florida gardening roughdraft

VOL. 16, NO. 8

SOME OF THE BEST THINGS IN THE GARDEN ARE FREE pg 8 AN HERBAL AFFAIR pg 10 THREE’S A CHARM: GARDENING IS A JOURNEY pg 13 STRANGLER FIG GETS A BAD RAP pg 15

Letter from the Editor This magazine is your source for all your Florida gardening needs. Moluptam liate mil idit, ut ipsae quibus etur, non con culliquam que niminveria sitaqua tionse eatquo electatquia pellorp orepel erunt alit poreperite pellaut ad quae prem haris unditatem quam ipsant utem doluptas molendamus core arum adigendam inis quae et quatem rae natur ration pratendae veligen istios maios quis ad quunti volorpo sapiend usdanimillam ese sed et voluptatur ratus, ut expelique maximod quatenis dolest enis etur ra conectio qui cone nihit voluptaquis consed maionem autecto quo bla doloria dis nos dem.

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Germinations

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis dolorae lati idebit millant pores ea vit esenducid quiaectium ad magnihilisci dolo doluptis magnisima volorem ex es volor simi, aut vellabo.

Otatiorerum ad mil il maximint, tem. Name pelluptae nonseque volupti onsectis consequas molenti dolutem quibus eum faciamet, solum con ea eium ipsusam qui omnim et eosa cumquia voluptae oditiscius, quateceprae re pariora tureicto tem sam quis aut facias modis delisque ressunt ma

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

Some of the Best Things in the Garden are Free

by Bill Pitts

hough Florida-bred and labeled “vigorous,� they shriveled, caught rust

of evergreen shrubs, most of them natives, and planted them around the lot’s edge, except in one corner, where some Viburnum odoratissimum had been planted by a previous owner. These sweet viburnums had grown open and gnarled and seemed to be in decline.

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hough Florida-bred and labeled “vigorous,” they shriveled, caught rust and and eventually disappeared in the sand.

Meanwhile, some old “ditch lilies” from my grandmother’s garden bloomed every spring despite infrequent watering and no fertilizer. I don’t even mulch those day old daylilies, unless you count the “living mulch” of Florida betony that crept in from the neighbor’s yard.

Many gardeners consider Florida betony, Stachys floridana, a first-class weed, but I value it as a coolseason groundcover and bee plant. When the weather warms up, basket grass, Oplismernus hirtellus- also widely condemned as a weed- takes betony’s place.

This daylily-betony-basket grass trio lives in harmony in the light shade of cabbage palms that were planted by birds.

Sometimes a self-sown black eyed Susan or a tropical sage joins them. I even allow Spanish needles, Bidens alba- a weed if there ever was one- to visit.

“The white daisy flowers, though ragged, bring out the colors of other blooms and attract many butterflies.”

So often in my garden the best plants turn out to be the free ones. The Liriope muscari ‘Evergreen Giant’ that I purchased turned yellow with crown rot and never filled in but the old-fashioned creeping lilyturf, L. spicata, which was already growing wild on the lot, made a lush groundcover. The society garlic from the nursery struggled in the hot sand, attracted every snail in the neighborhood and exuded an unpleasant odor. When I finally yanked it, native toadflax, Linaria Canadensis, popped up in its place. This wispy, yet indestructible, wildflower makes a light purple mist of delicate blooms every spring. It’s also the larval plant of the Common Buckeye, one of my favorite butterflies.

With aims of a tapestry hedge, I once purchased a dozen different kinds

I cut them to the ground, hoping to kill them and create an excuse to plant something more interesting.

Of course they came back like gangbusters and made a wall of green, despite a relaxed shearing regimen. This hedge gives us more privacy than any fence I’ll ever be able to afford, far more than any of the interesting” shrubs I bought.

