The July heat remains unabated. My garden has had no rain for two weeks! I have given up on some lawn (I use that term loosely and am happy I did not put any sod down this spring). Some of the more drought tolerant plants are looking wonderful and others have shut down to wait for rain. Fingers crossed for an actual thundershower every day! Below is my fabulous Labyrinth Dahlia, faithfully watered twice a day.
Next up, a native of the South Pacific, Dwarf Red Ixora (Ixora chinensis) – these shrug off the heat and love to flower all summer, but must be watered and fed. I have allowed our native Corkystem Passionvine to ramble through the shrubs; providing a larval food source for butterflies while the flowers from the Ixora provide nectar. The invasive lizards (only in Florida!) had staked out my Passionfruit vine and ate most of the caterpillars, so I got rid of that vine and the evil lizards haven’t figured this out – yet.
Last week I posted some pictures of the orchids growing in my Gumbo Limbo tree. Here is a close up of the roots growing into the trunk. They are not quite attached, but getting there.
The native Cabbage Palms (Sabal palmetto) are indestructible. These are the flowers, the bees love them. Eventually, black berries are formed on long boughs from the crown of the palms. People used the skin of the berries to make flour – which must have been difficult!
Flowers on a Dwarf Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebellini) This palm has male and female plants and will make dates if both are present. These are very common here and I have yet to see any dates. No idea what sex this is.
More happy natives. This is a Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera). These hardy plants are used for anything from clipped hedges to trees, this one is about 25 feet tall and covered in grapes. The grapes are edible with a huge seed and taste like figs. Another of those things you have to grow up eating to appreciate. I leave them for the critters. One of my greyhounds loved them and would stand under the tree and graze.
There, Six for Saturday. Rain dance starts later.
Thanks to Jon at http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com for hosting. Follow the link for more SOS posts.
Happy Gardening.
The Shrub Queen 
I had seen an Ixora plant in Lisbon and I wanted to take a cutting from it but unfortunately it was impossible. It’s a very pretty flower and I ‘m sure that the bees love the flowers . My Phoenix roebellini didn’t like my last winter and unfortunately only lasted 2 years. I will have to re sow one and manage the winter period differently. Not enough light in my attic but good temperature, too cool and wet in my frost-free greenhouse (at 7°C)
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These Ixora produce berries, I wonder if you can grow them from seed. Beware the roebellini, they have huge thorns along the fronds. Have you seen Kentia Palms? I love them for the house.
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Yes we have them as houseplants.
Thought of you yesterday, my first roselle flower has opened ! 😀 (Not in my Six next weekend but maybe the next one…)
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I’ll save you some Ixora berries and see if there are seeds..I get occasional sprouts around the plants not sure how.
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Ooh Tks… let me know and we’ll see later. 👍🏻
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The sea grape and cabbage palm are amazing. I like the idea of growing passionflower up another shrub. I hope you get some rain soon!
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Thanks, I agree. It did rain!
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Sea grapes always make me think of my first trip to FL Keys in the 70s.They were everywhere!
Gorgeous dahlia, kudos!
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I always love to see your garden, and today it has really cheered me up.
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Thank you.
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Good to see the native plants and to learn how they adapt to survive. Thanks for the close up of the orchid.
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Your garden is coming along well. I wish I could grow Ixora, but I think it gets too cold here. I always cut off my palmetto’s seed stalk. I don’t need any more. They are prolific across the street in a natural area where it is wetter.
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Thanks, those darn little palms are hard to get rid of…and my dog will eat the seeds, which is bad. I think I am at the northern end of where Ixora is okay. It is difficult to keep green and has a lot of branch die out. I asked a few to leave the garden this spring. I think volcanic type soils are the best for Ixora.
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Phoenix roebelenii seems to be male according to some characteristics, but female by others. The stems are a bit too squiggly, like those that should support fruit. However, they are pendulous, like pollinating bloom. The nasty foliar thorns seem to be male also. Female trees have their thorns a bit farther out on the rachis.
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If thorns are a male indicator, it is male. I wear a hard hat to prune that palm, so I won’t get stabbed in the head.
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Both genders have thorns, but male thorns are more stout, and are lower on the petioles. Female thorns are higher on the petioles, and are a bit more pliable.
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It must be male then. Thanks.
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You can confirm the gender while it is in bloom.
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A gorgeous dahlia! Hope you get the rain you wished for. 😃
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Thank you, it has rained, blogging about it seems like a good rain dance.
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