January 2015

The Rhexia

Paynes Prairie Chapter of the Native Society

Our first meeting of 2015 will be held on Thursday, January 8th, and our program will be: An Overview of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and Interesting Plant Observations from the Southeastern Domain

Florida Native Plant Society Speakers May Lehmensiek and Monique Kerstein, Mission: Promote the preservation, biologists with the National Ecological Observatory conservation, and restoration of the native and native plant Network (NEON), will provide an overview of NEON, communities of Florida. go into some detail on their plant sampling protocols, and show some interesting plants that they have encountered during the past two sampling seasons.

IN THIS ISSUE: Join us at the Matheson Center, 513 E. University Avenue, at 7pm. Come early at 6:15 pm for Plant ID SPEAKER THIS MONTH 1---2 Clinic and bring plant samples and questions. Bring FIELD TRIPS 3---4 YARD VISIT 5---6 extra native plants to share with other chapter OF SPECIAL CONCERN 7 members in the plant raffle. CONTACT LIST 8 PLANT ID REPORT 9 More on NEON, and our speakers on page two. SPONSORS 10 CALENDAR 12 1 More On This Month’s Speakers: NEON is a large science facility that is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Monique Kerstein has a B.S. degree in Botany from UF. Prior to joining NEON as Botany Field Technician, Monique The goal of NEON is to provide ecological data worked at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens and at Joseph Jones and scientific infrastructure that will help Ecological Research Center in Newton GA. She also was a address the grand challenges in botanical adviser to a tree farm in Suwannee County. environmental science (topics such as May Lehmensiek has an M.S. degree in Environmental biodiversity, climate change, and invasive Engineering Science from UF. Prior to joining NEON as an species). Aquatics Technician, she worked as an environmental consultant at the St. Johns River Water Management District NEON was conceived in the late 20th century and in the private sector. as an instrument to advance the ability of scientists to examine and understand the Report on Election of Officers: interactions between life and the Nov. 13th environment at the scale of an entire By Claudia Larsen continent. Since then, technology and research tools have rapidly evolved to The following slate of officers was elected unanimously: support science at a scale that hardly anyone imagined a generation ago. President: Rob Garren Vice President: Chuck Peck Hundreds of scientists and engineers have Secretary: Ellen Thoms Treasurer/Membership: Goldie Schwartz contributed their expertise to plan, design Chapter Representative: Sandi Saurers and operate a grand instrument that could harness the power of networked technology Board Members: to gather and provide high quality Connie Caldwell information on interactions between land, Katherine Edison Mark Elliott water, and climate across a continent and Jill McGuire over the course of a human generation. The Karen Schneider insights gleaned from NEON data and tools Jennifer Staiger may inform decisions at national and community levels that will impact natural Thanks to Erick Smith for his service as past president in resource management and human well-being 2014. His cool, calm and collected personality was a great asset to organizing programs and field trips, and motivating for generations to come. NEON has a local Paynes Prairie Chapter members to take part in our office here in Gainesville where scientists and activities. More thanks to Barbara Smith who has dutifully biologists fan out across the Southeast and and beautifully created the Rhexia newsletter, Karen collect a wide array of data in a wide variety Schneider for updating the chapter website at of habitats. The Ordway Swisher Biological www.fnps.org and Connie Caldwell whose “Yard Tours” have become an integral part of the chapter. And great Station is a co-operator in this effort and has appreciation is sent to Paul Cohen and Paul Hoffhein for various instruments, some on towers, some in being the hosts and plant namers at our monthly Plant ID wells, some on the ground that collect data table. And even more thanks to Jennifer Staiger who for NEON. More at http://www.neoninc.org/ continues to organize our amazing spring and fall plant sales with her comrades Jamie Barichivich, Brian Quinn, Lisa and Howard Jelks and Joe Durando. This is truly our most “The goal of NEON is to provide ecological data popular activity and serves our mission to introduce more Florida native plants back to Alachua County. and scientific infrastructure that will help address the grand challenges in environmental science We invite all members to participate in future planning, such as biodiversity, climate change, and invasive programs and activities…we need your input and continued species” support! 2 November 2014 Field Trip Report We went to Terry’s house where he has dedicated a large seed room to process the clean Terry Zinn’s Wildflower Farm seed. He tells us about the rigorous testing required to label and sell seed as an agricultural By Claudia Larsen product. Here rows of Rubbermaid and plastic The brisk November morning was perfect for a containers held the clean seed ready for weighing ride in the country to Terry Zinn’s wildflower and loading into bags that take the seed to their farm. Located in a beautiful hilly area of northern final destination (and hopefully some of our Alachua County, Terry’s farm is surrounded by gardens.) other farms growing soybeans and cattle. His At the end we realize that Terry is a true pioneer unique crop however is growing wildflowers to who has worked out methods for growing and harvest for seed. processing Florida wildflower seed that have As a member of the Florida Wildflower and Seed never been available before. Thanks Terry, for Growers Co-Op, Terry’s seed is grown for large your dedication and for inviting us to your home. contracts for restoration projects. DOT highway Visit www.flawildflowers.com for more beautification and smaller seed packs that are information about the Florida Wildflower and offered on the Co-Op’s website Seed Growers Co-Op and to purchase individual www.flawildflowers.com. His primary crop is Florida wildflower species or special seed blends. phlox and coreopsis which had already been harvested and mowed down in late spring; so we concentrated on the area where he grows a diversity of Florida wildflowers on beds lined with black permeable fabric ground cloth. The cloth reduces the need for weeding and is also lined with drip tubes for watering. He showed us many types of seed structures and shapes. Some of the species we saw were standing cypress, lanceleaf coreopsis, skullcap, Liatris, beach sunflower, compass plant, goldenrod and sand squares. He also grows Elliott’s and pink lovegrass and Muhly Terry Zinn Explaining His Wildflower Growing Methods to Native grass. Plant Society Members Terry uses a small farm combine to harvest the coreopsis and phlox, but the rest must be cut by hand as each species ripens. Stalks of seed are placed in bags or buckets and when they have dried sufficiently, they can be processed to clean the seed by various methods. The garage work area contained many types of screens and a small blower that helps remove the chaff from the seed. His equipment varies from a 100-year old seed cleaning apparatus with belts and conveyors to a modern new laboratory type cleaner that can control vacuum and air supply to really get a very Rows of Wildflowers Planted for Seed (The seeds fall on the landscape cloth.) clean product.