My first blue-eyed grass, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, has been divided so many times that the price of each plant now must come out to less than penny. The same is true of African iris and coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens. The latter often roots where its tendrils touch the ground, giving me free plants, many of which now cascade from tee pees all over the garden. Tropical milkweed, beach sunflowers, purple love grass, various coreopsis, gaura Madagascar periwinkle and many others reseed themselves by the dozen or the hundred. In most cases, these volunteers are healthier and prettier than the original purchased plant. They even arrange themselves better than I ever could.

“Its true that some good plants must be bought. My ‘Apalachee’ crape myrtles and citrus on dwarfing flying dragon rootstocks are worth every penny I paid for them.”

I buy a tray or two of wax begonias every spring for the patio

garden because nursery plants grown from seed bush out so much better than those I start from cuttings.

Other plants are liabilities, usually because they’re invasive. See the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council’s website for lists of the species to avoid (www.fleppc. org). The most expensive plants I’ve ever had the misfortune to own were the laurel oaks growing wild on our own lot. These weak, short-lived, diseaseridden and extremely dangerous trees cost us, like so many Floridians, thousands to remove. Appreciating them did cost me the effort of changing my ideas of gardening. I used to take the standard approach of smothering everything except what I hoped to grow with thick layers of newspaper with mulch.

Now I watch what pops instead. I try to identify every plant- a never-ending challenge- and learn

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“But many of the best plants in the garden truly are free- or nearly so.” all I can about each, pulling only what I know I don’t want. I accept some cudweed, Gamochaeta pensylvanica, and pepper grass, Lepidium virginicum, because they attract so many American Lady and Checkered White butterflies.

Florida petunias, fleabane and lyreleaf sage are all charming natives, so they stay.

Prickly poppies I keep for their light yellow blooms and their intricate, if spiny, foliage. I don’t even object to the occasional common dayflower, Commelina diffusa. I pull globe sedge, Cyperus croceus, and many other typical lawn weeds whenever I can, though sometimes I suspect I’m being intolerant. Weed tree seedlings- camphors, cherry laurels, rain trees and the dreaded laurel oaksget yanked without hesitation or mercy. When I introduce new plants to the garden, I avoid the latest cultivars and search instead for old-fashioned

“I never shun a plant because it is common.”

Some plants are passed over fences for good reason. And yet I find myself growing more and more unusual flowers.

From the unidentified tazetta narcissus from my greatgrandmother’s garden to the regional ecotypes of so many wildflowers planted by winds or birds, many of my plants cannot be bought. They are, as the credit card commercial says, “priceless.”

Bill Pitts wrote The Scythe Alternative in our Jun/Jul II issue.

He blogs about Spanish food on www.SimpleSpanishFood.com

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis dolorae lati idebit millant pores ea vit esenducid quiaectium ad magnihilisci dolo doluptis magnisima volorem ex es volor simi, aut vellabo.

Otatiorerum ad mil il maximint, tem. Name pelluptae nonseque volupti onsectis consequas molenti dolutem quibus eum faciamet, solum con ea eium ipsusam qui omnim et eosa cumquia voluptae oditiscius, quateceprae re pariora tureicto tem sam quis aut facias modis delisque ressunt ma

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

“THREE’S A CHARM: GARDENING IS A JOURNEY”

by Tom Hewitt

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sychotherapist Debbie Steinberg of Boca Raton believes gardening touches us spiritually as well. “Gardening nurtures the soul,” she says, “and allows us to intimately connect with nature.”

I first met Debbie on a scouting trip for the 2011 Mounts Botanical Garden Connoisseurs Garden Tour (“A Mother’s Day Tradition”). Her gardens were a shoe-in for the tour, but what impressed me most was her attitude.

“Gardens are constantly evolving,” she told me. “We should live for the moment and not be afraid of change.”

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This is where Debbie’s pots really take center stage. Amy likes to include herbs in some of them, noting that those with silver-gray or variegated foliage work especially well for a Mediterranean look.

Other pots are filled with ixora and lantana, while hydrangeas make an appearance each winter.

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It was only after she learned the reason it was built. “The previous owners needed protection from the golf balls that regularly broke the windows,” she says. Bothered by its starkness, she had trllises attached, covering them with Pandora vine (Pandorea jasminoides).

