I set in some annuals to fill in the empty spaces in the perennial border. The torenia was awful. You couldn't really see the flowers and the plant died out after s couple of weeks. I just love the miniature zinnias. I see a few butterflies checking them out every now and then. The zebras are back. I hadn't seen them for quite awhile. They like to flitter about in the shade. I redid their favorite spot and it became too sunny for their tastes. They managed to find another nice corner to play in. Four kinds of doves beg for food at my house: mourning doves (my favorites), rock doves (ugh, but I'm warming up to them), ringed collar doves, and one white winged dove. A pair of blue jays take turns while the other one minds the nest.
It is really really hot. The perfect conditions for the hurricane that's heading my way. The rain comes and goes, stormy weather, then a week without rain. Right now, it's rainy, muggy, and really hot (I know that I am repeating myself, but it's late.)
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Native plants
Summer is here and most of the plants are doing fine. I lost of the milkweeds and the jack in the pulpit. I set in a very nice border with pentas and annuals. In between are my native plants and herbs. Let's see if they survive the hot sun. Summer has been rather mild. I think it has to do with global warming. Global warming, imo, doesn't meanm that Florida will get hotter. Rather, the subtropical weather will become more tropical. I think the weather is a lot like I remember Panama to be. In the day it is so hot and sunny. Then the sun goes down and it cools off. We'll see if there are any 85 degree weather at night later on in the rainy season.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Iris versicolor
Blooming Time: May-July. The blue flowers with yellow and white markings are 3-4 inches across.
Culture: Iris versicolor need full sun to partial shade with a heavy, rich moist soil. We use a soil mix consisting of 2 parts clay to 1 part loam to 1 part sand. The plants are kept moist at all times, which makes it a great plant for water features. The plant should be fertilized in the spring before flowering and again after the blooms have faded. They grow very quickly and should be re-potted on a yearly basis.
Propagation: Iris versicolor are propagated by division or by seed. Seeds need a 3-month cold, moist stratification. The seed should germinate in 21-60 days at 60° F.
Hardiness: Zones 2-7
It died :(
Viola sororia, Viola papilionacea
Cultivation: The preference is partial sun or light shade, and moist to average conditions, although full sun is tolerated if there is sufficient moisture. The soil should be a rich silty loam or clay loam with above average amounts of organic matter. The leaves have a tendency to turn yellowish green when exposed to full sun under dry conditions – this reaction is normal, and is not necessarily a sign of poor health. This plant is very easy to grow, and it will spread under favorable conditions. This wildflower will adapt to lawns, especially if they are not mowed too often during the spring or cut too low.
Faunal Associations: The flowers are not often visited by insects (hence the need for cleistogamous flowers), but sometimes they attract bees (e.g., Mason, Halictid), skippers, Syrphid flies, and other insects. The Syrphid flies, however, feed only on stray pollen and are non-pollinating. The caterpillars of many Fritillary butterflies feed on the foliage, including Speyeria diane (Diana), Euptoieta claudia (Variegated Fritillary), Speyeria aphrodite (Aphrodite Fritillary), Boloria bellona (Meadow Fritillary), and BoloriaSmall Plant with Flower selene myrina (Silver-Border Fritillary). The seeds have soft appendages that attract ants, which are in part distributed by them. Various upland gamebirds and small mammals occasionally eat the seeds, including the Wild Turkey, Bobwhite, Mourning Dove, and White-Footed Mouse. Wild Turkeys also eat the leaves and fleshy roots of Viola spp. (Violets). Although it is not a preferred food source, mammalian herbivores occasionally eat the foliage of violets, including the White-Tailed Deer, Cottontail Rabbit, and livestock.
Comments: The flowers and young leaves of violets are edible, and can be added to salads in small amounts. The taste is bland. This is the most common Viola sp. (Violet) in Illinois. There are several forms of Viola sororia with differently colored flowers; these often grow in close proximity to each other in a given area. The typical form that is described here, f. sororia, has medium to dark violet flowers and rather well-rounded leaves. Some authorities (e.g., Mohlenbrock) consider these different color forms to be separate species, but this does not seem appropriate to me. Some authorities also consider pubescent and non-pubescent specimens of Common Blue Violet to be separate species, but they tend to intergrade in the field, possibly in response to levels of sunlight in a given habitat. However, if this taxonomic distinction is accepted, then non-pubescent specimens can be referred to as Viola pratincola (Common Blue Violet), while pubescent specimens can be referred to as Viola sororia (Woolly Blue Violet). Because the plants in the above photographs are non-pubescent, they would be considered specimens of Viola pratincola according to this taxonomy.
found in 9b
Prefers a cool moist well-drained humus-rich soil in partial or dappled shade and protection from scorching winds. Tolerates sandstone and limestone soils but becomes chlorotic if the pH is too high. Prefers a pH between 6 and 6.5.
