Top of the morning, Tithonia!

The Tithonia or Mexican sunflower is a spectacular annual flowering plant that does well in our area.  I used to grow it as a kid up north, but found that it does even better in Florida! Easy to start from seed, this brilliant orange-red flower will impress you.

Tithonia rotundiflora is an old-time annual flower favorite not to be confused with a perennial relative called the Bolivian Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia).  Tithonia diversifolia is an aggressive plant can easily take over an area if you are not careful.  The Tithonia in today’s article is easily controlled and a pleasure to have in your yard.  Growing from five to six feet tall, this annual has fuzzy, soft leaves and stems topped with three-inch, bright orange-red flowers with yellow centers that remind you of a daisy or a zinnia.  Direct seed in a full sun location in late winter/early spring for summer and fall flowers.  Be prepared to stake your Tithonia as they can get floppy and fall over. 

The cultivar called ‘Torch’ is perhaps the most common selection and has been given an All-America Selection designation.  There is also a yellow version.  Both of these cultivars are tall, so you may want to look at some dwarf varieties.  Only growing to three feet tall, ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Fiesta Del Sol’ provide a  more compact version of this plant.  Both heat and drought-tolerant, Tithonia do well in our summer weather. 

Besides being a colorful bedding plant, Tithonia lends itself to the production of great cut flowers that keep producing.  This flowering plant is also a magnet for butterflies.  Butterflies love to perch and sip nectar from the high vantage point provided by the Tithonia.  This plant may also supply seed for birds at certain times in the year. 

Once an individual flower is spent, it will set seed which will likely drop to the ground, germinate, and may provide another set of Tithonia to flower in fall and early winter.  A frost will likely finish off the plants, but many seeds will self-sow and become ‘volunteers’ for next year.  As such, Tithonia can naturalize a bit wherever it is grown.  Also, look to pass some extra seeds to a friend as Tithonia makes an excellent “pass-along” plant.

So, if you are looking for success with annuals in 2016, perhaps the Tithonia will be part of your garden!  For more information on all types of annual flowers 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:

Christman, S. (2006) Tithonia rotundiflora. Floridata.com, Tallahassee.

Delvalle,  T.  B. (2015) Garden Help: Colors, butterflies in abundance. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS - Duval County.

Malone, K. C., Wilber, W., Hansen, G., Daniels,  J. C., Larsen C. & Momol E. (2013) Community ButterflyScaping: How to Move Beyond Butterfly Gardening to Create a Large-Scale Butterfly Habitat. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Yates L. (2014) Passalong Plants Add Variety to the Garden.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS - Leon County.

Attracting Birds - FS 6099 HORT (2015) The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS - Brevard County.

True Blue

Blue flowering plants really catch my attention.  One of the plants that is catching my eye these days is the sky-blue flowering plumbago.  This evergreen flowering shrub is great for foundation plantings, in planters, as a hedge or planted so that it cascades over a wall. While seen in almost every home landscape, the plumbago is an essential and colorful subject worth some additional attention.

Native to South Africa, the plumbago is a fast growing shrub that can grow over six feet tall and eight feet wide in time and without pruning.  Best in full sun for superior flowering, this shrub will become fairly drought tolerant after establishment.  Allow up to six feet between plants when planting in mass to promote the mounding, almost fountain-like growing habit that is natural for this woody plant.  The yellow-green leaves frame the spectacular, one-inch wide flowers that form clusters that may remind you of phlox.   While most  plumbago come in sky blue, there is a cultivar called ‘Royal Cape’ with cobalt blue flowers.  For something different, there is also a white variety called ‘Alba’.

Plumbago can become very bushy, so, to promote new growth, prune this shrub relatively heavy  in late winter.   Although hardy in our area, frosts or freezes can nip plumbago back a bit as well.  Even if it were frozen back to the ground, the plumbago will more often than not, grow back without a problem. 

While plumbago have very few pests, an insect known as the chili thrips entered Florida in 2005 and had really taken a liking to many formerly  low maintenance plants such as plumbago. Chili thrip-infested plumbago almost looked like they have a fungal disease due to the numerous blackened leaves.  The good news is that this insect problem seems to have abated and has leveled off in our area as natural predators have built up to suppress chili thrips to a point where damage is minimal to none. 

One additional item to note is that plumbago have what are called chalk glands on the underside of their leaves.  This white deposit is natural and should not be confused with a fungus or other pest. 

Consider plumbago, a true Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ recommended plant, in your landscape for color and eye-appeal.  For more information on a “rainbow” of colorful plants to grow 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:

Gilman, E. F. (2011) Plumbago auriculata. Plumbago, Cape Plumbago, Sky Flower.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Scheper, J. (2011) Plumbago auriculata.  Floridata.com.  Tallahassee, FL.

Ferrer, A. (2014) Plumbago. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Seminole County.

Caldwell, D. (2006) Chili Thrips: New Thrips Found on Plumbago: Could Mean Serious Losses for Ornamentals and Veggie-Fruit Industries. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Collier County.

