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.

Bridges’ and Orzell’s bluecurls - Trichostema bridgesii-orzellii

 

In 2025, Alan Weakley published a revision to the taxonomy of the ubiquitous perennial mint, blue curls (Trichostema spp.).  Prior to this, all blue curls native to Florida were lumped together under 1 species, T. dichotomom.  The new revision separated this species into seven - one being the endemic Bridges' and Orzell's blue curls which is also known as the Lake Wales Ridge blue curls, T. bridgesii-orzellii.  As this latter common name implies, this species is restricted to sand pine scrub, sandhills and scrubby flatwoods on and adjacent to the Lake Wales and Winter Haven Ridges.

There are generally only subtle differences between this species and others - especially T. suffrutescens - scrub blue curls.  In both species, the buds are purple-black to dark blue purple, the corolla is dark blue or blue-purple to blue or blue-purple, and the anthers are dark blue or blue-purple to blue or blue-purple. There are differences in their growth form as scrub blue curls tends to be less than 3 feet tall and branches often near its base while Lake Wales Ridge blue curls grows to 3 feet and does not significantly branch near the base.  In their publication  Dr. Kevan Schoonover McClelland, Elon University, Dr. Alan Weakley, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and graduate student Derick Poindexter, University of Carolina-Chapel Hill, published in the journal Phytotaxa, describe differences in the odor of the foliage. I do not have that experience.

The photos above were taken on 30 November by me at the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest in Polk County.

Water Dawnflower - Stylisma aquatica

Unlike other members of this morning glory genus, water dawnflower (Stylisma aquatica) is a wetland species with pink instead of white flowers. It occurs throughout the western Panhandle. It also is vouchered from much of the Southeastern Coastal Plain from eastern Texas to southern North Carolina.  Throughout this range it occurs in open seasonally wet depressions.

Water dawnflower is a perennial that dies back to the ground in winter. When it emerges in spring, it becomes a sprawling vine like other members of this genus.  Its elliptical leaves alternate on the 4-foot long stems and the small pinkish flowers are produced from May through summer in the leaf axils.  I have no experience with this species, but other members are pollinated mostly by bees and I suspect that's true for this one.

Dawnflowers are diminutive morning glories and rarely propagated by commercial nurseries.

These photos were taken by my friend, Floyd Griffith, and used by permission.

Southern Milkweed - Asclepias viridula

Southern milkweed (Asclepias viridula) is native to some scattered north Florida counties and a few sites in neighboring counties in Alabama and Georgia.  It is listed as a state threatened species and is nowhere common.  It occurs in moist to wet open habitats. In Florida, it is most often encountered within wet prairies and bogs within the Apalachicola National Forest.  

Southern (aka green) milkweed is a perennial that dies back to the ground in winter and reemerges in the spring.  Its thin wiry single stem eventually reaches a mature height of about 2 feet.  Its thin leaves are opposite on the stem - which easily differentiates it from whorled milkweed (A. verticillata) as well as the huge difference in habitat preference. The whitish-green flowers occur near the top of the stems within the leaf axils.   Like other milkweeds, it is pollinated mostly by butterflies and small bees.  It also serves as a host for milkweed butterflies.

Very few of our 22 native milkweeds are propagated by commercial nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries.  This one is not a good candidate owing to its specialized habitat requirements, its somewhat unshowy flowers and its general rarity.  If hiking through an open bog or wet prairie in Florida in summer, look for it and just admire it for being what it is.

These photos are used by permission by my friend, Floyd Griffith.

Green Comet Milkweed - Asclepias viridiflora

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Green comet milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) is one of 22 milkweeds native to Florida. It is unique in appearance and easily recognized from the others.  Found in most counties of north Florida, this species occurs in open well-drained sandy soils. A perennial, it dies back to the ground each winter and reemerges in the spring.  Eventually, it reaches a mature height of about 2 feet by early summer. The stalks are solitary.

