Plant of the Week: White Top Pitcher Plant
With stormwater management and rain gardens becoming more prevalent in design, incorporating aquatic plants into designs is a necessity. Our plant of week is part of the Sarracenia genus and can add texture, color and distinct didactic forms to both residences and preserves.
A Little Insight From St. John
Being privileged enough to have met great people in my life; I was recently put up in a flat on the rocky slopes of a Caribbean paradise called St. John, US Virgin Islands. Historically, I found it to be a mix of Jamaican and Puerto Rican cultures having been thieved from native tribes by Columbus and Dutch plantation owners, plundered by pirates, bought by a Rockefeller and donated for its current use: conservation land and rum fueled Jeep trails.
Plant of the Week: Beach Sunflower
Helianthus debilis - Often called beach or dune sunflower, this Compositae family member is a herbaceous perennial, Florida native wildflower that can be use as sprawling groundcover or border plant in many full sun, low maintenance environments.
Plant of the Week: Royal Palm
Roystonea spp.- When vacationers and visitors enter into tropical Florida, the Royal Palm is there to signify their arrival. Tall and graceful with a bright green crownshaft, the Royal Palm is hard to miss. Its statuesque nature and towering heights have made it a trademark of the South Florida environment. Several species exist in the Caribbean and Gulf and are all restricted to sub-tropical latitudes. Roystonea elata is the contested Florida native species and is said to be better adapted to swampy, everglades environments in the wild. Roystonea regia, native to Cuba, is the more common species found in the nursery and landscape.
Plant of the Week: Pink (Gulf) Muhley Grass
Muhlenberghia capillaris- Pink Muhley grass is medium sized, perennial, native grass, ranging from Massachusetts down through the Gulf Coast. It has become quite prevalent in the nursery trade; partly due to the New American Style grassy, swaths of plantings by Oehme van Sweden and partly to the plant itself. It possesses a fine and compact habit with late season, show stopping blooms of misty pink inflorescences and excellent tolerance to both wetland and dry conditions, winter hardiness and ease of maintenance.
Plant of the Week: Southern Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora- Southern Magnolias are well known in the southeast U.S. and have spread across the country and Europe due to their evergreen foliage , large robust flowers and overwhelming fragrance. The Magnolia family is heavily hybridized and M. grandiflora is no exception. Numerous cultivars exhibit grossly different attributes and the wrong selection can spell disaster for a design at maturity. While highlighting the general qualities of this tree, this update also provides a break down of several magnolia cultivars and can help you select the one that best suits your needs.
Plant of the Week: Royal Poinciana
Now that Landscape Invocation has left Gainesville, Fl and spread up and down the eastern seaboard. The P.O.W. posts will reflect our new homes in Washington D.C, Atlanta, and South Florida . Here’s an introduction to the famed and flamboyant Royal Poinciana from SoFlo.
Plant of the Week: Reindeer Lichen, Deer Moss
Cladonia sp. - Commonly referred to as Reindeer Lichen or Deer Moss, it is actually not a plant, but a lichen. Spawn of the symbiotic relationship between a fungus and green algae. Lichens are often found growing on trees and rocks throughout the world. This particular lichen grows in pillow-like mats and can be indicators of a healthy environment.
Plant of the Week: European Fan Palm
Chamaerops humilis - The European Fan Palm, as you might suspect, is the only palm tree native to the European latitudes. Often found in clumping form or trimmed to a single specimen. Growing in dry Mediterranean climates. It flourishes as a landscape ornamental in coastal regions throughout the world.
Plant of the Week: Sago Palm
Cycas revoluta - Sago Palm, not really a palm species, is part of the Cycad family. It is native to southernmost Japan and mild, subtropical regions. Japanese gardening and worldwide popularity has produced an abundance of low maintenance, statuesque varieties. The ‘living legend’ moniker comes from its lineage dating back to the Mesozoic era.
