Maypop (Passiflora incarnata)

Passiflora incarnata, or Maypop as it is commonly known, is a deciduous species of Passionflower native to the southeastern U.S. (USDA Zones 6-9).  They will flourish in full sun to light shade.

The plants emerge in early spring and quickly start spreading over the surface of the ground.  If the vines find something to climb on, up they go to a height of nearly 12 feet.

The vines are host to the larvae of Gulf Fritillary and Zebra Longwing butterflies, as well as the Banded Hairstreak, and Julia.  The adult butterflies also visit the open flowers for nectar.

The blooms are similar to many species of Passiflora, and this is also one of the fruiting types.  The flowers have an intoxicating fragrance.  As soon as the blossoms fade, the young fruits start to develop.

The remnants of the flower remain even as the fruit approaches mature size.

The fruits will grow larger than a hen's egg to near tennis ball size, and when they are ripe, they turn a dull yellow-green color.  When mature, the passionfruit will develop the characteristic fragrance, and the skin may become puckered or puffy.

At this stage, the passionfruit is ready to eat!  Simply cut in half and spoon out the contents.

The edible fruit of Passiflora incarnata is not as slimy as some other species of passionfruit.  In this species, the juice is firmly contained within the numerous juice sacs inside the fruit.  They can be spooned out and eaten without breaking and spilling their contents.  The fruit can also be pressed or processed for juice, and used to flavor ice creams and other delicious treats!
A tea made from the dried leaves is supposed to soothe nerves and cure insomnia.
Maypops spread by seed and root suckers, so once you have them established in your garden, you will always have a plentiful supply of butterflies and fruit!

Billbergia pyramidalis

Probably the most widely-planted bromeliad in Florida is Billbergia pyramidalis.  It has been passed from one person to another for generations and multiplies rapidly in the landscape.

The flowers on an individual plant last less than a month, but nearly all the plants will come into bloom at the same time, creating a stunning display during the long hot days of late summer.  This Billbergia is equally happy as a terrestrial or epiphyte.  When planted in the ground, they quickly create large clumps, and when planted at the base of a tree, will slowly climb the trunk.  Here is a group planted on a stump in full sun.

Billbergia pyramidalis is virtually indestructible and requires no care whatsoever as a landscape plant.  In heavy shade, the foliage will be a rich, dark green, while in sun the leaves are a bright yellow-green.  They are very cold-tolerant and are usually only damaged if a heavy frost settles on the leaves.  Even then, they quickly recover and bloom reliably each summer.  There will sometimes be a stray plant or two that blooms out of season, but the overwhelming majority of plants coordinate their blooms for a spectacular show!

Buy this plant!

Aechmea miniata

Aechmea miniata is a bromeliad with long-lasting color that can bloom at nearly any time of the year.  Small blue flowers emerge from a bright orange, branching flower stalk.  After the bloom is finished, the orange "berries" remain for a couple more months, slowly darkening in color.

Aechmea miniata grows about 18" tall and wide.  It prefers early morning or late afternoon sun, with shade during the hottest part of the day.  Mine that grow under the protective canopy of a tree, suffered little damage during the last hard freeze.

Bloom Day - August

This month for Bloom Day, we'll start off looking at some gingers and jasmines!
You may click on the highlighted links to see a profile for that plant.

Costus pictus, C. speciosus
Costus scaber, Curcuma alismatifolia

Jasminum sambac

Cestrum nocturnum

Jasminum illicifolium

Crape Myrtle, Bauhinia

Tibouchina, Tabernaemontana

Periwinkle white, & pink

Clerodendrum speciosissimum, C. paniculatum

Spiderwort, Jacobinia

Crepe Jasmine, Pentas

Jatropha, Porterweed

Gold shrimp, Aloe

Cereus, Turnera

Hibiscus, Setcreasea

Ruellia purple, & red

Basil, Caesalpinia

Passiflora, Plumbago

Four O'Clock, Sabal palm

Brunfelsia, Pomegranate

Tecoma, Ruellia pink

Neoregelia Sheba, N. carolinae

N. Lila, N. Angel Face

Aechmea fasciata, Billbergia pyramidalis

To see what's blooming in gardens everywhere today, visit May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

Cattley Guava (Psidium cattleianum)

Cattley Guava (Psidium cattleianum) is a very reliable summer fruit for subtropical areas.  It is native to Brazil and will thrive wherever citrus is grown.

