Cutleaf Morning Glory - Merremia dissecta

There seems to be some debate among plant taxonomists as to whether cutleaf morning glory (Merremia dissecta) or Noyau vine is native to Florida or not.  Most of my references list it as a native species, but Dr.'s Wunderlin and Hansen disagree and list it as a non-native on the website sponsored by the Institute of Systematic Botany (ISB) at the University of South Florida.  Regardless of its status, it is found in upland sites nearly statewide in Florida, and across the Deep South from Georgia to Texas.  It also occurs in Puerto Rico and Cuba.
It is a perennial vine that dies back to the ground in winter. Like most morning glories, it quickly reestablishes itself in spring and spreads in all directions quite aggressively using its tendrils to climb and clamber over everything within 6 feet or more from the main stem.  For this reason, it is often considered a nuisance despite its very attractive flowers.
Flowering occurs throughout much of the summer and fall.  Like all morning glories, each bloom opens for only one morning before fading. The flowers are a bright white with a rose-red throat and about 1 inch across.  They attract a wide assortment of pollinators.  The pollinated flowers form large brown seed capsules with the woody sepals still attached like wings behind them.  This gives them the appearance of flowers long after the real ones have faded.
The foliage of cutleaf morning glory is also very distinctive.  They are palmately lobed - like the fingers on a hand, and each lobe is lobed too.  As the Latin name indicates, the leave margins are dissected.
This species has never been offered for sale, to my knowledge, by any nursery affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries and it is unlikely to be in the future.  Because of its aggressive nature, cutleaf morning glory is difficult to contain in any kind of managed landscape. If you want to attempt it, make sure to keep it on a sturdy chain link fence or similar structure, plant it in a sunny location and make sure it has good drainage. Seed from mature seed capsules is relatively easy to germinate.

Saltmarsh Morning Glory - Ipomoea sagittata

Saltmarsh morning glory (Ipomoea sagittata) is one of many showy native morning glories in Florida.  It is found nearly statewide, but concentrated in the coastal counties and absent from some of the interior ones. This is a member of the flora of the Southeast Coastal Plain and occurs in the lower tier of states from Texas to North Carolina.  Throughout this range, it is most abundant near coastal areas.
Saltmarsh morning glory is especially salt tolerant.  The plants photographed above were prospering at the edge of a saltern community with very high salt concentrations.  Although it is well suited to life in a salt marsh, this species occurs in inland habitats if the soils are wet.
Saltmarsh morning glory is a perennial that dies back to the ground in the winter if temperatures get below freezing. In spring, it rapidly spreads in all directions, its typical vining tendrils latching onto all of the adjacent vegetation and climbing upwards.  Each of its many stems may reach 6 feet or more in length.  The leaves are quite distinctive.  As the Latin name implies, they are shaped like an arrowhead.
Flowering can occur in nearly any month if temperatures remain above freezing.  Each bloom is deep pink in color with a slightly deeper pink throat - and about 3 inches across.  They may occur singly or in small clusters of 2-3. As with all members of this genus, flowers open in the morning and typically wilt by mid-day.  They attract a wide assortment of pollinators, but especially bees. Pollinated flowers form rounded seed capsules (like the ones pictured in the middle photograph) which eventually ripen to black or dark brown before splitting open.
Though very showy, I am not aware of anyone propagating this species commercially.  It is a tough species to contain in a landscape and can eventually become a nuisance.  It is easy to grow from seed, however.  Seed might be found in nearly any month. If you wish to try it, make sure you give it a fence or trellis to climb on, give it wet soil, and make sure you keep new seedlings from spreading to areas where it would not be welcome.

Sandspur/Trailing Ratany - Krameria lanceolata

This is NOT the sandspur in the grass family, though it does produce a spiny seed ball. Sandspur/Trailing ratany (Krameria lanceolata) is a member of the small Krameriaceae family, a family of 5 species mostly found in western states.  Our species occurs in most of the interior peninsula counties in the northern half of Florida and a few of the Panhandle ones. It is also found in Georgia - but skips a few states west before once again becoming present from Arkansas through Arizona and north to Colorado and Kansas.  It is not found north of this line, however.

