Today’s topic is about three members of the Euphorbiaceae Family (The Spurge Family). Euphorbia is the biggest genus in this family, but today focuses on the little known Cnidoscolus genus and the better known Jatropha genus. First let’s focus on Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, the Chaya or Tree Spinach shrub. It is native to the Yucatan Peninsula…
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In 1898, the United States became embroiled in the Spanish-American War. President William McKinley, eager to assess the relative strengths of the Spanish forces and Cuban insurgents, wanted to send a message to General Calixto Garcia, who was somewhere in the mountains of eastern Cuba. Col. Arthur Wagner, head of the Bureau of Military Intelligence,…
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In September we talked about the much-anticipated arrival of the dry season and offered a few suggestions for how to prepare—in a horticultural sense—for winter. Today we continue to address some of the conditions we will need to deal with to make our vegetable, fruiting, or ornamental plants perform at their best over the winter.…
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Cabbage Tree (Moringa stenopetala) To say that Moringa stenopetala is a multi-purpose tree is to underestimate its importance. This species is not only a source of food, income and shade, but also a constituent of traditional medicinal products and—through its seeds—a means to purify water. As an ornamental plant, it features fragrant flowers in shades…
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The U.S. is a nation of pet owners, and most of us feel a duty to protect those pets from various threats. Among the risks are toxins found in certain plants. Richard Lyons’ Nursery has addressed this subject before—just 18 months ago—but considers it important enough to merit repeating. Here is an expanded version of…
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