Monday, July 22, 2024
Sabatia campanulata - Slender Rosegentian
Rhynchosia minima - Least snoutbean
Least snoutbean (Rhynchosia minima) is one of nine native snoutbeans that occur in Florida and one of the most widely distributed. It is vouchered from nearly every county and its range also includes the southern tier of counties from southern Georgia west to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Throughout its range, it occurs in a wide variety of habitats and is exceptionally adaptable to growing conditions. Snoutbeans are legumes so they can play a major role in improving soil fertility. Least snoutbean is no exception.
As its common name suggests, this is a diminutive member of the genus. It is a perennial that dies back to the ground in winter and reemerges again in spring. Like other members of the genus, it produces multiple stems that extend many feet in all directions. The compound leaves are composed of three leaflets, each broadly ovate ending in a distinct tip. They are arranged alternate along the stem.
Flowering occurs throughout much of the late spring into fall. Each inflorescence is a raceme that may consist of up to 15 small yellow flowers. Each bloom is only about 1/4-inch in length and typical in shape for most legumes - a noticeable upper keel and a fused lower lip. The flowers are pollinated mostly by small bees and the pollinated flowers produce small beans. The seeds inside are eaten mostly by ground-nesting birds. Snoutbeans are used as hosts by several skipper butterflies.
Like all members of this genus, least snoutbean improves soil fertility, provides leafy food for herbivores, and seeds for various birds. Its small flowers and sprawling nature, however, do not make it a good candidate for a typical mixed wildflower garden. It would be a great addition, however, to a pasture or expansive meadow planting. Least snoutbean is not offered commercially in Florida by any of the native plant nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries, but seed is available from out-of-state sources. The plants photographed above were grown from such and have been added to the wildflower meadow I've been planting at the USF Botanical Gardens in Tampa.
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Lespedeza virginica - Slender bush clover
Slender bush clover (Lespedeza virginica) is one of 10 native bush clovers that occur in Florida. Its range is restricted to the western half of the Panhandle, but it ranges across much of the eastern half of the U.S. where it is common in the open to shady well-drained soils of a variety of habitats. This perennial herbaceous species, as its common name suggests, is distinguished by its very slender aspect. It dies back to the ground in winter and reemerges again in spring, The slender stem reaches a mature height of 2-3 feet. The compound leaves alternate up the stem and consist of 3 slender leaflets.
Flowering occurs in late spring to summer. The pink flowers occur in small clusters near the top of the stems within the leaf axils. They are shaped typical to other legumes with a distinct upper keel and a fused lower lip. The flowers of all bush clovers attract the attention of a wide variety of pollinators while the plants themselves serve as hosts for several cloudywing skippers, the eastern tailed blue, and several moths. The seeds are an important food source for bobwhite quail and various songbirds and the leaves are a nutritious food source for deer, rabbits and other herbivores.
Though not exceptionally showy, slender bush clover is an attractive and useful addition to a landscape designed for wildlife. It has not been propagated, to the best of my knowledge, by any of the nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries, but seed is available from several out-of-state sources. The plants pictured (rather poorly) above were grown from such seed and I will add them to the wildflower landscape I'm developing at the USF Botanical Gardens in Tampa. At this time, I do not know how adaptable it is to conditions south of its natural range. I'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Hypoxis sessilis - Glossyseed Yellow Stargrass
Glossyseed yellow stargrass (Hypoxis sessilis) is a perennial herbaceous wildflower vouchered throughout much of Florida from the Panhandle to Miami-Dade County. It also is reported from east Texas and Oklahoma within the Southeastern Coastal Plain to North Carolina. Throughout its range, it occurs in wet savannas and open pinelands.
Yellow stargrasses can be a bit difficult to distinguish from each other, but this one is noticeable by its realtively wide and upright basal leaves and the fact that the solitary flowers are produced near it base. The leaves, unlike many in this genus, are evenly pubescent.
Like other members of this genus, the flowers are bright yellow and comprised of 6 tepals - 3 petals and 3 sepals that look alike. These are produced near the base of the plant on a short stalk. Several flowers may occur on each. Flowering occurs in early spring to summer and seems to be stimulated by fire. They tend to be pollinated mostly by bees.
Yellow stargrasses are not routinely propagated by native nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries, or by others. Their diminutive size seems to preclude a demand and their need for moist to wet soil conditions limits where they could be effectively added.
These photos were taken by my friend, Alex de la Paz and used by permission.
Stenanthium texanum - Black/Texas Death-Camas
Black death-camas (Stenanthium texanum) is a much rarer species in Florida (and elsewhere) than its more widely distributed relative crow poison (S. densum). It has only been reported in four counties in the western Panhandle and is sporadically distributed elsewhere in the Southeastern Coastal Plain from east Texas to southern Georgia. This is a plant that occurs in open pine savannas and flatwoods, but as it has only recently been discovered and described it is still relatively poorly understood.
Black death-camas appears to be a short-lived perennial. Its long and linear basal leaves persist and are up to one-half an inch wide (up to twice as wide as the more common crow poison) and the extended flower stalk arises from this annually. The stalk can be as tall as 6 feet at maturity and it is branched, unlike crow poison. Like others in this genus, many bright white flowers occur on the top of the stem. Flowering occurs in late spring to early summer. Thes blooms attract a wide variety of pollinators.
Black death-camas is a very striking wildflower, but it is not one likely to be grown commercially at this time or in the future. It is yet another plant that should be admired if encountered and not collected for a personal landscape or without a permit.
The above photos were taken by my friend, Floyd Griffith, and used by permission.