3 January Field Trip: January 31: Air Potato its early 20th Century state. The Nehrling Garden Round-Up is open to the public on the first and third Saturdays of each month. Photos below. Ludovica Weaver sent this announcement:

Site Leaders Needed for the Great Invader Raider Rally: Join us on January 31, 2015!

As always we turn to the Native Plant Society members to help us with our annual event! The hard work of 15 years of Great Air Potato Round Ups, along with some persistent and hungry beetles, has made quite a dent in the air potato crop! That great news allows us to focus on other challenges in our natural areas. With the momentum and community spirit that has guided the Round-Up for so many years, we proudly announce the first annual Great Invader Raider Rally and Gainesville Greenway Challenge. The Great Invader Raider Rally will take place January 31, 2015. Under trained leadership (site leaders), that is YOU, volunteers will work to restore Palm Cottage, Nehrling’s Gotha Home pre-assigned natural areas from 9 am to 11 am and then are invited to head to Morningside Nature Below: View of Nehrling Garden Center for a celebration including t-shirts, music, prizes, environmental booths and games and food ($).

Participants’ preregistration for the event is required and opens December 10, 2014. If you are interested in being a site leader Please contact Geoff Parks at 393-8437 or email him at [email protected].

More details about the Gainesville Greenway Challenge are to come, so stay tuned and visit: Web – www.CityofGainesvilleParks.org, Facebook – www.facebook.com/gainesvilleprca and Twitter – www.twitter.com/gainesvilleprca

Interesting note: Horticulturalist Henry Nehrling (1853-1929) was asked by the U.S.D.A. to trial air potatoes as a possible food source for poor people. He soon reported that it was one of the most aggressive plants he had ever seen and warned against its cultivation. Unfortunately, it still persists in the Nehrling Gardens, the remnant of his property in Gotha, near Orlando. Volunteers in the Central Florida area are attempting to restore the Nehrling property to 4 Yard Visit: AFTER 25 YEARS By Connie Caldwell

“Not much is blooming at this time of year,” says Joe Durando as we begin our November yard visit, “but you’ll be able to see how things look after 25 years from seed.” And so after parking in the grove of chestnut trees, we proceed, Joe pointing out Florida yew (Taxus floridana), needle palms (Rhapidophyllum hystrix), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), buckeye (Aesculus pavia), sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), and magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) near the house. Joe and Terry’s Zinn’s wildflower field on May 13, 2014 his wife Trace now own 50 acres, all of which (with the exception of the surrounding 30 acre woods) was bare pasture when purchased. “Everything in this area was planted from seed 25 years ago.” Also near the house is an extensive pond system with large limestones hosting columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris), and meadow rue - the “Appalachian garden” - and senecio (Packera aurea?), royal fern (Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis), cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea). Columbine happily plants itself throughout the gravel walkway.

We walk down a dirt road where we see, in the hedgerow alongside, hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), silverbell (Halesia sp?), Carolina ash The Modern High-Tech Seed Sorting Machine (Fraxinus caroliniana), ashe magnolia (Magnolia ashei), sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum), devilwood (Osmanthus americanus), cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto), laurel cherry (Prunus caroliniana), ogeechee tupelo (Myssa ogeche), Florida maple (Acer floridanum), fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus), and crabapple (Malus angustifolia), which Joe highly recommends for its fragrant beauty in the spring. On the other side of the road is a planting of culinary ginger, part of Joe’s extensive farm, the source of the veggies he Think of the Potential Beauty! (Wildflower Seed) sells at farmers markets.