The leaves are variable in shape, but mostly lanceolate.  They are opposite on the stems. The flowers are urn shaped and open only at the top.  Up to 5 dozen of these green flowers occur in two-inch clusters in the upper leaf clusters.  Pollinated flowers form long pointed pods about 4 inches long. Like many milkweeds, pollination is mostly accomplished by butterflies.

Like other members of this genus, green comet milkweed is a host to monarch and queen butterflies and like most other upland milkweeds, it is rarely, if ever, offered commercially by any of the native nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries.  I have never attempted the propagation of this species, but I've found most of our native upland milkweeds difficult to maintain in a nursery or landscape.  Although getting seeds to sprout is easy, keeping them in a pot for any length of time or getting seedlings to survive the transplanting to a landscape is difficult.  That seems to be the problem of getting them into the trade despite the great interest in milkweeds. 

The bottom three photos are used with permission by my friend Floyd Griffith. 

Georgia Indian Plantain - Arnoglossum sulcatum

 

Yet another member of the Indian plantain genus (Arnoglossum spp.).  Georgia Indian plantain  (A. sulcatum) occurs in semi-shaded wetland habitats across much of the Florida Panhandle as well as in southern Georgia and Alabama.  It has been vouchered in one Mississippi county as well.

Like other members of this genus, Georgia Indian plantain dies back to the ground in winter and reemerges in spring.  It reaches its mature height of 4-5 feet by early summer.  The basal leaves are ovate, thick and glossy with a distinct petiole.  These often are absent by the summer blooming season.  The leaves alternate up the stem and become much reduced in size and lack a petiole.  The leaf margins are often edged in red  and are noticeably toothed.

Flowering occurs atop the single stalk in summer.  They are typical for the genus - urn shaped and basically white in color although the tips of the buds are red/rose.  Indian plantains generally attract a wide variety of pollinators and I suspect that Georgia Indian plantain is no exception.

Very few of Florida's native Indian plantains have been offered for sale commercially by nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries though such species would seem to have a place in landscapes designed for pollinators.  

The lower 3 photos were taken by my friend, Floyd Griffith, and are used by permission.

Variable-leaf Indian Plantain - Arnoglossum diversifolium

Variable-leaf Indian plantain (Arnoglossum diversifolium) is another one of the six Indian plantains native to Florida and one of the tallest.  Although this perennial dies back to the ground in winter, it quickly reaches its mature height of up to 10 feet by early summer.  Native to six central Panhandle counties and two in north Florida, it also is vouchered from Alabama and Georgia. Throughout this rather limited region is occurs in swamps, wet hardwood hammocks, openings in floodplain forests over limestone with clayey, basic soils and a canopy of hardwood trees and bald cypress.  

As its Latin and common name implies, its leaves are variable.  The lower leaves are heart-shaped with squared off bases and blades up to 4 inches long. The leaves alternate up the stem and become reduced in size and more deeply toothed with very short petioles or none at all.  Flowering occurs atop the single stem in summer.  The urn-shaped white flowers are tinged in pink.  These are attractve to a variety of pollinators - especially bees.

Variable-leaf Indian plantain is listed as threatened in both Florida and Georgia and few populations currently occur on protected lands.  Although an interesting and useful plant ecologically, it is not a good candidate for cultivation for home landscapes and has never been offered commercially by nurseries associated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries.  It simply is one of many native plants to be admired if found while walking in a natural wetland.

These photos were taken by my friend, Floyd Griffith and are used with permission.

White Tick-trefoil - Desmodium ochroleucum

Tick-trefoils (Desmodium spp.) are widely regarded as "weeds" due to their aggressive nature and their fruit (loments) that are produced atop their numerous stems which stick to everything that brushes against it.  That said, their flowers are often showy and they serve as host plants for several butterflies.  There are 19 recognized species native to Florida and 3 that are not.  Most have pink to rose-colored flowers, but white tick-trefoil (D. ochroleucum) is unique with its white blooms.  This is a very rare plant in Florida, listed as state-endangered, and known from only two sites in Jackson County.  It also has been vouchered from most states within the Southeastern Coastal Plain from Mississippi north to south Missouri and Tennessee and then northeast to New Jersey. Throughout its range it occurs most commonly in dry woodlands and barrens, especially over calcareous substrates.  Blooming occurs most commonly in summer.

