February 2018 eNews for Broward Native Plants

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Beach Verbena, Glandularia maritima, and Coontie, Zamia integrifolia.
Ground covers fill in and control weeds.

BROWARD CHAPTER of the
Florida Native Plant Society

Promoting the conservation, preservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Broward County

Membership & Renewal Online

Chapter website and calendar

Email Us (we read it and respond)

Broward Plant Lists (Inst. for Regional Conservation)

The Broward Chapter on Facebook

February 2018 Events

Conservation of Broward Natural Areas

Wednesday, February 14, 7 p.m.

Secret Woods Nature Center
2701 W. State Rd. 84, Dania Beach, FL 33312

Military Trail Natural Area

Linda Briggs-Thompson is Environmental Program Manager with Broward County Parks and Recreation. Her responsibilities are many, but include the county-managed natural areas. She has worked for more than two decades to acquire and maintain properties that hold the natural legacy of Broward's native flora and fauna. She formed the Friends of Natural Areas (FONA), now a workgroup of the Parks Foundation of Broward, to help fund and bring public attention to the needs of natural areas. The Broward Chapter has provided modest funds and members for the FONA group.

A Walk with Linda Briggs-Thompson
In Crystal Lake Sand Pine Scrub

Saturday, February 17, 9 a.m. to noon

3299 N.E. Third Ave., Pompano Beach, FL 33064

Crystal Lake Sand Pine Scrub

A followup to her Wednesday evening talk, Linda will lead us on a walk in the Crystal Lake Sand Pine Scrub and as time allows we will probably visit a second nearby natural area. All remaining scrub ecosystems in Broward total just 1% of their size in 1943, yet support endemic species, rare plants, and wildlife that can survive in no other habitat. Learn about one of our most rare and interesting Broward habitats from a leader who is passionate about saving them.

The walk is likely to be easy to moderate with perhaps some sand trails. Bring water, sun protection, insect repellent (just in case). We recommend long pants and old athletic shoes for all walks. Bring a bag lunch if you would enjoy eating with others after the walk.

Next Month March

Wildflowers in Broward
with Chuck McCartney

A Wildflower Walk
with Chuck McCartney

Make this a year of memories and inspiration. Enjoy the field trips.

Check our Calendar at coontie.org for any schedule updates.

Four more native ground covers
by Richard Brownscombe

Authors Thomas Rainer and Claudia West, Planting in a Post-wild World, describe ground covers as the functional foundation of a landscape and suggest that they should comprise 50% of a landscape. This makes sense, especially if we want to move away from lawns and bag mulch. Having too little ground cover causes us to have big weed problems. In an urban setting ground covers: 1) control the weeds, 2) make yards and commercial landscapes more friendly to wildlife, and 3) reduce or eliminate the need for mowing, long-term irrigation, and fertilizer.

Emphasizing ground covers might really help people just starting out or struggling to establish native landscapes. Select species that match the light and soil moisture conditions of the different places in your landscape and plant a variety of species. That experimentation with several species will help identify those that thrive and are able to outcompete the weeds. The diversity of species makes it more likely that wildlife, pollinators, and butterflies will find what they need in your garden.

Ground covers need to be naturally short to achieve visual open space. They need to be assertive enough to outcompete common and troublesome weeds. Choose ground covers you like, not only for their functionally, but for the subtle coloration, textures, and the visual effect they contribute to the landscape. Native ground covers don't need to be the main attraction. As the canvas of a landscape they can provide context for more exciting accent plants. Ground covers don't need to be a monoculture like grass. It is easier to achieve cover using several species. Once you experience how effective ground covers can be for keeping weeds under control, you will have a new appreciation for the importance of this functional layer.

In common use, the term "ground cover" often includes plants three feet high. But such large plants don't function well as a lawn substitute or mulch replacement on a typical city lot where a feeling of open space is desirable. Much smaller plants are better for urban ground cover on small lots. Ground cover under one foot high will suit most urban sites. Shrubs and trees add additional layers. Native plants with showy flowers, contrasting foliage, or dramatic form provide accents. The hardscape of buildings, walls, walkways, and paths frame the landscape.

Florida Peperomia, Peperomia obtusifolia

Seeing examples of native ground covers in local gardens would be helpful, but you'll have to seek them out. Many wonderful species are not displayed in any accessible local landscape. The USDA K.I.N.D. garden in Davie, a Naturescape Emerald Winner and Eileen Pokorny's labor of love, has examples. The Nova Southeastern garden west of Alvin Sherman Library has others, but you'll have to recognize them among the many exotic species also there.

Until someone makes an effort to publicly display more examples, Natives for Your Neighborhood and the Broward Chapter Landscape plant list sorted by height will help you identify species that might function as ground cover. If you can't find or order them from local native nurseries, seek out enthusiasts with responsibly obtained plants and share them with other gardeners. Perhaps one day our institutions will create a public demonstration garden of two or three dozen ground covers for Broward native landscapes.

