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Latest · The Flower Library
Spike: Flowers Without Stalks, and the One That Blooms Top-Down
A spike is an unbranched stem lined with stalkless flowers, and its whole identity rests on a missing pedicel. Best shown by blazing star (Liatris), which breaks the rule by blooming top-down. Flower Library No. 02.
Read this week's lead →Fresh from the bench
New in the Library
The Plant Library
The Flower You'll Never See: Heat, Beetles, and How Monstera Reproduces
June 28, 2026
The Plant Library
What Is a Monstera? The Genus, the Name, and the Family It Belongs To
June 28, 2026
The Plant Library
Why Monstera Leaves Have Holes (The Real Science)
June 28, 2026
California Natives
Manzanita: The Genus Behind That Red Bark, and Why You Have to Buy the Right One
June 26, 2026
Myths Demystified
Do rocks at the bottom of pots improve drainage?
June 25, 2026
Myths Demystified
Does misting actually raise humidity?
June 23, 2026
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Explore the Libraries
The Plant Library
Long-form portraits of single specimens and full genus deep...
9 profiles
The Substrate Library
The science of growing media, written for an actual potting...
11 guides
The Leaf Library
Learning to read leaves, one shape at a time. The twelve...
Opens Jul 10
The Flower Library
Learning to read flowers, one form at a time. The twelve...
1 of 12 forms
The Pollinator Library
The creatures that close the loop. Twelve Bay Area pollinators...
Opens Late 2026
California Natives
Bay Area-first native plant pillar. Hybrid voice — editorial...
7 entries
Myths Demystified
One widely-repeated piece of plant advice per entry — delivered...
2 entries settled
The Field Manual
Mug-shot cards for the pests, damage, and disease you'll...
5 dossiers
The Workshop
America's Test Kitchen methodology applied to gardening tools....
Opens Jul 1
The Window Box
Urban growing in apartments, balconies, kitchens, and small...
4 guides
The Window Box
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