Plant of the Month
The Pawpaw Chapter features a different native plant at each meeting where one of our members talks about the plant. Normally the presentation includes photos, a description and/or features of the plant, usually including personal observations and experience with this particular native and often historical or ethnobotanical information as well. Recently the Pawpaw Chapter has followed a theme each year.
The plant of the month theme for 2021 is Hedge Your Bets
Our favorite native shrubs for screening, alternately featuring plants for both sun and shade.
January: Salt bush - Baccharis halimifolia - Peter Sigmann
February - Bay-cedar - Suriana maritima - Paul Rebmann
March - Jamaica caper - Quadrella jamaicensis - Melissa Lammers
April: Florida privet - Foresteria segregata - Leslie Nixon
September: Yellow anise - Illicium parviflorum - Sande habali
Below is the list of suggested plants to pick from for 2021 plants of the month:
Simpson’s stopper - Myrcianes fragrans
Walter’s viburnum - Viburnum obovatum
Marlberry - Ardisia escallonioides
Wild coffee - Psychotria nervosa
Dahoon holly - Ilex cassine
Cocoplum - Chrysobalanus icaco
Varnish leaf - Dodonaea viscosa var. viscosa
Wax myrtle - Morella cerifera
Myrsine - Myrsine cubana
Rusty lyonia - Lyonia ferruginea
Yaupon holly - Ilex vomitoria
Gallberry - Ilex glabra
Seagrape - Coccolobo uvifera
Pipestem - Agarista populifolia
Fakahatchee grass - Tripsicum dactyloides
2020 - Butterfly Buffets and Caterpillar Cafes
Native plants that are larval hosts or nectar sources for various Lepidoptera.
Jan. - Pine Ily - Lillium catesbaei (Cathy Lowenstein)
Feb. - Spanish needles - Bidens alba (Jane Andrews)
Mar. - Buttonsage - Lantana involucrata (Doug Hunt)
Apr. - Frogfruit - Phyla nodiflora (Carol Hawkins)
May - Partridge pea - Chamaecrista fasciculata ( Sande Habali)
June - Powder puff - Mimosa strigillosa (Paul Rebmann)
July - Ironweed - Vernonia spp. (Katie Tripp)
Aug. - Doctorbush - Plumbago zeylanica (Leslie Nixon)
Sept. - Scorpionstail - Heliotropum angiospermum (Katie Tripp)
Oct. - Spurred butterfly pea - Centrosema virginianum (Samantha West)
Nov. - White passionflower - Passiflora incarnata forma alba - (Karen Walter)
2019 - Flowering Favorites for our Feathered Friends
Native plants that provide food and/or shelter for birds.
Jan. - Wild coffee - Psychotria nervosa (Sande Habali)
Feb. - Yellow jessamine - Gelsemium sempervirens (Samantha West)
Mar. - Blood sage - Salvia coccinea (Megan Pritore)
Apr. - Tree sparkleberry - Vaccinium arboreum (Doug Hunt)
May - Red buckeye - Aesculus pavia (Judi Van Horn)
June - Firebush - Hamelia patens (Karen Walter)
July - Pokeweed - Phytolacca americana (Nancy Hull)
Aug. - Devil's-Walkingstick & Hercules’ Club - Aralia spinosa & Zanthoxylum clava-herculis (Ellen Nelson)
Sept - American beautyberry - Callicarpa americana (Sonya Guidry)
Oct. - Spotted beebalm - Monarda puctata (Peter Sigmann)
Nov. - Chapman's & seaside goldenrod - Solidago odora & Solidago sempervirens (Carol Hawkins)
2018 - Prickly Plants for Pollinators and Privacy
Native plants to keep people out and let nature in.
Jan. - ?
Feb. - Wild lime - Zanthoxylum fagara (Mark Wheeler)
Mar. - White indigoberry - Randia aculeata (Doug Hunt)
Apr. - Sweet acacia - Vachellia farnesiana var. farnesiana (Paul Rebmann)
May - Coralbean - Erythrina herbacea (Karen Walter)
June - Hercules club - Zanthoxylum cava-herculis (Dot Backes)
July - Sawtooth blackberry - Rubus pensilvanicus (Warren Reynolds)
Aug. - Hogplum - Ximenia americana (Sonya Guidry)
Sept. - Prickly-pear - Opuntia spp. (Nancy Hull)
Oct. - Buckthorn - Sideroxylon spp. (fka Bumelia spp.) (Sande Habali)
Nov. - Christmasberry - Lycium carolinianum (Danny Young)
Month - Plant common name - Scientific name (presentor)
NO plant of the month in December due to the annual Holiday native olant auction