Now we move into the woods - ashes (Fraxinus spp.), basket oaks (Quercus durandii), sugar berry, magnolia, basswood (Tilia americana), American hollies (Ilex opaca). Joe shows us where male deer 5 like to rub on the magnolias. A bare area in the We pass through an area which Joe says is the woods where white sand is evident is part of the only one that can support azaleas and camellias. stream system that runs through the property. Then we see mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), spruce pine (Pinus glabra), chinquapin (Castanea Passing through a large gate, we go into the part pumila) (some of us sample the nuts), and ebony of the property that is fenced off to deer. Here in spleenwort. We walk through woods to the the hedgerow, planted as a windscreen, are sinkhole which was the reason Joe and Trace Carolina buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana), bought this property. A small amount of water oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), dogwood remains after the rainy summer but we can see (Cornus florida), bumelias (B. spp.), and cedars the 3 foot high water line on the surrounding (Juniperus spp.) which are all old Christmas trees, trees. Water elms (Planera aquatica) are myrtle oak (Quercus myrtifolia), elms (Ulmus replacing the box elder (Acer negundo) trees spp.), bastard indigo (Amorpha fruticosa), which had moved into the area during the chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia), and drought years but are now very dead. Lots of sassafrass (S. albidum). On the other side of the needle palms have volunteered throughout these road are various fruit trees and, throughout the woods. Many birds visit the sinkhole as the water grassy area, culinary rosemary. recedes and fish become an easy catch - herons, egrets, kingfishers, and even a wood stork. We’re moving now into a higher elevation where Across this sinkhole is a spectacular limestone cliff pine, hickory, white ash, green ash, and red oaks - who would have thought??? We climb to the are evident. Joe points out Sabal etonia, a rare top of the cliff and make our way back into plant that is very fragrant when blooming. There higher, drier territory. are poppy mallow (Callirhoe papaver), scrub mint (Conradina sp?), clematis (sp?), wax myrtle Asked about water issues on the property, Joe (Myrica cerifera), and strawberry bush tells us that the wet summer has really made no (Euonymous americana), and a wildflower difference in the water table. For example, where garden, which is either mowed or burned every wells used to be 140 to 180 feet deep, it is now year. We learn that Bidens alba takes over more necessary to go down 240 feet. Joe uses drip after mowing than burning. irrigation on his farm, and his water withdrawal is only 20,000 gallons a day. Good going, Joe! Time to begin to make our way back. We pass Walter’s viburnum (Viburnum obovatum), Along the road back to the house, the tree line Chickasaw plum, hawthorn (Crataegus spp), and a includes Shumard oak (Quercus shurmadii), cluster of Solomon seal (Polygonatum sp?). Still fetterbush (Agarista populifolia), arrowwood inside the deer fence (Trace does the fencing!), (Viburnum dentatum), and cabbage palms. Joe we notice its construction with bird netting in the and Trace have just purchased 10 more acres of top horizontal wires. Joe tells us that deer will adjoining pasture that we now can see outside jump right through those wires without the the fence on the other side of the road. This will netting! Now we’re moving back into a lower allow some of the currently farmed acreage to elevation. Here are green haw (Cretaegus sp?), rest and be planted with cover crops to enhance hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), hophornbeam, the soil. and blackgum tupelo (Nyssa biflora). Joe Thank you, Joe and Trace for showing us what describes some of his management techniques - conscientious farming and land management girdling some of the laurel cherries, and planting practices can do, for staying with it for 25 years, trees in pairs so that they protect each other with and for having the vision to expand into the some shade until it’s time to choose one or the future with new land. other. 6 HELP SAVE MONARCHS BY PLANTING Asclepias tuberosa NATIVE Of Special Concern NATIVE MILKWEED By Barbara Smith Based on Florida Wildflower Foundation’s “News from the Field” E-mail Florida's native milkweed plants, such as butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, on right, are vital to the survival of the monarch butterfly! However, well-meaning consumers who want to attract and host the butterflies in their landscapes often purchase widely available non-native tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, by far the most common commercially available species. Unfortunately, those tropical milkweeds (red-and- yellow flowers, pictured below) can mean trouble for