Tradescantia ohiensis
The blue hairs on the stamens are distinctive. These hairs are blue even on the rare white flowered plants and are composed of a chain of single large cells that can be seen clearly with low magnification and turn pink when exposed to even low levels of nuclear radiation.
The Cherokee used Spiderwort as an ingredient in several preparations for female and kidney problems. They used a tea for digestive problems and would rub crushed leaves on insect bites (stings). A root poultice was used for cancer.
This species of spiderwort is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial which grows up to 3' tall. Violet-blue to purple, three-petaled flowers (.75-1.5" diameter) accented by contrasting yellow stamens open up, a few at a time, each for only one day, from terminal clusters (umbels) containing numerous flower buds. Flowers bloom in succession from late May into early July. Arching, iris-like, dark green leaves up to 1' long and 1 inch wide are folded lengthwise forming a groove. When the stems of spiderworts are cut, a viscous stem secretion is released which becomes threadlike and silky upon hardening (like a spider's web), hence the common name.
An interesting and long-blooming perennial for native plant gardens, woodland or shade gardens, wild gardens or naturalized areas. Also can be grown in borders, but mid-summer foliage decline is a potential disincentive for this placement.
found in 9b
6.09.07 It bloomed! I believe Rufino said that some varieties have pink flowers. Mine has Blue flowers :)
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
General Landscape Uses:
Wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Native plant nurseries.
Description:
Small herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions:
About 6-18 inches in height. Taller than broad.
Growth Rate:
Moderate.
Range:
Eastern and central North America west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key.
Habitats:
Wet pinelands and prairies.
Soils:
Seasonally wet to moist, moderately well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements:
Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements:
Full sun.
Flower Color:
Blue.
Flower Characteristics:
Semi-showy.
Flowering Season:
Winter-summer.
Fruit:
Inconspicuous capsule.
It died :(
Hypoxis hirsuta
Description: This small native perennial plant consists of a rosette of slender basal leaves and shorter flowering stems. The linear basal leaves are up to 1' tall and ½" across. They have scattered white hairs. The flowering stems are up to 8" tall, and have scattered white hairs as well. Each of these stems terminates in a rather loose umbel of two or more yellow flowers. A flower is about ¾" across and consists of 6 tepals that spread outward. In the center, a yellow pistil is surrounded by 6 stigmas with prominent yellow anthers. Each anther is shaped like an upside-down V. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer and lasts about a month. Sometimes there is a mild floral fragrance. Each seed capsule splits open irregularly, releasing several glossy black seeds that are covered with concentric rows of wart-like projections. The root system consists of small corms.
Yellow Stargrass in Prairie
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, and moist to slightly dry conditions. The soil can contain loam or some rocky material. This plant is not usually bothered by foliar disease during the period of active growth. It can spread to form loose colonies, but is not particularly aggressive.
Range & Habitat: While it is widely distributed, this plant is not particularly common in any given locality. Habitats include mesic black soil prairies, hill prairies, savannas, open woodlands and paths through woodlands, fens, sandstone glades, abandoned fields, and lawns. Like Claytonia virginica (Spring Beauty), Yellow Star Grass can spread into lawns if mowing is delayed until late in the spring. Fidelity to any particular habitat is low.
Faunal Associations: The flowers attract small bees primarily, including Little Carpenter bees, Mason bees, and Halicitine bees. These insects collect pollen and are usually females. Other insect visitors include Syrphid flies and beetles, which feed on pollen. Cross-pollination is required for fertile seeds. Small rodents occasionally eat the corms; otherwise, little information is available regarding this plant's relationships to other fauna.
not native to FL found in 8b. more.