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It surrounds the swimming pool within the confines of a screened-in patio. A concrete wall blocks the view of a neighboring golf course. Painted a warm, buttery tan, it provides the perfect backdrop for some of her favorite plants.

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That’s where she got the idea to cover the base of a group of Alexander palms near the entrance with bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae).

Bougainvillea didn’t work over the garage door, so she simply continued on with the bleeding heart.

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The “Southwestern Garden” in the front of Debbie’s house was inspired by a trip to Arizona, and includes replicas of the wild bunnies that live in the desert. She went to Miami to find just the right boulders to use as accents.She also derived inspiration from visiting gardens on past Connoisseurs Garden Tours.

Pots here showcase colorful bromeliads. To soften a section of the garden wall, Debbie placed metal window boxes on top and filled them with pothos.

Their green and yellow leaves mix beautifully with foliage of ‘Sloppy Painter’ crotons (also knows as ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’), planted below.

These are interspersed with a variety called ‘Wilma’, which contain lovely pink splotches that offer just the right amount of contrast.

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When she did turn her attention to the grounds, things got off to a bumpy start. ‘I didn’t know a bougainvillea from a bromeliad,” Debbie admits, “I actually sat on the couch and had a good cry before visiting nurseries and reading books.” She also enlisted the talents of Amy Gonzalez, owner of Container Gardens by Amy in Lake Worth. The women instantly struck up a friendship that continues to this day. Their collaboration over the past six years has resulted in the creation of three distinct gardens.

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Debbie’s “Tropical Garden” on the side of her property is the complete opposite of the one front. Lush and tropical, it contains a small waterfall and stream, as well as a hammock and gazebo. Plate glass windows provide an unobstructed view from the dining room.

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“Whimsical pieces are everywhere. “My gardens reflect who I am,” Debbie says, “and I tend to include that things I love.”

Blues and yellos are classic Mediterranean colors. All of the pots on Debbie’s patio have yellow in them, whether in plant material or the pots themselves. Cobalt blue containers come close to matching tiles around the perimeter of the pool, and blue Mexican petunias (Ruellia brittoniana) are grown in large pots. Other Mediterranean touches include a bubbling urn, a 3-tiered fountain, topiary and concrete columns that support the back porch.

Tom Hewittis a Master Gardener volunteer at Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach. He also wrote “An Herbal Affair” on page 14. Contact him at tchewitt@bellsouth.net

Good Mediterranean Herb Combos: Many Medirerranean herbs do well during our dry winters, but some demand their own pots. The following mix well with others.

Variegated oregano, lemon thyme and rosemary, curley-leaf parsley, garlic chives and dianthus, prostrate rosemary, ‘Tricolor’ sage and bronze fennel, variegated basil, parsley and nasturtiums, purple basil, ‘Marguerite’ sweet potato and lavender Catmint, anise hyssop and pansies

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Growing Better All The Time

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis dolorae lati idebit millant pores ea vit esenducid quiaectium ad magnihilisci dolo doluptis magnisima volorem ex es volor simi, aut vellabo.

Otatiorerum ad mil il maximint, tem. Name pelluptae nonseque volupti onsectis consequas molenti dolutem quibus eum faciamet, solum con ea eium ipsusam qui omnim et eosa cumquia voluptae oditiscius, quateceprae re pariora tureicto tem sam quis aut facias modis delisque ressunt ma

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

An

Herbal Affair

by Tom Hewitt

Spring is the perfect time to have an affair. An herbal affair, that is. When flowers, herbs and veggies are all at their peak, what better excuse do you need?

I’ve got the nicest neighbors in the world. We’ve traded recipes, plants, laughter and tears over the years, but the one thing we haven’t done together is celebrate the arrival of spring. One perfect weekend in late February I decided to do something about it, and quickly arranged a party on the patio with an herbal theme.

“An herbal party should be fun and stress-free.”

