Plants

That orange seed you just spit out? Grow a tree

This undated photo shows a grapefruit and its seeds in New Paltz, N.Y. Citrus seeds are very easy to sprout and grow int...
13:22 25 February 2022

Thanks to plant breeders, camellia moves farther north

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. — Remind me not to plant camellias.
13:10 11 February 2022

Extreme weather has gardeners looking for resilient plants

Fiercer and more frequent natural disasters in recent years have many homeowners re-evaluating their landscaping. Many are restocking with trees and p...
13:23 4 February 2022

Sit tight, gardeners, the plants need to chill

Outdoor plants in cold climates need to bank a certain number of hours being chilly during the winter for their buds to awaken in the coming months. A...
13:55 28 January 2022

Rio residents try to bring green to a concrete jungle

RIO DE JANEIRO — Alê Roque wanders the untamed orchard in Rio de Janeiro, pushing aside leaves to point out what she helped plant last year. “This is ...
5:00 27 January 2022

High anxiety: Proposed US hemp rules worry industry

PORTLAND, Ore. — Hemp growers and entrepreneurs who were joyous a year ago after U.S. lawmakers reclassified the plant as a legal agricultural crop no...
6:06 13 January 2022

Gardening trends for 2020? Think unconventional, sustainable

Gardeners in 2020 will veer from the beaten path, opting for unconventional varieties and eco-conscious surroundings, according to a plant trends stud...
13:52 7 January 2022

Pothole Christmas tree inspires pastor to write holiday song

McCOMB, Miss. — A scraggly metal Christmas tree planted in a pothole has inspired a Mississippi minister to pen a holiday song.
20:29 24 December 2021

Scientists struggle to save seagrass from coastal pollution

DURHAM, N.H. — Peering over the side of his skiff anchored in the middle of New Hampshire’s Great Bay, Fred Short liked what he saw.
15:29 22 December 2021

Winter cacti are hard to name but easy to grow

Years ago, I had one of those spineless cacti that once a year splash colorful flowers out the ends of their flat, arching stems. Such plants are usua...
13:42 17 December 2021

Bring spring indoors early — very early — by forcing bulbs

Daffodils sitting on a windowsill against a backdrop of white snow make a fragrant and pretty midwinter scene. This picture, with bulbs “forced” for e...
15:49 3 December 2021

Wintertime mulching, watering helps drought-sensitive plants

Wind-driven air and too little precipitation are common wintertime side effects that can damage drought-sensitive trees, lawns and shrubs.
13:50 25 November 2021

Legal hemp, CBD stir more farmers to grow unfamiliar crop

CLAYTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Dave Crabill and two business partners started small for their first foray into farming hemp, growing two strains of the now...
11:31 21 November 2021

Eerie plants’ season didn’t end with Halloween

If you’re missing Halloween, there are some eerie indoor and outdoor plants that carry the spooky season into winter and beyond.
13:30 19 November 2021

Simple can be gorgeous when setting a holiday table

Setting a gorgeous table for a holiday meal doesn't have to be expensive or difficult, says interior designer Elizabeth Stuart. Sometimes, a simple de...
15:26 6 November 2021

High-tech chestnuts: US to consider genetically altered tree

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Chestnuts harvested from high branches on a chilly fall morning look typical: they're marble sized, russet colored and nestled in pri...
6:18 6 November 2021

Study: Alien grasses are making more frequent US wildfires

WASHINGTON — For much of the United States, invasive grass species are making wildfires more frequent, especially in fire-prone California, a new stud...
20:06 4 November 2021