by Carrie Stevenson | Nov 4, 2014
I recently met with a group of community volunteers who are interested in providing more butterfly habitat in our public areas. Monarchs migrating to Mexico this time of year use northwest Florida as a stopover and feeding site, but if host plants are unavailable they cannot sustain a healthy population. In addition, Gulf fritillaries, buckeyes, and swallowtails are spending time in local butterfly gardens, feeding on passion vine, butterfly bush, milkweed, and more.
The grassy area between this stormwater pond and woods is an ideal location for a butterfly garden. Willows growing along the edge attract butterflies already. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
The volunteers and several county staff visited three publicly-managed stormwater ponds, which are an ideal setting for what some proponents term “Butterflyscaping.” The open space, water source, and diversity of plants along the edge of the ponds lend themselves well to wildlife habitat.
The permanently wet detention pond lined with cypress trees and sawgrass also provides habitat for fish, birds, and reptiles. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
When considering adding vegetation to a neighborhood common area, there are several things to consider. First is maintenance. If there’s an annual contract with a landscaping company to mow or maintain an area, you’ll want to have a discussion about excluding the new planting area from mowing to establish new vegetation. You’ll also want to look at the soil and amount of sunlight to determine the best plant choices for the area.
A variety of groundcovers, flowering plants, shrubs and small trees will typically provide food for both caterpillars and adult butterflies. Once established, these new landscape additions will not only provide habitat and color, but may end up reducing maintenance costs as well.
For more information, the UF publication “Community Butterflyscaping” is an excellent resource for landscape design, plant choices, and practical steps toward getting started with a neighborhood or schoolyard project.
by Mary Salinas | Oct 21, 2014
This autumn you may notice shrubs with long, arching branches sporting clusters of shiny purple berries. That beautiful sight is the Beautyberry, or Callicarpa americana. This native is found throughout Florida and the southern United States, west into Texas and north to Tennessee and Virginia.
Beautyberry in the fall. Photo credit: Mary Derrick, UF IFAS Extension.
In the spring, lavender flowers adorn the branches and are a favorite of bees. The flowers eventually give way to the shiny purple berries in the fall. Birds find the berries very attractive and will feast on them when found. Mockingbirds and cardinals are especially fond of them. If you plant this shrub for the birds, one or two plants will provide more than enough of the berries to satisfy their appetites.
Beautyberry is adaptable to a wide variety of soils and moisture. After it gets established it is drought tolerant, however it can also do well in a moist area. A spot in your garden that gets partial sun is a perfect location. Plants in too much sun sometimes get a bit yellow and those in too much shade get leggy and don’t set as much fruit. Beautyberry is deciduous, meaning that it will lose all its leaves in the winter. Therefore, you may want to place it in an area of your yard where it won’t be a focal point in the winter.
This lovely plant is usually readily available at independent nurseries. If you prefer to grow your own, beautyberry is easy to propagate and grows rapidly. Snip off an approximate 6-inch piece from the end of a stem; the cut piece should have 5 sets of leaves. Snip off the bottom 2 sets of leaves – this part of the stem will be in the soil and roots will emerge from where the leaves were removed. Also snip off the top of the stem to include the top set of leaves. Your cutting will end up with only 2 sets of leaves. Immediately put the cutting in a good potting soil, making sure that the lower part of the stem where the 2 sets of leaves were removed is below the soil line. Keep the soil moist as the cutting develops a good root system.
You and the birds will enjoy this lovely shrub for years to come!
by Taylor Vandiver | Oct 7, 2014
I think it’s safe to say fall is officially here. Shouts can be heard from local football stadiums, occasionally a crisp fall breeze will send us looking for a light jacket, and coffee shops are pushing all things pumpkin. Now that we can officially appreciate the cooler fall weather, it may be time to stretch our legs and marvel at the spectacular show of color our landscapes are putting on. Here are a few plants that are showing off this time of year.
