Vitex rotundifolia, the roundleaf chastetree or beach vitex is a species of Vitex that is native to seashores throughout the Pacific. Its range includes continents and islands stretching from India east to Hawaii and from Korea south to Australia. This woody perennial plant typically grows approximately 1 m in height. It has a sprawling growth habit and produces runners that root regularly at nodes. This rooting pattern allows the plant to spread rapidly.
A mature Vitex rotundifolia produces fragrant, blue-purple flowers that are borne in clusters and ultimately yield small purblish-black fruits. Its leaves are rounded at the tips with green upper surfaces and silver lower surfaces. While the plant is a seashore obligate, it grows over a wide latitude range. It has been used for medicinal purposes throughout its native range. More recently, it was imported to the eastern United States where it has become a seashore invasive. Control efforts are presently underway to protect the fragile beach dune ecosystem.
Vegetative Growth
Beach vitex can reach 1 to 2 foot high and typically 12 feet in diameter, but runners can grow to infinite lengths with reports of up to 60 feet long. Stems root along their length forming a mat on the sand. Leaf arrangement is opposite. Leaves are simple, rounded, and gray-green in color with dense, grayish-white hairs on the lower surface. Leaves are 2” long by 1.5” wide.
Problems Caused
Beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia L.f.) is a deciduous woody vine that was introduced to the Southeastern U.S. from Korea in the mid-1980’s. Prior to its intoduction to the South Atlantic coast of the U.S., beach vitex had no history of invasiveness. However, by the mid-1990’s, dune restoration specialists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, began to notice beach vitex spreading from original plantings on South Carolina beaches, crowding out native dune plants, and spreading by seeds and vegetative fragments.
Over the past two years, the South Carolina Beach Vitex Task Force has documented beach vitex at 115+ populations along the South Carolina coast. It also occurs along the North Carolina coast, and was recently observed on a beach in Alabama. Efforts are now underway to map and monitor its spread.
Cirsium arvense is a species of Cirsium, native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing 30–100 cm, forming extensive clonal colonies from rhizomes that send up numerous erect stems each spring, reaching 1–1.2 m tall (occasionally more).
Stems are green smooth and glabrous (having no trichomes or glaucousness), mostly without spiny wings. The leaves are very spiny, lobed, up to 15–20 cm long and 2–3 cm broad (smaller on the upper part of the flower stem).
The inflorescence is 10–22 mm diameter, pink-purple, with all the florets of similar form (no division into disc and ray florets). The flowers are usually dioecious, but not invariably so, with some plants bearing hermaphrodite flowers. The seeds are 4–5 mm long, with a feathery pappus which assists in wind dispersal.
There are two varieties:
- Cirsium arvense var. arvense. Most of Europe. Leaves hairless or thinly hairy beneath.
- Cirsium arvense var. incanum (Fisch.) Ledeb. Southern Europe. Leaves thickly hairy beneath.
As a subclassification of the "Eudicot" monophyletic group, Cirsium is a "true dicotyledon". The number of Pollen grain furrows or pores helps classify the flowering plants, with eudicots having three colpi (tricolpate).
C. arvense is a C3 carbon fixation plant. The C3 plants, originated during Mesozoic and Paleozoic eras, and tend to thrive in areas where sunlight intensity is moderate, temperatures are moderate, and ground water is plentiful. C3 plants lose 97% of the water taken up through their roots to transpiration.
The seeds are an important food for goldfinch and linnet, and to a lesser extent for other finches. Creeping thistle foliage is used as a food by over 20 species of Lepidoptera, including the painted lady butterfly and the engrailed, a species of moth, and several species of aphids.
The flowers are visited by a wide variety of insects (the generalized pollination syndrome).
The species is widely considered a weed even where it is native, for example being designated an "injurious weed" in the United Kingdom under the Weeds Act 1959. It is also a serious invasive species in many additional regions where it has been introduced, usually accidentally as a contaminant in cereal crop seeds. It is cited as a noxious weed in several countries; for example Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States. Many countries regulate this plant, or its parts (i.e., seed) as a contaminant of other imported products such as grains for consumption or seeds for propagation. In Canada, Cirsium arvense is classified as a primary noxious weed seed in the Weed Seeds Order 2005 which applies to Canada's Seeds Regulations.
