By The Plant Lady
One of the easiest and most dramatic plants you can put in your tropical garden is the bromeliad. There are more than 3,000 species in the world, and few plants are more carefree, even being so cooperative as the reproduce themselves in an orderly fashion. Each bromeliad "mother" produces a number of pups, which grow into new plants in a period of anywhere from one to five years, according to Andrew Steen's "Bromeliads for the Contemporary Garden." The gardener's only chore is to remove them (which encourages the production of more) and replant them, when they are anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the mother plant, which dies back.
Planting bromeliads is not that much of a burden, since most don't require dirt; their roots are mainly for support. You can simply set them in pots or attach them to trees or wedge them among rocks. There are some semi-epiphytic varieties that can adapt to growing in soil and develop bigger root systems, which you can plant.
They also run the gamut from thriving in full sun to deep shade. The general rule of thumb is that the thicker the leaves, the more sun a bromeliad can tolerate. The shade-lovers tend to have softer, more pliable leaves. However, if you get it wrong, the shade-lovers will scorch badly in too much sun.
Bromeliads are one of my favorite plants for bringing a real tropical look to my landscaping, and I have dozens of them around two large Live Oaks in my front yard, and others around palm trees and in pots. The variety seems almost endless.
I love them not just for their looks, but because they survive storms, droughts and cold spells and just keep merrily blooming and reproducing. Once in awhile I have to get my long leather gloves and go clean out some of the dead mother plants, separate some of the pups, and pull down some rambunctious ones that are climbing my oak trees, a look I don't like.
I love the fact that many of my friends thin theirs out frequently and I can pick up more.
But every Southern gardener probably knows all this about bromeliads, and also is no doubt well aware of the mosquito breeding potential of most varieties. Obviously, if you have a plant designed like a vase with a built-in water tank in the center of its rosette-shaped leaves, it is no surprise that mosquito larvae are likely to breed there. This is especially true when you live in an area with a whole season full of tropical downpours, not to mention in-ground sprinklers to take up the slack.
But recently there has been more than the usual concerns about bromeliads as suitable garden plants because of the current panic over the Zika virus in this region.
I read an editorial in the Miami Herald not too long ago saying that homeowners should be encouraged to get rid of sources of standing water, including water-holding plants.
It seems a little bizarre that in this land of canals, bird baths, lakes, ponds and other "water features," that anyone should worry about the water-retaining capabilities of a few small plants.
I doubt if there will be an all out movement to rip out bromeliads and tear native Tillandsias off of trees where they form naturally, but if you are concerned about the mosquito issue, there is something you can do.
Murray Corman, a director of the Rare Fruit and Vegetable Council of Broward County, and a recent speaker at the Parkland Garden Club, advised bromeliad lovers to periodically spray horticultural oil over their bromeliads. He also suggested, for smaller bromeliad collections, buying Mosquito Bits or breaking up Mosquito Dunks--biological mosquito controls sold at any big box hardware store--and tossing them into your bromeliads' water tanks.
An even simpler home-grown method involves mixing a teaspoon of liquid dish detergent and a teaspoon of salad oil in one quart of water, and spraying into the vase of your bromeliads.
It may take away a little bit from the carefree label that usually goes with bromeliads, but if the virus does become a problem here, it is certainly preferable to getting rid of all your plants.
Send any questions are comments to christinewj6380@gmail.com.
By The Plant Lady
Hedges used to be such a no-brainer in South Florida: ficus, ficus, and more ficus. But that was before the Whitefly nearly decimated these landscaping landmarks of the tropics, and left many of us, well, hedgeless.
Now that this fact--no more ficus--has become an accepted part of life over the last few years, it is interesting to see what plants are emerging as the most popular replacement hedges.
I see three taking over: Areca Palms, Clusia and Podocarpus.
Lets start with what I consider the worst choice for a long row of hedges: Areca palms, also known as yellow butterfly palm.
I have seen a lot of these planted in my suburb recently. In a couple cases, home owners have planted these soon-to-be-towering, sloppy-looking palms across the front yard, or alongside the house to block off the view from the street.
I have to wonder how much these people know about Areca palms. They can be dramatic as a single specimen. And when first planted, they look fine: about three or four feet tall, green and nicely shaped. But they won't keep any of those characteristics for long.
As a hedge, I just feel they are overwhelming and unattractive. Across the back property line, if you have a lot of property, okay--but surrounding the entire front yard? What were they thinking? Privacy, I am sure.
Areca palms grow very fast, and they can reach 35 feet high or higher here, with a spread of 10 feet across for each multi-trunked tree. The leaves are typically yellowish green, and with direct sun, or poor soil (hello, this is South Florida), many of the fronds will turn yellow. Older fronds turn grey, and weather that is especially cold or especially hot or dry will make the tips turn brown. Unless fertilized regularly--about three times a year--their fronds get speckled and chlorotic due to nutritional deficiencies. Also, the fronds extend to the ground. Not a lot to recommend them, except for that privacy thing.
It is possible to neaten them up, a little, by thinning out some of the suckers at the bottom--they grow up in clusters--or trimming off the discolored fronds or brown tips, or getting rid of lower leaves to show the banded trunks. But such maintenance is a major job, a lot more work than just grabbing a saw and squaring off a row of ficus. As a result, few people seem to bother, and their yards soon look like an unkempt jungle.
Next in the hedge sweepstakes is the Clusia. Often called a native, though that is sometimes debated, it too can be fast growing. Clusia Rosea or Clusia Guttifera can grow into trees, and need regular pruning to keep them manageable as a hedge. But it is not hard work and can be done with a clippers. There is a dwarf variety called Clusia Rosea Nana that is probably a better choice, if you can find it.
Clusias, with their big, succulent, bright green leaves, make a very full, attractive hedge. However, they have invasive roots, and are not a good choice around a swimming pool or septic field.
Finally, we have the lovely Podocarpus. They grow tall--as high as 30 feet to 40 feet--and form columns. They can be considered slow growers, by Florida standards, but will grow faster in full sun. They make a beautiful hedge, and do need to be trimmed, but it is an occasional chore. The roots are not generally considered a problem.
They do tend to be expensive and a three gallon pot can go for as much as $35 to $40 dollars, though you can find them on sale at garden centers.
They don't take a lot of care, but they don't like their feet to be wet. I have seen them planted in low lying areas where heavy rains produced standing water, and they did not fare well.
After I paid to have 200 ficus removed along the side of my property, I had a bad taste for planting long rows of the same plants, all vulnerable to the same voracious predator, such as the Whitefly. I put in a row of about a dozen Podocarpus, then some crotons and a small Bottle Palm, then a row of about a dozen Clusia. I am happy with the results. The rest of the area is still under construction, but consists mostly of small flowering trees and bushes.
Questions are comments are welcome at christinewj6380@gmail.com.