Firebush (Hamelia patens) – This charming Florida native will delight everyone with beautiful orange-red flowers throughout most of the year. Hummingbirds and butterflies enjoy the nectar in the flowers. Firebush can reach a height and width of 8 to 12 feet. It is a fast growing plant that will grow well in part to full sun environments.
Bright orange-red blooms on a firebush. Photo courtesy UF/IFAS.
Salvia (Salvia spp.) – Salvias are great plants for bringing butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden and as a bonus, they have no serious pests. With hundreds of annual and perennial species coming in an array of colors and sizes, you can easily find one or more to complement your landscape. Salvias perform best in full sun environments and are considered drought tolerant.
Deep purple blooms on a salvia in the landscape. Photo courtesy Taylor Vandiver.
Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) – Turk’s cap can add a cheerful pop of color at a time when little else is blooming. This old-fashioned Florida-Friendly shrub like perennial is related to the hibiscus. It’s known for its bright red flowers that always seem ready to open, but never do. Turk’s cap starts blooming in summer and keeps going until through winter, unless hit by a hard frost. It can grow in full sun and reach up to ten feet tall and ten feet wide, so give it room to grow. This easy-care native perennial requires little maintenance once it’s established.
Turk’s cap showing off its unique blooms. Photo courtesy Taylor Vandiver
Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) – When imagining fall color we often don’t consider coleus. However, the vibrant foliage can add interest to any landscape throughout the fall. Coleus is prized for its colorful foliage, which comes in shades of green, yellow, pink, red, and maroon. Coleus varieties can range from one to several feet in height. They can be used in hanging baskets, containers on patios, or in landscape beds. Coleus prefers partial shade and you can pinch the growing stems of young plants frequently to encourage dense foliage. Keep an eye out for mealybugs on coleus and use insecticidal soap if problems develop
Burnt orange foliage standing out amongst the neutral green of the landscape. Photo courtesy Taylor Vandiver.
Fore more information contact your local extension agent. Also you can visit us at gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu or edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
by Mary Salinas | Sep 23, 2014
In the midst of your September strolls through natural Florida, you may come across this native beauty, the narrowleaf sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius. Another common name is swamp sunflower. I found this gorgeous patch in the photo close to the shore of Apalachicola Bay. It occurs throughout Florida and north throughout much of the eastern United States. Florida is fortunate to be home to over 20 native species of sunflower.
Narrowleaf Sunflower. Photo credit: Mary Derrick, UF/IFAS Extension.
This perennial starts blooming in late summer and dazzles admirers throughout autumn. The 2 to 3 inch flowers with bright yellow petals and brown centers are attractive to butterflies and other pollinators. What a great addition to your butterfly garden!
Plants generally grow to about 2 foot tall but they can grow a bit leggy to 6 foot. If desired, keep them more compact through pruning in late spring. Clumps can be divided every few years to spread them out or to share with friends and neighbors.
Like all sunflowers, it loves full sun but can tolerate some light shade. Narrowleaf sunflower is salt and flood tolerant and will do well in most soil types, however it does best in consistently moist conditions.
Narrowleaf sunflower plants may be difficult to find in the nursery trade but they can be readily started from seed.
For more information and seed sources:
Florida Wildflower Foundation
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants: Helianthus species
Common Native Wildflowers of North Florida
by Carrie Stevenson | Jul 21, 2014
Many beachfront dwellers have intentionally planted beach vitex because of its attractive purple flowers. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor
Now that summer is in full swing, many of us are spending more time on our gorgeous Gulf beaches. Sea turtles are nesting and everyone gets excited at sightings of dolphins, sharks, and the Blue Angels. However, we have another recent visitor to our beaches, and this one isn’t spending money and renting condos. It has moved in from out-of-state and plans to stay, potentially wreaking havoc to our fragile beach dune ecosystems.
Florida is no stranger to invasive species. Reports and stories of pythons, popcorn trees, feral pigs, and others can be found everywhere. As a matter of fact, Florida and Hawaii have more problems with exotic plants and animals than any of the other states.
Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia) is originally from the coastal areas of the western Pacific. It was brought to the United States by North Carolina State University in the 1980’s to restore dunes along coastal Carolina after severe storms. The plant is very salt and drought tolerant and performs well in direct sun and sandy soils; perfect for our coastal beaches. It grows about 3 feet tall and produces branches that extend along the surface of the sand over 60 feet from the tap-root. The flowers are lavender and found in the spring. By midsummer the flowers have dropped and pea-size dark fruit is produced. The fruit is also salt tolerant and can be carried by ocean currents as well as birds. The plant seemed a perfect choice for restoration projects.
And then…
And then it began to overgrow the primary dune system, choking the majority of the native plants including sea oats. The shrub size of the plant and the presence of vertical tap roots in lieu of fibrous ones did not suit it well as a dune forming plant; some studies found that it actually increased the erosion of some dune fields. Beach vitex releases allelopathic compounds, reducing the water content of the soil which stresses native plants thus reducing competition for space. And then there are the sea turtles. Evidence indicates that the growth of this plant over the primary dunes has made it difficult for female turtles to find nesting areas, while fast growing branches grow over incubating nests and make it difficult, if not impossible, for the hatchlings to emerge. The plant has become such a problem that it has been dubbed “Beach Kudzu” and there is a two-state task force to remove it.
Beach vitex grows quickly and can rapidly take over an entire yard or beach dune. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor
Beach vitex has dispersed north to Virginia and south into Georgia. Currently it has been reported in only three Florida counties; Duval, Santa Rosa, and Escambia. Because of the few records in our state it is not currently listed as an invasive plant in Florida. The problem is, most biologists will tell you that the best way to eradicate an invasive species is to get it early. However most do not see the introduction of a new plant or animal as invasive until it becomes established and difficult to remove.
Natural Resource Agents with UF IFAS Extension are tracking the locations along the coast of the panhandle where this plant may exist. If you believe you may have it please let us know so that the location can be recorded. If you are interested in removing the plant we recommend cutting back to the tap-root. Dab the remaining tap-root with Round-Up. It is best if the remaining parts of the plant do not leave the property; if legal it is ok to burn. If you must transport it off the property we recommend it be dried on concrete and then double bagged before removing to the landfill. In many cases it may take several years to completely remove this plant. If you have any questions about this plant please call your local county Extension Office. Special thanks to Sea Grant Agent Rick O’Connor roc1@ufl.edu for use of this article.
by Larry Williams | Jul 15, 2014
Florida Betony (Stachys floridana), commonly called rattlesnake weed, is a Florida native plant. It’s thought to have been confined to Florida until it was moved to other Southeastern states during the 1940s or 1950s in nursery containers. It is now found from Texas to North Carolina. Its square stems are characteristic of the mint family of which it is a member.
Florida Betony foliage & flowers Photo Credits: UF/IFAS Extension
Underground white, fleshy tubers, which resemble a rattlesnake’s rattle in shape, provide the main means of reproduction. Pinkish-purple flowers are followed by a dried fruit that splits open releasing tiny seeds, which are a lesser means of reproduction. The white tubers have been used for hundreds of years as a starchy vegetable and are sometimes boiled like peanuts.
Florida betony weed tubers Photo Credits: UF/IFAS Extension
The tubers make Florida Betony tough to control. Even when above ground foliage and stems are killed due to herbicide use, the tubers allow the regeneration of the plant repeatedly. When attempting to control this weed, it helps to be more persistent than the plant. Many people give up.
Even though it is a perennial, the above-ground portion of the plant grows during fall and spring and becomes dormant during hotter weather.
You can remove the weed by digging, making sure to remove the entire root system (including the tubers). But persistence and patience is required. Herbicide control usually involves repeat applications approved products in lawns. Glyphosate herbicides such as Roundup can be used to control Florida Betony in plant beds. But do not get the herbicide on any green portion of desirable ornamentals.
Always refer to the product’s label for specific uses, application rates and turfgrass tolerance when using any herbicide.
So, why not just dig up the Florida Betony in your lawn and have a native plant feast?
by Larry Williams with content by Matthew Orwat
