This genus contains about a dozen species of shrubs and small trees, each with fruits that can be used to make a lathering soap.
This relative of the European Robin nests across Eurasia, can sometimes be found in small numbers in North America, and overwinters in Africa.
This tree has large, opposite, palmately compound leaves and pyramids of flowers around May. It is often planted in parks and along city streets.
This is one of the few birds that many residents of the USA know by name… but it is THAT NAME that makes many people in the UK a bit confused. No matter where you live, each version has the classic “red breast”.
The local Philippines call this woody vine “tayabak”. Related to the green beans we grow in our gardens, this species’ unique turquoise claw-shaped flowers are pollinated by bats.
This worldwide wetland grass can grow up to 20 feet (6 meters) tall and can cover a quarter of a square mile or more in one stand!
Birders in the eastern half of America welcome this bird as one of their most colorful and recognizable, with its classic blue plumage, contrasted with a little red and white
This humble plant is easily overlooked, both in its quiet early blooming and later leaf unfurling. You can find it in wetlands and riverine forests in the NE quarter of the US, up into Canada.