My Indigenous Plants (Weeds)

So many forums, so little time. I was looking for a weed forum. Now I know the PC term for this is indigenous.

In December I moved on to my new 5 acres of land here in zone 8b. The only thing evergreen was the long leaf pine trees and the "rosemary" bushes.

Well, it seems spring is sprunging and I have found some interesting wildflowers growing about the property.

First one seems to be a daisy, but that's probably not the right name for it. Maybe yall can help? They are cropping up all over on the front of the property under the tall pines. Lighting is full to filtered sun.

The next one looks like a dandelion, yet so tiny. But so like the ones I grew up with in Michigan.

Here's one I found popping up in the middle of my rough driveway. We dug it up and moved it outside of the drive. Later this morning I found one more just like it up near the front road.

Any help on this one?

I really love all the wildflowers growing here. All winter things have been very gray and desolate, a bit of a change from that tropical evergreen Ft Lauderdale.

I plan on leaving 3 1/2 to 4 of my acres rough and wild grown. Even the thistle is beautiful, though deadly.

Here's one of the thistle I spoke of.

Molly
:^)))

Hi Molly,

Plant #2 looks like some kind of Hawkweed. Plant #3 has really pretty leaves that remind me of Rattlesnake Plantain. Keep in mind there are native dandelions, too!

Indigenous plants aren't generally considered weeds, all indigenous means is plants that are native to your area. Though some of them can sure be weedy. Like Heath Aster, Ragweed, Common Milkweed, and some Goldenrods.

Thanks dod,

This is a new forum to me and I hope to spend more time here.

There are 618 acres of state owned/undeveloped property behind mine and we are free to explore there. I've already found a couple other "natives" I'd like to have growing here on my place.

Molly
:^)))

Hi Molly,

#1 is Berlandiera subacaulis aka Florida Green Eyes

# 2 - I'm not sure but I'll do a bit of research

#3 I believe is Asclepias humistrata aka Pinewoods Milkweed

#4 Most likely Cirsium horridulum aka Bull Thistle - may be pink, purple or white blooms

all of these plants are major butterfly/bee, etc attractors

Stacey,

Thanks, that's amazing, you got those three right on the nose.

Molly
:^)))

I've been researching and photographing Florida wildflowers for a few years now, one of my passions! LOL

Molly, you can't do better than Stacey on Florida wildflowers - and some that range outside of the state as well! (hi guys, how have you all been??) Isn't the second just a tiny dandelion? We have dandelions in several sizes here depending on how much cow poop they have planted themselves in. Some get to bushel basket size and others are just tiny things, suitable for tiny people to pick for mommies or grandmas.

Why thanks Kathleen...blush. I do love our wildflowers and can name a lot of them but I can't ID most landscape plants

I don't think that this is a weed forum. I am bit offended. :-(

You ARE kidding....right?

I am not really offended...

but the use of the word, weed, when referring to native plants is a bit disconcerting... because most of the plants that are considered "weeds" are naturalized plants not true natives, usually, that is why they are weedy....

And of course any plant can be a weed.... depending upon where it is growing, so it doesn't really matter....

We all know that weed is merely a term.......used generically. If you read my postings above, you will know that I look forward to these wildflowers growing on my property.

I will also bet you that the use of the word "weed" did not in any way offend my Bull Thistle, Florida Green Eyes, nor my pink veined Milkweed.

Thanks for coming to visit joepyeweed.

:^))))
Molly

Molly,

Kathleen was correct, your tiny dandelion is just that... It's Krigia virginica aka Dwarf Dandelion and/or Virginia Dwarf Dandelion. It's a native and if you notice it going to seed I'd sure love a few of them!

Stacey

Thanks Kathleen and Stacey!!!

Stacey it seems to be such a dwarf I can't even find it again. But I am sure as spring and summer wear on there will be more. I will get some seed for you.

Molly
:^)))

hmm, I have my days! ; )

back to the weeds issue, I have an entire collection of poetry entitled "Weeds"
Whitman had already taken "Leaves of Grass"

There are some definitely undesirable plants, and there are plants that are desirable, but not where they are. I try to keep a fairly open mind about them until they give a certain level of proof one way or the other.

I really love the wildflowers. I will encourage them to grow here since I cannot landscape the entire 5 acres.

I also am attempting to put in Florida Natives as well

Molly

I went to a native plant sale a couple weeks back and bought some nursery grown natives. I put them in an area that they should do well. I also went down to the front of my place and dug up some of the other natives growing there.

