It’s Saturday again and time to join The Propagator in his weekly meme about six items of interest in your garden. SOS. To see more of SOS, visit http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.
The weather is finally turning lovely, I have almost finished planting my vegetable garden and fall flowers are showing their colors.
First up, the mad tropical Candy Portea Bromeliad is about half open. My neighbor says these look like sea creatures.
Second, the flowers of the Roselle, an edible Hibiscus. The cranberry colored calyx of the flowers is eaten and tastes like cranberries, these are not ripe yet.
Third, the flowers of the native Senna (Senna ligustrina). These are larval host plants for Sulphur Butterflies. If the caterpillar eats the flower, they are yellow, it they eat the foliage they turn green. The butterflies are always yellow.
Fourth, Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpeta jamaicaensis). Another good butterfly plant for nectar. I think the abundant rainfall has made them extra beautiful this fall.
Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is a true sign of fall, likely my favorite fall flower.
Finally, the mystery plant. This came up in a pot with some other seedlings. I think it is an Agastache or maybe Holy Basil. I did not plant either. The foliage has a light anise scent. Does anyone know?
Happy Gardening!
The Shrub Queen 
I am always fascinated with your bromeliads. I planted my lettuce, so I’ll see how it goes.
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Thanks, I am too – never know what I will see next…I was going to plant lettuce in 1 gallon containers to store out of rabbit reach – think that will work?
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It should. I actually have problems with squirrels digging in my raised planter. At my kid’s garden club, we grew carrots in big buckets.
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It’s strange, I have never been so bothered by the squirrels..wonder what happened to the bobcat.
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I love the blue porterweed, something I’m not familiar with, but will be later today, thanks to you!
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Thank you, Porterweed is available in several colors. I am not sure why it is not used as a summer annual further north. I had not seen any before moving to Florida. It is perennial here.
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It might be tulsi, which has a pleasing scent and purportedly releases phytoncides that when breathed in relaxes the body and boosts the immune system. Great dried (or fresh) as a tea. I love the stuff. 🙂
Love the porterweed, such a vibrant color.
Glad your weather is turning more pleasant. We’re having a bluebird day here today, the golds of trees contrasting nicely. Frost tonight!
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Your photo of Autumn splendor made me want to visit! I did a zoom class on worm castings today and found out food grade DE is good for worms, the pool stuff is not. The Tulsi is doing well in the garden and I hope it multiplies.
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Is that the hibiscus that is dried and then used as dried hibiscus for teas etc? Always finding interesting plants on your posts. Thanks for sharing.
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It can be..I think there are some other hibiscus used for tea. They make rum spiced Punch with them for the holidays in the Caribbean.
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Those rosella flowers are sometimes added to champagne here.
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Ohhhhh, I love that idea, I have a good friend who is a champagne 🍾 lover..if I manage to harvest the things I will try it..
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Love the edible hibiscus!
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I really enjoyed this post. I didn’t know about the caterpillars eating the Senna flowers or foliage determining their color…that is so interesting.
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Pretty sure your roselle is Jamaican sorrel – the flowers are used to make a legendary Christmas-time drink, spiced with cloves, pimento, etc. and spirited with rum. I guess it’s like a mulled wine.
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Yes! they are flowering now and I am not sure when to pick them. I have heard about this Christmas drink, though I wanted to make cranberry ‘relish’ with these.
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When the flowers are very red and mature, but not too much so.
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LOL, that is definitive. I am going to email a picture for your opinion.
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Gee, I have no idea what that last one is. It looks like some sort of salvia that grew wild in one of our landscapes, and remains because it is so rustically pretty and delightfully aromatic. However, I doubt that one of our salvias also grows wild there, and it is not the sort of thing that would have likely been introduced (although I do not know if it really is native here either).
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I like the idea of a native California salvia.. maybe I’ll just call it that.
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Well, it is unlikely Californian. I suppose it could be, or maybe it just has a VERY extensive natural range.
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LOL….very extensive.
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