A Little Bit of Rain and Spring Flowers Start Blooming

The conditions of mangroves along our coasts are of interest after a series of hurricanes in recent years and a killing frost in early February. Mangroves consisting of four species (red, black, white and buttonwood) are basically tropical plants. The edges of Oyster Creek just east of Lemon Bay are covered with a dense healthy growth of red mangroves which indicates a long period of growth of this climax forest. Some dead trees to the left side are slash pines killed by the storm surge from hurricane Milton in October, 2024. However on the landward side of the creek there are dead buttonwoods which are the most sensitive to frosts. An individual red mangrove with its distinctive stilt roots stands almost alone on the eastern side of Lemon Bay where rising sea levels and winds have separated it from the thin coastal strand of mangroves.

One of the most distinctive and common fungi visible in our forests now is this bright cinnabar polypore on a piece of dead pine. It is a saprophyte that breaks down wood and also has some uses in production of flavorings such as vanillin. It is inedible by humans and one wonders about the bright coloration as a possible indicator of toxicity ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pycnoporus_cinnabarinus ).

Another bright red color is shown by the flowers of coral bean. This color likely serves to attract pollinators such as hummingbirds. The long narrow corolla tube seems designed for the narrow beak of hummingbirds as do the flowers of unrelated coral honeysuckle which is now in full bloom. Such specialized flowers have limited appeal to most bees and some butterflies with shorter tongues. Yet bumblebees have figured out how to bite the base of such tubular flowers to “steal” the nectar without pollinating the flower. The necklace pod has yellow tubular flowers with a wider diameter and attracts a greater variety of pollinators. Unfortunately in this case non-native honeybees are feeding on these beautiful salt tolerant flowers.

One of the most maligned but valuable flowers for pollinators is the Spanish needle, a type of aster that is very weedy but extremely valuable for pollinators. You can appreciate the fact that there are two types of flowers, disc flowers in the center and ray flowers around the edge. Together these flowers cooperate to make a “composite” that is very efficient and specialized and produces large numbers of seeds. Another example is the beautiful blanket flower that apparently originated in the western US but has been widely planted and naturalized in the East.

Morning glories are indeed very beautiful and attract many bees. Some species can “bind” up other plants and be quite a nuisance. The sweet potato is actually a type of morning glory from S American which has now been spread across the globe. The white potato is a nightshade also from S America and the yam is in a third and different family.

The evening primrose has a beautiful flower only visible in the early morning. It is a biennial that takes two years to flower and only grows in early successional habitat where it does not have to compete with grasses.

One of the earliest spring flowers in pine flatwoods is the candy root which is a milkwort, Polygala nana. There are several larger and more showy relatives that bloom a bit later. Fight the desire to pull it up and smell the spicy root!

A vine I planted several years ago is now in full bloom and is quite spectacular, Petrea or purple wreath (.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrea_volubilis ) It is quite attractive to insects and is a good example of a non-native plant from S America that is non-invasive and good for pollinators since it blooms when few natives do so. Some have designated such plants as “FL friendly” since they are a good addition to a wildlife friendly garden with minimal threats to native ecology. Some gardeners may choose to plant only natives and they certainly can do so as the master of their own gardens.

In late winter reptiles find an eclectic mix of temperatures that make activity unpredictable. But on sunny winter days basking will raise body temperatures and you may encounter a variety of reptiles active. This black racer was basking on the edge of a garden plot. The non-native brown anole male was warm enough to engage in some territorial displays with its bright dewlap. Iguanas/ctenosaurs bask a great deal so that they can engage in rapid movement to escape predators. This female box turtle was foraging actively in my yard.

There is a huge non-native Bombax or silk cotton tree in bloom a few hundred yards north of my yard on Manasota Key. While in bloom the large reddish blooms produce copious nectar and attract a variety of birds. One unexpected visitor was a flock of Nanday parakeets which are naturalized in Sarasota County to the north but they have discovered this tree and visit it regularly while it is in bloom.

Well we are now on the cusp of Spring but a strong cold front has just swept through the eastern US and even chilled us in FL. But Spring is near and the many wonders and beauties of the season are at hand. Go out and ENJOY !