I discover the nursery grown natives transplant much better than the nature grown ones. The tick seed and coreopsis moved well, but several of the others didn't.

I have a new one to ID if yall are up to it. These are growing along the road side, including my swale. At first I thought they were going to be another thistle but I see no prickers on them. Kind of looks like foxglove. Very pretty. When my son mowed the swale area, I asked him to leave these growing.

Molly
:^)))

Molly, that's moth mullien, Verbascum blattaria. We have them in both yellow and white, but up here they don't bloom until late summer.

It sure does look like it. I'm taking the camera back down when I get the mail to get some closer shots of the blooms and the base of the plant.

It seems strange that we are one month after last frost and these are at this stage of bloom when plant files says summer to fall.

Maybe we need to update the plant files on this info.

Thanks,
Molly
:^)))

If it is Verbascum blattaria, it isn't indigenous. Unless you live in Europe or Asia.

Molly, you might look at Verbascum virgatum too. It has naturalized along a lot of Florida roadways and is the one you'll find in books about wildflowers/naturalized plants of Florida. It is a spring bloomer and will disappear when it's done blooming.

Thanks Stacey,

I was thinking of digging up a couple and bringing them up to my side yard where I have a lot of the Florida Natives growing.

I know the tick weed (seed) dfidn't transplant well nor did the wild milkweed.

Do you think this one would?

Molly

We successfully transplanted one from Lk Panasofkee and it did fine. It was a small plant that hadn't started to bloom yet. It bloomed beautifully and once it went to seed it disappeared...we got one volunteer that died out the following spring. You could try transplanting, why not?...or simply watch the plants and collect seed for next spring. The PF says that it basically blooms all year and probably does in its native area...here it seems to be an spring blooming annual.

We also successfully transplanted a blooming Coreopsis last fall. We had tried before and lost them. This time we put it in our sun bog and it lived long enough to go to seed. We now have about 5 healthy plants in our bog. I guess they just need more water than we thought. They DO grow mostly along roadside swales and in seasonally wet areas here so it makes sense.

Hope this helps you...

S




This message was edited Apr 26, 2006 4:13 PM

What did I have to lose? There are plenty all up and down the road. So I moved a half dozen of them up by my Fla Native bed. Got them in and they are being watered now.

While I was working, I found some other interesting plants. This one is in my succulents bed. I have been putting some annuals in there to fill in the drab spaces. Then I forget what I have done. I thought I had planted this one, but I don't know what it is and now I find it scattered about the place so I know it's growing wild. But it's very pretty and I like. Makes lovely ground cover.

It's not the Pygmy Torch, but the green one with the yellow flower. Looks like clover to me.

Here's my second find of the day. A very pale pink flower on a long slender single stem. When the wind blows, the top leans over and rests on the ground.

I know this seems quite juvenile, but I come from a place that there are no longer any wildflowers and the natives were simple tropical plants. I find this all very interesting and thrilled at something new every day.

Molly
:^)))

I do not know the scale of the photo March 13, 8:20. The white veining could be Pyrola picta, but I did not think it went that far south. Also P. picta is quite rare. I am starting some from seed.

http://www.cwnp.org/photopgs/pdoc/pypicta.html

I believe the yellow flowered plant is a Senna (Cassia). This one has been impossible for me to properly ID...too many conflicting pictures and info and disagreements as to whether it is a native or not. Host plant for the Sulphur butterflies and a beautiful plant. It wont stay small like it is...it can be a good sized shrub or small tree.

The pink/purple flowered plant...I know what it is but I can't come up with the name off the top of my head...I'll check into it when I get home and let you know.

Wildflowers are incredible...glad you're catching the 'bug'. Now you need wildflower books. WK Taylor has written several and they all have lots of good info and pictures, etc although some info is now outdated as plants are re-classified.

This message was edited Apr 26, 2006 2:31 PM

UUallace, I being Stacey was correct on the Pinewoods Milkweed. It's more pink veined than white and somwhat fleshy leaves.

Oh and now I have to go flaunt my wild flowers in the butterfly place. I have cats on these milkweed, my broccoli and several other places.

:^)))))
Molly

Your pink flower usually starts out as a pale purple with darker tips. It is Lygodesmia aphylla aka Roserush or Rose-Rush.

It is pretty much drought tolerant and grows in dry pinelands, scrub and open disturbed sites. The flowers are usually solitary and bloom from spring to fall. I've only been lucky enough to see a couple of them and always in pretty remote areas.

Stacey,

The verbascum fared well over night. We had rain and they are all holding their heads up very proudly.

