False Flowering Spurge - Euphorbia pubentissima

False flowering spurge (Euphorbia pubentissima) occurs in scattered locations from Madison County, just east of Tallahassee, to Santa Rosa County in the far western panhandle.  It is also present in much of the eastern half of the U.S., except the extreme north.

This member of the Euphorbia family, is generally found in well-drained sandy locations. The plants photographed above were in sandhill habitat within Topsail Beach Preserve State Park in Walton County.  They are perennials which die back during the winter months.

Like other euphorbias, false flowering spurge has rather weak stems that exude a milky sap if cut.  This protects them from herbivory, but can cause blisters and other skin irritations in sensitive people.  They are also poisonous if ingested. 

The plants rarely stand taller than about 2 feet and the branches grow outward - parallel to the ground.  The leaves are elliptical and opposite each other on the stems.

Flowering occurs in summer and fall.  As its common name suggests, what looks to be flowers are not.  The white "petals", seen in the above photographs are specialized appendages meant to draw the attention of pollinators to the small green flowers inside.  This is much like what occurs in the common poinsettias grown for Christmas displays.  Inside the white false petals are male flowers and a single female flower - none of which have petals of their own. 

False flowering spurge is an interesting wildflower that is never likely to be grown commercially. If you are in one of the counties it might occur in, look for it along roadsides and other well-drained open areas. 

Cottonweed - Froelichia floridana

Cottonweed (Froelichia floridana) is an annual member of the Amaranth family found statewide in Florida, and across much of the eastern half of the U.S. except the extreme northeast.  The derivation of its common name is very easy to see from the photos above. This species is most likely to be encountered in disturbed upland sites from coastal areas to inland sandhills. In most of these sites, it will be abundant.

Growth occurs throughout the spring and summer months.  Few leaves are produced. These are mostly near the base of the plant and opposite each other on the stem.  The stem is wiry and erect. By summer it reaches a mature height of 5 feet and is largely unbranched.

Flowering can occur in summer, but is more common in early fall.  Racemes of tiny tubular white flowers are produced near the top of the main stem.  As these flowers are pollinated and mature, the fruiting bodies become cottony in appearance.  Soon after, the fully ripened seed capsules open, releasing the seed below. At this time, they fall off the stem.

This interesting wildflower is commonly encountered, but has never been propagated for the landscape.  It would be easy to grow in a mixed wildflower garden, but care would have to be taken to ensure its need to reseed - most importantly, keeping bare soil near the parent plants. Otherwise, simply enjoy it as you travel throughout the state.

Tall Jointweed - Polygonum pinicola - fka Polygonella gracilis

Tall jointweed (Polygonum pinicola) occurs statewide and in the other states of the Deep South.  This member of the buckwheat family shares an affinity for sunny well-drained habitats and has a simple beauty all its own.  Tall jointweed is decidedly tall and graceful.  As an annual, this means it grows rapidly in the spring to achieve its mature height of 5-6 feet tall. 

Tall jointweed produces an extremely thin wiry stem with short side branches. The thin leaves, alternate along the stem, are sparse except near the base of the plant.

Flowering occurs in fall - sometimes into late November.  The tiny capsule-shaped white blooms are clustered at the ends of each stem in racemes about 1 inch long.  Each flower is no more than 1/8 inch in length.

This distinctive wildflower can hardly be confused with any other.  In the open sandy places where it prospers, tall jointweed often occurs in large colonies.  This is not a wildflower likely to be cultivated by commercial nurseries or in great demand by the home gardener.  As an annual, it is difficult to grow for sale to the public and in the landscape it needs open sandy soil to reseed effectively. Nevertheless, this species has a special charm and I look forward to seeing it each fall as I hike the state. 

Bitterweed - Helenium amarum

Bitterweed (Helenium amarum) gets little respect with regard to its common name - or the common name of the genus - sneezeweed, but despite this, it is an attractive little wildflower that occurs throughout much of Florida in open fields, disturbed sites and open woodlands.  It also is widely distributed outside of Florida, occurring in nearly every state east of the short grass prairie states and also in California.  Throughout its range, it is generally regarded as a weed, because it rapidly colonizes disturbed ground.

Bitterweed is an annual that reseeds heavily in open soil.  Growth is rapid in the spring, and by late summer it stands between 2-3 feet tall.  The foliage is finely dissected - hence one of its other common names, yellow dogfennel.  The main stem does not branch much unless it is injured early in its growth stage, so it is upright and not very wide in aspect.

Flowering occurs at the top of each main stem in late summer to very early fall.  The bright yellow ray petals surround a rounded central disc and are attractive.  These look a bit like a yellow blanketflower (Gaillardia spp._ and it has been placed in this genus in the past.

