Big bird

Many people are very familiar with the Bird-of-Paradise with orange flowers.  The iconic flowers of this plant have a fostered a loyal following.  However, another relative in this plant family is the White Bird-of-Paradise. To me, the White Bird-of-Paradise has equal value, not only with its unique, exotic white flowers, but also its classic five foot long, banana-like leaves and palm-like trunks.Fitting in from small specimens in containers on patios to larger landscape beds, the White Bird-of-Paradise is a premium plant for our area.

The first White Bird-of-Paradise you may have ever seen was likely a small specimen used as an indoor foliage houseplant or floor plant.I have seen some small enough to even be used in larger terrariums. As a landscape subject, consider this plant as a large shrub growing over twenty feet tall and ten feet wide. It is a multi-stemmed plant with a number of canes often growing at different heights. Smaller specimens are mostly leaves, but as they grow, the palm-like trunks are very showy. A mature plant will look like a tight grove of palm trees with banana-like leaves. The leaves will tend to rip along the veins when blown about by high winds, but this damage does not take away this plant’s attractiveness.

The White Bird-of-Paradise flowers are not to be overlooked. Mostly white with a blue, central petal, individual flowers can be up to twelve inches long. The showy flower bracts are a bit hidden, but can be seen emerging from the base of leaf stalks. Be patient as the White Bird-of-Paradise plant will have to be several years old to begin to flower.

While small White Bird-of-Paradise specimens can be enjoyed in large containers, they do best in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil. Very adaptable to a wide variety of soils, White Bird-of-Paradise is moderately drought tolerant once established, but has low salt tolerance. You may notice some freeze damage if temperatures go to twenty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, but they will quickly recover. Large stems can be reduced which will cause more sprouting and a bushier look. 

While abundantly available at local garden centers, the White Bird-of-Paradise can be propagated by dividing suckers from the mother plant if you need additional plants. They can also be started from seed, but it may take months to germinate. 

This relatively fast-growing plant is a joy to behold and is easy enough for even a beginner gardener to handle.For more information on all types of landscape plants suitable for growing in our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer. Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design, 1st ed. (2010).  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS

Gilman, G. F. & Watson, D. G. (2015) Strelitzia nicolai: White Bird of Paradise. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS

Culbert, D. F. (2001) Traveler Trees & White Birds for Tropical Tastes. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Okeechobee County.

What’s blooming now?

Spotted here and there in our urban landscape is a large tree that is blooming right now. This is a huge tree often covered with a blanket of yellow flowers from May through September and accompanied by red, eye-catching seed pods. What is this large flowering tree that you have probably already seen? It is the Yellow Poinciana!

The yellow Poinciana (aka copper-pod) is not a true Poinciana and has also been called the yellow flame tree. This ornamental tree, with a vase-shape to an almost rounded, spreading canopy, provides both flowers and shade. Growing up to fifty-feet tall with a similar spread, the yellow Poinciana produces feathery leaves that provide a soothing, dappled shade. You really must have the room for this tree to benefit from its full potential.  A large lawn or an open city park will best accommodate this woody plant. Plant the yellow Poinciana in a full-sun site and train the branches with proper pruning to develop a central trunk with four to five good scaffold branches spiraling up the trunk to help make the tree more wind resistant. Keep in mind that the yellow Poinciana has very shallow roots making it more apt to blow over in a hurricane. Also, this tree has large surface roots that could interfere with pavement – plant at least ten feet away to avoid future issues. The yellow Poinciana is fairly fast growing and does best with a warmer climate closer to the coast. It can get damaged by frosts and freezes in cooler areas, but will normally recover very quickly with new leaves. While not salt-tolerant, it is very drought tolerant once established.  

Beyond the shade provided by this semi-evergreen tree, the flowers are the real show-stopper of this tropical Southeast Asia native. The inch-wide yellow flowers develop on clustered stalks leaving behind the equally attractive coppery seed pods. The flowers give a fragrance reminiscent of grapes that is also noteworthy.  

