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Tag Archives: cochineal scale

Cactus and Oak Tree Pests: Ancient Sources of Red Dye

August 6, 2014 no comments
Q I just read your prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-nitida) article and wanted to report that I have six such cactus in my front yard. They have been troubled with a sticky white insect pest for se...

Recent Posts

A Glimpse of Paradise

  Visitng Sherman Gardens is like spending time in a great museum.  After an hour or so, you reach a saturation point and sigh, “There are just too many treasures to absorb in a single visit.  I’ll just have to come back again to fully appreciat...

Why not to Plant Magnolias and Jacarandas
Peruvian Lilies
Peruvian Lilies
Japanese Garden in Los Angeles
California Native Ground Covers
Dragon Trees
Dragon Trees
Oxalis: Strong as an Ox, Sour as a Lemon

There is a certain plant that has remarkable strength.  I always think of an ox when reading about it or hearing its name and for an obvious reason: it’s called oxalis.  Yet the etymology of oxalis has nothing to do with an ox.  The word is derived f...

A Living Fence of Pyracantha

I’m looking for some kind of bush or shrub or vine that will help to create a security barrier over a 3 foot high chain link fence, that will grow to around 5 or 6 feet or so, will look decent maybe with some nice blooms and if I’m lucky I can get aw...

A Living Fence of Pyracantha
Larkspur/Annual Delphinium
Larkspur/Annual Delphinium
Red Monkey Flower

Red monkey flower (Diplacus puniceus) is an evergreen perennial that you ignore all year long for the sake of its arresting spring bloom, although it may flower on and off throughout the year.  Water it more than once a month — even in fast-dra...

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About The Author

Welcome to The Smarter Gardener. I'm Joshua Siskin and I've been writing about plants and trees for the Los Angeles Daily News for over 20 years. If you have any questions or comments, please send them along. I have published more than 1,000 articles on plants and I am currently in the process of loading them onto this site. My goal is to make it possible for you to learn about any of the plants in your garden by doing a search of this site.

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