my florida meadow

And now back to meadow left for a photo journal update. Above is White Beardtongue (Penstemon multiflorus). It is getting quite tall as you can see below. I recommend this plant for a nice burst of white. It is my first time gardening with it, but it is thriving and seems happy in my sandy soil. I picked up a few one gallon pots from The Natives in Davenport, FL last fall.

A group of Sandhill Blackeyed Susan’s coming up from seed.

Sandhill Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia mollis) up-close.

I think the seedlings coming up above and in the up-close photo below are Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata). I am only going by a few photos I found on the internet to identify the seedlings so I have to wait for it to bloom to know for sure. The leaves are kind of rough and hairy, like a cat’s tongue.

The little orange aphids on the seedlings above are really making me think this is for sure the Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). This is one of the native varieties, I have never grown it but I have the tropical kind and it is always covered with aphids.

Florida Paintbrush (Carphephorus corymbosus).

A clump of Liatris sp.

Dwarf Fakahatchee Grass.

Dwarf Fakahatchee up-close.

And for the first time I have Buckeye butterfly’s in my yard! I found some of the caterpillars on the Toad Flax one evening after it had rained. I think the cat’s only come out when it’s dark or rainy.