While this large flowering tree may be a bit big for the typical landscape, perhaps you can enjoy one from afar. You might even spot one in your neighborhood today! For more information on all types of flowering trees, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.   Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Gilman, E. F. & Watson, D. G. (2014) Peltophorum pterocarpun: Yellow Poinciana.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Christman, S. (2000) Peltophorum pterocarpun. Floridata.com. Tallahassee, FL.

Hurricane-cuts bad! Proper palm pruning good!

There is really no mystery involved in properly pruning palms. I still see these majestic plants being over-pruned (“hurricane-cut”) and predisposed to decline due to removing excessive good, functioning fronds.  While homeowners may be looking for a certain look, palms are living things that are not so easily molded for added convenience or abstract neatness. Palms are key points of interest in our landscapes, are valuable, and take effort and money to replace. Proper pruning will ensure a healthy palm in place for a good long time.

As time marches on, palms are always replacing old fronds with new ones. In fact, a regular turnover of fronds is very normal and healthy. Palms actually maintain a regular number of functioning fronds at any given time. An excess number of yellow or discolored fronds may indicate a nutrient deficiency and should not trigger a reason to prune. Interestingly enough, palms will actually move nutrients from older leaves to newer leaves as those leaves age out. All of this information leads to the fact that palms need to retain as many of their good, functional leaves as possible. These leaves are the "solar panels" of the palm - food making/food storage devises needed to keep the plant alive. Premature and excessive removal of good fronds weakens these plants which may predispose them to secondary problems.  

Over-pruning can be detrimental to a palm. A palm subjected to repeated "hurricane-cuts" develops a narrow trunk just below the fronds. Observations have also been documented that “hurricane-cut" palms were more likely to snap in a hurricane than those unpruned. If by chance you must remove some green fronds, it is permissible to remove those that are growing below the horizontal plane (think 9:00 and 3:00 on a clock).  Stop at the horizontal line – nothing more above this demarcation. New fronds take time to emerge and thus should be protected and preserved. Annually, the Canary Island date palm will produce around fifty new leaves - the Sabal palm will produce only about fourteen.

What are some acceptable reasons for pruning a palm?  Removing dead (or dying) fronds makes the palm look better and improves the overall appearance of the landscape. Dead fronds which are loosely attached to the palm may fall and injure people or damage property. Removing flower/fruit clusters is also fine. This debris can be messy and also potentially hazardous. This removal also reduces the number of weedy palm seedlings (Queen palms for example) that could sprout up around the base.

Keep in mind that some diseases can be introduced by dirty pruning tools. Please make sure that all pruning equipment is soaked in a disinfectant solution for at least five minutes between palms. Make a clean, close cut with a pruning saw, but do not wound the trunk. Do not pull leaves off and never use climbing spikes – holes in a palm trunk never heal.

This may be new information for some people, but it is essential knowledge. The bottom line is that the "hurricane cut" is not good and should be avoided. Palms are sensitive plants that often cannot tolerate excessive removal of their food-making/food storage organs - their fronds. Extreme cuts to reduce future pruning needs are harmful. The resulting damage of over-pruning is unattractive and can open up palms to future damage that may overwhelm the plant and cause it to die. Your goal - remove only dead, brown fronds and/or green fronds below the horizontal plane if necessary.For more information on all types of palm culture information, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resource:
Broschat, T. K. (2014) Pruning Palms.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

The “summer snapdragon”

The "summer snapdragon", better known as Angelonia, is a great summer flower that grows from one to three feet tall and produces almost one-inch wide white, blue and white, and pink flowers arranged on narrow, eight inch
spikes. While true snapdragons grow best in our cooler winter weather, Angelonia is a real warm-weather, drought-tolerant plant that does well in the landscape, in containers, and can even be used as a cut flower. Angelonia are especially nice when used on the edge of a border. Available in many garden centers, Angelonia is a good bedding plant to try this year.