That’s why I did much of the work ahead of time, making an English pea salad, sandwich spreads, herbal tea and cookies the day before. Most of the decorating was already done, thanks to Mother Nature. Since the patio was already ablaze in nasturtiums, all I had to do was blow up a few balloons, set up a table and put on some classical music.

I tried to include as many herbs from the garden a possible. I used chocolate mint in my cookies simply because it’s everyone’s favorite. I cut fresh parsley, garlic chives, dill, arugula and basil to use in sandwich spreads and salads, but I didn’t use exact recipes. This wasn’t a day for measuring cups.

Before sitting down eat, I gave a tour of the garden, snipping herbs along the way and asking guests to identity as many as possible.

I left many of my favorite herb books lying about for people to leaf through, especially the one I consider the bible on herbs in Florida: Herbs and Spices for Florida Gardens by Monica Brandies.

Passion fruit sun tea was the hit of the day.

We even made a game of it by popping an orange slice in our glasses and perusing the garden for just the right sprig of mint to top it off. Orange bergamot was most people’s favorite. Next time I think I’ll serve tea in mason jars to add to the fun.

This was a day for going with the flow. One of my guests brought a fresh pineapple, so I placed it on an antique cake stand and surrounded it with fresh lavender. It made the perfect impromptu centerpiece.

I also cut the blooms off several herbs and placed them in an old English teapot that hadn’t been used in years.

It was sad to come to the end of such a perfect day, but I made it as sweet as I could. I always have a supply of fresh homemade potpourri on hand, so I went to the craft store and got small sachet packets to put it in. I got ones you could see through, since ‘Louise Philippe’ rose petals gave the mix a Victorian touch.

I then attached each sachet to a potted herb, which I gave to each guest as they left.

I don’t think I’ll wait for another perfect day to give a neighborhood party. Life is way too short. If I learned anything from this experience it’s that life should be lived in the moment. What good is the loveliest garden if it isn’t shared with friends?

We should all have Tom for a neighbor!

Contact him at tchewitt@bellsouth.net

Homemade Potpourri My favorite way to make potpourri is to snip herbs on trips through the garden, then place them in a crystal bowl in the living room where they perfume the air while drying. Every now and then I add rose petals or orange peel for color, and scrunch the mix to renew its aroma. Potpourris need a fixative, like patchouli, to make aromas last. Some of my favorite herbs for potpourri include: Allspice Leaves Anise Hyssop Apple Mint Costa Rican Mint (Satureja Viminea) Lavendar Lemon Balm Lemon Mint Marigold (Tagetes Lemmonii) Lemon Thyme Mexican Tarragon (Tagetes Lucida)

Strangler Fig Gets a Bad Rap

Column

On The Bookshelf

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis dolorae lati idebit millant pores ea vit esenducid quiaectium ad magnihilisci dolo doluptis magnisima volorem ex es volor simi, aut vellabo.

Otatiorerum ad mil il maximint, tem. Name pelluptae nonseque volupti onsectis consequas molenti dolutem quibus eum faciamet, solum con ea eium ipsusam qui omnim et eosa cumquia voluptae oditiscius, quateceprae re pariora tureicto tem sam quis aut facias modis delisque ressunt ma

by Gretchen F. Coyle

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

“Once the strangler fig gets established, aerial roots start to grow downward, eventually reaching the ground. As the fig continues to wind and expand around the host tree, it becomes able to grow on its own.”

Ficus aurea gracefully winds up a cabbage palm, lending interest to a south Florida landscape. Reaching a potential of 60 feet high and 30 feet wide, with 5-inch long, dark green leaves, the strangler fig may literally choke its host tree.

Sounding like a cross between an Agatha Christie novel and the latest reality show, the name alone causes gardeners to pull this start-up epiphyte off when it is first noticed. In Florida’s Fabulous Trees, Winston Williams calls the strangler fig a “vegetable octopus.” Is the strangler fig getting a bad rap? In the case of palms, the answer may be yes.

A strangler fig begins as a bird-dropped seed in the top of a host tree, usually a cabbage palm which has a fibrous pattern around the trunk. Sticky seeds easily become attached. Plenty of light at tree top and subsequent support make for excellent growing conditions.

