Commentary
OUR NATIVE POINSETTIA COUSINS
- Wednesday, December 02, 2015
This article was originally published by the Native Plant Society of Texas December 20, 2010. Written by Marilyn Sallee
hristmas Poinsettia is indigenous to Mexico, originating in a rather limited region near present day Taxco; but close cousins north of the border have their own special beauty and vibrancy. In particular, Texas has four native poinsettias that may have a place in your garden.
But first, a little family history. Euphorbias are named after Euphorbus, a 1st century physician and friend of King Juba II of Mauritania (52 BCE – 23 CE). But what makes the family so unusual is that they all have this peculiar flower structure called “cup-flower” or cyathium, and they are the only plants that have this unusual flower shape. Look closely at the cup-flower of any of the poinsettias and you’ll recognize what makes a Euphorbia so different. They also all share another family trait of a thick, milky sap that can be a skin irritant.
The Christmas Poinsettia is only sold for the last six weeks of the year, but tens of millions of them filter through stores and nurseries to make it by far the best selling flowering plant in the United States. It was named for the first United States minister to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who brought the plant to the U.S. in 1828, and sent them to President Andrew Jackson for a Christmas display at the White House, making it a Christmas tradition. The scientific name, Euphorbia pulcherrima, translates as “the most beautiful Euphorbia.”
Texas natives
The “painted poinsettia” Euphorbia cyathophora.
(Photo by Marilyn Sallee)
The native euphorbia most deserving of cultivation and a place in the flower-bed is a close relative of pulcherrima. The Painted Poinsettia, Euphorbia cyathophora, has bracts that turn an intense day-glo orange-red, and the most amazing fiddle-shaped leaves. This annual re-seeds freely with seed capsules that throw the seeds a great distance when the capsule dries and bursts open.
In the garden, Painted Poinsettia makes a tall background plant of deep green unusual-shaped leaves with the red bracts forming in mid summer. In the flowerbed rich soil can make it lanky and weak, causing it to lay down when wet. Keeping it a background plant gives some support from other plants to hold it upright. And the intense red bracts around the cup-flowers is an eye-catcher – enough to give it another common name of Fire-on-the-mountain. Which leads us to another native poinsettia.
The next of the Texas native poinsettias is actually a pair of plants so closely related they are often mistaken for each other and even interbreed. Even their names are close – Snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia marginata) and Snow-on-the-prairie (Euphorbia bicolor). At the end of summer, entire fields suddenly appear to be waist-deep in a lacy white blanket of snow. Both the small cup-flowers and bract edges are white.
Euphorbia bicolor
You can tell the “snows” apart by the leaf shape: marginata is broad-leafed and pointed (ovate) while bicolor has a long, narrow leaf with a rounded tip (spatulate). They both have three-lobed seed capsules which fling the seeds when dry in fall. These are annuals whose seeds are worth gathering for a native garden.
Our final Texas native, Euphorbia dentata, is a humble, unassuming little poinsettia. While its cousins can often be waist tall, dentata is usually about a foot tall. Its leaves are simple, lanceolate with toothed edges and well spaced up the stem. And while its cousins are quite showy when in bloom, dentata is subtle – the bracts near the green flower-cluster turn a powdery silver-white, much like the center of the plant has been dusted with powdered sugar, with green seedpods forming cleaved balls clustered in the center.
And Euphorbia dentata can’t help but reveal a family secret in its common name – Toothed Spurge. Yes, all these poinsettias are spurges, usually considered weeds. But what are weeds but under-appreciated native plants. Painted Spurge, Snowy Spurge, Toothed Spurge – all deserve a place in a diverse native garden.
Growing tips
All need full sun to partial shade, in well-drained soil. Keep well watered but allow soil to dry between waterings. The plants are native to poor soils and do not need fertilizer or excessive water; too much water or fertilizer will provide lanky growth and few flowers. Collect seeds after the pods have fully formed, but before they dry and pop open.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEDUMS, CACTI, KALANCHOES
- Sunday, November 08, 2015
This article taken from the following link https://ask.extension.org/questions/142181#.Vj_c8eJrwg5
What is the difference between sedum and succulent and cacti? Kalanchoe seems to have many different types. Is Kalanchoe a succulent because it is not winter hardy? Is Dr. John Creech a sedum because it is from the Mountains and is winter hardy?
This question makes an apples-to-oranges comparison, and some basic botany principles are useful in answering it, so bear with me.
Scientific plant identification is called Plant Taxonomy. The entire hierarchy for identifying plants consists of Kingdom, Subkingdom, Superdivision, Division, Class, Subclass, Order, Family, Genus, Species and Cultivar. Fortunately, as gardeners we normally only need to be concerned with the last three classifiers: genus, species and cultivar. Sometimes it’s useful to go up a level and explore Family as well.Genus is a group of closely related species clearly defined from other plants. Species are sub-categories of the genus.
An example of genus and species would be maple trees: Acer is the genus for all maple trees. Under that genus are the species Acer japonicum (Japanese Maple), Acer rubrum (Red Maple), Acer succharinum (Silver Maple) and so on.
A cultivar is a plant or grouping of plants selected for desirable characteristics that can be maintained by propagation. Most cultivars have arisen in cultivation but a few are special selections from the wild. Continuing with the Maple tree example: Acer japonicum ‘otaki’ identifies a specific cultivar of the species Japanese maple.