Control methods include:
cutting at flower stem extension before the flower buds open to prevent seed spread. Repeated cutting at the same growth stage over several years may "wear down" the plant.
Applying herbicide: Herbicides dominated by phenoxy compounds (especially MCPA) saw drastic declines in thistle infestation in Sweden in the 1950s. MCPA and Clopyralid are approved in some regions.
Orellia ruficauda feeds on Canada thistle and has been reported to be the most effective biological control agent for that plant. Its larvae parasitize the seed heads, feeding solely upon fertile seed heads.
Leucophyllum frutescens is an evergreen shrub in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, native to the state of Texas in the southwestern United States and the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas in northern Mexico. Although commonly known as Texas sage, it is not a true sage and is distinct from the genus Salvia. The species is also called Texas Ranger, Texas rain sage, cenizo, Texas silverleaf, Texas barometerbush, ash-bush, wild lilac, purple sage, senisa, cenicilla, palo cenizo, or hierba del cenizo.
The solitary axillary flowers are bell- or funnel-shaped, with five lobes and two lips. This species is found in rocky, calcareous soils.
Texas Sage is a popular ornamental plant, commonly used for edge and area plantings in warmer and drier areas; it requires minimal water, is easily shaped into hedges, and blooms over the entire surface. It is available in a variety of cultivars, including 'Green Cloud', 'White Cloud', 'Compacta', 'Convent', and 'Bert-Star'.
Description:
A gray shrub with leaves densely covered with stellate, silvery hairs and bright pink-lavender, bilaterally symmetrical flowers borne singly in crowded leaf axils. Typically a compact shrub, 2-5 ft. tall, Texas barometer-bush or cenizo occasionally reaches 8 ft. in height, and 4-6 ft. in width. Leaves silvery gray to greenish, soft to the touch, up to 1 1/4 inches long but mostly 1 inch or less, tapering more gradually to the base than to the rounded tip, margins smooth. Flowers violet to purple, sometimes pink, nearly bell shaped, and up to 1 inch in length and width, appearing intermittently from spring to fall. Fruit a small capsule.
Agastache foeniculum commonly called anise hyssop, blue giant hyssop, Fragrant giant hyssop, or the lavender giant hyssop, is a species of perennial plant in the mint family, (Lamiaceae). This plant is native to much of north-central and northern North America, notably the Great Plains and other prairies, and can be found in areas of Canada. It is tolerant of deer and drought, and also attracts hummingbirds and butterflies making it an attractive selection for gardeners.
Anise hyssop is in the same family as hyssop (the mint family Lamiaceae), but they are not closely related. Hyssop (Hyssopus) is a genus of about 10-12 species of herbaceous or semi-woody plants native from the east Mediterranean to central Asia. The genus name is related to the flower clusters, derived from the Greek word argan meaning "ear of grain".
Description
Agastache foeniculum, commonly known as anise hyssop, is an upright, clump-forming perennial of the mint family that is native to parts of the upper Midwest and Great Plains (Wisconsin to Ontario west to British Columbia and south to Colorado). It is typically found in prairies, dry upland forested areas, plains and fields. It grows to 2-4' tall. It is noted for its mid- to late summer bloom of lavender to purple flowers in terminal spikes and its anise-scented foliage.
Square stems are clad with ovate to broad-lanceolate dull green leaves (to 4" long) with toothed margins. Flowers appear in many-flowered verticillasters (false whorls) which are densely packed into showy, cylindrical, terminal flower spikes (3-6" long). Gaps sometimes appear along the flower spike. Individual, tiny, tubular, two-lipped flowers (each to 1/3" long) have no fragrance.
Flowers are attractive to bees (good nectar plant), hummingbirds and butterflies. Aromatic leaves can be used to make herbal teas or jellies. Seeds can be added to cookies or muffins. Dried leaves can be added to potpourris.
Genus name comes from the Greek words agan meaning very much and stachys meaning an ear of wheat in reference to the flower spikes.
Jacaranda mimosifolia is a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its beautiful and long-lasting blue flowers. It is also known as jacaranda, blue jacaranda, black poui, or as the fern tree. Older sources give it the systematic name Jacaranda acutifolia, but it is nowadays more usually classified as Jacaranda mimosifolia. In scientific usage, the name "Jacaranda" refers to the genus Jacaranda, which has many other members, but in horticultural and everyday usage, it nearly always means the blue jacaranda.