Sandspur occurs in well-drained open habitats such as sandhills and open woodlands.  It rarely stands taller than about 6 inches, but acts almost like a vine with long thin branches that can extend for 2 feet from the deep woody taproot. The leaves are thin as well, and covered by silky "hairs". Sandspur is a perennial that dies back to the ground in winter.

Flowering occurs in late spring and summer.  The flowers have five showy rose-red sepals that could easily be mistaken for petals.  They are produced in good numbers.  The petals are small and tinged with green. The upper three petals are fused to form a hood. I do not have experience with this wildflower as a target for pollinators.

Though this species is quite attractive when in bloom, its growth habitat and its spiny seed pods do not make it a good choice for the typical home landscape.  Likely, it will always be a species to admire while hiking in the spring/summer and to avoid in fall when the seed pods are ripe.

Hairy Leafcup/Bear's-foot - Smallanthus uvedalia (fka Polymnia uvedalia)

Hairy leafcup or Bear's-foot (Smallanthus uvedalia) has undergone several Latin name changes over the years. Until rather recently is was grouped with other species in the "leafcup" genus, Polymnia, and many references will have it listed under Polymnia uvedalia. As it stands now, however, it is the sole member of the genus Smallanthus. Hairy leafcup occurs widely throughout the northern half of Florida and the eastern half of the U.S. Throughout its range, it occurs in open woodlands, often in light gaps where it receives partial sun and soils that are not too droughty.

Hairy leafcup is a perennial forb that dies to the ground each winter.  After emerging in spring, it grows quickly and can reach a mature height of nearly 6 feet by late summer.  Its large tri-lobed leaves are opposite on the stems and look a bit like bear's paws - hence its other name.  It makes an attractive foliage plant.  The stout main stem is hollow and has a tendency to bend or break in severe weather.  Strong winds and lashing rains are not a common occurrence in the habitats it occurs in naturally, but are far more common in home gardens. Our plants often suffer some type of setback during the growing season, but they rapidly rebound, produce another main stem and find a way to bloom.  As such, they are very dependable.

Flowering occurs from late July through fall.  The large sunflower-type blooms are showy and attract a great diversity of pollinating insects.  Multiple flowers can occur at any one time at the tips of the main stem and the side branches near the top.

In landscape settings, hairy leafcup is fairly adaptable.  We have used it in our Pinellas County landscape for many years and have had it in bright sunny locations and locations with far more shade.  Our soils are far more droughty than those I find the plant in naturally and it persists and spreads unaggressively. Because of its height, we keep ours in the back of the garden and weed it out of places where it is too tall for its neighbors.

Hairy leafcup is only rarely offered from commercial sources in Florida.  My wife, Alexa, purchased ours years before we were married - which is fortunate as I have not run across it at retail or wholesale nurseries for several years and none list it through the growers list maintained by FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries.  If you wish to add it to your landscape, you may have to do some serious searching. If you find it, plant it in moderate to moist soils in partial sun if you want it to perform best.

Squarehead - Tetragonotheca helianthoides

Squarehead (Tetragonotheca helianthoides) occurs sporadically throughout the counties of the Florida Panhandle and south down the central peninsula to the latitude of Citrus and Lake Counties.  A small disjunct population also has been reported in Highlands County.  Throughout this range, it is found in sunny well-drained habitat types; especially sandhill and xeric flatwoods.  Squarehead is a species of the Southeastern Coastal Plain.  In addition to Florida, it is found from Mississippi and Tennessee, east to Virginia.

A deciduous perennial forb, squarehead dies to the ground each winter and emerges in early spring.  Its large, rough leaves are oval in shape, pointed, and with teeth along the margins.  They are opposite on the stem and clasp it. It forms multiple branches and individual stems can eventually reach about 3 feet tall. Plants may be at least 3 feet across.

