DECEMBER : Christmas greens : Ilex aquifolium, Viscum album, & Pseudotsuga menziesii
European holly (Ilex aquifolium), family Aquifoliaceae Mistletoe (Viscum album), family Santalaceae Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), family Pinaceae Article by Jeanne Gozigian What all of these “Christmas Greens” have in common is that they are evergreens, retaining their green leaves throughout the [...]
NOVEMBER : Sand Lovegrass : Eragrostis trichodes
Scientific name: Eragrostis trichodes Common name: sand lovegrass Plant family: Poaceae Article by Susan Bruneni Visitors to Santa Fe Botanical Garden at Museum Hill this time of year are treated to the airy purplish flowers and slender delicate foliage [...]
OCTOBER : Gambel oak : Quercus gambelii
Scientific name: Quercus gambelii Gambel's oak (Photo: Janice Tucker) Common name: Gambel oak Plant Family: Fagaceae (Beech) Article and photos by Janice Tucker New Mexico has wonderful native trees that do very well in the Northern New Mexico climate. These [...]
SEPTEMBER : sweet briar rose : Rosa rubiginosa
Scientific Name: Rosa rubiginosa Sweet briar rose flowers (Photo: Janice Tucker) Synonym: Rosa eglanteria Family: Rosaceae Common Name: sweet briar rose or rose ‘Eglantine’ Article by Jeanne Gozigian Gertrude Stein famously said, “A rose is a rose is a [...]
AUGUST : Fendler’s sundrops : Oenothera hartwegii subsp. fendleri
Scientific name: Oenothera hartwegii subsp. fendleri Oenothera hartwegii subsp. fendleri (Photo by Janice Tucker) Synonym: Calylophus serrulatus Family: Onagraceae (Evening Primrose) Common names Fendler’s sundrops, sundrops Article by Susan Bruneni Sundrops are unique members of the evening primrose [...]
JULY : sulphur flower : Eriogonum umbellatum
Scientific name: Eriogonum umbellatum Eriogonum umbellatum in mid summer (Photo by Janice Tucker) Common name: sulphur flower Plant Family: Polygonaceae - buckwheat Text and Photos by Janice Tucker The Eriogonum umbellatum (sulphur flower) may grow low to the [...]
JUNE : ‘Radiant’ crabapple : Malus × ‘Radiant’
Scientific name: Malus × ‘Radiant’ Family: Roseaceae Common name: ‘Radiant’ crabapple Article by Jeanne Gozigian 'Radiant' crabapple tree in fruit (Janice Tucker) One of the lovely, spring flowering trees in the Goede Family Orchard at the Botanical Garden at [...]
MAY : Wooly speedwell : Veronica pectinata
Scientific name: Veronica pectinata Common name: wooly speedwell Family: Plantaginaceae - Plantain Photo by Meredith Yue Article by Susan Bruneni One of the featured selections at this year’s Santa Fe Botanical Garden plant sale is Veronica pectinata, or wooly [...]
APRIL : ART’S SEEDLESS™ desert willow : desert willow
Scientific name: Chilopsis linearis ART’S SEEDLESS ™ Common name: ART’S SEEDLESS™ desert willow, desert catalpa Plant Family: Bignoniaceae- Catalpa Article and photos by Janice Tucker Lagniappe (lanny-yap) – A little something extra. Trees with showy flowers could be called “lagniappe trees” because [...]
MARCH : Fernbursh : Chamaebatiaria millefolium
Scientific name: Chamaebatiaria millefolium Fernbush flowers (photo by Janice Tucker) Common names: fernbush or desert sweet Family: Rosaceae By Jeanne Gozigian The alternate common name of fernbush, desert sweet, gives away the fact that this member of the [...]
FEBRUARY : Giant sacaton : Sporobolus wrightii
Scientific name: Sporobolus wrightii Common name: giant sacaton, big sacaton Plant Family: Poaceae Article by Susan Bruneni Sporobolus wrightii (Giant Sacaton) by Janice Tucker Giant sacaton (Sporobolus wrightii) has become a popular feature in drought-tolerant gardens in the [...]


