Jardin des Plantes

The inflorescence of Centaurea benedicta

Centaurea benedicta

Published by Daniel Mosquin on January 18, 2018

Daniel recently wrote about Quercus robur, but it’s been some time since I wrote about a species native to Europe, so today I’ve chosen Centaurea benedicta (formerly Cnicus benedictus) as the topic. Perhaps best known (in English) as blessed thistle, its importance as a historical medicine makes an interesting contrast with the widespread notion of […]

Read More | 4 Comments

Dictamnus albus, or gas plant, in flower

Dictamnus albus

Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 16, 2017

Not (likely) the burning bush of the Bible nor the dittany of the Harry Potter universe, Dictamnus albus is nevertheless sometimes assigned these common names in English. It is also known as gas plant or fraxinella. I’ll opt to use gas plant, though I suppose that common name could also apply to some members of […]

Read More | 8 Comments

Close-up of Solanum crispum flowers

Solanum crispum

Published by Daniel Mosquin on March 31, 2017

Like potatoes and tomatoes, Solanum crispum is a member of the Solanaceae. Common names for the species include Chilean nightshade, Chilean potato vine, and Chilean potato tree; in addition to Chile, it is native to Peru.

Read More | 3 Comments

Opening blossom of Trollius europaeus

Trollius europaeus

Published by Daniel Mosquin on March 14, 2017

Trollius europaeus is commonly known as globeflower. This northern temperate species is native to Europe and western Asia. Typical habitats include wet pastures, scrub, and woodlands, often in association with alkaline and limestone soils.

Read More | 3 Comments

Botany Photo of the Day: In science, beauty. In beauty, science. Daily.

Subscribe!

We'll email you as new entries are posted!

Submitting a Photo

We currently accept photos submitted through a Flickr group, our garden forums, or email. Please see The Photographs for more details.

Forays

Some of our favourite sites!

On This Day