Flowering occurs in late spring and early summer - making it one of the few truly early aster family species in our flora.  Individual flowers occur at the end of each stem.  The buds are large and enclosed by four sepals that give it a square shape and its common name.  The flowers are more than 1 inch across and rather showy.  Bright yellow ray petals surround a large central greenish yellow disc.  These attract a wide assortment of pollinating insects. Plants remain in bloom for many weeks.

Despite its many attractive features, squarehead is not commercially available from any nursery affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries.  We have been looking for a seed source for this wildflower for several years and recently were given seed by another plant collector friend who grows it in his Gainesville landscape.  If we are lucky, we will have some plants available by spring 2013.

Squarehead will tolerate partial shade, but performs best in mostly sunny locations with well-drained soils.  I have thought for a long time that this is one species deserving of greater landscape use. Hopefully, we are working toward that goal at Hawthorn Hill.

Netleaf Leather-Flower - Clematis reticulata

Florida is home to 7 species of native Clematis. Netleaf leather-flower (Clematis reticulata) is one of the few upland species, however, and found in a variety of well-drained sunny sites throughout the northern two-thirds of the state. This is primarily a southern species and also occurs from South Carolina, west to Oklahoma and Texas.

Netleaf leather-flower, in a way, is an upland version of swamp leather-flower (Clematis crispa) - a species I have written about previously.  Both are herbaceous perennials that die back to the ground in winter. Both have tendrils that they use to twine their way through adjacent vegetation, both have 3-parted compound leaves, and both species have bell-shaped flowers.  There are significant differences between the two species, however.

Habitat preferences are one of the most significant.  Netleaf leather-flower occurs in sunny uplands, sandhills and open woodlands. The above photos were taken in San Felasco Hammock in Alachua County. As its common name implies, netleaf leather-flower has deeply incised venation - much more so than swamp leather-flower. Finally, the flowers of neatleaf leather-flower are smaller and the lower petals are not curved backwards in the same way as swamp leather-flower.

Netleaf leather-flower is an interesting addition to an upland planting.  It can be used on a trellis or fence, or allowed to wind its way through neighboring foliage.  If used in the latter way, it should be planted near the front or near walkways so the small, but attractive flowers can be admired.  It is not currently offered commercially by any of the nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries, but I have found it several times from gardening enthusiasts and it can be found with a bit of searching.  We have recently been given some seed of this wildflower and may have some for sale eventually at Hawthorn Hill.  If interested, let us know.

Man-of-the-Earth - Ipomoea pandurata

Man-of-the-earth (Ipomoea pandurata) is one of a great many morning-glories native to Florida. Most are somewhat aggressive vining herbaceous wildflowers that wind their way through adjacent vegetation; sometimes earning them a reputation as "noxious" weeds.  This is one such species, despite its attractive flowers.  Man-of-the-earth is native throughout Florida and much of eastern North America.  In Michigan and New York, it is classisflied as a state-listed species, but in parts of the mid-South and Midwest it is prohibited to plant. Throughout its range, it occurs in well-drained upland sunny locations.

Man-of-the-earth is a perennial that dies to the ground in winter.  In spring, it emerges and its various stems may reach well more than 6 feet in length.  It uses its tendrils to anchor itself to nearby vegetation and can nearly cover it at times.  Its leaves are opposite on the stems and can be either oval in shape or lobed as the one photographed above.

Flowering occurs in summer and into the fall.  Like other members of this genus, the flowers last only one morning.  Man-of-the-earth has blooms that are white with a deep violet throat.  Each is about 2 1/2 inches across. They attract a wide variety of pollinators.

Most of Florida's morning-glories are difficult landscape species because of their aggressiveness and the difficulty in controlling them.  As such, this species has not been offered for sale commercially by FANN members and is unlikely to in the future.  However, it is easy to propagate from seed and could be grown on a stout fence or large trellis should you be interested.  It is not prohibited from planting in Florida.