The Dirt

Throughout the years, Asclepias viridis or green milkweed has acquired several common names such as spider milkweed, American silkweed,...

Spring is here and flowers are popping up everywhere, in this case, flowers that no one planted, they just appear every spring and go...

The weather is still cool and we have another month to plant trees so this month, Carpinus caroliniana, also known as ironwood or...

One of our New Year's Resolutions is to raise the profile of some of our most beloved native plants by featuring them in our outreach and...

Native milkweed species in the genus Asclepias are herbaceous perennials found in many different habitats in Louisiana. Most have milky...

Baptisia alba is a showy white flowered legume growing 2-4 ft. tall by 2 ft wide. It is a mound-shaped bushy perennial with smooth leaves...

This month I decided to take my mind off prairie plants by looking up to the trees and experiencing the onset of fall color in Louisiana....

Gumbo weather makes us think of file’. Sassafras is a small to medium sized deciduous tree or shrub with horizontal branching in tiers....

Cherrybark oak is a relatively fast growing, long-lived large deciduous tree with attractive dark bark broken into shallow longitudinal...

Yellow is the color of October in my prairie. It seems like every plant with a yellow fower is flowering now: the goldenrods and many...

By: Dona Weifenbach Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (Turk's cap) It has been a long, hot, dry summer.  Each morning, when I look...

By: Dona Weifenbach Mamou (Erythrina herbacea) displays its showy blooms. Mamou or coral bean is a perennial shrub growing 5-8' high...

By: Donna Weifenbach Baptisia alba (White False Indigo) Baptisia alba is a showy white-flowered legume growing 2-4 ft. tall by 2 ft wide....

By: Phyllis Giffard Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) Indian pink or Pink root is a clump forming herbaceous perennial with deep green...

By: Phyllis Giffard Louisiana Irises This is the time of year that our Louisiana irises shine. While we are not the only state with...

By: Phyllis Giffard Common Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata Native milkweed species in the genus Asclepias are herbaceous perennials found...

By: Phyllis Giffard Red Mulberry, Morus rubra Red Mulberry is a deciduous medium sized tree from 30-50 feet tall. It has a broad, rounded...

By: Phyllis Griffard Southern Live Oak, Quercus virginiana Southern live oak is one of the most useful and picturesque trees in the...