Monarchs, says Dr. Jaret Daniels, Assistant Curator Photo by Stacey Matrazzo and Director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural What can you do to help save History, Gainesville. Because tropical milkweed monarchs, on the brink of grows throughout the year (weather permitting) in vanishing altogether? The most of Florida, it can enable monarchs to continue simple answer is to go native, breeding well into the fall and winter, potentially Daniels says. Incorporate disrupting their normal migratory cycle. Prolonged native milkweeds into your breeding also can cause higher than normal infection landscape whenever possible. rates by a lethal protozoan parasite, Ophryocystis You can use elektroscrirrha, or OE for short. www.PlantRealFlorida.org/pla nts to search for native NON-NATIVE nurseries that offer native milkweed plants for our area. Meanwhile, Daniels advises that if you have tropical milkweed in your landscape, an ecologically sound alternative would be to cut it back to within several inches of the ground in late fall so that it is unavailable to migrating monarchs.

Who Among Us Can Grow This Plant?

You could win $100 worth of plants from Notestein’s Nursery if you are the first to propagate Rhexia mariana (our namesake wildflower). (You will need to grow several flats of 4 -inch pots in time for either our Spring or Fall Native Plant Sale to qualify. Call Jim with questions: 352-372-2107. PAYNES PRAIRIE CHAPTER CONTACT LIST

President Rob Garren, [email protected]

Vice President Chuck Peck, [email protected]

Secretary, Ellen Thoms, [email protected]

Treasurer Goldie Schwartz, [email protected] 352-495-3983

Chapter Representative Sandi Saurers, [email protected]

Director Connie Caldwell, [email protected]

Director Jennifer Staiger, [email protected]

Director Karen Schneider, [email protected]

Director Mark Elliott, [email protected]

Director Jill McQuire, [email protected]

Director, Katherine Edison, [email protected]

Field Trip Coordinator, VACANT POSITION

NewsletterEditor, Lois McNamara, [email protected] or [email protected]

Plant Rescue J. Barichivich, 352-375-1972/[email protected]