The blue jacaranda has been cultivated in almost every part of the world where there is no risk of frost; established trees can however tolerate brief spells of temperatures down to around −7 °C (19 °F). In the USA, 48 km (30 mi) east of Los Angeles where winter temperatures can dip to −12 °C (10 °F) for short several-hour periods, the mature tree survives with little or no visible damage.
In the United States, it grows in parts of Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Florida, the Mediterranean coast of Spain, in southern Portugal (very noticeably in Lisbon), southern Italy (in Naples and Cagliari it's quite easy to come across beautiful specimens). It was introduced to Cape Town by Baron von Ludwig in about 1829. It is regarded as an invasive species in parts of South Africa and Queensland, Australia, the latter of which has had problems with the Blue Jacaranda preventing growth of native species. Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, also see the growth of many Jacarandas.
The tree grows to a height of 5 to 15 m (16 to 49 ft). Its bark is thin and grey-brown in colour, smooth when the tree is young though it eventually becomes finely scaly. The twigs are slender and slightly zigzag; they are a light reddish-brown in colour. The flowers are up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long, and are grouped in 30 cm (12 in) panicles. They appear in spring and early summer, and last for up to two months. They are followed by woody seed pods, about 5 cm (2.0 in) in diameter, which contain numerous flat, winged seeds. The Blue Jacaranda is cultivated even in areas where it rarely blooms, for the sake of its large compound leaves. These are up to 45 cm (18 in) long and bi-pinnately compound, with leaflets little more than 1 cm (0.39 in) long. There is a white form available from nurseries.
Profuse flowering is regarded as magnificent by some and quite messy by others. The unusually shaped, tough pods, which are 5.1 to 7.6 cm (2 to 3 in) across, are often gathered, cleaned and used to decorate Christmas trees and dried arrangements.
Aechmea fasciata (silver vase, urn plant) is a species of flowering plant in the bromeliad family, native to Brazil. This plant is probably the best known species in this genus, and it is often grown as a houseplant in temperate areas. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
It sometimes takes a year or two to flower fully, but it grows easily and can last a surprisingly long time.
The plant grows slowly, reaching 30–90 cm (12–35 in) in height, with a spread of up to 60 cm (24 in). It has elliptic–oval-shaped leaves 45–90 cm (18–35 in) long and arranged in a basal rosette pattern.
A. fasciata requires partial shade and a well-drained, but moisture-retentive soil. It can also be grown epiphytically, as, for example, with moss around its roots and wired to rough bark. Root rot can be a problem if the soil is too moist.
Small insects and mosquitos will sometimes breed in the pools of water that are trapped between the leaves.
A. fasciata is listed in the FDA Poisonous Plant Database under the section for "Skin irritating substances in plants" and is known to cause contact dermititis, phytophoto dermatitis, and contact allergy.
Aechmea fasciata Care Instructions
Light
Bright indirect sunlight is required, more so if you are attempting to grow the plant to flowering stage. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight or you risk scorching the leaves and permanently ruining the plant's appearance.
Watering
Be careful not to over water an Urn Plant at any time. Keep the central vase filled with water, emptying and refill every couple of months. The vase is the central container from which the flower bract emerges from, in the center of the plant.
If the vase is filled then you only need to water the compost when it dries out, otherwise maintain moist soil conditions.
Humidity
Mist the leaves occasionally during warm months. Otherwise humidity is not important in standard homes. If you have very dry air you will need to mist more often to keep the leaves looking their best.
Temperature
If given a choice Urn Plants prefer warmer conditions, but they're not especially fussy about temperature. They are fine from 15°C to 21°C
Propagation
The Urn Plant will eventually produce offsets around the base of its stem, called pups.This usually starts to end it's flowering cycle offsets will appear around the base. Once the flowering bract and the adult plant starts to decline you can remove the offsets, trying to retain some of their roots. Pot up into a small pot using normal compost and treat just as you did the adult plant.
Speed of Growth
Urn Plants are normally slow growers, especially the mature ones. Young plants are likely to grow faster.
Height / Spread
Given the right conditions, it can grow to be around 70cm / 28in and the spread 60cm / 2ft.
