Q: The magnolia trees that have starting blooming around town look so nice that I think I’d like to plant one, too. Are they hard to grow? This is of a white magnolia bloom just is starting to open.

If there is a “most polarizing species” when it comes to garden-worthy plant selections, Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa) might be it. Some gardeners love it and some feel precisely the opposite about ...

Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa) grows all over Southern California, especially in San Diego. It is generally planted as an ornamental hedge. Given the dense growth and formidable thorns, it creates an ...

The Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa) is a widespread and popular landscaping plant, named for the southeastern province in South Africa where it originates, now called KwaZulu Natal. In some places, ...

The very glossy and richly deep green foliage seem to be so soft and luxuriant. Simple bright white flowers enhance the appeal. However, closer examination of Natal plum, Carissa macrocarpa, reveals ...

I lobbied hard to name my first daughter after a certain plant genus, not because it was coincidentally the name of a brief college girlfriend, but rather because the name rolls so lavishly off the ...