The vera wood tree — native to Venezuela and Colombia — was introduced to the US nearly a century ago by botanist David Fairchild. A lovely evergreen species that displays bright-yellow flowers two to four times during the warm season, this tree (Bulnesia arborea) grows at a moderate rate. Although some specimens can reach 60 feet, half that height is typical. A fine shade tree, vera wood — closely related to lignum vitae — thrives on sunny, well-drained sites and is extremely drought tolerant.
A good choice for folks who dislike raking, this pestproof species has graceful foliage composed of very small leaflets that filter into turf and mulch when they fall. Another low maintenance feature is the sturdy branching that helps vera wood trees stand up to storms. Considered half-hardy, trees are appropriate only for warmer areas of Central Florida. Plants are propagated by seeds, which should be soaked for a day before sowing. Seeds are usually available online.
Do you have a green thumb? I’m not referring to wizardry with plants, but to the practice of routinely pinching off the new, tender growth of bushy plants to encourage dense branching and increased flowering. Gardeners who develop the pinching habit — using their thumbnail and index finger — may indeed find themselves with green, sap-stained thumbs.
Picture a dry, rocky hillside that’s scorched in summer and frozen in winter. It’s a harsh place where rain typically falls only twice a year. Those are the conditions in regions of Argentina and Bolivia where a remarkable bromeliad — kin to pineapple and Spanish moss — manages to thrive. Listed as Argentine ball in a late-spring Logee’s catalog, this terrestrial species is just a few inches tall and expands its width so slowly that it can be passed on to your grandchildren. In the fullness of time, Argentine ball (Deuterocohnia brevifolia) forms a handsome mound of small rosettes of inch-long leaves that are gray-green above and silvery below. In late winter and early spring, small greenish-yellow flowers peek above the foliage. This durable bromeliad grows in full or part-day sun and tolerates temperatures down to the 20s. Provide extremely well-drained soil, and irrigate thoroughly but infrequently. Propagate by seeds and by transplanting rooted offsets. Plants are available online.
SOW LION'S EAR SEEDS NOW
Lion’s ear is a vastly underused, semi-woody perennial for cool-season flowers. A vigorous South African species (Leonotis leonurus) that grows 4 to 8 feet tall and up to 4 feet wide, its tubular orange flowers are presented in tiered whorls on tall stems. A moderately hardy shrub, lion’s ear is part of the mint family and features the square stems characteristic of that clan. Provide sunny, well-drained sites and plenty of space for this plant. Incidentally, there’s a wholly unfounded belief that lion’s ear, aka wild dagga, has hallucinogenic properties. Propagate this butterfly plant with seeds and cuttings. Seeds, available online, will generate flowering plants this autumn if they’re sown soon.