Flowers
Although it's the flowering bract which is the show stopper, the true flowers are actually very small and short lived. They are normally blue and cautiously poke out of the bright pink flowering bract so they can be hard to spot at a causal glance. It's usual to buy Urn Plants already at flowering stage, however if you are growing a young plant, you can expect them to appear once it's about five years old.
Disocactus flagelliformis or (Rattail Cactus) is a species of Cactaceae and is the most cultivated species in the genus. Due to its ease of cultivation and attractive floral displays, D. flagelliformis is often grown as an ornamental pot plant.
grows stems up to a few feet long, that hang and display brownish colored spines, which can be a bit sharp (do take care when handling). These stems are approximately 0.5 to 1 inch thick.
The flowers are a very attractive (2-4inches/5cm - 10cm wide) pink tubular type that usually bloom within spring for up to 5 days.
These flowers will grow from any part of the stem and you can expect plenty of them. Some flowers would look more attractive than others, depending on how they grow. They attract growers that love cacti and quite unusual looking plants.
Growing and care: Similar to many other cacti plants they are very easy to grow indoors and outside, as long at the temperature is favorable, within a container or hanging basket.
Temperature: Temperatures averaging 50°F/10°C - 75°F/23.8°C are ideal but not below 40°F/5°C and avoid frost.
Light: The rat tail cactus thrives on bright light, but not direct sunlight. It also enjoys the warmth of the summer sun while it sits within a shaded area. Some sunlight and shade is great.
Watering: It's advisable to water this plant frequently within the summer and much less winter time. Add water at the top of the pot or container and allow it to seep through to the drainage holes, then remove the excess water from the pot tray. Keeping the soil slightly moist is also advisable within the summer.
Soil: A pot mixture used for cactus plants will suffice.
Re-Potting: Re-potting every 2 -3 years is advised and when it becomes pot bound. Remember the spines can be prickly so you may want to wear protective gloves while re-potting.
Humidity: Humidity does not seem to be a major concern for the Disocactus flagelliformis, making the average indoor environment fine.
Propagation:These are propagated by stem cuttings early summer. Letting fresh cuttings to dry for a few days can help the wounds heal and encourage it to grow air roots, if humidity is favorable.
Epiphyllum anguliger, commonly known as the fishbone cactus, is a cactus species native to Mexico. The species is commonly grown as an ornamental for its beautiful, fragrant flowers in the fall.
The fruit is said to taste like gooseberries.
This species is named for its deeply toothed stems ("anguliger" = "angle bearing") which sometimes make a perfect rectangle.
This widespread species is endemic to Mexico, where it is distributed in the States of Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit and Oaxaca at elevations of 1,100 to 1,800 m.
An easily cultivated, fast growing epiphyte. Needs a compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture in summer. Should be kept at 16–25 °C (61–77 °F), it may drop to 10–15 °C (50–59 °F) for shorter periods. Best grown in semi-shade. Flowers in late autumn or early winter.
Stems profusely branched, primary stems terete at base, often woody, apical part and secondary stems flat and rather succulent, 20–30 cm long, 3–5 cm wide, deeply lobed, often to near midrib, the lobes rectangular to obtuse or rounded; areoles small nude or with 1-2 white bristles; epidermis green, smooth.
Flowers 6–20 cm long, 6–7 cm wide, nocturnal, strongly sweet-scented *; pericarpel with podarium; receptacle 8–16 cm long, 4 mm thick, pale yellow, greenish or pinkish, bracteoles few, minute, linear and green, adpressed; outer tepals 10, linear to linear-lanceolate, acute, spreading or reflexed, 4–5 cm long, lemon yellow to brownish yellow; inner tepals lanceolate to ovate, acute or acuminate, white, sometimes toothed, as long as outer tepals; stamens in two rows, white, erect to subdeclinate, nearly as long as tepals; style longer than inner tepals, white; stigma lobes 8-11, linear. Fruit ovoid, brownish, greenish or yellowish, 3–4 cm thick.
Vitex rotundifolia, the roundleaf chastetree or beach vitex is a species of Vitex that is native to seashores throughout the Pacific. Its range includes continents and islands stretching from India east to Hawaii and from Korea south to Australia. This woody perennial plant typically grows approximately 1 m in height. It has a sprawling growth habit and produces runners that root regularly at nodes. This rooting pattern allows the plant to spread rapidly. 