Monday, May 27, 2024
Wild Allamanda (Hammock Viper's Tail) - Pentalinon luteum
Wild allamanda (Pentalinon luteum) is a perennial evergreen woody vine native to the southern coastal counties of Florida - from Lee County on the west coast to St. Lucie County on the west. It also is found throughout much of the Caribbean and on the Bay Islands of Honduras. Although it is semi-tropical to tropical in nature, it has some cold tolerance and has been used ornamentally in landscapes that periodically receive light freezing temperatures. It naturally occurs in a variety of soils in hammocks, pinelands and coastal thickets although it has only limited tolerance of light salt spray. It prefers full sun in all of these habitat conditions.
Like most vines, wild allamanda clambers naturally through adjacent vegetation and can get extensive in a landscape if not occasionally pruned back or trained to climb a trellis or pergola. It has attractive oval shiny leaves that are opposite on the stems and curl slightly under along the margins - which are entire. Each leaf is 1-3 inches long and up to 1 inch wide. The stems are decidedly woody and are numerous arising from the central root. Because of this, frequent/regular pruning can make it become shrublike.
Flowering occurs in most months, but mainly throughout April - September in Florida. The trumpet-shaped bright yellow flowers are 2 inches long and composed of five fused petals. They are produced in clusters at each of the branch tips and normally open one flower at a time in sequence. The flowers are especially attractive to large-bodied bees and the pollinated flowers ripen into a 2-parted pod.
The foliage and flowers of this beautiful wildflower are toxic if eaten and will cause nausea in mild cases, but more severe reactions in more-sensitive people. The sap can cause skin irritations so care must be taken when pruning it. Wild allamanda is a relative of the extremely toxic, but widely planted, oleander, and serves as a host for the oleander moth.
Although care should be taken when considering adding this native vine to your landscape, its beauty and adaptability make it a good choice in locations where it is not likely to be handled by curious children or eaten by pets. Wild allamanda should not be confused with the more commonly planted landscape allamandas in the genus Allamanda, but all share the same level of toxicity.
Friday, April 19, 2024
Last Open House At Hawthorn Hill
For a good many years, I have been growing wildflowers at my home as a licensed nursery known as Hawthorn Hill. My goal has never been to make money but to make a greater diversity of weildflowers available to the public. I believe that I have achieved this goal with the growth in the number of native nurseries and with my ability to grow my plants and sell them at my place of work - The USF Botanical Gardens in Tampa. With our Plant Shop open from Tuesdays - Sundays and a larger propagation area to work with, I can grow more plants than ever and make it easier for everyone to access them.
My last Open House is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, 9 am-noon and we will be selling everything we can before moving the plants we don't sell to the Botanical Gardens. We have ther largest diversity of species we've ever had. Below is the list. Some are currently in very short supply.
Most everything is in 4" pots, well rooted, for $5 each. The rare woody mints and a few others are $10. We prefer cash, but can take Visa & Mastercard as well as personal checks.
Jane and I hope to see you a week from Saturday - or later at the USF Plant Shop.
Natives in the Plant Shop/Hawthorn Hill Spring Open House
Abutilon hulseanum
Aesculus pavia*
Amorpha crenulata@
Amorpha fruticosa
Andropogon glomeratus
Andropogon spp. (unknown)
Andropogon ternarius
Annona glabra
Apios americana
Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
Arnoglossum ovatum var. lanceolatum
Argemone mexicana (later)
Asclepias incarnata
Asclepias perennis
Asclepias tuberosa
Asimina obovata@
Asimina pygmaea@
Asimina reticulata@
Baptisia alba
Brickellia mossieri
Calamintha coccinea@
Calamintha georgianum@
Callicarpa americana*
Chaptalia albicans#
Chaptalia tomentosa#
Carphephorus corymbosus#
Cicuta maculata
Clematis reticulata
Conradina canescens@
Conradina glabra@
Conradina spp.@
Dalea pinnata
Diospyros virginiana*
Echinacea purpurea
Encyclia tampensis
Eriogonum tomentosum
Eryngium yuccifolium
Erythrina herbacea@
Flaveria linearis
Garberia heterophylla*
Hamelia patens*
Hibiscus grandiflorus
Hibiscus laevis
Hibiscus moscheutos
Hibiscus poeppigii
Ipomoea imperati*@
Ipomopsis rubra
Lespedeza capitata#
Lespedeza hirta#
Lespedeza virginica#
Liatris chapmanii
Liatris elegans
Liatris laevigata
Liatris savannensis
Lonicera sempervirens*
Nemastylis floridana
Nyssa ogeche*
Palafoxia feayi#
Pediomelum canescens
Penstemon laevigata
Penstemon multiflorus
Physalis walteri
Picramnia pentandra*
Piptochaetium avenaceum#
Psychotria tenuifolia
Randia aculeata*
Rhyncosia minima
Rudbeckia hirta
Rudbeckia laciniata
Rudbeckia triloba
Saccharum giganteum
Salvia coccinea
Salvia lyrata
Saururus cernuus*
Senna ligustrina
Sericocarpus tortifolius#
Solidago odora var. chapmanii
Solidago petiolaris#
Sorghastrum apalachicolense
Sorghastrum nutans@
Stokesia laevis@
Symphyotrichum bahamense
Symphyotrichum carolinianum
Symphyotrichum concolor
Symphyotrichum dumosum
Symphyotrichum elliottii
Symphyotrichum georgianum
Symphyotrichum laeve
Symphyotrichum lanceolatum
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
Symphyotrichum patens#@
Symphyotrichum pilosum
Symphyotrichum plumosum
Symphyotrichum praealtum
Symphyotrichum sericeum
Symphyotrichum shortii
Symphyotrichum undulatum
Symphyotrichum walteri#
Trifolium reflexum
Ulmus americana*
Vachellia farnesiana*
Vernonia gigantea
Vernonia missurica
Vernonia novaboracensis
Zamia integrifolia*
Zanthoxylum clava-herculis