by Matt Lollar | Dec 16, 2015
With the cotton harvest coming to an end, it’s not unusual to see cotton littered on the sides of the road. You may also think you see it hanging in the trees, but you will be pleasantly surprised to find a hidden gem. Woodbine (Clematis virginiana) and coastal virgin’s bower (Clematis catesbyana) are two native species of clematis that can be found wrapped around trees in the Panhandle. They have finished flowering for the year and you will notice their showy seed lint hanging in the trees.
Clematis growing in an oak tree. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, UF/IFAS
Clematis leaves are compound, consisting of 3 to 5 leaflets, dark green and glossy with toothed edges. The vines are typically 1/2 inch in diameter and can grow to 20 feet. The flowers are much smaller than those of cultivated varieties found at garden centers. Flowers are white with prominent stamens. Clematis catesbyana and Clematis virginiana have similar flowers, but the flowers of C. virginiana are fragrant.
Clematis species grow well in partial shade to full shade. Native plants are often found entwined in the forest understory near streams or ponds where soil conditions are moist. Garden varieties grow well with their roots in moist, shaded soil and their leaves and flowers in the sun. They are often seen growing on a trellis or on a fence.
Clematis ‘General Sikorski’. Photo Credit: Karen Russ, Clemson University
It is important to note that some species of clematis are invasive. Sweet autumn clematis or Japanese clematis (Clematis terniflora) is a vigorous invasive species that was once popular in southern gardens. This species has similar characteristics to C. catesbyana and C. virginiana, but its leaflets have smooth edges. You should develop a control strategy if Japanese clematis is found in your garden. For control options, please visit EDIS – Japanese Clematis.
by Mary Salinas | Dec 4, 2015
The cooler weather in the wintertime makes it a great time to plant trees and shrubs. That is why Arbor Day in Florida is the third Friday in January. In 2016, that event is January 15.
Baldcypress growing at the edge of a pond. Photo: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS
Start your planning now with doing a site assessment on your landscape, then choosing the right trees and shrubs for your particular environmental conditions.
Here are some great sites that offer online tools for finding just the right species:
Florida Tree Selector
The Florida-friendly Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design
Florida Native Plant Society Locator
And if you want to find out just how much your established trees are worth, use this National Tree Benefit Calculator!
For more information:
Planting Trees in the Landscape
Arbor Day Foundation: Florida
by Matt Lollar | Nov 18, 2015
Yaupon hollies (Ilex vomitoria) are evergreen, provide great fall/winter color, and can adapt to numerous landscape situations. They are also very durable and can survive extreme drought.
Characteristics
Yaupon hollies are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are produced on separate plants and berries are only produced on female plants. Flowers are creamy white, but not showy on both male and female plants and berries can range in color from red to yellow depending on cultivar. The plants are favored by wildlife – pollinators are attracted to the flowers and birds love the berries.
Yaupon hollies are native plants with a number of different cultivars available at plant nurseries. ‘Jewel’ is a cultivar that produces an ubundance of red berries and ‘Aureo’ produces yellow berries. ‘Nana’, a dwarf, compact male cultivar is an excellent replacement for boxwoods. Large growing cultivars can grow to 15 to 25 feet tall and can be shaped as trees or left as large shrubs. ‘Folsom’s Weeping’ and ‘Pendula’ are two weeping cultivars that can be utilized as dramatic specimen trees.
Dwarf Yaupon hollies will naturally form a mound without pruning.
Credit: Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
Yaupon holly fruit and foliage. Photo courtesy UF/IFAS.
Plant Care
Yaupon hollies prefer to be planted in full to partial sun. It is important to note that they are drought tolerant and require a site with well-drained soil. Because only the female plants produce berries, it is best to purchase plant material when plants contain berries in late fall and winter. Yaupon hollies spread readily by vegetative sprouts. Sprouts should be pruned down to the soil line 2 – 3 times per year. They do not have many disease or insect problems, but scale, leaf miners, mites, and aphids can sometimes be a problem.
Fun Facts
The leaves of the yaupon holly contain a higher caffeine content than any other plant native to North America. The Seminole Indians would purposely brew a concentrated “Black Drink” tea to induce vomiting and diarrhea for believed purification. Southerners utilized the caffeine in the leaves during the Civil War. If the leaves are steeped for a short period, a black tea or coffee substitute can brewed. A related species of holly (Ilex paraguariensis) from Brazil is used to make a drink called Yerba Mate, which is as popular in South America as coffee is in North America.
