Alaska, the largest in area but one of the least populated U.S. states, lies astride the Arctic Circle, apart from the “Lower 48” conterminous states. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the Yukon Territory, on the southeast by British Columbia, on the south by the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean, …

Alabama, one of the southern states of the United States, is largely rectangular in shape and is landlocked except for a short coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. It is bordered by Tennessee on the north, by Georgia on the east, by the Florida panhandle on the south, and by Mississippi on the west. The state was visited by Spaniards …

Oak, Live — Live Oak or evergreen oak is a general term for a number of unrelated oaks in several different sections of the genus Quercus that happen to share the character of evergreen foliage. The name live oak comes from the fact that evergreen oaks are still green and “live” in winter, when other oaks are dormant, leafless and …

Zinnia — Zinnia is a genus of 20 species of annual and perennial plants of family Asteraceae, originally from scrub and dry grassland in an area stretching from the American Southwest to South America, but primarily Mexico, and notable for their solitary long-stemmed flowers that come in a variety of bright colors. Zinnia leaves are opposite and usually stalkless, with …

Yucca — The yuccas comprise the genus Yucca of 40-50 species of perennials, shrubs, and trees in the agave family Agavaceae, notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal clusters of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North America, Central America, and the West Indies. Yuccas have a …

Yew — Yew is the common name for the 8 species of the genus Taxus in the yew family, Taxaceae. These shrubs or small trees have thin, reddish-brown to purple, scaly bark. Native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, yews generally grow well in moist soils and shade, with some species growing to heights of 23 m (75 …

Yellowwood — Cladrastis (Yellowwood) is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, six native to eastern Asia, and one to southeastern North America. They are small to medium-sized deciduous trees typically growing 10–20 m tall, exceptionally to 27 m tall. The leaves are compound pinnate, with 5–17 alternately arranged leaflets. The flowers are fragrant, white …

Yam — Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae). These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania. There are hundreds of cultivars among the cultivated species. Yams are not sweet potatoes, but are used in a fashion similar to both sweet potatoes …

Witch Hazel — Witch-hazel (Hamamelis) is a genus of four species of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with two species in North America (H. virginiana and H. vernalis), and one each in Japan (H. japonica) and China (H. mollis). They are deciduous shrubs or (rarely) small trees growing to 3-8 m tall, rarely to 12 m tall. The leaves …

Wisteria — Wisteria is a genus of about ten species of woody climbing vines native to the eastern United States and the East Asian states of China, Korea, and Japan. Aquarists refer to the species Hygrophila difformis, in the genus Hygrophila, as Water Wisteria. Wisteria vines climb by twining their stems either clockwise or counter-clockwise round any available support. They …