As a former resident of LA, I recall a moment at a busy intersection when traffic was completely halted by a coyote. Stilled by fear, the coyote stood in the intersection for a full minute as cars honked and drivers hollered, before scampering up the street, across the sidewalk, and out of view. I remember wondering, for a fleeting moment, how a coyote had wandered down from the Santa Monica Hills into suburbia. I caught myself though, realizing that the homes, streets, and b

For many of us, the most visually stunning part of any flowering plant is indeed the flower itself. Personally, I am amazed by the intricacy of flowers, and am always bending down to pull back the petals (gently of course!) and get a closer look at the various components. Rarely, though, do I go a step further and consider the names of all these brightly colored and uniquely shaped parts and the roles they play in the life of a plant. Most basically, the flower is the part of

Have you ever wondered where scientific plant names come from? With Latin and ancient Greek origins, many names sound strange and sometimes even arbitrary. But these names are rooted (pun intended!) in the history and characteristics of any given plant. According to The New Sunset Western Gardening Book, plant names can come from the name of the person who discovered or first described the plant, the region the plant is from, and any physical characteristics including texture