Physostegia virginiana
Location
Obedient plant is native to eastern North America from Quebec to Manitoba, and south to Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia. Obedient plant occurs in swamps, streambanks, ditches, seepages, damp meadows and prairies, moist open woodlands, bogs, and pine savannas.
Culture
Lightly acid sandy loam is probably the best soil type for Physostegia virginiana, but it will grow on a variety of moist soils. Anywhere in the pH 5-7 range is fine. Fertilize often during the growing season and mulch well in the fall in cold climates. Divide every 2-3 years in the spring.
Light: Obedient plant is happy in either sunny or lightly shaded spots, but it does best with some shade on drier sites, and full sun where it is wetter.
Moisture: Physostegia likes moist soil. Low spots and wetland edges that flood occasionally are fine. It will even be happy in soil that is saturated much of the time, but it will be less invasive and have sturdier stems under drier conditions.
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 3 - 9.
Propagation: Obedient plant can be sown outdoors in spring or summer (up to two months before the first frost) or indoors anytime. For best germination rates, sow in the fall as soon as the seeds are ripe. Sow them where they are to grow or leave the flats outdoors for three months of damp stratification at about 40ºF (4.4ºC). Seedlings will appear a few weeks after spring temperatures rise into the 70ºF (21ºC) range. Indoors, use a rich loamy soil mix and keep it moist and around 70-75 F (21-24ºC). Germination will occur in 1-4 weeks. Seedlings will flower their second year. You can produce blooming plants faster by taking 2-3 in (5.1-7.6 cm) cuttings of young shoots in the spring and rooting them in a coldframe. It is safest to divide Physostegia in the spring. In mild climates you can divide them in the early fall, then protect the new plants with mulch. Replant only the vigorous outer roots.
white obedient plant
Several varieties of obedient plant that have white flowers are available.
Usage
Physostegias are widely used in wildflower meadows and water garden fringes, as well as in more civilized borders. The blossoms are long lasting as cut flowers. They are especially easy to arrange because flowers pushed to face a different direction from the stem will stay in their new positions obediently, which is where the plant got its name.
Features
This is a wonderful plant to add luminous rosy lavender late season color to the bronzy golds and yellows of a damp meadow. It holds its own with grasses very well. And it is classified as deer resistant, so it should bloom well in places where deer would eat the tasty buds off other flowers.
WARNING
Obedient plant can be an aggressive colonizer, especially on rich moist sites. To keep it a genuinely obedient plant, pick a place with drier soil and cut down on the fertilizer.
not native to FL
Phlox pilosa
USDA Hardiness Zone 5-8 (N&C)
Best grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun. Prefers sandy or clay soils. More tolerant of drier soils than most other species of Phlox.
It died :(
Eupatorium fistulosum
Queen-of-the-meadow or Trumpetweed is a robust upright perennial, 3-10 ft (0.9-3.1 m) tall, with a purple stem that is unbranched below the flower clusters and mostly hollow. The lance shaped leaves are 8-12 in (20.3-30.5 cm) long, and arranged in whorls of 4-7 at each node on the stem. The leaves have a vanilla scent when crushed. The flowerheads are pink or purplish mauve and densely packed in several large rounded clusters at the top of the stem. The showy flower clusters are up to 18 in (45.7 cm) across and invariably covered with butterflies, wasps, beetles and other nectar sipping insects from summer until late autumn.
Some authorities recognize additional, very similar species. Eupatorium purpureum (a.k.a. Eupatoriadelphus dubius or Eupatorium dubium) is a smaller, 5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m) tall, more northern plant with mainly green stems that are solid, not hollow, and just 3 or 4 leaves per node. E. maculatum is smallest, 3-6 ft (0.9-15.2 m) tall, and has purple spotted, solid stems, and flat topped flowerheads that contain twice as many florets as the other Joe Pyes; it is the most cold hardy of all, growing as far north as Quebec and Newfoundland, and only as far south as North Carolina. Characteristics of all three "species" run together, and the taxonomy is confused. Some authorities do not recognize all three species as being distinct, whereas others split the Joe Pye weeds into even more species!
Several cultivars have been named, but don't try to figure out which species they were selected from! 'Atropurpureum' has purple stems, leaves and flowers. 'Album' has white flowers. 'Gateway' is smaller, to 5 ft (1.5 cm) tall, with mauve-pink flowers and reddish stems; it is quite cold-hardy and probably was selected from E. maculatum.