Plant ID Paul Cohen, [email protected] Paul Hoffhein, [email protected]

Chapter Website Maintenance Karen Schneider, [email protected] www.Paynesprairie.fnpschapters.org 8 PLANT ID FOR NOVEMBER 2014 MEETING

Ageratina jucunda Hammock snakeroot Native Aristida spiciformis Bottlebrush threeawn Poaceae Native Campsis radicans Trumpet creeper Bignoniaceae Native Cinnamomum camphora Camphortree Lauraceae Not Native Clematis catesbyana Satincurls Ranunculaceae Native Conoclinium coelestinum Blue mistflower Asteraceae Native divaricatum Slender scratchdaisy Asteraceae Native Dichanthelium aciculare Needleleaf witchgrass Poaceae Native Dichanthelium commutatum Variable witchgrass Poaceae Native Eriobotrya japonica Loquat Rosaceae Not Native pilosum Hairy bedstraw Native Heterotheca subaxillaris Camphorweed Asteraceae Native Houttuynia cordata Chameleon plant Saururaceae Not Native Indigofera hirsuta Hairy indigo Fabaceae Not Native Pityopsis graminifolia Narrowleaf silkgrass Asteraceae Native Robinia pseudoacacia Black locust Fabaceae Not Native Rudbeckia hirta Blackeyed Susan Asteraceae Native Rudbeckia mollis Softhair coneflower Asteraceae Native Rudbeckia cf. triloba Browneyed Susan Asteraceae Native Salix caroliniana Carolina willow; Coastalplain willow Salicaceae Native Sapium sebiferum Popcorntree; Chinese tallowtree Euphorbiaceae Not Native Solidago stricta Wand goldenrod Asteraceae Native Symphyotrichum concolor Eastern silver aster Asteraceae Native Symphyotrichum sp. Aster (sterile) Asteraceae Native

Special Notes:

Rudbeckia triloba is listed in Florida as an endangered species. Closer investigation of the seeds provided is required to further corroborate the proposed identification. R. triloba differs from Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan) by having a more abundant bloom with smaller flowers and fewer rays.

The workshop is educational and is not intended as a plant ID service. Nomenclature adapted from “Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants” (http://www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/).

Submitted by Paul Cohen and Robert Garren

9 Come Join Us! Learn more about our Florida native plants by attending lectures, networking with other native plant enthusiasts, and participating in field trips to sites where natives grow or are utilized in landscapes. Membership applications are online at our website: http://www.paynesprairie.fnpschapters.org

Paynes Prairie Chapter of the FL Native Plant Society meets on the second Thursday at 7 PM each month September through November and January through May at the Matheson Museum, 513 E. University Avenue in Gainesvillle. Bring plant questions and come early, at 6:15, for a plant ID clinic. You could win a plant in the Plant Raffle, too. Or bring your extra native plants to add to the plant raffle. Field trips are generally held on the Saturday following our meeting.

It Pays to Join! New and renewing FNPS members will be given a credit at Notestein’s Nursery equal to the dollar amount of the

membership fee. Call Jim at 352-372-2107 to cash in once you’ve joined.

THANK YOU TO ALL Our Sponsors

To become a sponsor of FNPS Paynes Prairie Chapter, send your business card sized ad in jpg format to the Treasurer. Ads run Jan---Nov (except for summer months) for $100 and monthly for $12.50.

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Paynes Prairie Chapter - FL Native Plant Society Activities Calendar for 2015

JANUARY

JAN 8 --- Program Meeting 7PM at Matheson Museum, Gainesville Speakers: May Lehmensiek & Monique Kerstein, biologists, National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)

JAN 31--- Field Trip--- 16th Annual Great Air Potato Roundup

FEBRUARY

FEB 12 --- Program Meeting 7PM at Matheson Museum, Gainesville Speaker: Debbie Segal, Environmental Scientist, Wetlands Solutions, Inc.

FEB 14--- Field Trip--- Sweetwater Wetland Park - 9 am

------Looking Ahead: April 3 & 4, 2015 - Spring Native Plant Sale at Morningside