Description: A perennial plant with a branched, tuberous, trailing rhizome and grey-green, sword-like leaves. Stem is up to 100 cm long, branched at the top, terminating in a tubular flower with three outer petals bent backwards and three inner ones bent upwards towards one another. Flowers are white or blue, the outer petals with yellow hairs, and appear in May and June. The fruit is a large capsule with numerous seeds. Read the rest of this entry »

Description: A vine-like deciduous shrub with long, smooth, slender, twining branches. The leaves are opposite, composed of 5 —7 elliptical or oval- pointed leaflets, 15 —40 mm long. The sweet-smelling white flowers about 35 mm across grow on thin pedicels, and are arranged in sparse racemes.

Origin and Distribution: Native to Asia, from Iran to China. Its fragrant flowers make it popular in gardens in mild districts and in greenhouses in cooler districts. Read the rest of this entry »

Description: An annual or (rarely) biennial plant, 20-150 cm high with a thin rootstock and an erect, densely foliate stem, branched in its upper part. The leaves are narrow and pointed, up to 30 cm long. Five-petalled flowers grow on long petioles, flowering in June and July; they are light blue, rarely pink or white. The fruit is a globose capsule, usually with ten glossy, yellow-brown to red-brown seeds.

Origin and Distribution: A widely cultivated plant native to the temperate parts of Europe. Grows well in both warm and cold regions, at all altitudes. Grown throughout the whole of Europe, North America and Asia as far as the subtropical zone. Read the rest of this entry »

Description: An evergreen, low to medium-high shrub (3-6 m), with small, narrow, elliptical leaves. The flowers are whitish, pink to brick-red and grow in large terminal panicles diffusing a pleasant, intense smell. The fruit is a small capsule.

Distribution: Frequently cultivated, this is a common species in arid regionsof northern and eastern tropical Africa, Madagascar, tropical Asia, Sri Lanka, Australia and tropical America. Particularly important in Muslim culture. Often planted in hedges, for its showy appearance and fragrant flowers. Read the rest of this entry »

Description: An evergreen tree or shrub 2-5 m high. Leaves are leathery, oblong-lanceolate, with wavy edges, dark green, glossy above, reverse lighter, with prominent venation. Usually 6-7 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, having a pleasant smell and bitter taste. Flowers are small, whitish or yellowish. Fruit is a red-blue berry containing a single oily seed.

Distribution: Found wild in Asia Minor and the Mediterranean region, and cultivated elsewhere. (The ceremonial laurel of ancient times being the symbol of power and glory.) Read the rest of this entry »