Joe Pye weed
Here's a tall Joe Pye weed that's about 8 ft (2.4 m) growing in the rich moist soil along a creek in Tennessee.
Location
Joe Pye weed grows in moist fields and pastures, along road shoulders, at the edges of woods, and in disturbed areas in the eastern U.S. from central Florida to east Texas and north to Iowa, Quebec and Newfoundland. They are often abundant along streams and ditches. Although rarely found in gardens in the U.S., Joe Pye weed is a very popular ornamental plant in England.
Culture
Joe Pye weed normally gets pretty tall before it flowers in summer, but you can prune it back in late spring and it will bloom at a much lower height.
Light: Joe Pye weed grows best in full sun. Plants grown in partial shade can get too tall reaching for the light, and are likely to fall over.
Moisture: Joe Pye weed needs plenty of water. It will survive in dry sites, and is even considered to be drought tolerant, but it never will be as robust and showy as when grown with abundant moisture. Joe Pye weed can tolerate periods of inundation.
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 3 - 9.
Propagation: Joe Pye weed is easily propagated by dividing the root clumps with a sharp shovel or spade during the dormant season.
Joe Pye weed flower
The Joe Pye weed flower clusters are beloved by butterflies.
Usage
Joe Pye weed is a tall, dominating plant - not for the tidy flower bed or formal border. Grow Joe Pyes in a semi-wild naturalistic garden or alongside a stream or pond. They are big and bold enough to hold their own amongst shrubs in a mixed border. Joe Pye weed can be one of the structural focal points of the autumn garden. Plant them along the back fence or at the rear of a mixed border. Few American gardeners make use of this easy-to-grow native although more are now discovering it. Across the Big Pond though, British gardeners use it extensively in mixed borders and semi-wild corners. Perhaps if it were called Joe Pye flower instead ...
Features
Joe Pye weed supplies the autumn garden with architectural structure, color and motion. (The motion comes from the hordes of butterflies that are always fluttering about the flowers.) Joe Pye weed is one of the showiest perennials in autumn, towering above summertime's worn out flowers and shrubs, and demanding attention. American gardeners should take a lesson from the British who know this to be a worthy garden ornamental!
Native Americans used concoctions of Joe Pye weed to treat a diversity of internal and external ailments. The Algonquin, Joe Pye, was said to have cured typhus fever with the plant that received his name.
It died :(
Helenium autumnale
Easily grown in average, medium wet to wet soils in full sun. Prefers rich, moist soils. Intolerant of dry soils. Avoid overfertilization which may cause plants to grow too tall. Although not required, plants may be cut back in early June (at least six weeks before normal flowering) to reduce plant height and to encourage branching, thus leading to a more floriferous bloom, healthier foliage and less need for support. Remove spent flowers to encourage additional bloom. Cut back plants by 1/2 after flowering. Divide clumps as needed (every 3-4 years) to maintain vigor.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
This sneezeweed is an erect, clump-forming, Missouri native perennial which occurs in moist soils along streams, ponds or ditches and in spring-fed meadows, prairie and wet open ground throughout most of the State (Steyermark). Typically grows 3-5' tall on rigid, distinctively winged stems which branch near the top. Features clusters of daisy-like flowers (2" diameter) with distinctive wedge-shaped, bright yellow rays (three-lobed at the tips) and prominent, dome-like, dull yellow center disks. Flowers appear over a lengthy late summer to autumn (sometimes to first frost) bloom as indicated by species name. Alternate, lance-shaped, dark green leaves (to 6" long). Powdered disk flowers and leaves of this species have in the past been dried and used as snuff, thus giving rise to the common name of sneezeweed.
Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems. Foliage is susceptible to powdery mildew, leaf spot and rust. This species generally requires some staking or other support and will benefit from pinching or July-cutback as detailed above.
Uses:
Borders. Also effective in prairies, meadows, cottage gardens, wild gardens, naturalized areas or in moist soils along bodies of water.
Hardiness Zone 3-8
Desmodium paniculatum
FLOWERING: July - August.
SEED TIMING: Mid-September to Mid-October.
HABITAT: Dry woodlands, often sandy.
DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES: 2 - 4 feet high. Slender leaflets of variable width; alternate; lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate to linear. Leaf stalks are 1/2 inch or more in length. Terminal panicle much branched. Flowers lavender to reddish-purple (rarely white), fading to blue. Loments have 3 to 6 joints.
TO PICK: Pods (called loments) of Tick Trefoils usually have more than one joint and are covered with hooked hairs that cling to clothing. Each section of the loment is rhombic to triangular in outline, more than half as broad as long and never more than 3/4 inch long. Pick entire loment, which turns greenish brown when ripe.
found in Dade county. more.
Asclepias amplexicaulis
Clasping milkweed is unbranched and produces a greenish-pink cluster of flowers approximately 3" round well above the hightest leaves. It does well in dry sandy soils in full sun but can tolerate some shade and grows to 3' in height. Blooms May thru June and attracts butterflies.
more.
Asclepias incarnata
Benefits:
* Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
* Host and nectar plant for monarch butterflies
* Lovely vanilla fragrance
* Thrives in sun in average or moist soil
* Deer resistant
Grows easily in medium wet to wet soils in full sun. Tolerates well-drained garden soil even though this species is native to swamps and wet meadows
Plants have deep taproots and are best left undisturbed once established
Like many milkweeds, plants are slow to emerge from the ground in spring
Height
3-4 Feet
Spread
1-2 Feet
Native Range
Swamps and low meadows; Nova Scotia to Saskatoon, south to Utah, New Mexico and Florida.
Native Trivia
Plants in the milkweed family produce pods with fluffy seed that is used by birds to build nests. Some birds, such as Baltimore orioles, use the stem fibers for nesting material.
USDA Hardiness Zone 3-7
"Milkweeds provide loads of nectar and serve as homes and food sources for monarch caterpillars."
Good Companions
Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), (Symphyotrichum n.a.) New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae), 'Little Joe' Dwarf Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium dubium), 'Purple Knockout' Lyre-leaved Sage (Salvia lyrata)
The caterpillars ate the whole thing up before I could get it into the ground. It came back, I set in the west border and it's taking off. Yay, I have some nice purple salvias that will make nice companion plants.
Arisaema triphyllum
Arisaema triphyllum or "Jack-In-The-Pulpit" is native to moist woodlands from Canada to Florida, and westward to Kansas and Texas. The corms and stems should be considered poisonous.
Blooming Time: Spring. The green and white spathe will grow to 4-7 inches long.
Culture: Arisaema triphyllum need partial shade to full shade with a rich moist soil. We use a soil mix consisting of 2 parts peat moss to 1 part loam to 1 part sand or perlite. The plant should be kept moist throughout the growing season. Fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer diluted to ½ the strength recommended on the label. In late summer to early fall, we let the plants dry out. After the foliage dies back, the corms are lifted and stored in dry vermiculite at 40° F until early February. Corms are then re-planted and incubated at 55 to 60° F. They will usually bloom within 6 to 8 weeks.
Propagation: Arisaema triphyllum are propagated by division of natural offsets or by seed. Seed should be sown in an organic rich compost, barely covering the seeds with sand. Germination should occur in 30-180 days at 55-60° F.
Found in zone 9b.
Amorpha fruticosa
An accent or specimen shrub in moist locations.
Ecological Restoration Notes:
A rather rare element of a variety for upland ecosystems.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description:
Medium to large erect woody shrub with sparse foliage and upright stems that ultimately bend toward the ground.
Dimensions:
Typically 4-12 feet in height. About as broad as high and often growing in clumps.
Growth Rate:
Moderate.
Range:
Widespread in North America south to Palm Beach and Collier counties. Reported for Miami-Dade County based upon a specimen from "Lemon City," but this may refer to a location in the Charlotte Harbor area.
Habitats:
Hammock edges and thickets.
Soils:
Moist, well-drained sandy soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements:
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.
Light Requirements:
Full sun to light shade.
Flower Color:
Dark purple to pale blue and white.
Flower Characteristics:
Showy, in dense elongated racemes.
Flowering Season:
Spring-summer; peak in spring.
Fruit:
Small pod (legume).
Wildlife and Ecology:
Provides significant food and moderate amounts of cover for wildlife. Larval host plant for silver spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus) and southern dogface (Zerene cesonia) butterflies.
Comments:
Rarely attacked by insects or disease.
More. Grown in zone 8b
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