White, green, purple and lavender – heirloom eggplants offer color and food

Do ‘Rosa Bianca’, ‘Pandora Striped’ , ‘Casper’ , and ‘Apple Green’ mean anything to you?  These are just a small sampling of heirloom eggplant varieties that you can grow in Florida.  The number of different eggplant varieties available to grow has expanded well beyond the large deep purple fruits that most people are familiar with.  There is huge assortment of heirloom eggplants that offer color and shape to please any gardener.  Eggplants (some do actually resemble eggs) were first introduced by Thomas Jefferson and the rest, as they say,  is history.

Eggplants were around well before Thomas Jefferson started to promote them in 1806.  In fact, the eggplant is native to India and Pakistan and has been used as a crop for at least four-thousand years.  Well-known in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, the eggplant has traveled the world and, as a result, is available to home gardeners.  Heirlooms, by definition, whether eggplants, tomatoes or some other cultivated plant, must have been in common use for fifty years, come true from seed, and be pollinated by natural means.  Generally heirlooms have great flavor or some other noted characteristic, but not necessarily disease resistance. 

Eggplants like full-sun locations with well-drained soil enriched with plenty of organic matter.  On average, most varieties take from sixty-five days up to around eighty-five days from transplant to the first harvest.  For our fall/early winter gardens, eggplants can be planted from August through October.  They are sensitive to frosts, so be prepared to cover them as we enter early winter.  Eggplants can also be planted in the late winter/early spring garden after the weather has settled.  I have successfully grown them during the summer as well.  Space the plants twenty-four to thirty-six inches apart in rows thirty-six to forty-two inches apart.  Pick the fruits when they are young and shiny as over-mature fruit can develop bitterness. 

As for what heirloom eggplant varieties you select, it all depends on your particular needs and tastes.  A few green cultivars to try include ‘Apple Green’, ‘Louisiana Long Green’, and ‘Thai Long Green’.  For white-fruited eggplants, try ‘Casper’, and ‘Japanese White Egg’.  There are a number of long, narrow purple-fruited types such as ‘Fengyuan Purple’, ‘Long Purple’, and ‘Ping Tung Long’ ( I have grown ‘Ping Tung Long’ twice with good success).   For eggplants of a different color, look for lavender-pink fruited ‘Rosita’ or the purple-white striped cultivars ‘Listada de Gandia’, ‘Pandora Striped Rose’ or ‘Rayada’.   If you like the classic, large, bell-shaped eggplants stick with ‘Black Beauty’, ‘Florida Market’, or ‘Florida Highbush’. 

Heirloom eggplants are colorful, interesting and tasty!  For more information on all types of vegetables that you can grow 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:

Ozores-Hampton, M. (2013) Heirloom Eggplant Varieties in Florida.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Christman, S. (2004) Solanum melongena.  Floridata.com, Tallahassee, FL. 

The popular pygmy date palm

Relatively tiny as compared to other palms, the pygmy date palm is perhaps one of the most popular palms in Florida.  Its slow growth, feather-like fronds and petite height make the pygmy date palm a great specimen for any landscape.  Is there a pygmy palm in your future?

Originally from Southeast Asia, the pygmy date palm slowly grows to about twelve feet tall with a six to eight foot spread.  The pinnate, feathery fronds have wicked three-inch spines near the leaf base – these are very, very sharp!  The pygmy palm has separate male and female trees which both flower.  The female palms produce fruit (non-edible dates) that ripens black.  The trunk is slender and decorative with a pattern of raised, diamond-shaped leaf bases.  The pygmy date palm grows a single stem, although they are often planted in groups of two or three to make them look like a clumping variety. 

Plant your pygmy date palm in a full sun area for best growth although they will tolerate some partial shade as well.  Even though pygmy date palms are considered drought-tolerant once established, they will benefit from some supplemental moisture as needed.  They are not tolerant to salty conditions, so select your planting site accordingly.  While often considered best for hardiness zone 10A, they are grown throughout our county even in zone 9B areas without much problem.  On occasion, they can experience cold damage if the temperature goes below thirty degrees F. 

If your planting space is limited, this small palm can be grown in containers and makes an excellent patio plant. 

For best results, we recommend the use of a granular 8-2-12-4 fertilizer in November, February and May as per label directions.  Follow this in August with the use of a 0-0-16-6, again as per label directions.  Proper fertilization is important as our Florida soils are often lacking in certain nutrients essential to proper palm growth.  Common deficiencies found in pygmy palms include potassium, magnesium, manganese, and boron.  While these deficiencies are fairly easy to diagnose and rectify, it is always better to keep the palm on the proper fertilizer program to avoid these problems.

Sometimes natural materials produced by a plant are mistaken for a pest problem.  Pygmy date palms are often caught up in this confusion.  A material called scurf – a whitish, scaly material – is normally found on the new fronds of this palm.  Scurf lasts for a short while and over time naturally wears away and drops off.  Don’t confuse this for scale insects, whiteflies or mealybugs.  Always have a positive identification before deciding on a course of action.

The graceful and elegant pygmy palm is relatively inexpensive and suitable for many landscape uses.  For more information on all types of palms suitable for Southwest Florida, 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:

Broschat, T. K. (2014 ) Phoenix roebelenii: Pygmy Date Palm.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Broschat, T. K. Elliott, M. L. (2013 ) Normal “Abnormalities” in Palms.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Scheper, j. (2004)Phoenix roebelenii.  Floridata.com.  Tallahassee, FL.