The sweetly scented, golden yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers on the cascading, fine textured foliage of Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) covering fences and trees in open woodlands and along roadsides from late January to early April makes it one of the most beautiful vines throughout the Southeast. Carolina jessamine’s growth rate is moderate, reaching 20 feet or more when maintained as a vine. It can also be grown as a ground cover by cutting yearly in the late spring after flowering.
Carolina Jessamine – Photo credit: Mary Keim (Flickr ID Mary Keim).
This vine is very adaptable and will grow in a variety of conditions. Carolina jessamine tolerates either full sun or partial shade. Flowering is more prolific and foliage growth is denser in full sun. It grows best in rich, well-drained soil. But, it can grow very quickly up into the canopy of young trees. You may want to limit how many vines are allowed to establish around the trees that are being raised for future shade or harvesting.
Yellow jessamine has been used by herbalists to treat eye ailments and as natural, perfumed hair oil. The essential oils of the plant are extracted for use in the perfume industry, since the pleasant odor is difficult to reproduce synthetically.
Insects or diseases rarely trouble Carolina jessamine. All parts of this plant are extremely poisonous, especially to livestock, if eaten; however, the bright yellow spring blossoms are a source of nectar for butterflies and deer often browse on the vegetation for food and fiber. The sap may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. People, especially children, can be poisoned by sucking the nectar from the flowers. This should be considered when choosing a location to allow the Carolina jessamine to grow.
Coastal wetlands are some of the most ecologically productive environments on Earth. They support diverse plant and animal species, provide essential ecosystem services such as stormwater filtration, and act as buffers against storms. As Helene showed the Big Bend area, storm surge is devastating to these delicate ecosystems.
Hurricane Track on Wednesday evening.
As the force of rushing water erodes soil, uproots vegetation, and reshapes the landscape, critical habitats for wildlife, in and out of the water, is lost, sometimes, forever. Saltwater is forced into the freshwater wetlands. Many plants and aquatic animal species are not adapted to high salinity, and will die off. The ecosystem’s species composition can completely change in just a few short hours.
Prolonged storm surge can overwhelm even the very salt tolerant species. While wetlands are naturally adept at absorbing excess water, the salinity concentration change can lead to complete changes in soil chemistry, sediment build-up, and water oxygen levels. The biodiversity of plant and animal species will change in favor of marine species, versus freshwater species.
Coastal communities impacted by a hurricane change the view of the landscape for months, or even, years. Construction can replace many of the structures lost. Rebuilding wetlands can take hundreds of years. In the meantime, these developments remain even more vulnerable to the effects of the next storm. Apalachicola and Cedar Key are examples of the impacts of storm surge on coastal wetlands. Helene will do even more damage.
Many of the coastal cities in the Big Bend have been implementing mitigation strategies to reduce the damage. Extension agents throughout the area have utilized integrated approaches that combine natural and engineered solutions. Green Stormwater Infrastructure techniques and Living Shorelines are just two approaches being taken.
So, as we all wish them a speedy recovery, take some time to educate yourself on what could be done in all of our Panhandle coastal communities to protect our fragile wetland ecosystems. For more information go to:
Call 811 before you dig. No one wants a weekend project to be the cause of Internet, phone and cable outages. Worse yet, what if someone gets hurt from contact with natural gas or electrical lines? That’s why it is so important to have buried utilities in the yard located and marked before digging. Sunshine 811 coordinates each individual company to clearly mark where the service lines are located. Homeowners are required by law to contact 811 three days before any soil removal is done. The service is free.
Have information prepared before making the request. Describe the work to be performed (e.g. fence install, landscaping, irrigation install), including the type of equipment that will be used. Specify the exact location on the property and how long the work will continue. Finally, provide all the contact information (e.g. name, phone number, e-mail), should there be any additional questions.
Call 811 or request a single address ticket online. Receive a ticket number and wait two full business days, not counting weekends or holidays. Then contact 811 again. Make sure that all the utilities have responded in the Positive Response System (PRS). Sometimes that may mean that the company doesn’t have anything to make in the area.
If there are utility lines running through the yard, they will be marked with specifically colored paints or flags. Red is used for electrical lines, orange indicates communication lines, yellow means gas, blue is used for potable water, purple is reclaimed water, and green indicates sewer lines. White lines may be used to outline digging areas and pink are temporary survey marks. This is the APWA Uniform Color Code.
Every effort is made to locate the lines as accurately as possible. But, the safest thing to do is hand dig to expose the utility line before using any mechanized equipment. Lines can vary up to 24” from the marked line and depths can be less than 5”. Remember there may be access lines running through the property even if that service isn’t utilized at that address.
According to Druid lore, hanging the plant in homes would bring good luck and protection. Holly was considered sacred because it remained green and strong with brightly colored red berries no matter how harsh the winter. Most other plants would wilt and die.
Later, Christians adopted the holly tradition from Druid practices and developed symbolism to reflect Christian beliefs. Today, the red berries are said to represent the blood that Jesus shed on the cross when he was crucified. Additionally, the pointed leaves of the holly symbolize the crown of thorns Jesus wore on his head.
Several hollies are native to Florida. Many more are cultivated varieties commonly used as landscape plants. Hollies (Ilex spp.) are generally low maintenance plants that come in a diversity of sizes, forms and textures, ranging from large trees to dwarf shrubs.
The berries provide a valuable winter food source for migratory birds. However, the berries only form on female plants. Hollies are dioecious plants, meaning male and female flowers are located on separate plants. Both male and female hollies produce small white blooms in the spring. Bees are the primary pollinators, carrying pollen from the male hollies 1.5 to 2 miles, so it is not necessary to have a male plant in the same landscape.
A holly tree with berries – Sheila Dunning
Several male hollies are grown for their compact formal shape and interesting new foliage color. Dwarf Yaupon Hollies (Ilex vomitoria ‘Shillings’ and ‘Bordeaux’) form symmetrical spheres without extensive pruning. ‘Bordeaux’ Yaupon has maroon-colored new growth. Neither cultivar has berries.
Hollies prefer to grow in partial shade but will do well in full sun if provided adequate irrigation. Most species prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soils. However, Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine) and Gallberry (Ilex glabra) naturally occurs in wetland areas and can be planted on wetter sites.
Evergreen trees retain leaves throughout the year and provide wind protection. The choice of one type of holly or another will largely depend on prevailing environmental conditions and windbreak purposes. If, for example, winds associated with storms or natural climatic variability occur in winter, then a larger leaved plant might be required. Several cultivars have been created by cross pollination with native species or propagation from sports of natives. Check out ‘East Palatka’, ‘Savannah’, ‘Nellie Stevens’, ‘Robin’, and ‘Screen Play’.
‘Roundleaf’ Yaupon Holly – Sheila Dunning
The natives are likely to be better adapted to local climate, soil, pest and disease conditions and over a broader range of conditions. Nevertheless, cultivars may be desirable for many attributes such as height, growth rate and texture but should not reproduce and spread beyond the area planted. When introducing a new plant to the landscape it is always important to consider any negative impacts.
There is increasing awareness of invasiveness, i.e., the potential for an introduced species to establish itself or become “established” in an ecological community and even become a dominant plant that replaces native species. Tree and shrub species can become invasive if they aggressively proliferate beyond the windbreak. At first glance, Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), a fast-growing, non-native shrub that has a dense crown, might be considered an appropriate red berry producing species. However, it readily spreads by seed disbursed by birds and has invaded many natural ecosystems. Therefore, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has declared it illegal to plant this tree in Florida without a special permit. Consult the Florida Invasive Species Council (FISP) https://www.floridainvasives.org/ for a list of prohibited species in Florida.
For a more comprehensive (though not total) list of holly varieties and their individual growth habits refer to ENH42 Hollies at a Glance: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg021
In the fall of the year, North American monarch butterflies travel from their summer breeding grounds to overwintering location. Those from east of the Rocky Mountains, travel up to an astonishing 3,000 miles to central Mexico. Unlike summer generations that only live for two to six weeks as adults, Eastern monarch adults emerging after about mid-August can live up to nine months. They enter reproductive diapause and begin migrating south in response to decreasing day length and temperatures. This generation has never seen the overwintering grounds before.
As the Monarch butterflies migrate through the Panhandle, saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia), is a must visit. Their tiny, white to greenish blooms and “fuzzy-looking” fruit come into flower and are attractive at a time when few other small trees and shrubs are flowering, bring this rarely-noticed native plant into view in the fall landscape.
Saltbush is an oval to rounded, freely branched, multi-stemmed, hardy, semi-evergreen to deciduous, cold-tolerant shrub usually not exceeding about 12 feet in height. Its leaves are 1-3 inches long and about 1 1/2 inches wide, often deeply toothed, and shiny to grayish green. No serious pests are normally seen on the plant. Also referred to as Groundsel, it is native to coastal and interior wetlands throughout Florida, often seen in its native habitat with Wax Myrtle, Buttonbush and Marsh Elder.
The monarch butterfly.
Photo: Steven Katovich
The average pace of the migration is around 20-30 miles per day. But tag recoveries have shown that monarchs can fly 150 miles or more in a single day if conditions are favorable. Monarchs migrate during the day, coming down at night to gather together in clusters in a protected area. In the south, they might choose oak or pecan trees, especially if the trees are overhanging a stream channel.
Monarchs migrate alone—they do not travel in flocks like birds do. So they often descend from the sky in the afternoon to feed, and then search for an appropriate roosting site. Most roosts last only 1 or 2 nights, but some may last a few weeks.
By early November, the monarchs gather in oyamel fir (Abies religiosa) trees on south-southwest facing mountains in central Mexico. Orientation of insects is not well understood by entomologists. It can’t be learned from their parents since it’s the fourth or fifth generation that migrates south. Celestial cues (the sun, moon, or stars) and the earth’s magnetic field are the most accepted driving forces influencing the monarch butterflies’ instincts. Unique genetics in North American monarchs have been discovered by researchers. Low metabolic rates and changes in muscle function make migrating butterflies endurance athletes.
The earliest records of overwintering clusters of monarchs are from the 1860s. The chosen grounds provide all the elements needed for overwintering. Because monarchs need water for moisture, the fog and clouds in the two-mile-high mountainous region provide a perfect resting area. Clustered together, covering the trunks and branches of the sacred fir trees, the monarchs are protected form the occasional frost, snow, rain, or hail by the thick canopy of the tall trees, surrounding shrubs, and nectar providing flowers. Milkweed is not the essential plant for the overwintering generation. Come spring, the monarch will begin their search for the milkweed.
