juiced to make a syrup; add to salads or desserts; the tuber is heavy; when exposed to air, the skin turns dark brown to purple; made into various foods, e.g., pancakes, pudding, jams and jellies, soft drinks and breakfast cereals.
Health Benefit: In South American herbal medicine, the roots are used as a diuretic; leaves are used to treat rheumatism; a tea made from brewing the leaves is used as a natural remedy for diabetes; it is currently being marketed for diabetics and being researched to produce a low-calorie sweetener; beginning to appear in American health stores as a sweet syrup; a source of antioxidants; used for skin rejuvenation.
Landscape Use and Favorite Companions: Perennial that needs a long growing season (6–7 months); underground clumping plant; roots are close to the surface of the ground.
Propagation: Tuber or stem cuttings
Interesting Notes: A cousin of the sunflower; has been cultivated by the Andean Native People; in 1615 was included in a list of indigenous crops in the Andes mountains; dried fruit has been found at gravesites; used in ceremonies. Its flowers and seeds are a favorite of a large variety of songbirds.
