A VENERABLE SUCCULENT

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This guy is an old favorite here at the sandpit.
We got him as a gift nearly four years ago. He is the Indian Rope Plant or properly Hoya Compacta if you must.

He is a succulent originating from India, China and Australia.

He is considered hardy in USDA zones 10b-11 to grow outside and is grown as a house plant elsewhere.

This plant stays outside most of the year and is only brought inside when temperatures dip below about 50 degrees. Its hanging vines extend 4-5 feet below the pot it resides in.

This plant is most unusual as it appears to be made of plastic or wax.

It regularly has blooms from the older stalks . This means don't cut off the old stalks as that is where the flowers will emerge next time.

When it is ready to flower it produced a cluster of waxy fake looking buds.

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Several days later the fake looking buds will pop open each displaying a pink flower for your enjoyment.

It is really a cool plant to watch as the leaves change colors and the buds pop open with flowers. When it blooms it also has a fragrance if you get close enough to smell it.

This guy could probably benefit from a mild application of fertilizer as rainwater is all he gets. But he blooms regardless so I figure he must be happy.

He also has a slight case of sunburn but come on this is South Florida in December , who doesn't.

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CURRENT CONDITIONS

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Time to check out the garden and make sure everything is progressing.

My reward for making my morning rounds is a handful of Everglades Tomatos. These guys are cherry type and all have grown up by reseeding themselves. I just try to somewhat direct their growth by staking them up with some Bamboo sticks and string. They pretty much take care of themselves after that. They provide plenty of the small bite size tomatoes that I gladly share with my resident Mockingbird. We both like them right off of the bush. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My container tomatos are getting pretty big now and I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have always had bad luck growing main season tomatos but It looks good to maybe producing a few.

The plant itself is looking kind of rough but it fell over several times, 5 gallon container and all ,in some strong winds last week.

The Tomato fruit look good and healthy to me. After all this is a educational experience figuring out how to water correctly in the containers to keep the plants healthy. I have yet to develop that gardening eye when it comes to watering them but I am learning slowly. On the skill level of Tomato growing I am still a rookie.

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The American Beautyberry bush is still slowly inching its way upward. This guy is one of two growing from seeds.

This plant and his sister are for the birds to eat the Berry's when it grows up. They are by my bird feeder and hopefully will be part of the bird habitat one day soon.
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And last but not least is the Desert Rose. It stopped blooming for the past month but is now rested up and blooming again.

The way I figure it if my Christmas Cactus blooms don't open by Christmas Day at least this guy will take up the slack .

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ENDANGERED NATIVE FLORIDA BROMELIAD

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This Bromeliad is a Florida native. It is one of 16 Bromeliads native to my state and one of the 10 considered threatened or endangered.

His name is Tillandsia Fasiculata also known as the Cardinal Air plant.

He is an epiphytic plant which is a fancy word meaning he likes to grow on other plants. He is not a parasite and gets nourishment from the air and water he collects in the central tank formed by his leaves. He attaches to other plants only to hold on and anchor himself.

He flowers with the red spikes with violet tips seen in the above picture.

The Cardinal Air plant is able to withstand long dry periods. It will have a smaller plant and brighter flower in the full sun or a larger plant in the shade.

Like most Bromeliads it has pups as can be seen in this picture as the light green offshoots.

It is beneficial to the Florida ecosystem as many small animals and insects use its tank or the stored water as a source to drink and hide in.

This plant was started from a parent plant I found growing in a Cedar tree in my front yard several years back.

It is endangered by the Mexican Bromeliad Weevil which had wiped out quite a lot of native Bromelaids here in Florida.

It is also endangered by dwindling habitat and illegal collecting.

I think where ever you live it is good policy to propagate the native species of your area. They might not be as pretty or flashy as some other plants but they sure deserve your consideration.

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COLD TOLERANT BROMELIAD

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My latest acquisition to the sand pile given to me by my daughter is this Aechmea Gamsepala or Matchstick Bromeliad. It resembles the old wooden matches hence the name.



This guy comes from South Brazil and is more cold tolerant than most Bromelaids. I read an article where they grow this Bromeliad up at the Jacksonville Zoo Gardens in North Florida outdoors. North East Florida gets its fair share of cold and freezes during the winter and apparently this is one Bromelaid that can survive there.

The flower as you can see is a bright pink with an vivid electric blue tip.



The Matchstick Bromeliad only grows to about a foot tall.



Besides tolerating the cold better it is also drought tolerant and can be used in a xeriscape garden. It is considered hardy in zones 9 -11.

As with most all Bromeliads they propagate by offshoots or pups from the parent plant. I have taken three pups from this plant today and made separate containers with each. So my original gift has now turned into four plants.



I have to admit that I really like this Bromeliad because of the unusual vivid colors. It and it's three pups will make a welcome addition to my outside garden.



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