There are two main types.  The red-fruited variety is known as the Strawberry Guava, and the yellow-fruited one is known as the Lemon Guava (var. lucidum).  Sometimes the yellow variety is listed as a separate species (Psidium littorale).
The red fruits have a stronger flavor and are slightly smaller in size than the yellow fruits.  The interior flesh of the fruit is white or cream-colored in both varieties.  Both types lack the muskiness of the tropical Guava.  The red-fruited type is considered to be the more cold-hardy of the two.  Both are more cold-hardy than the Tropical Guava.
This year, because of the severe drought, the fruits are much smaller than normal, and not as juicy.

Cattley Guava grows as a large shrub or small tree, usually reaching 12-15 foot in height.  They can be kept pruned to a much smaller size, if desired, and will even fruit well in containers.

In late winter to early spring, highly fragrant white flowers appear on the new growth.  The fragrance carries on light breezes, and will perfume your entire garden.

Psidium cattleianum fruits ripen in mid-summer.    They can be eaten fresh, used to flavor drinks and ice cream, or made into jams and jellies.  Like the Tropical Guava, the flower calyx persists on the ripe fruit, and there are many small hard seeds inside that can be easily swallowed.  Cattley Guavas are susceptible to the same fruit flies as the Tropical Guava and can be controlled by bagging the clusters of fruit.
The leaves are an attractive, dark, glossy green.  They are often used as an ornamental hedge and will still produce fruit.  Older trees have a smooth, flaking bark.  Mature trees will tolerate temperatures in the low to mid twenties F.

Because of the large amounts of fruit and seed produced, Cattley Guavas are considered invasive in some tropical areas.

On my little plot of land in Central Florida, I've never found any volunteer seedlings in over 20 years of cultivation.

Guava (Psidium guajava)

The tropical guava (Psidium guajava) is a fast-growing fruit tree believed to have originated in Central America, but is now grown in tropical regions world-wide.
They can reach heights of 20-25 feet but can be maintained at around ten feet.  Guavas even fruit well in containers.  They are evergreen or deciduous, depending on the severity of the winter.  During hard freezes, there may be some die-back of the upper branches, but new growth will quickly replace the limbs lost.
Fragrant and showy flowers appear in early spring.

As the fruit develops, the flower calyx remains at the end of the fruit.  The guava fruit ripens in mid to late summer and the fruit itself is highly aromatic.

In Florida and other warm regions, the fruit is attacked by the Caribbean and Mediterranean  fruit fly.  This is a huge problem for commercial production but for home-growers the fruit can be bagged to protect it.
I 've experimented with different materials and I'm currently using little bags I made from a product called floating row cover. It allows light, water and air to reach the developing fruit, while keeping out insects. I've also used plastic sandwich baggies, but if they are exposed to direct sun the fruit will burn on that side, causing a large brown sunscald on the skin.

For plastic baggies, I slip the baggie over the green fruit, and lightly secure with a twist-tie.  When the fruit ripens, it loosens from the stem and drops into the baggie.  The weight pulls the baggie off the stem and it drops to the ground.  During guava season I simply go out each day and pick up the fallen fruits, free of fruit fly damage. The fabric bags don't slip from the stem as easily so I usually have to manually remove them when the fruit is ripe.

Mature fruits are oblong and 2 to 4 inches in length.  The flesh inside may be white, red, pink, or yellowish, depending on cultivar.  They can be eaten fresh or cooked.  Guava paste and jelly is also popular.  There are many small, hard seeds in each fruit that can be easily swallowed (or strained out when making jam or jelly).

