by Joshua Criss | Nov 21, 2024
A Sea of Yellow
You do not often see a sea of yellow flowers on what was recently a field of row crops in North Florida. In this instance, the culprit is a cover crop called sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea). Cover cropping, or green manure as it is sometimes known, is not a new concept. It is a great method for improving soil quality, adding organic matter, augmenting nitrogen supply, supporting pollinators when resources begin to wane, and combating nematodes. Incorporating this sustainable agriculture practice into home vegetable gardens is an excellent method to build long-term viability and production.
Many plants may be used in this capacity, but this article will focus on sunn hemp. This annual is an herbaceous, short-day flowering plant in the Lamiaceae or legume family. Its erect stems produce a great deal of biomass and, as a legume, will augment nitrogen stores within your soil profile. As if that wasn’t enough to sell you, this plant is also known to suppress nematode populations. Native to India and Pakistan, where sunn hemp is grown for fiber, this plant grows well in tropical and temperate environments. It will thrive in even sub-par conditions and requires little fertilizer input.
UF/IFAS Photo: Josh Criss
Seed Time
Seed this plant once your summer gardens have begun to wane. The shorter day length will keep the plant confined to about 3-4 feet while still allowing it to flower. It may also be planted earlier in the year to maximize below-ground biomass and add organic matter. In this scenario, the plant will likely grow to 7 feet tall with a closed canopy within 10 weeks.
Sunn hemp requires little fertilization as it is a legume, a plant family known to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. This same mechanism is one of the features of this plant as a cover or green manure crop, as it can add up to 320 pounds of nitrogen per acre back to the soil when planted en masse.
Seeding rates within a home garden are much smaller. A farmer may plant 30-50 pounds of seed, which is not practical in small-scale growing. Instead, aim to cover the garden area through broadcasting seed, as a denser planting will reduce the later branching of this plant. Ensure you have 8-12 weeks of warm, frost-free weather, and terminate them prior to reaching the full bloom stage. Doing so will provide your gardens with the same benefits seen in farm fields utilizing this sustainable practice.
UF/IFAS Photo: Josh Criss
To Sum it Up
Sunn hemp is an excellent plant for your gardens before your fall greens. The biomass it produces and the nitrogen it recovers make it very attractive to farmers and should raise eyebrows even in the home garden. The trick is learning to manage this plant within your crop rotation. For more information on soil management refer to these IFAS documents, or contact your local extension agent for additional information on this and any topic regarding your gardens and more.
by Beth Bolles | Nov 13, 2024
Although not native to Florida, the Loquat or Japanese plum is adapted to North Florida conditions. Unlike its relatives, apple, peach, and pear, the loquat is an evergreen tree providing a tropical look with attractive dark green leaves.
Flowers appear in Fall and are pollinated by many insects. Orange fruits are ready for harvest in spring if temperatures have not been too cold.
Bees will visit loquat flowers in the fall. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County.
Loquat trees can reach 20 to 25 feet in height with a good spread. Seedling trees will produce fruit but improved flavors are available with different cultivars.
One of the loquats in the Escambia County Demonstration garden was damaged by a hard freeze and succumbed to a secondary bark beetle attack the following spring. The 2nd tree is thriving as a key feature in the tropical garden. The downside to the location of our tree is that is surrounded by informal walkways that can get messy from fruit that falls in the spring. This may be a consideration when you install your own loquat tree.
Loquat at Escambia Extension. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
by Daniel J. Leonard | Nov 13, 2024
One of my favorite landscape plants is blooming right now in Panhandle landscapes – ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia. ‘Soft Caress’ was first introduced into the commercial nursery trade in 2006 and included in the Southern Living Plant Collection, but didn’t achieve garden fame until 2013 when it won first place in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. I first planted a group of ‘Soft Caress’ about ten years ago and as those plants have matured, so too has my appreciation for them. The following are a couple of my favorite outstanding aspects of these small shrubs.
Fall Flowers. Other than camellias, there isn’t a lot else in Panhandle landscapes blooming from mid-November to January and ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia helps fill that flower void. Brilliant yellow flower spikes rise above the deep-green fernlike foliage and very welcome in this otherwise drab and dreary gardening season.
‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia’s winter flowers are excellent pollinator attractors. Photo courtesy Daniel Leonard.
Quick growing but small statured. If you’ve gardened very long, you’ll know this is a tough ask! Plants that reach mature size relatively rapidly but also don’t get very big are a rare breed. ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia grows quickly but also maxes out in size rather quickly – mine are very easily maintained at 3-4’ in height with a single annual trim.
~10-year old ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia Shrub. Photo courtesy Daniel Leonard.
Extremely tough and adaptable. My Mahonia plants have persisted through drought, hurricanes, floods, and freezes and have never looked better. These little plants are simply tough. They’ve had no disease issues and no pest problems (except for a little deer browsing one year, but that appears to be an isolated incident). While they prefer shade, they can also handle several hours of morning sun without incident.
‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia is a standout plant that fills a mostly flowerless period in landscapes, fills its designated landscape spot quickly but won’t outgrow it, and is truly tough. Add a couple to your landscape this winter!
by Julie McConnell | Oct 31, 2024
A recent visit to the Dothan Area Botanical Garden (DABG) reminded me that although many of our summer flowers are winding down, we have a great garden show coming this winter when the southern classic camellias start to show their stuff. DABG has a large collection of camellias that will start blooming in the coming months. Here is a little background on the two most common types of camellias grown in our area.
Camellia japonica
Also known as Japanese Camellia, C. japonica thrive in partial sun to full shade. Direct morning sun with some shelter from the sun in the hottest part of the day is a good compromise. Too much shade can reduce flowering, so aim for at least partial sun.
Most Japanese Camellias bloom from January to March, but some may start earlier in the season. Flower shapes include single, semi-double, anemone, peony, and formal double. Flower colors are white, pink, red, and sometimes a combination of multiple colors! Camellia japonica mature at 10-15’ tall and wide but may get as big as 25 feet. This makes them ideal to create privacy in the garden or have the lower limbs trimmed into a tree-form.
Camellia sasanqua
Sasanqua camellias also prefer part sun but can also thrive in full sun once established. Leaves and flowers are typically smaller than C. japonica which is an easy way to differentiate. Although most have upright habits and can grow 10-15’ tall as well, there are a few cultivars such as ‘Shishi Gashira’, ‘Bonanza’, and ‘Mine-no-yuki’ that have more horizontal branching making them good options for foundation plantings. Sasanqua camellia are usually in full bloom in the fall, but may bloom as late as January. Flower shapes are similar to C. japonicas, but many varieties have more open flowers with exposed stamens that are beneficial to pollinators.
by Beth Bolles | Oct 24, 2024
If you love wildflowers, the Fall season has so many plants for you to enjoy. We often think of wildflowers as those in natural settings, on roadsides, or in drainage spots. Here are a few wildflowers that make excellent landscape additions.
Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) are everywhere and the yellow blooms are stunning. If all the incorrect information about goldenrod as an allergy causing plant never existed (ragweed is the main culprit), we would see selections of goldenrod available in every commercial outlet. Many selections have an upright growth so add goldenrod against fences, in back of borders, or large clumps in sunny areas of your landscape.
Goldenrod as a landscape feature at Escambia Demonstration Garden. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
If you have a moist area and love purple, Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) makes a wonderful fall blooming feature. Plants will colonize an area with running stems so it tends to form a large clump in moist soils. You may notice this in ditches on a drive around your county. The clusters of flowers look fluffy and will be present for many weeks in both full sun or partial shade.
A clump of mistflower in a moist plant bed. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
For dry and well drained spots of your landscape, the Woody goldenrod (Chrysoma pauciflosculosa) is a good choice. The small shrub offers bright yellow fall flowers that extend above a 2 foot tall plant. Plants tend to be evergreen when in the right location and additional new seedlings will emerge each spring if your landscape is suited for this plant.
Woody goldenrod in a home landscape. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
For those enhancing a butterfly garden, add Purple false foxglove (Agalinis purpurea), a host plant to the Buckeye butterfly. Plants grow well in our acidic well drained soils with a little moisture. Numerous tubular pink flowers occur in the Fall until a frost. Plants reseed well.
The Purple False Foxglove with vivid pink blooms in a natural setting. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
If you love all the colors and variety of wildflowers, it is a good time for finding seeds and plants to grow your own. Native nurseries and online retailers carry a wide selection for all seasons and many are low maintenance enhancements for our home landscapes. Like any other ornamental or grass, be sure to match the wildflower with your specific growing conditions.
by Beth Bolles | Oct 17, 2024
UF IFAS Extension Escambia County was recently able to offer a native tree and shrub giveaway to our community. A county partner had some grant funding remaining and chose a nice selection of plants grown by a local native nursery. After seeing the plant selection, I was really excited that a few participating homeowners had the opportunity to take home one of my favorite native plants, the Sparkleberry, Vaccinium arboretum.
The Sparkleberry in the corner of my back yard. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
Twenty-three years ago, I saved a sparkleberry on my new home lot because I loved this native tree. It has interest in all seasons in my opinion, including flowers, small fruit for wildlife, attractive bark, and an interesting shape as it matures. It has been a slower growing tree than others in my yard but I have enjoyed watching the tree develop its form and the bark develop the beautiful flaky cinnamon-brown look.
Sparkleberry bark and structure are attractive features in the landscape. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County.
The small tree is now about 12 feet tall and has never had any issues in the sandy, well drained soil. It can tolerate some moisture as long as the soil drains well. A grouping of trees from my neighbor’s lot keeps the plant in partial shade and we can often find sparkleberry specimens in the filtered light of woods. It can tolerate a sunnier location if that is the spot you have available for a small tree.
In addition to our enjoyment of this native tree, pollinators and other animals will appreciate the flower nectar, pollen, and berries. If you have a native nursery close to your home, be sure to ask for your own Sparkleberry if your site is suitable.