Native to Mexico and the West Indies, Angelonia is a member of the figwort family. The foliage of the Angelonia is glossy green to a grey-green color covered in minute hairs. While grown as an annual, this plant can sometimes winter over as a perennial in our hardiness zone. Plant Angelonia in a full sun, well-drained, moderate to dry location. Place plants from 12-16 inches apart in beds and fertilize with a balanced slow-release fertilizer suitable for flowering annuals. Expect at least six weeks of bloom in a typical season. One method to extend the bloom and rejuvenate plant vigor is to actually shear plants back 50% at mid-season which will initiate a rebloom in about two to three weeks.

There are a number of non-patented Angelonia cultivars including 'Alba' with white flowers, 'Blue Pacifica' with white and blue toned flowers, and 'Pandiana' which is pink with silver leaves. There are also a number of patented, yes, patented Angelonia available often offering larger plants, different colors and more vigorous growth. For instance, the patented Ball 'AngelMist' series comes in six colors from deep plum to lavender. Keep in mind that patented plants cannot be propagated commercially without a license from the patent holder. One interesting final note on Angelonia is their smell. When crushed, the leaves smell to some people just like grape soda or apples!

For more information on all types of flowering plants for your garden suitable for our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:
Schoelhorn, R. & Alvarez, E. (2010) Warm Climate Production Guidelines for Angelonia.
UF/IFAS Extension.
Christman, S. (2011) Angelonia angustifolia. Floridata. wwwfloridata.com.

Coffee in the garden

Coffee is a favorite beverage for much of the world. In addition to this attribute, coffee plants can also be considered ornamental and novel in regards to your backyard landscape. Small coffee seedlings are often grown as foliage house plants and occasionally are available as small trees in local garden centers. Coffee seedlings are also used in terrariums or dish gardens. I grew a coffee plant from a little seedling I bought at a local garden center. Give them a chance and they will grow-mine is now about four-feet tall! How do you grow edible ornamentals such as coffee in your own backyard?

Coffee originated in Africa and is now grown in about eighty different countries. In some climates, un-pruned, it can grow into a fifty-foot tree, but is usually kept at about six feet within commercial production.   Ornamentally speaking, coffee is a beautiful plant with glossy green leaves and small fragrant flowers followed by red or yellow fruit. Although there are many varieties available commercially, those found by the home gardener may be simply labeled as Arabica or Robusta. Coffee is normally grown in shady conditions, but will adapt to full sun over a period of time. Plunging these plants from shade to sun will cause the foliage to sunburn, so make the change gradually. This beverage plant is also a bit sensitive to high and low temperatures and will need protection during cold weather. Plant coffee trees about fifteen feet away from other trees and buildings in well-drained soil in light to moderate shade. Once established, use an acid-loving plant fertilizer with micronutrients as per label instructions. Chelated iron, a material which is biologically available to the plant, may also be helpful when applied to high pH soils. Foliar applications of nutrients will be needed throughout the year. Mulch, kept about twelve inches away from the trunk, will help suppress weeds and retain moisture. If everything goes well, you can expect flowers followed by green berries that turn red when ripe. Once ripe, the outer pulp is removed and the beans are placed in water to ferment for twenty-four hours. A final washing and drying is then followed by removal of the outer bean hull.  Roasting is an art that is refined with practice! Store the finished product in a cool dry place. If you get this far, you will appreciate how much work goes into your cup of coffee!

Coffee plants make excellent containerized specimens when grown on a patio as a conversation piece.  As noted above, coffee plants are often available at local garden centers or at gardening Internet sites.

Regardless, consider these beverage plants as suitable for addition to your “plant zoo” or landscape. For more information on all types of curious and novel plants, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer. Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:  

Crane, J. H., Balerdi, C. F. & Joyner, G. (2013) Coffee Growing in the Florida Home Landscape.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS306