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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003 05 14 Attached Distributed by Mike MingeaDate: May 14, 2003 ATTACHED DISTRIBUTED BY MIKE MINGEA, CITY ARBORIST To Beat The Heat By Robert Bowden robert. Bowden C~cltyoforlando. net Traditionally, most coleus (Solenoste- mon scutellarioides) varieties grew best in part shade or dappled light. How- ever, recent hybridization of coleus by growers throughout the South and specifi- cally in the Orlando, FL, area has led to numerous cultivars suitable for growing in full sun. Harry P. Leu Gardens (USDA Zone 9b) conducted trials on 195 cultivars and species of coleus in 2000 and 2001. Both years, care for the plants was consistent. The trial bed was located in full sun with compost-amended sandy soil. Soil pH was 6.8. Groundcover fabric was spread over the entire area to control weeds. For aesthetics, the bed was mulched with a thick layer of pine straw. The plants were watered by an automatic sprinkler system and fertilized with a 20-20-20 (N-P-K) liquid application 60 days after planting. No pruning or staking was performed. Dead or broken branches were removed as needed. Dead plants were removed and noted. No regular spraying for pests was conducted. Evaluations were conducted about every four to five weeks. Each cultivar was eval- uated on growth habit, color, health (including pest and disease resistance), and general vigor. The cultivars were segregated into five distinct groups: 1) low and creeping varieties, 2) small varieties (under 24 inches tall), 3) medium varieties (25 to 36 inches tall), 4) tall varieties (over 36 inches tall), and 5) the Florida City series hybridized by Lake Brantley Plant Corporation, a nursery in Central Florida. Data specifics for each group were gath- ered for two years, and the top six perform- ers in each category are listed below. low, Creeping Varieties `Black Sunn' had weeping branches cloaked with rich mint green leaves cen- tered with acranberry-mahogany design and rose veins. It was a good spreader with no fading of color. `Green and Gold' had small, yellow- lime leaves with deeply scalloped edges and flamed centers. It stayed healthy and vigor- ous throughout the entire trialing period. `Red Trailing Queen' had dark purple- brown leaves edged with red and green. It spread to 5 feet wide on the ground and almost 2 feet high. It showed no disease or fading of color. S. pentherii had sharply fragrant, softly sueded, green, tidy leaves. It was a very vigorous spreader to 18 inches tall. `Tell Tale Heart' had small heart- shaped leaves of livid olive dramatically centered with chocolate maroon, and veined pink. It grew about 12 inches in height and spread. Small Varieties `Charlie McCarthy' was a very com- pact plant that grew to a maximum of 2 feet but mostly around 18 inches high. Small mint green leaves had a tinge of pur- ple. It was a clean plant with no discernible pest problems -perhaps the best of the entire trial. `Butter Cutter' was a very petite plant that never reached over 12 inches. Bright yellow and ochre leaves were ruffled. Late in the fall, the color began to wash out some. `Camellia' had a subtle melting of roses, mauves, pinks, avacado, and cham- pagne tones that held up well despite full sun exposure. Health was good despite a slight tendency to flop. `Dark Frills' was a sport of `India Frills' with a very dark dramatic center fin- gering. It reached 12 inches tall. `India Frills' was a compact, mounding plant with tiny leaves of ochre, pink, and Ornamental Outlook • May 2003 purple. It would be good in baskets. `Thumbelina' had tiny clustered green leaves with burgundy centers. It was an excellent plant that formed a nice, com- pact mound. Medium Varieties `Brilliancy' was upright with bright carmine leaves brightened by parsley green, scalloped edges. Color stayed good even in sun. `Grace Ann' was one of the best in the ~xials. 5aberlike, green leaves faded to light green with delicate pink centers. It was a very full plant with great color even at the en~l of the season. `Kiwi Fern' had aslim-fingered leaf profile of carmine red with the tip of each elongated scallop rimmed in bright ochre. Average height was 30 to 36 inches. Color remained brilliant the entire season. The many blooms on short spikes were an added benefit. `Lime Frills' had chartreuse lime leaves with cream-colored netting; frilled and ruf-' fled. The plant held up well and stayed erect, and color remained true. `Rosa' had petite leaves with ruffled edges of light green with lemon-white cen- ters and flecks of pink, violet, and rose. It was a compact plant that reached 2 feet high. Even in the sun, the color was bright and consistent. `Tilt-a-Whirl' had curly, circular leaves of muted heather to rust bronze with jagged lime edges and feathered centers. It reached 2 to 2~ feet. It flopped somewhat, but the color was strong. Tail Varieties `Fack' was colored chocolate-purple with dark cabbage rose centers and bug- green scallops. At the end of the trials, it was 4 feet tall and holding up well. The color was a little faded but not much. `Hurricane Louise' was a tall plant with feathery quince-toned leaves with rose centers framed by a rusty cranberry halo and a pale white eye. At the end of the trials, it was 4 feet tall, full and upright, and very healthy. `Inky Fingers' had a much branched, wide habit with amber and olive `Duck- foot'-type, fingered, wide leaves, with cen- tral blood red and purple figuring. It was 3 feet tall at the end of the trials and was holding up well. It was a big spreader. `Ruffles' was rose red with ruffled edges: It was a very full plant that stayed erect. Color held up well. `Super Duckfoot' was deeply lobed citron-green splotched with rose, pista- chio, and freckled gold. It held up well and lasted the second year of trials until the very end. It was 4 feet tall at the end of the trials. `Yada, Yada, Yada' had small leaves of rich mint green with a clear pink central flame chevroned with violet eyeliner. It was a very vigorous spreader up to 4 feet