Then the choking effect begins, cutting of nutrients and moisture to the host tree.

Depending on the tree, this process takes from a few years to many decades.

Also called golden fig or golden wild fig, Ficus aurea grows in coastal and hammock areas with sandy oil; it needs little moisture.

Small flowers are in abundance in the spring, but bloom all year. The resulting fruits are an important source of food for various birds, small mammals, invertebrates and some reptiles, while the hollow trunk provides much-needed habitat for these creatures. The fruit was also eaten by Native Americans and early settlers. The figs are only pollinated by fig wasps, which in turn, can only reproduce in the tree’s flowers. Palms do not get strangled- they are too strong- but ultimately may be cut off from sunlight. Sometimes it is hard to see the palm under the massive fig tree, which provides much-needed shade in southern Florida. A milky substance oozes out of the bark if the strangler fig is disturbed.

This can cause allergies in some people. Like any other ficus, the roots many undermine foundations and grow into sewage lines.

Column

Classifieds

“One of only two native fig trees in Florida, Ficus aurea was once used in latex experiements

by Thomas Edison and Henry Ford along with larger fig trees, the banyans.”

One of the largest banyan trees still thrives at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers (www.edisonfordwinterestates.org).

Strangler figs are admired in old and large gardens for their unique growth pattern. No two are alike.

Small ones can be purchased at a nursery and planted in the ground, but they will not achieve the size or unusual configuration of a wild specimen.

Is strangler fig an intriguing and unusual plant for landscapes, or a demon that kills other trees? You be the judge.

Gretchen F. Coyle is a freelance writer who lives part-time on beautiful Useppa Island off Florida’s west coast. She wrote “Florida’s Fabulous Banyans” in our Aug/Sep 10 issue.

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis dolorae lati idebit millant pores ea vit esenducid quiaectium ad magnihilisci dolo doluptis magnisima volorem ex es volor simi, aut vellabo.

Otatiorerum ad mil il maximint, tem. Name pelluptae nonseque volupti onsectis consequas molenti dolutem quibus eum faciamet, solum con ea eium ipsusam qui omnim et eosa cumquia voluptae oditiscius, quateceprae re pariora tureicto tem sam quis aut facias modis delisque ressunt ma

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

Et maiorio ritibus necae. Porrorate ne sitam et omniatem qui voluptatam, estiume nihiliatinus acescia tibersperum autendi dolorep udaepererum fugiatem faceseque si odi dolorento commodi reicidest atibeatia essinul lorehenist faccum ut ute voluptat eatectatus alis dolorum ni voloriae il il maio ius, ommoditi odio tem que perro veliberovit ium aut fugiae sequodit quibus, qui omnimodipsum licim ut magnisi sitatem hicatiatent que doluptaqui incte qui nonsequodis int quo ea sim exceatquis exerat pro volupis aut volecte perferu ntorem rem. Nam volorporem harumquis audam audae officia solupta erfero velis sit harum nessim dundentia issi dolorem haribea ducienihit maximagni cuptiatis dem libusciatur?

Tem fugia exernatem doluptur, tem utatem expligenis esto eatur millo dolorisim vendessunt denis

December 15-April 30

Sculpting Nature. Large-scale sculptures by acclaimed artists from around the globe on display. $9 adults, $8 seniors, $5 3-12. McKee Botanical Gardens, 350 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach (722)794-0601. www.mckeegarden.org

January & February

Annual Winter Bamboo Sale. 15-20 types offered, most clumping, including the elegant black bamboo.

Available on a dug-to-order basis.

List mailed upon request. Order by phone, pay when you pick up plants. Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr, Gainesville.