There are various medicinal uses for the roots, bark, leaves, and immature fruits.
Young stems are four-sided, while older trunks and branches have an attractive smooth bark that flakes off in patches.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Pomegranate is a subtropical to temperate zone plant (USDA Zones 7-11).  It has a shrubby to multi-trunk-tree form, with a weeping habit. It can grow to 20 feet or more but is often kept around 10 foot for ease of harvest.
The foliage can be evergreen or deciduous depending on winter temperatures and rainfall.  New growth is reddish in color.

Bright orange blossoms appear on new growth, opening from late spring through early summer.  The flowers are self-pollinating but production will be increased with cross-pollination.

After the flower petals fall, the thick, waxy calyx remains behind.

The developing Pomegranate fruit starts to swell as the summer progresses.

Fruit ripens from late summer to fall.  Excess fruit can be refrigerated for several months and may actually improve in quality. Fruits can be eaten fresh or juiced.

When the fruit is mature, it will often develop a reddish blush, as in the first photo. The amount of red is variety-dependent, and sometimes climate-dependent.

When you break the fruit open, it's filled with many juicy red arils. This is the edible part of the fruit. It can be eaten as-is, or juiced for consumption. The color of the arils varies by cultivar, and may range from white to dark red.

Many scientific studies have confirmed the cancer-fighting properties and other benefits of pomegranate juice according to WebMD.

Punica granatum is native to the region ranging from the Middle-East to the Himalayas.  It is hardy to 12°F and thrives in arid conditions.
There are many named varieties that vary in plant size, fruit size, fruit color, etc.  Dwarf varieties are sold mainly as ornamentals and produce little or no fruit.
A textile dye is made from the rind and flowers, while ink can be produced by steeping the leaves in vinegar.  The Japanese extract an insecticide from the bark and various plant parts have medicinal qualities.

Creature Feature - Hornworm

This month's Creature Feature is a Hornworm.  Hornworms are often considered to be damaging pests of tomato plants but since this one is feeding on a fast-growing Clerodendrum, I'll leave him be.  As adults, Hornworms are known as Hawk moths or Sphinx moths.

The First Friday Creature Feature is a monthly event with a new creature every month.  Check back next month to find out what other creatures are lurking in my garden!

What's New - August

July was extremely hot and dry in my part of Florida.  Many days set record highs in the upper 90's and most days the heat index was between 100° and 110°.  Rainfall for July was the lowest since 1955.  Tropical Storm Bonnie fizzled out and didn't bring us the rain we were hoping for.  In spite of the weather, the summer fruits are at their peak (although smaller in size than usual)!  The above photo is a sampling of what I'm picking now:  Cattley Guava, Persian Lime, Banana flower bud, White Sapote, Jaboticaba, and Macadamia nuts.
Gingers of all types are putting on a nice display.

Curcuma alismatifolia

Butterflies don't seem to mind the heat as long as there is nectar to drink!

A potted Dracaena massangeana that froze last winter and was given up for dead has now started sending out new shoots from ground level.  Patience pays!

And it won't be long until the pineapples are ready to pick!

What's New is featured here on the first Wednesday of every month.  This month it's also part of the Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage.

Harvest Monday - August

There is plenty of fruit to eat this month.  The first Starfruit of the season fell off the tree.  I can't wait to slice into it!  This is the first of hundreds I will harvest over the next few months.

The summer fruits are coming on strong:  White Sapote, Cattley Guava,

and Persian Limes.

There are also some early Pomegranates and Macadamias.  The Jaboticaba has been producing a few fruits non-stop since late spring.

There is still a good supply of Sweet Lemons and juicy Valencia Oranges even though it is very late for them.

There are a few late Surinam Cherries if you search the trees carefully.  I also picked a banana flower bud this week for a salad.
Due to the heat, there's not much going on in the vegetable garden.  Of course, there's the ever-ready Okinawa Spinach, and a few herbs; Mint, Basil,

Parsley, and Cuban Oregano.

To see what people are harvesting elsewhere, visit Daphne's Dandelions, host site of the Harvest Monday Meme!