Regional plant knowledge
from the ground up.

What sp. and spp. Mean (and Why It Matters on a Plant Tag)

One p or two? The abbreviations sp. and spp. after a genus name mean different things. Learn the distinction, the Latin behind it, and how to read them on nursery tags, lab reports, and pesticide labels.

Botanical Nomenclature: How to Read a Plant Name

Every nursery tag carries four layers of naming. One of them predicts how the plant will perform in your yard. Learn to decode species, cultivar, trade name, and patent so you buy exactly what you intend.

Scale Insects: Identifying and Managing the Two Types That Damage Landscape Plants

Armored and soft scale insects look similar on bark but require completely different management. Learn the field test that separates them, when crawlers emerge by GDD, and why ant exclusion may be the most effective single intervention.

Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana)

Pacific Wax Myrtle (Morella californica)

Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)

Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)

Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)

Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)

Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)

Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata)

Western Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Catawba Rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense)

Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)

Gulf Stream Nandina (Nandina domestica 'Gulf Stream')

Vine Maple (Acer circinatum)

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)

Red-Flowering Currant 'King Edward VII' (Ribes sanguineum)

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster')

Red Alder (Alnus rubra)

Creeping Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens)

Red Obelisk Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Red Obelisk')

Sky Pencil Holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil')

Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

Cripps Golden Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Crippsii')

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)

Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin)

Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)

Bitter Cherry (Prunus emarginata)

Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum)

Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum)

Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Anthracnose: Two Diseases, One Name

Armillaria Root Rot: Prevention in a Fungus-Loaded Landscape

Fire Blight vs. Pseudomonas: Diagnosing Spring Shoot Blight

Verticillium Wilt: The Soil Disease That Outlasts Everything

Powdery Mildew: Why Your Climate Gives You an Advantage

Aphids: Why Spraying Is Usually the Wrong First Move

Eriophyid Mites: The Invisible Pest Behind Galls, Blisters, and Distorted Growth

Leafminers: The Pest You Can Almost Always Ignore

Root Weevil: The Night Shift Pest in Every Western Washington Garden

Spider Mites: The Pest That Thrives When Your Plants Are Already Stressed