This week our star plant id person, Ann couldn't guess the hard plant, because it came from her garden. No one else knew what it was. Read below to find out.
Desert Rose – Adenium obesum is grown as a houseplant here in Arkansas, but it can be a landscape plant in south Florida. This succulent plant is native to Africa. All parts of the plant are poisonous, but some people react to the sap when pruning, so wear gloves to protect yourself. In fact, the sap or latex was used in the bush to make a poison arrow. The plant has a swollen trunk which is called a caudex.
It has glossy leaves which may shed in the winter. As a houseplant, that rarely happens. The flower color ranges from pinks to red
and white and they last a long time and are quite showy. This one that Ann had was a double white.
Lovely. Since it is a succulent, avoid overwatering, which can lead to root rot. Give it bright light indoors or move it outside for the summer.
Wild Ginger – Saruma henryi
is a shade loving perennial native to China. It blooms in late spring to early summer with a lovely 3-petaled yellow flower on fuzzy, heart shaped leaves. It blooms more prolifically in the spring, but can have sporadic blooms throughout the summer. The plants grow in a spreading mound getting two feet tall and 3 feet wide, but they are slow growing.
It likes a well drained, rich soil, but then can take care of itself. It is similar to our native gingers which are in the genus Asarum—note Saruma is an anagram of Asarum.
Indian Pink – Spigelia marilandica
is a native wildflower that is on the threatened species list in several states. The flowers are a spike of deep red tubular blooms with a five pointed yellow star on top,
making the yellow and red combination. It typically blooms in May and June. It is considered one of the top 10 plants for attracting hummingbirds. The plant grows two to three feet tall and wide and would prefer in a semi-shaded, well-drained site.
Many people think Indian pink means it has pink blooms, but the pink refers to the color of the roots, which were used by Native Americans for worm, thus another common name – Worm root. But don’t try this at home, since the whole plant is considered poisonous.