What's up in the Garden?
Savannah Milkweed
Written by Jane Wallace
Savannah milkweed, Asclepias pedicellata, is one of of the smallest of our native milkweeds. It occurs statewide in open upland habitats, such as pine flatwoods and prairie, but can easily be overlooked. Cedar Point is one local area where it occurs almost (for a native milkweed) in abundance. I have been trying to track it for the last few years. One year I staked out about forty plants in the spring but then we had a drought. This plant is not especially drought tolerant!
Least Snoutbean
Written by Jane Wallace
This year’s Plant Native Day is focused on vines and groundcovers. We have been scouting out vines. On one of our work days at the garden we noticed a vine growing along the driveway…what was it? The only thing we could really identify was leaves of three—was it a strange poison ivy? We decided to let it be. About a month later I was walking out to my car with Al and Denny. The leaves-of-three vine was now covering most of the plants along the section of the driveway opposite the parking spaces. Denny said Do you know what that is? I replied No. Snoutbean, he says, I’ll send you a picture of it.
Heliotropium spp.
Written by Jane Wallace
I am considering changing the name of this column to What's Wrong in the Garden. On a recent buying trip I learned we had goofed again. The plant we have labeled Seaside Heliotrope, Heliotropium curassavicum, is actually Pineland Heliotrope, Heliotropium polyphyllum (see photo).
Swamp Milkweed
Written by Jane Wallace
Last fall I was able to purchase some swamp rose milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, from Craig Huegel who manages Hawthorn Hill Native Wildflower and Rare Plant Nursery in Seminole, Florida. Craig also writes a blog about native florida wildflowers that offers a wealth of information about native plants. The blog is searchable so you can look up a specific plant or just browse through it: http://hawthornhillwildflowers.blogspot.com.
Tickseed
Written by Jane Wallace and Karen Griffin
In 1991, the Coreopsis was adopted as Florida's official state wildflower. The Florida Statutes, Title 4, Chapter 15, Section 15.0345 reads: The Coreopsis is hereby designated and declared the official Florida state wildflower, as species of this genus are found throughout the state and are used extensively in roadside plantings and highway beautification.
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