I am looking around here for pics of gardens. I discovered the Cottage Garden Forum in June, and post there a lot. When I first saw this, I recognized the flower someone had planted in a bed I took over gardening at church. It was my favorite flower in the patch, and then someone informed me I was growing a plant that is illegal to grow. I was very sad. I now have a couple of Russian Sages that love the area, and get very full, too. Sue

* Kingdom: Plantae Haeckel, 1866 - plants * Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae Cavalier-Smith, 1981 - green plant * Phylum: Tracheophyta Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 * Subphylum: Spermatophytina (auct.) Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - seed plants * Infraphylum: Angiospermae auct. * Class: Magnoliopsida Brongniart, 1843 - dicotyledons * Order: Campanulales * Family: Campanulaceae * Subfamily: Ericoideae * Tribe: Calluneae * Genus: Citharexylum R.A. Salisbury, 1802 * Species: spinosum * Botanical Name: Citharexylum spinosum L. About the family Campanulaceae: The Campanulaceae are herbs, shrubs, or rarely small trees comprising about 70 genera and 2,000 species usually with milky sap. The leaves are nearly always alternate and simple; stipules are absent The flowers are bisexual, and actinomorphic in the subfamily Campanuloideae but zygomorphic in the Lobelioideae. The perianth and androecium are usually 5-merous, sometimes 3-10-merous. The calyx and corolla each consist of connate segments. The stamens equal the number of corolla lobes, alternate with them, and are adnate to the extreme base of the corolla or epigynous zone or more commonly arise from the annular epigynous nectary disk; the filaments are distinct and the anthers are introrse and only weakly connivent around the style in the Campanuloideae but in the lobelioideae the introrse anthers and also often the filaments are firmly connate. The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of usually 2 carpels and locules with numerous axile ovules in the subfamily Lobelioideae but usually consists of 3-5 carpels and locules with numerous axile ovules in the subfamily Campanuloideae. The single style commonly has a number of lobes or stigmas equal to the number of carpels. The ovary is nearly always inferior and is generally crowned with an epigynous annular nectary disk. The fruit is usually a capsule or berry. -- Gerald Carr.

Revolutionary War did you say!!! I live in a Loyalist Town settled in 1783, Birchtown home of the first black settlement is just 5 minutes from the Town. (Although my family is French Acadian- where the Louisana Cajuns came from after the expulsion in 1755 Nova Scotia). History lessons here today. Anyway -- back to the war--sure wish I could send you some hosta. I have Revolution, Patriot, Loyalist, Liberty, Independence, Pilgrim, Old Glory, Pathfinder, and may get a Victory in a swap. Got them just because I like them. I am growing two Loyalist Hosta for the Loyalist Black Heritage Society in Birchtown, their building burnt down a couple of years ago and they and our Town had 225 yrs celebrations last year, so when they are ready for them they are here. Also, yes there were and still are some holes in the foundation. Had the old deck taken off last year and new smaller one built. Guy down the road pointed up the foundation above ground, but guess what the gutter above the front door leaked (now fixed) down onto the ground and soaked through and ran into the basement. Will have to dig up and get it fixed. Same thing happened 1 1/2 yrs ago when I had to have a new waterline run from the well at the back of the house.Guess again where the water went. The drain in the basement gets full of the silt that comes in with the water and so I have a submersible pump with a hose out the basement door for the heavy rains. Old houses what a joy, what a moneypit. But I like it here. Sorry I raved on so. You never know who you have something in common with. Glad to talk with you. Betty

Well, I've never seen one with little spines, and don't think that stock images count for a high degree of accuracy. But I refuse to be someone who thinks that just because I haven't experienced something that it cannot be true. There are enough of those in the forums, lol. The P. caroliniana is certainly quite common in its range, that's for sure. Most consider it a trash tree, though I have seen numerous specimens that have been groomed into amazingly beautiful large shrubs or small trees.