Very little seems to have been written about it and I have no personal experience with it.  These photos were taken by my friend, Floyd Griffith and used by permission.  

White indian Plantain - Arnoglossum album

Indian plantains (Arnoglossum spp.) are members of the Asteraceae and are most common in the Southestern U.S.  Of the 8 species native to North America, 6 occur in Florida and two of these are endemic.  White Indian plantain (A. album) is one of these.  Classified as "rare", it has been vouchered from just a few counties in the northwestern Panhandle.  Here, it is native to wet savannas.

Indian plantains are perennials that die back to the ground each winter and reemerge again in spring as a basal rosette of thick deep-green leaves.  In white Indian plantain, these leaves are elongated with pointed teeth along the margins.  Once established, the plants send up an individual flower stalk that can reach just more than three feet tall.  The leaves along this stalk are alternate, eliptical and sharply toothed along the margins.  Like other members of this genus the flowers are produced in flattened heads atop the stalk.  In white Indian plantain, they are the typical white in color and funnel shaped, but they occur in fewer numbers than its relatives.  They attract the attention of a great diversity of pollinating invertebrates.

As a very rare endemic, restricted to sunny wet habitats, white Indian plantain is not a good candidate for commercial growers and has never been offered for sale by nurseries associated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries.  Several upland species are, however,  This is one of the great many species native to Florida that simply should be admired if encountered.

These photos were taken by my friend, Lily Byrd, and used by permission.

Plukenet's False Foxglove - Agalinis plukenetii

There are 17 native species of false foxgloves (Agalinis spp.) in Florida and they are often difficult to identify. Much of it depends on growth habit and on the foliage.  Plukenet's false foxglove (A. plukenetii) is characterized by its mounding habit and its very thin recurving leaves.  This species was not recognized as such in my earlier versions of the Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida (Wunderlin and Hansen), but is included by the 3rd Edition.  Like most false foxgloves, Plukenet's is an annual that appears in spring and grows rapidly to the bush form it exhibits by late summer.  The flowers are typical for the genus - five pink petals with a frill along the outer edge and pink spots in the throat.  This species flowers profusely by late summer and fall and attracts the attention of pollinators - especially bees..

Plukenet's false foxglove occurs throughout much of north and central Florida in dry to xeric, sandy, gravelly or clay roadsides, pine-oak forests, margins of savannas, and disturbed ground.  Like other members of this genus, it serves as a host plant for the common buckeye butterfly but has never been offered commercially by any of the native plant nurseries in Florida associated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries.  As a root parasite that needs to attach its root system early to a host plant and because it's also an annual, it is not a good candidate for a typical home landscape.  It is easily germinated, however, from ripe seed collected once the seed capsules mature.

These photos were taken by my friend, Steve Coleman, and used by permission.

White Sunnybell - Schoenolirion albiflorum

White sunnybell (Schoenolirion albiflorum) is a perennial member of the agave family. It occurs throughout peninsular Florida in the eastern half of the state with additional occurrences on the west coast in the Big Bend region.  There are additional populations in southeastern Georgia as well.  Throughout its range, it is found in open, sunny wetland depressions and is considered an obligate wetland species.

The narrow linear leaves arise from the tops of an upright base in spring and eventually wither as the stalk matures.  The single unbranched stalk reaches a mature height of 3-5 feet by late spring. The flower buds are clustered near the top of this stalk and each occurs singly on a long reddish pedicel.  Each flower is composed of 3 white petals and 3 idendical white sepals (6 tepals).  The flowers open from the bottom of the stalk and proceed upwards over several weeks. Pollinated flowers produce a dry capsule that eventually splits to release a great many tiny seeds.

Although quite showy, white sunnybell is not propagated by any of the native plant nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries nor by any nurseries in Georgia to the best of my knowledge.  It would require seasonally wet conditions and good sunlight to prosper and this would limit its landscape use to lake and marsh edges that might have several inches of standing water during the summer rainy season.

These photos were taken by my friend Steve Coleman and used by permission.