For more information on yaupon hollies, please visit the publication located at this link https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st311.
by Matthew Orwat | Nov 5, 2015
Waxmyrtle. Image Credit UF / IFAS Solutions
Myrica cerifera Southern Waxmyrtle, Bayberry is a large shrub to small tree that is now native to much of Florida and much of the Southeastern United States. It was introduced to Europeans in the 1700s and is considered native by many botanical authorities. Sources disagree to the validity of its native status. It is usually found as an understory plant in lightly forested areas, swamps, brackish areas, as well as around old home sites.
It was planted widely in the 18th,19th and early 20th century as a plant for medicinal and industrial purposes. Four pounds of its berries will yield one pound of wax for candle making. When processed, this wax was also used in surgeon’s soap, shaving lather, and sealing wax. Fermented leaves were used to produce a substance which was said to treat fever, stomach aches, and headaches.
Southern Waxmyrtle can reach up to 25 feet but is best maintained as a 10-20 foot multi-trunked shrub or small tree. It can also be trained as a smaller hedge and several dwarf form exist. Landscapes are enhanced by the shrubs’ olive green foliage, leaf aroma, open, rounded form and waxy blue-green berries. Wildlife enjoy the berries as a food source as well. They can provide dappled shade for outdoor entertainment spaces or front entrances.
Waxmyrtle Leaves. Image Credit Brent Sellers – UF / IFAS Extension
Another benefit of Waxmyrtle is that it can be used in tough-to-landscape roadside and coastal areas since it is both pollution and salt tolerant and will cease to require irrigation once it is established. ‘Pumila’ is a dwarf cultivar suitable to small spaces.
Waxmyrtle is susceptible to few pests and diseases but can occasionally be attacked by webworms, mites and caterpillars. These can be controlled by pruning out of infested areas, forceful applications of water or Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis for caterpillar). It is also occasionally susceptible to canker on old branches and Fusarium wilt in central and south Florida. It is also considered a weed in pasture situations.
References:
by Gary Knox | Sep 28, 2015
The University of Florida/IFAS presents Art & Garden Fall Family Festival, October 3, at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC), Quincy Campus. Join us that day and discover creative ways to explore visual art and the art of gardening through demonstrations and fun activities for the whole family. Speak with experts about all your gardening questions or purchase unusual, hard-to-find, top-performing plants for our area. Take a tour of the Gardens or a trolley ride highlighting fruits and nuts that can be grown in our area. Locally grown produce and garden plants as well as arts and crafts will be for sale along with food and refreshments. Children’s arts and crafts activities will take place in a huge “Kid Zone” located in a shaded, garden area.
The Art & Garden Fall Festival is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 3.
The festival takes place in Gardens of the Big Bend, located in Quincy at I-10 Exit 181, just 1/8 mile north on Pat Thomas Highway (SR 267). The Gardens are located on the campus of University of Florida/IFAS, North Florida Research and Education Center, off Pat Thomas Parkway, SR 267 at 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL. Located just north of I-10 Exit 181, 3 miles south of Quincy.
Presented by the University of Florida/IFAS, North Florida Research and Education Center in collaboration with the Gadsden Arts Center, Gardening Friends of the Big Bend, the Quincy Garden Club and other area garden and arts organizations.
For more information: http://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/art-and-garden/ or 850-875-7100.
by Mary Salinas | Sep 24, 2015
Native Lanceleaf Coreopsis. UF/IFAS Photo: Thomas Wright.
In our demonstration garden we are enjoying the small but vibrant blooms of our state wildflower Coreopsis, also commonly known as tickseed. After many years of its use in the Florida highways beautification program, Coreopsis was adopted as Florida’s official state wildflower in 1991.
Florida can boast of 16 different species of Coreopsis that occur in the state with most blooming in the spring but some species blooming in the summer to later in the fall. Some of those species are rare, endangered or only found in very limited areas of the state, while others are quite common throughout the state.
Photo credit: Mary Derrick, UF/IFAS.
Many lovely new cultivars have been introduced for our enjoyment by plant breeders through cross-breeding and selection. Some you can see in the accompanying photographs in this article.
Photo credit: Mary Derrick, UF/IFAS.
Coreopsis is an annual or short-lived perennial that makes a great addition to your garden beds. And the bees and butterflies will enjoy them! The numerous flowers readily produce seed for naturalizing in the landscape. Plant them in a sunny spot in the landscape in evenly watered but well-drained soil. Removing the dead blooms will encourage plants to prolong their blooming; you can also save the seed for replanting in new areas of your landscape.
For more information:
History of Coreopsis as Florida State Wildflower
Gardening Solutions: Coreopsis
Florida Wildflower Foundation
