Herb of the Month: Love of Lavender

One very special way that The Herb Society of America shares the gift of herbs is by awarding Samull Classroom Herb Garden Grants. Each year ten grants are awarded for $300 each. Read about some of the exciting projects from some amazing schools across the country that have received these grants.

Two kids plant herbs in a raised bed. The garden program at the Tucson Waldorf School recently completed an herb garden in their container garden area. This collection of stock tanks and pots is located near the entrance of the school and is available for people to admire, learn from, work on, and glean. It is their hope that community members will stop by the garden and collect herbs to complement their meals.

Composite photo of various people planting herbs Somerset Academy Boco reported that with the HSA Samull Grant, they established an herb garden while implementing these learning objectives: 1. Apply practical knowledge in the form of gardening…

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The Wildflower That Came Back From The Dead

In 1959, a botanist named Ronald McGregor began a two-year search for a wildflower known as Tennessee purple coneflower.

He knew that Tennessee purple coneflower was rare, but he didn’t know how rare the plant actually was.

Despite his best efforts, Ronald McGregor didn’t find a single specimen. In 1968, he stated that Tennessee purple coneflower was possibly extinct.

Today, things are very different. Tennessee purple coneflower is far from extinct. Anyone who knows where to look can find hundreds of plants. The species is so abundant in some locations that it’s nearly impossible to miss.

What happened in the years between 1968 and 2023? How did Tennessee purple coneflower come back from the dead?

In a brand new video (filmed on location in Tennessee!), I share the remarkable story of this fascinating plant.

You can watch the brand new video here.

Speaking of fascinating plants, prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) is a beautiful wildflower whose distribution in North America is a bit quirky. How so? Check out this recent Instagram post to learn more.

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

— Adam Haritan