Small's Skullcap - Scutellaria multiglandulosa

 

Small's skullcap (Scutellaria multiglandulosa) is one of 11 native species in this genus in Florida and distributed from the central Panhandle south to the central peninsula.  It also occurs sporadically in Georgia and in a few counties of western South Carolina.  It is sometimes considered to be a variety of the more widespread and common S. integrifolia, but  several distinctive traits give it full species status by most taxonomists.  This is a perennial deciduous forb native to well-drained sandy habitats such as sandhills and xeric oak forest clearings in full sun to partial shade.

It makes its appearance in early spring and reaches a mature height of about 2 feet tall by early summer.  The narrow elliptical leaves occur opposite along the stem and, as the Latin name suggests, they are covered by glands. The stems and leaves also are covered by noticeable hairs.

Like others in this genus, the flowers are produced in pairs in the leaf axils near the tops of each stem.  They are typical of the genus, light lavender to almost white with a broad lower lip and a "helmeted" petal above.  The blooms have a very narrow open throat and are pollinated mostly by large-bodied bees.  Flowering can occur from late spring through summer.  

Skullcaps in general are popular wildflowers and propagated by a great many nurseries associated with native plants. Small's skullcap, however, has only very rarely been offered in the past and seemingly not at present.  Like other members of this genus, it would make an attractive addition to a mixed wildflower meadow, given good sun and well-drained soils.

The photos above were taken by my friend, Steve Coleman, and used by permission.

Physalis walteri - Walter's groundcherry

Walter's groundcherry (Physalis walteri) is a perennial herbaceous species known more for its edible fruit than for its flowers.  It is common statewide in Florida in a variety of upland habitats and also occurs in coastal counties within the Southeast Coastal Plain from Mississippi to Virginia.  

Walter's groundcherry reaches a mature height of 12-18 inches and a width equal to that.  Its leaves are ovate to lanceolate, 2-4 inches long and without teeth along the margins.  They occur opposite each other on the stems and both the stems and leaves are covered in gray hairs.

Flowering can occur yearround in areas that don't freeze.  The bell-shaped yellow blooms are distinctive and often have reddish lines/markings on both the outside and inside of the petals - unlike the photo above.  Pollinated flowers produce a yellow "tomato" inside a dry papery husk - hence another common name of "husk tomato".  The widely grown tomatillo (P. philadelphica) is a close relative and a better choice for the table, though Walter's groundcherry has been a staple food plant of native peoples for centuries.

This species is very infrequently offered for sale by nurseries associated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries.  It is easy to grow, but will spread over time if not kept controlled a bit.  Although it cannot be considered "showy", it has value as a food source for wildlife and human consumption and it is a host for the Carolina sphinx moth. 

These photos were taken in the propagation area at the USF Botanical Gardens, Tampa, where we have it under cultivation.  

Sabatia campanulata - Slender Rosegentian

 

Slender rosegentian (Sabatia campanulata) is one of 12 rosegentians native to Florida and found throughout much of the Panhandle counties in moist soil and sunny habitats. It also occurs throughout much of the Southeast and a few Midwestern and eastern states in similar conditions.  This is a perennial herbaceous wildflower that dies back to the ground in winter and reemerges again in spring when it eventually reaches a mature height of about 2 feet.  

The basal leaves are lost very early and the stems appear leafless for the first inches.  The stem leaves are simple, opposite on the stem, and with no teeth along the margins.  The flowers are produced at the top of each stem in summer.  They are a deep rose in color (rarely white) and composed of five petals, fused at the base.  Other characteristics of the blooms are shown in the second photo above - all taken by my friend Floyd Griffin and used by permission.

Members of this genus are mostly pollinated by bees and the resulting fruit is a dry capsule. Slender rosegentian is not offered commercially by any of the native nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries nor by any out-of-state nurseries that I am aware of.  Given its restricted habitat needs, this is not too suprising, though it would make an attractive addition to a wetland (lake or marsh edge) planting.  This is one species to be admired when encountered, but not to be sought for for a home landscape.  

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.  

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.