By Andrew Doran1 and Dean Kelch2 1Curator of Cultivated Plants, University & Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley 2Primary Botanist, California Department of Agriculture, Sacramento Can you grow holly in…Read More >
Herbarium RNG
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 13: Three cheers for Christmas beers
By Sophie Leguil Ask a panel of British people what they consider to be traditional Christmas drinks, and you will probably hear “gin”, “brandy”, “rum” or “Baileys”. Repeat the experience…Read More >
AdventBotany 2018, Day 12: the story of Amaryllis
By Eirini Antonaki Today’s advent botany blog will focus on a popular seasonal ornamental, Amaryllis, with its vibrant colouration ranging from pink, to purple and occasionally red. Etymologically, the name…Read More >
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 11: What’s bacon doing in Advent Botany?
By Claire Smith The almond (Prunus dulcis) has been grown in Britain since the 16th century, and almond paste quickly became a popular medium for making moulded desserts or sweetmeats….Read More >
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 10: Christmas Palm
For me, stuck in the cold damp of a British winter, the idea of a Christmas palm gives me a bit of a wish I was there feeling. There is…Read More >
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 9: Christmas Orchid or Star of Bethlehem
The wonderfully named Angraecum sesquipedale is also known as the Chritsmas orchid or Darwin’s orchid. It seems an appropriate plant to write about as it brings together a reminder of Christmas…Read More >
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 8: the hyacinth
I was sitting at my breakfast table this morning thinking ‘what plant should be next for #AdventBotany2018″? The rich smell of the blue hyacinth in front of me was filling…Read More >
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 7: Reindeer Games
By Claire Smith We all know what to leave out for Father Christmas – a nice mince pie and a glass of sherry. Or maybe milk, if you don’t want Santa…Read More >
#AdventBotany 2018 Day 6: Christmas Bells
Christmas bells is the name for a colourful South African geophyte (plant with an underground storage organ), Sandersonia aurantiaca, due to the appearance of its bell shaped flowers appearing in…Read More >
#AdventBotany 2018, Day 5 – Winterberry
Europeans are familiar with the evergreen holly, Ilex aquifolium, that is used as a midwinter decoration because it is evergreen and shows the promise of new life and growth in…Read More >