Does this name fail to ring a bell with you? Fret not; you aren’t alone. Biscayne Prickly Ash is among the rarest, and least known, of our state’s native flora. While the small tree occurs naturally from the western Caribbean … Continue reading
Category Archives: Florida Natives
Most people know Guaiacum sanctum simply as ‘Lignum vitae,’ but its true recognized common name is actually ‘Holywood Lignum vitae.’ The basic two-word term Lignum vitae is somewhat misleading, because it applies not only to G. sanctum, but also to … Continue reading
No less a publication than Southern Living magazine has long recommended our native Firebush, Hamelia patens, to its readership. And it’s no wonder. The species has many endearing qualities. First, if not foremost, it’s rather cold-tolerant. The Florida Native Plant … Continue reading
When Dr. Edwin Menninger bemoaned the “solid green” of Florida’s native flora, he must have forgotten about Salvia coccinea. If you want to add brilliant color to your home landscape, please consider this striking native shrub. Commonly known as Scarlet Sage, … Continue reading
Names are so confusing sometimes. I mean, we seem to have trouble with directions. How did Cleveland, Ohio end up in the midwest? Probably not from continental drift. And we certainly can’t tell verbs from adjectives from nouns, so in football we play contain defense instead of containment … Continue reading