Summer Farewell - Dalea adenopoda

 

There are two native prairie clovers with the common name of summer farewell and they are very similar to each other.  I've written previously about Dalea pinnata which is found in xeric open uplands throughout north and central Florida.  This summer farewell (D. adenopoda) occurs in similar habitat in the southern half of peninsular Florida - so there is some overlap in their ranges.  The difference lies mostly in the foliage.  In D. adenopoda, the leaves are normally involute - rolled so that the underside of the leaf is exposed and the upper surface is largely hidden.  The leaves also are much smaller - 1-2 mm wide as opposed to 4-6 mm in D. pinnata.  D. adenopoda was formerly considered to be a variety of D. pinnata, but has since been separated into a unique species.

Both species are identified by their bright red buds, their white flowers and their silvery fuzzy seed heads.  As their common names imply, they bloom in late fall and are especially attractive to native pollinators of all kinds.  Although these are considered to be perennials, I've never had them persist long in a landscape setting.  Sow the seed in exceptionally well-drained soil and transfer the seedlings when small into scrub-/sandhill-type sandy soil in full sun.

The top 3 photos are mine and copied from the Florida Plant Atlas managed by the Institute for Systematic Botany (ISB) at the University of South Florida.  The bottom photo was taken on 30 November at the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest in Polk County.