high. It tended to flop, but once the branches touched the ground they took root and kept the plant bushy. Florida City Series `Altoona' had heart-shaped leaves with a fuchsia focal point and splashes of valentine red finishing with a jade rip- pled edge. It branched well and grew to 24 inches. `Astatula' had striking crimson red edg- ing with an Irish green heart on a teardrop leaf. It grew to about 30 inches. `Okahumpka' had lush and dense lime green leaves speckled with sunny yellow and overlaid with veins of blood red. It grew to 36 inched. It was a superb grower with nice form and deep, pure coloration. `Punta Gorda' had large, textured, curled, chartreuse leaves with wine red scalloped edging. It kept excellent color even by the end of the season. It grew to only 18 inches. `Wauchula' had a vivid sanguine center with a cerise, undulating edge lightly touched with golden specks. Undersides and stems were a rich ruby red. The plant grew to 36 inches and displayed good vigor and form. `Yulee' .had aweb-foot-type leaf with a predominantly emerald green backdrop dappled with a velvety burgundy and tipped with buttery yellow highlights. It grew to 36 inches. It had excellent condi- tion and was good at season's end. Nearly all of the coleus plants were pest free and produced sizeable plants with lit- tle or no care. Amateur and professional gardeners are often seeking alternative plants for full sun locations. From the data collected, it is apparent that a number of coleus are suitable for the hottest and sun- niest of landscapes. The new generation of sun-tolerant coleus promises a bright future for this old-fashioned plant. ^ Robert Bowden is executive director of Harry p, Leu Gardens in Orlando, FL. a,t Kt~ • , ~, 'P3 Ornamental Outlook • May 2003 rowers of Florida wildflowers have taken a major step toward increasing the supply of native Florida seed available for beautifica- tion projects and consumer use. Currently, wildflower production in Florida falls far short of demand, ' resulting in seeds for large-scale Flori- da highway beautification projects - totaling millions of pounds annually - being purchased from major seed- producing states such as Texas. A group of Florida wildflower producers -working in conjunction with the Florida Department of Agri- culture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agri- cultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) - is developing strategies to increase planted wildflower acreage and seed production to better meet demand for native Florida species. Getting Organized The wildflower growers met Janu- ary 31 in the Gadsden County town of Havana, FL, to discuss the formation of a growers' cooperative called the Florida Wildflower Seed and Plant Growers Association Inc. Russell and Joan Wood, owners of Woodhaven Farm, hosted the meeting. The new associa- tion will work in con- junction with growers, government agencies, and academic institu- tions to coordinate research, product development, and marketing activities. The association will utilize growers' resources and work toward the common goals of increasing supply and consumer awareness. "The formation of the co-op is one of the goals I've had for nearly 30 years," said Gary Henry, former Flori- da Department of Transportation (DOT) official and current manager of the Florida Wildflower Foundation Inc. "I had to purchase wildflowers for DOT from Texas for years, and kept saying `these don't work, they aren't native.' Having native wildflower seed growers in Florida is just wonderful." 34 Participating Parties Also in attendance at the meeting were representatives of FDACS and Dr. Jeff Norcini, associate professor of environmental horticulture at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy. Terry Zinn, apart-time wildflower grower from Gainesville, presented the proposed articles of incorporation and proposed bylaws of the new Florida Wildflower Seed and Plant Growers Association Inc. Applica- tion for registration with the state will be made. Zinn, who was elected president, will register the document as the association's registered agent. Other officers include Joe Melton, a grower from Dade City, as executive vice president, and Joan Wood as secretary/treasurer. Directors present were Russell Wood of Woodhaven Farm, and Brian Crews, a former tobacco farmer from Lake City. Representatives from FDACS, the Florida Wildflower Foundation Inc., UF/1FAS, and the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc., will participate in an advisory capacity. The association will issue $10,000 of stock at $1 per share. To provide startup operating funds, members will donate $500 to join, and ex-offi- cio members will contribute $100. Requirements And Support Member growers are required to grow Yellow Tag Certified stock, which certifies the seed as native (originated and grown in the state), have a minimum of 1 acre in produc- tion, and produce for sale a minimum of 25 pounds per year. In addition, member growers will be required to contribute 80% of their crop for sale through the co-op. "I have been, and continue to hP, very encouraged about the prospects for Florida's fledgling native wildflower seed industry," said Norcini. "There is considerable demand for the seed they produce. They are very supportive of each other, as evidenced by the co-op they are forming. I am very appreciative of all the assistance that FDACS has provided to the growers, not only in creating this co-op, but with market- ing and business issues as well." The wildflower marketing project is part of the Department's ongoing Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign, also known as "Fresh from Florida." It is an identification and promotional program designed to increase sales by helping consumers to easily identify. Florida-grown agri- cultural products at the retail level. ^ The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services prepared this article. Ornamental Outlook • May 2003 From leff, Russell Wood, Terry Zinn, Brian Crews, Joan Wood, Kim Stephens, Gary Henry, Dr. Jeff Norcini, and Joe Melton.