Railroad Vine, Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis

In the September 2017 issue of this newsletter we featured six native groundscovers: Pencilflower or Cheesytoes, Stylosanthes hamata; Powderpuff, Mimosa strigillosa; Woodsgrass or Basketgrass, Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. setarius; Beach Morning-glory, Ipomoea imperati; Railroad Vine, Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis; and Pink Purslane, Portulaca pilosa. In retrospect, Pink Purslane is probably best in a rock garden, as a note on the Natives for Your Neighborhood site suggests, "Can be ephemeral or even weedy in the garden." I still like this diminutive plant with tiny pink flowers, but it comes and goes in my garden, so it doesn't really perform as a reliable ground cover. This month we have four additional species to recommend as ground cover.

Southern River Sage, Salvia misella

Try Southern River Sage, Salvia misella, if something assertive is welcome. It is occasionally offered in local nurseries. I was afraid to recommend it in September because I thought it might be too aggressive for most gardens. I have kept it confined in a partial-shade location by just pulling out a few plants at the perimeter. Without years of experience, I won't know if self-seeding becomes a nuisance, but removal seems manageable. On the positive side, it has outcompeted some very persistent weeds that were in this location. The tiny blue flowers are not showy, but I notice and welcome them. The green to yellow-green foliage fills the area. I would not feature this groundcover (or perhaps any other) all by itself, but it has created a great setting for an accent plant. Southern River Sage stands six inches to about one foot high.

Southern River Sage, Salvia misella, can be distinguished from the similar West Indian Sage, Salvia occidentalis, by the calyx lobes (in this case the tiny green upper and lower parts that encase the flower), according to the Wunderlin and Hansen key, Guide to Vascular Plants of Florida. In Salvia misella the calyx look like a bird's open beak. After the flower falls out, the calyx is mature and measures a little more than 5 mm (3/16") long. The calyx contains the seeds. On the other hand, the fruiting calyx of Salvia occidentalis is a little less than 5 mm long and blunt (not sharply pointed like an open beak). It's all very tiny, but not very difficult to see once you know where to look. You can find the blue flower, so you can find the calyx from which the flower protrudes. The pointy bird-beak of S. misella is easy to see. We are happy to learn from anyone who knows better and happy to print what others may know about these similar species. Both are native to Broward.

Needleleaf Witchgrass, Dichanthelium aciculare
Photo: Keith Bradley

Witchgrasses have potential as ground cover. But which Whitchgrass? The Institute for Regional Conservation lists 13 Witchgrasses within the genus Dichanthelium as native to South Florida. Of these, 10 taxa are native in Broward. Needleleaf Witchgrass, Dichanthelium aciculare, and Variable Witchgrass, Dichanthelium commutatum, are described on the Natives for Your Neighborhood website. Needleleaf Witchgrass has narrow leaves and grows 6-12 inches high. Variable Witchgrass in my yard has broad leaves and is only 3-6 inches high. Both want average soil moisture but Needleleaf Witchgrass grows in full sun and has more drought tolerance. Variable Witchgrass prefers shade and is intolerant of dry soil.

Variable Witchgrass, Dichanthelium commutatum
Photo: Shirley Denton

Variable Witchgrass appears as a volunteer in my yard. I pulled it out thinking it was St. Augustine Grass, without really looking at it. It shares similar broad leaves, but not much else. Witchgrass has a rather distinctive panicle or multi-branched inflorescence tipped with seeds as shown in this photo. To my eye, it is attractive. But it runs the risk of looking like a weed grass to others, so it might work best where it is framed on a path with steppingstones or some other context that makes your intention clear. I've been transferring the plants that come up here and there to one location. A grass that grows in shade and never gets higher than 6 inches seems worth getting to know.

Two final recommendations are featured in the FNPS Native Landscaping brochure on the homepage of the coontie.org website. Beach Verbena, Glandularia maritima (featured photo at the top) is among the most popular of native ground covers because it has bright lavender blooms and a pleasant clumping form that stays low to the ground. It needs full sun and average soil moisture to look its best. The last recommendation is Florida Peperomia, Peperomia obtusifolia (large photo mid-page). It grows naturally in leaf litter and does best in shade. It is one of few ground covers that does well under a tree. Many ground covers get smothered by fallen leaves, but Florida Peperomia grows above them and uses them to keep its fine surface roots from drying out. It needs average moisture and is intolerance of very dry conditions. Altogether, that's ten ground covers to choose from. From time to time we will recommend others that are locally native and perform well in gardens and landscapes.

The Broward Chapter is on Facebook. Like us. Participate in the conversation.
Photo above is by Mary Keim

Speaker events are on 2nd Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at Secret Woods.
Field Trips are usually on a following weekend but they vary,
so always check the Calendar and check again for last minute trip updates.
Visit Coontie.org for a wealth of information about local plants.

BROWARD CHAPTER of the Florida Native Plant Society