Archive

Trees

SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA (Magnolia grandiflora)

May 17, 2014
Trees, White Blooms
3 Comments

WHAT FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT IS BLOOMING TODAY?: SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA (Magnolia grandiflora)

Ornamental specimen tree with beautiful, creamy white, aromatic flowers. The seeds are eaten by squirrels, opossums, quail, and turkey

Learn: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_2/magnolia/grandiflora.htm

Native American Ethnobotany for this genus: http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Magnolia+grandiflora

Where does it grow in Florida? http://www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=3766

Seeds available: http://www.floridawildflowers.com/products/Scutellaria-integrifolia-%252d-Helmet-Skullcap.html

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DAHOON (Holly) Ilex cassine

April 30, 2014
Trees, White Blooms
2 Comments

WHAT FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT IS BLOOMING TODAY?™: DAHOON (Holly) Ilex cassine

Beautiful, versatile, dioecious tree. Be sure to have a nearby male in order for the female to produce the stunning red berries. Makes a great specimen.

Learn: http://www.fnps.org/plants/plant/ilex-cassine

Native American Ethnobotany for this genus: http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Ilex+cassine

Attracts Pollinators. multiple bird species feast on the berries throughout winter and into spring.

Where does it grow in Florida? http://www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=3866

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EASTERN REDBUD (Cercis canadensis)

March 16, 2014
Pink Blooms, Purple Blooms, Trees
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WHAT FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT IS BLOOMING TODAY?: EASTERN REDBUD (Cercis canadensis)

medium size tree that greets spring with it’s bright pink flowers. Does best in cooler areas of FL.

According to The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (via wildflower.org):

Special Value to Native Bees (Recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.)
Special Value to Bumble Bees
Provides Nesting Materials/Structure for Native Bees (A plant that native bees nest beneath, within, or harvest parts from to
construct their nests.)

Learn: http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/cercana.pdf

Native American Ethnobotany for this genus: http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Cercis+canadensis

Where does it grow in Florida? http://www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=3564

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CHICKASAW PLUM (Prunus angustifolia)

April 28, 2013
Trees, White Blooms
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WHAT FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT IS BLOOMING TODAY?: CHICKASAW PLUM (Prunus angustifolia)

small (to 20ft) tree. Flowers attract bees; Birds, mammals eat the fruit. This plant has runners which form thickets.

“If a single plant of similar stature and flowers is desired, consider flatwoods plum.”

Learn: http://www.fnps.org/plants/plant/prunus-angustifolia

Native American Ethnobotany for this genus: http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Prunus+angustifolia

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DAHOON HOLLY (Ilex cassine)

April 12, 2013
Trees, White Blooms
1 Comment

WHAT FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT IS BLOOMING TODAY?™: DAHOON (Ilex cassine)

perennial, evergreen holly tree. Females produce abundant fruits to feed wildlife, especially birds. reaches a height of approximately 26 feet but also works well when shaped as a shrub. It has dark green foliage with spring blooms and pretty red berries appearing in late summer and early fall. It is a favorite among the birds and is tolerant of the occasional flooding the rainy season provides and the drought of our dry season.

Learn: http://www.fnps.org/plants/plant/ilex-cassine

Dioecious: https://floridawildlifegardentails.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/its-a-girl-why-sex-matters-in-a-wildlife-garden/

Native American Ethnobotany for this genus:  http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Ilex+cassine

Where does it grow in Florida? http://www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=3866

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RED CEDAR (Juniperus virginiana)

March 30, 2013
Blue Blooms, Trees, White Blooms
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WHAT FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT IS BLOOMING TODAY?: RED CEDAR (Juniperus virginiana)

a.k.a. Eastern redcedar is an evergreen tree in the cypress family. Berries provide great food for wildlife including: bluebirds, waxwings, bobwhite, quail, ruffed grouse, pheasant, wild turkeys, rabbits, foxes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and coyotes. Cover for birds, deer and others. Deer will browse in an emergency.

Learn: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/juniperus/virginiana.htm

Native American Ethnobotany for this genus: http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Juniperus+virginiana

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AMERICAN SYCAMORE; AMERICAN PLANETREE (Platanus occidentalis)

March 17, 2013
Green Blooms, Trees
6 Comments

WHAT FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT IS BLOOMING TODAY?: AMERICAN SYCAMORE; AMERICAN PLANETREE (Platanus occidentalis)

Likes it wet. Loses its leaves in winter. When I first planted it: http://web.archive.org/web/20110923211558/http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/neglected-tree-research.html

Learn: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st484

Native American Ethnobotany for this genus: http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Platanus+occidentalis

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LAUREL OAK (Quercus spp. likely laurifolia)

February 11, 2013
Green Blooms, Red Blooms, Trees
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WHAT FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT IS BLOOMING TODAY?: LAUREL OAK (Quercus spp. likely laurifolia)

There are dozens of native oaks in Florida. This particular oak was planted by a bird and has grown quickly and with a beautiful pyramid shape. It loses it leaves slowly in January as the new leaves appear so the tree is never completely bare. The portion hanging down is a catkin and it the male flower of the tree.

Learn about Florida Native Trees: http://flame.fl-dof.com/apps/trees.php

Native American Ethnobotany: http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=quercus+laurifolia

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