Most gardening references and plant tags will provide one to three names. If there are three names given with the first capitalized, the second in lower case and the third in single quotations you have the genus, species and cultivar in that order. Example: At your local nursery, a purple coneflower plant would likely be labeled: Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus' (genus, species, cultivar) If there are only two names given, the first is the genus and the second is the species. If only one name is given and it doesn’t sound like English (usually it’s Latin), it is usually the genus (in this case Echinacea).
If you want to read more about taxonomy, here’s a link to a good description of taxonomy from Colorado State University Extension: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/122.html.
Okay -- So with that out of the way, let’s look the specific plants you’ve asked about:
The term succulent is used to describe plants having some parts (leaves, roots, or stems) that are more than normally thickened and fleshy, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. But plants are not either succulent or non-succulent. Within the same genus and family there might be plants with thick leaves and normal stems as well as plants with very thickened and fleshy leaves or stems. So deciding what is a succulent is often arbitrary. “Succulent” is a term of description, not a category in formal plant classification.
EDIBLES DALLAS & FORT WORTH
- Friday, July 17, 2015
Edible Dallas & Fort Worth is intended for those who are interested in:
- Eating delicious, locally grown, seasonal foods.
- Getting to know the people who grow, produce, cook and sell those foods.
- Learning more about what’s available in your community
Click here for their on line issues: http://www.ediblecommunities.com/dallasfortworth/
Book Review: Bring Nature Home
- Saturday, June 27, 2015
PLEASE READ THIS: Bringing Nature Home-How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in our Gardens, by Douglas Tallamy, Ph.D.
Do you feel pretty good about your understanding of the importance of native plants in your landscape? Or---do you think “the native plant thing” is yet another fad and you know red roses and nandinas form the framework for all “good” gardens? It doesn’t matter at all—either way—this is the book for you.
This is not the perfect book for us here in Texas. The author lives in the Northeast and any of the plants profiled are specific to that region. However, that in no way diminishes its value. The basic ideas remain the same whatever the location. Dr. Tallamy, whose doctorate is in entomology, presents the wonderful, terrible idea that what we, as caretakers of our land, no matter the size, are making life or death decisions for a host of creatures simply by our plant choices.
The book effectively makes it clear that Nature is “here” in our gardens now. We cannot assume that plants and animals are fine somewhere “out there in the wild” because there just is so little of the wild left.
That’s upsetting—it means taking responsibility for our actions. But its also an incredible opportunity to make a difference for ourselves, our family, our community—and beyond.
The introduction presents the major concepts to be considered. The wild creatures we want in our world simply will not be able to live without food and places to live. Things look grim, for creatures are gone or greatly reduced in numbers. But hope is there its not too late to save many plants and animals—but to do it we must change our ways.
Alien plants have replaced native ones to an alarming extent. Now all plants capture the energy from the sun but most alien plants are not able to provide support to native insects, as they cannot eat them. Insects are the major way that energy is transferred to other creatures. This is not just the author’s opinion—there is research to prove it.
Increased use of native plants can produce at least a simplified version of the diverse ecosystem that used to exist. The charts that show the insect populations supported by native plants as opposed to alien ones are truly eye opening.
All of the chapters on insects are educational—but the one on aphids—do not miss it. Aphids are amazing creatures—you will never think of them as disgusting little pests ever again.
If you read even a part of this book you will gain insight into the complex web of interactions between plants insects and other animals.
by Susan Thornbury
SO YOU WANT TO RAISE SOME CHICKENS
- Saturday, June 13, 2015
An informative and truthful article from Rodale's Organic Life about what to expect when raising backyard chickens.
Click here: The Reality of Raising Backyard Chickens.
Book Review-Malibu Farm Cookbook
- Saturday, February 21, 2015
My daughter Katie and I spent a weekend in LA in early February. We saw Beverly Hills and Hollywood, checked out the incredible Pepperdine University campus, and landed at a great restaurant in Malibu at the end of the pier called Malibu Farm Cafe. They have been featured in several foodie magazines lately and have a new cookbook. Since the owner was there and I could not resist having her personally autograph a copy, I bought the book. What a great spot! The views were amazing as we watched the surfers from our table, but the food was even better. Everything was incredibly fresh, delicious and organic! The cookbook is full of great recipes, and the tone of the writing is hilarious and fun.
I particularly liked the side dish that came with yummy chicken/ricotta/bacon burger-it is called broccoli mash (and not a low calorie one!). This is the direct quote from the book, with the authors comments (my favorite part).
Ingredients:
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick butter-yeah, cry me a river (the more butter, the better the mash).
1 cup heavy cream
Broccoli, same volume as potatoes
Instructions: Cook your potatoes in boiling, salted wather until just soft. It's important to properly salt the water; use at least 1 tablespoon salt. If you don't the potatoes will taste really bland, and you will need to add twice the salt later on.
Drain, and say after me the mantra of Mashed Potatoes 101: Dry your mash or it will taste like trash.
Return the drained potatoes to the hot pan, and stir over heat until the liquid has evaporated. This step is key to making good potatoes.
Then push the potates through a ricer and into a standing mixer. Never use a food processor or blender for mashed potatoes, because the texture will be horrible. And we don't want that. We want a light, fluffy mash.
With the whick attachment, blend in the stick of butter and 1/2 cup of the cream; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Blanch, boil or steam your broccoli until just done and still bright green; try not to overcook it.
Drain and put the broccoli into a food processor, along with the remaining 1/2 cup cream, until finely chopped. Stir the broccoli and the potatoes together and season to tase with salt and pepper.
Mashed potatoes + smashed broccoli=broccoli mash is a smash!
Allison Liddell