Even in a native landscape parched by drought, a few plants remain green year-round, and a favorite among naturalists is laurel sumac. From a distance it looks like an unremarkable shrub, one of many ...

Just the other day, at the base of the trunk of my neighbor’s eucalyptus tree, I spotted a laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) seedling that had only recently sprouted. I have frequently seen volunteer ...

The unusually cold weather of a few weeks ago may be gone, but its effects are still with us. I’m referring to the dead leaves on garden plants. Around my neighborhood, the tender leaves of the ...