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.
Below is the list of suggested plants to pick from for 2021 plants of the month:
Florida privet - Foresteria segregata
Simpson’s stopper - Myrcianes fragrans
Walter’s viburnum - Viburnum obovatum
Yellow anise - Illicium parviflorum
Marlberry - Ardisia escallonioides
Wild coffee - Psychotria nervosa
Dahoon holly - Ilex cassine
Cocoplum - Chrysobalanus icaco
Jamaica caper - Quadrella jamaicensis
Varnish leaf - Dodonaea viscosa var. viscosa
Wax myrtle - Morella cerifera
Salt bush - Baccharis halimifolia
Myrsine - Myrsine cubana
Bay cedar - Suriana maritima
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
