The other night, my husband and I went to the movie theater, which I can’t remember the last time we went to see a movie. The most popular snack at the movie theater is, of course, buttered popcorn. As we were munching on the popcorn, the idea for this column struck me: the popcorn plant!

The technical name is popcorn cassia, but it is called the popcorn plant for short. The extraordinary characteristic of the plant is that if you rub the leaves, you will smell buttered popcorn! I was first introduced to this plant several years ago when my mom was convinced at a garden center that she needed one for a container garden. I will never forget her excitement having me rub the leaves and smell the aroma.

Popcorn cassia is a tropical, multi-branching shrub or small tree from Africa that is onl

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