I was looking last night until I fell asleep about the little mound of green with the yellow/gold flowers on them. No luck yet.

I see the term "disturbed sites" often when reading about native plants. What exatly does that mean?

As for the Rose Rush, I AM in a remote site. I have 618 acreas of state owned property behind my parcel. They do a little clearing out there to keep the pine beetles down, but still woody.

Molly
:^)))

My definition of disturbed site is an area in which the native topsoil has been removed or dramatically disrupted. A plowed field, a cleared lot, etc

When a road is built the contractors dig up the plants and trees they are disturbing the native topsoil. Then they bring in topsoil from somewhere else along with seeds, weeds, ants and other bugs,etc. Look at piles of dirt ready for whatever on a construction site. In a matter of days there is vegetation of some sort growing on them.

Florida has so many different types of natural topsoil that when one fills with bought topsoil they are probably bringing in topsoil that is not the same as what is natural to the area = disturbed area.

I would venture to say that a lot of your land is dry pineland?? Never used for pasture or agriculture? You're very lucky to have that and you'll be amazed at the wild flowers and plants you'll find on your land.

Can you get a close picture of the yellow flower?

Two things happen in "disturbed sites". The soil is loosened, more agressive seeds will sprout. The soil fungi is disturbed. "Pine barrens" plants grow in soil that hasn't been disturbed in hundreds of years. This is very hard on plants requiring "arbutoid fungi". Monotropa has to be connected to Pinaceae (Pines, Hemlocks, etc.) or Oak only by mycorrhizza of Milk Mushrooms.

http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/monotropaunif.html

'next in indian-pipe family '

Garden Wintergreen is synonymous with Gaultheria procumbens, which is transplantable. Other Wintergreens (Pyrola, Chimaphila) usually use already established Rhizopogon or Pisolithus in place of root hairs which Ericales lack. Disruption frequently means death.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CHMA3

The Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act requires 'Trusts' a.k.a. 'Public Corporations' to ignore taxomomy and science.
see this forum November 6.

Stacey,

This is the best a no camera talent like me can do with the breeze constantly blowing my focus out. Actually I don't focus well anyway. I hope this helps.

About the property: Back in the late 80's this area was subdivided into 5 acre parcels. They were then sold to individual investors for 12.5K each. They cleared the roads, put in power lines above and phone lines below. Other than that, there has been no other improvements over the years. Yes it is dry pineland. Our soil base is sand over limerock. Any amending done to the soil has been done by the pine needles and turkey oak leaves decomposing over the years.

I put my home on the high part of the land which had a sparser tree cover, less needles and leaves. So far the only commercial amending we have done is with composted manure in the bag and any potting soil that plants came in when I bought them. All other amending is being done with the natural elements from my own property and this week from asphlund chipped tree trimmings. I do have a compost pile and bin from the organic kitchen items, but that stuff won't be ready for some time.

I also have made piles of branches and twigs around the property that I am letting decompose naturally. Some of this stuff only takes 3-4 months to go back to dirt. Looks like a wasteland in these areas waiting for decomposition, but that's okay. I don't mind.

I think you should come on up for the roundup in June, bring your RV and stay the weekend. There's plenty of room to park it if you come self contained. You can see and take pictures of the wildflowers, birds and critters that are all over the place here.

Molly
:^))))

Well...at this point all I can say is that your plant is not a Senna. I'll see what I can find in my books later

I'd love to see your land, plants and critters and a roundup sounds like fun but I don't tow the trailer. I leave that to Paul.
I bought a tent, a blow up bed and a portable 5000btu air conditioner. I even have high count Egyptian cotton sheets for the bed LOLOL IMHO that is "roughing it"!

Ok Stacey, Bring Paul or just bring the blow up bed. We have space to put one of those in the house. Probly more comfortable than my sleeper sofa (or so I have heard).

Molly
:^)))

Seems like something new everyday. I got a couple more if you have the time.

I believe you would classify this one as a shrub. It has 2 long branches coming out of the ground/base. This tallest one is about 5 feet. Those yellow things are blooms. I daren't touch them as bees/wasps spend a lot of time in there.

Molly

The other one today is this. I have these wildflowers that pop up in my arranged beds. They pop up and act like they were put there on purpose. :^))))

This one has a bud almost like a ballon flowers does. But doesn't look like any I ever planted seeds for.

The yellow is the bloom, the green one just below it is the pre-bloom. The flower closed up this afternoon. It doesn't stand any higher than 7-8 inches.

Molly