Because of its tendency to spread, bitterweed is not a good candidate for most landscape settings. In open expansive dry sites, however, it could make an attractive addition.  It would be controlled by lack of open space in a well-planted landscape and the addition of taller perennials.  It is not currently propagated by any nursery affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries and it is unlikely to be any time in the future.  Seed collected from dry spent flower heads germinates easily if you want to try it yourself.

Florida yellowtops (Flaveria floridana)

Florida yellowtops (Flaveria floridana) is endemic to the west-central and southwestern coast of the peninsula and is distinguished from the more common narrowleaf yellowtops (F. linearis) by its slightly wider leaves and the arrangement of the flower heads.  I have posted both in this blog for your comparison and much the same can be said about this species as the other.

Florida yellowtops is an attractive species, but is not currently being propagated by any of the nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries. 

Look for it near the coast in a wide variety of wetland and uplant (not too xeric) habitats.  It is most noticeable in fall when it begins flowering.  The extremely bright yellow flowers can be seen for a great distance.

Sometimes, when viewed from far away, patches of yellowtops can be mistaken for another widely distributed yellow-flowered aster - flat-topped goldenrod (Euthamia spp.). On closer inspection, the great differences in foliage and the much larger heads of flowers in yellowtops make distinguishing them quite easy.

 



Narrowleaf Yellowtops - Flaveria linearis

 

 

Narrowleaf yellowtops (Flaveria linearis) is a widely distributed wildflower in Florida, found in most coastal counties except the panhandle.  This species is a near endemic as it is not found elsewhere in the U.S.  It is found, however, in Cuba and a few other Caribbean islands.  It is quite similar to the endemic Florida yellowtops (F. floridana) - found only in west-central Florida and distinguished mostly by its slightly wider leaves and the presence of noticeable green leafy bracts beneath the flower heads.

Narrowleaf yellowtops is primarily a coastal wildflower, but can be encountered in a wide variety of moist to upland sites including old fields, coastal strand and salt marsh communities.  It is a perennial, semi-woody species that stands about three feet tall in late fall.  The stiff thin stems turn brown and carry the thin elliptical leaves that are opposite each other.  Plants eventually sucker by underground rhizomes and colonies are formed. 

Flowering occurs in fall and lasts for several weeks.  Flat corymbs of canary yellow flowers make this plant especially showy. Like other members of the aster family, these flowers are visited by a large number of pollinators.

All yellowtops are attractive in the home landscape when grown with some care and cultivation.  In nature, they can get a bit leggy if conditions are less than optimal.  They can be maintained well in most typical landscape settings, but they prefer a bit of extra moisture during the summer and early fall.  Its one major drawback is its tendency to spread. Do not attempt yellowtops in small planting beds, but use it in more-expansive settings where its bright yellow flowers can be admired in mass.

Narrowleaf yellowtops is widely propagated by nurseries affiliated with FANN - The Florida Association of Native Nurseries. 

 

 

Maryland Goldenaster - Chrysopsis mariana

Maryland goldenaster (Chrysopsis mariana) occurs nearly statewide in Florida, except the extreme southern tip, and across the Southeastern Coastal Plain and north to New York and New Jersey.  This member of a widely distributed genus is most often found in well-drained uplands and disappears quickly if soils become wet for any length of time.
Of the eleven distinct species of Chrysopsis goldenasters, Maryland goldenaster may be the showiest and best suited for home landscapes.  While many species in this genus are a bit weedy in appearance, Maryland goldenaster has rather lush foliage and dense heads of flowers in late fall.  For the most part, this species does not become taller than about 2 feet. The stems are rigid and not prone to falling over and the overall aspect is full and rounded.  Like other members of this genus, the basal leaves are somewhat wooly, but the leaves along the main stem are not.  These laaves are somewhat elliptical and a bit "hairy". 
Flowering occurs in fall - late October to early November in central Florida.  Dense clusters of flower heads are produced at the top of each stem. The heads are large for the genus - about 3/4 inch across, and bright yellow.  Asters in general are excellent at attracting pollinators and Maryland goldenaster is no exception.
Chrysopsis goldenasters are deciduous in winter, but often maintain their basal leaves if temperatures are not too cold. Leave the dead stems with the seedheads and allow this plant to reseed in your landscape.
Maryland goldenaster is not widely grown, but can be found with some searching.  I admire this goldenaster, but have found it to be sensitive to its growing conditions.  Do not attempt to use it if you cannot give it good drainage and plenty of sunshine.  In the right place, this plant persists and reseeds well.  In the wrong location, it dies quickly.  My suggestion for those of you that wish to try it is to plant a few plants in several different locations and then let it find its ultimate location by reseeding.