(352)372-4981. www.kanapaha.org

January 1-31

Bok in Bloom! Tillandsia Plant Celebration. Azaleas & Camellias in Bloom. Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales (863)6761408. www.boktowergardens.org

January 20-22

10-7 Fri & Sat, 10-6 Sun. Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society’s Show & Sale. Admission $10. War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE 8th St. www.flos.org

January 20-22

9:30-4:30 International Chocolate Festival with Coffee & Tea. Adults $25, 65+ $18, 6-17 $12. Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Rd, Coral Gables (305)667-1651. www.fairchildgardens.org

January 25-30

Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival. Speakers, field trips, bus tours, activities glore. Titusville, (800)460-2664. www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org

January 28

January Jamboree, Plants, baked goods, used treasures. Marathon Garden Club, 5270 Overseas Hwy, MM50. (305)743-4971. www. marathongardenclub.org Air Potato Roundup. Help remove air potatoes from natural areas in Gainesville. More info: Morningside Nature Center (352)334-2170. www.natureoperations.org Lakeland Camellia Society Show. North Lakeland Presbyterian Church, 6725 N Socrum Rd (863)834-2237 9-5 Kumquat Festival. Plants, herbs, food, music, arts & crafts, antique cars, recipe contest & kumquat goodies. Dade City (352)567-3739. www.kumquatfestival.org

January 28-29

Ocala Camellia Society Show.

Pioneer Garden Club, Appleton Cultural Center Complex, 4331 E Silver Springs Blvd (SR 40) (352)59503365. patrickandrews@att.net

January 28-29

January 21

Camellia Society of Central Florida Show. Mead Botancial Gardens, 1500 S Denning Dr, Winter Park (352)227-8011. crruss@aol.com

10-8 Sat 10-6 Sun. Tamiami International Orchid Festival Orchid sales, displays, classes, arts & crafts. Free Parking, Admission $9 (cash only), under 12 free. Dade County Fair Expo Center, Fuchs Pavilion, 10901 Coral Way. Miami. www.miamiorchidfestival.com

January 21-22

February & March

9-3 Open Gardens & Plant Sale.

10am Sat. Dr. George Rogers from Palm Beach State College. Free Admission. Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens, 1905 SW Ranch ztrl, Stuart (772)283-5565. www.trbg.us

La maison Fleurie Tropical Garden, Rio/Jensen Beach, open for tours, by appointment. Individuals & small groups are welcome. Free, donations accepted. (722)3341094. www.calasantart.com

February 4-5

9-5 Sat, 9-4 Sun. GardenFest!

Orchids, natives, roses, ferns, palms, herbs, bamboo, bromeliads, rare tropicals, annuals, furniture, pottery, art & Florida Gardening magazine. Expert speakers, food, raffles. Bring a wagon. Riverside Park 3250 Riverside Park Dr, Vero Beach. (772)567-4602. www.gardeningclubofirc.org

February 18 9-2. Pine Island Garden Gala.

Great plants, speakers, artists, seminars, raffles, demos, bake sale, music. Free admission. Garden Club Nature Park, Center of Pine Island (in SW Florida). http://pineislandgardenclub.org

Venice Area Orchid Society Show & Sale. Thousands of orchids for sale, arts, crafts, supplies, books, tshirts. Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave. www.vaos.org

February 18-19 Herb Days. Learn about these useful plants & take some home.

Sat at 10 & 2: Speaker Dennis Gretton of D & D Growers.

Valkaria Gardens, 8205 Babcock St, Palm Bay (321)302-0118

February 11

Tampa Bay Area Camellia Society Show. Tampa Women’s Club, 2901 Bay Shore Blvd (863)640-3381. diganm@hotmail.com

Gene Joyner’s Unbelievable Acres Botanic Gardens. Thousands of colorful shrubs, flowering trees, palms, 40 varieties of citrus, jakfruit, jaboticaba, black sapote, carambola, gingers, heliconias, ferns etc. in a tropical rainforest setting. Adults $10, 6-11 $5. West Palm Beach. Schedule a tour: (561)242-1686 weekdays

10-4 Meet your Sweetheart in the Garden. Pet adoption day.

Heathcote Botanical Gardens. 210 Savannah Rd., Ft Pierce (722)4644672. www.heathcotebotancialgardens.org

February 11-12

9-4 Open Gardens & President’s Day Plant Sale. Wide variety.

Sarasota Succulent Society, 1310 38th St. (941)9242-2703. www. sarasotasucculentsociety.org

9-3. Open Gardens & Plant Sale.

10 am Sat & 1 pm Sun- Guided Tour, highlighting rare plants.

Free admission. Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens, 1905 SW Ranch Trl, Stuart (772)283-5565, www.trbg.us

GardenFest Coral Springs.

Orchids, natives, ferns, roses, palms, succulents, herbs, pottery, fountains, garden art, experts, vegetable gardening contest, gourmet food. Free. Riverside Park, 205 Coral Ridge Dr (Nob Hill Rd). www.gardenfestcoralsprings.com

January 25-30 Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival. Speakers, field trips, bus tours, activities glore. Titusville, (800)460-2664. www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org

February & March La maison Fleurie Tropical Garden, Rio/Jensen Beach, open for tours, by appointment. Individuals & small groups are welcome. Free, donations accepted. (722)3341094. www.calasantart.com

January 28 January Jamboree, Plants, baked goods, used treasures. Marathon Garden Club, 5270 Overseas Hwy, MM50. (305)743-4971. www. marathongardenclub.org Air Potato Roundup. Help remove air potatoes from natural areas in Gainesville. More info: Morningside Nature Center (352)334-2170. www.natureoperations.org Lakeland Camellia Society Show. North Lakeland Presbyterian Church, 6725 N Socrum Rd (863)834-2237 9-5 Kumquat Festival. Plants, herbs, food, music, arts & crafts, antique cars, recipe contest & kumquat goodies. Dade City (352)567-3739. www.kumquatfestival.org

January 28-29 Ocala Camellia Society Show.

Pioneer Garden Club, Appleton Cultural Center Complex, 4331 E Silver Springs Blvd (SR 40) (352)59503365. patrickandrews@att.net January 28-29 10-8 Sat 10-6 Sun. Tamiami International Orchid Festival Orchid sales, displays, classes, arts & crafts. Free Parking, Admission $9 (cash only), under 12 free. Dade County Fair Expo Center, Fuchs Pavilion, 10901 Coral Way. Miami. www.miamiorchidfestival.com February & March La maison Fleurie Tropical Garden, Rio/Jensen Beach, open for tours, by appointment. Individuals & small groups are welcome. Free, donations accepted. (722)3341094. www.calasantart.com

February 4-5 9-5 Sat, 9-4 Sun. GardenFest!

Orchids, natives, roses, ferns, palms, herbs, bamboo, bromeliads, rare tropicals, annuals, furniture, pottery, art & Florida Gardening magazine. Expert speakers, food, raffles. Bring a wagon. Riverside Park 3250 Riverside Park Dr, Vero Beach. (772)567-4602. www.gardeningclubofirc.org

Venice Area Orchid Society Show & Sale. Thousands of orchids for sale, arts, crafts, supplies, books, tshirts. Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave. www.vaos.org

February 11 Tampa Bay Area Camellia Society Show. Tampa Women’s Club, 2901 Bay Shore Blvd (863)640-3381. diganm@hotmail.com

Gene Joyner’s Unbelievable Acres Botanic Gardens. Thousands of colorful shrubs, flowering trees, palms, 40 varieties of citrus, jakfruit, jaboticaba, black sapote, carambola, gingers, heliconias, ferns etc. in a tropical rainforest setting. Adults $10, 6-11 $5. West Palm Beach. Schedule a tour: (561)242-1686 weekdays

10-4 Meet your Sweetheart in the Garden. Pet adoption day.

Heathcote Botanical Gardens. 210 Savannah Rd., Ft Pierce (722)4644672. www.heathcotebotancialgardens.org

February 11-12 9-4 Open Gardens & President’s Day Plant Sale. Wide variety.

Sarasota Succulent Society, 1310 38th St. (941)9242-2703. www. sarasotasucculentsociety.org