Lantana?

According to commenters more experienced than I, this is another possible identification for the irritating (literally) plant that I posted about before.

Here is a photo and description of Lantana at Floridata.com.

Judging by the picture and description, it seems very likely that what I have is probably a dwarf variety.

A quick Google search reveals that Lantana is known to cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals.

Apparently, Lantana can also put you in a coma if you ingest them. That's what the Houston Garden Book says, anyway. Fortunately, the leaves are so rough, and the odor of cut and damaged plants is such that I can't imagine anyone thinking they are edible. They don't exactly strike me as being the ideal salad green.

Thanks...

...To Nancy and to Garden Obssession for their helpful comments. Drop by their blogs. It's worth a visit.

Verbena? (or Not...)

Apparently this plant can cause contact dermatitis in people with sensitive skin.

At first, I had this confused with verbena, but commenters quickly corrected me there. :)



In any case, the rough edges of those leaves can create skin irritation. I found this out while reaching through a this plant to remove a rather difficult weed. Then I looked it up on the internet, and found out that both lantana and verbena are indeed known to cause skin irritation in some people.

Here's a lovely shot of my arm.

The picture is a little blurry, so the irritation does not show up very well, but I was starting to get a really nice rash all over the inside of my forearm from reaching through the plant to get at a very obnoxious weed. It itched like crazy, but most of it went away in a few hours (it helped that I washed the area after the irritation began), and it is nearly all gone now, just over 24 hours later. And the discomfort was nothing like what I had later the same day, when my big toe had a run in with some angry fire ants.

I am now searching for alternative low-growing shrubby ground cover type things to replace it. Preferably something that doesn't need heavy pruning every winter. More on that as I learn what might work, and what won't.

Hmm.


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Update: Dermatitis from this plant can last longer than 24 hours, despite oral antihistamines and repeated applications of hydrocortisone cream. The rash is still there. I touched the plant on Monday. It is now Thursday. Grrr. Sleeves are highly recommended.

Another Mystery weed.

This is why it is always good to dig up established weeds. You never know if they are spreading under ground when you aren't looking.

There were two of these. I wasn't even able to get all of the underground roots, as they went deep into the ground, but I hope I got enough to keep it from coming back.

Here is the first, and the smaller of the two after I first dug it up


Here it is again (much later after I dug up more of the roots, hence the wilting). I had to take it out in pieces


Here is a larger specimen of the same kind, in the ground.


I'd love to find out what this is. The two were not connected to one another, though they appeared to be perfectly capable of spreading underground. Their roots went fairly deep, and had a really good grip on the soil.

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Update: In an effort to satisfy my curiosity about this plant, I posted a picture of it on the GardenWeb forums at iVillage. Click here to read the responses. The general consensus so far is that it is a tree seedling. On the one hand, this kind of makes me wish I had moved or potted it, rather than killing it and digging it up. On the other hand, I don't know if that would have been a good idea either. Live and learn. :)

Fire ant First Aid

As I had my third encounter with fire ants yesterday, I have been doing a little reading about how to treat these stings.


Here is a useful page on the subject.
And another one with recommendations for bites on children.

For relief of the skin irritation, the most common solutions I have seen, after the wounds have been cleaned and disinfected, are itch creams such as hydrocortizone cream, as well as witch hazel. Oral antihistamines can be helpful as well. I have also seen products at the drugstore labled specifically for use on fire ant stings, but I have not tried them yet, myself.

Some websites also suggest elevating the stung body part as a component of first aid treatment, to help minimize the initial swelling.

As always, severe allergic reactions should be treated in the emergency room.

And when in doubt, see a doctor.

Wintergreen Boxwood (Buxus microphylla japonica)

Saw some at Lowe's today, and thought, "So that's what those are!" I have several in my garden (they seem to be a landscaping staple around here), and I like them. I also like knowing what I have.

Here is what they look like:

Photo from Magnolia Gardens Nursery. See their website for additional plant info.

Though not native to this region, they grow quite well in my garden, even in the mucky "gumbo" soil we have in this region. I don't even water them, just let the local rainfall do its thing. Once in awhile I prune them to keep the shape I want. Good, hardy, low maintenance little plants.

Yup.

Duh! Closed toed shoes best for gardening

Despite the fact that I knew better, I wore flip-flops today while I was gardening.

And something bit me.

And it hurt like the dickens.

I suppose I was kind of asking for it.

Fortunately, whatever it was wasn't deadly.

Judging by how the bites looked later on in the day, it was probably fire ants. Hubby and I disturbed a few today while out doing yard work.

It's kind of interesting living in a region that has so much biodiversity. I just wish I knew more about what parts of it are dangerous, and where to find them.

Anyway, keep your feet and hands protected, especially if you are working around thick foliage, or disturbing dirt and leaf litter. And keep your eyes peeled.

Which reminds me, always check any shoes or gloves kept outside or in garages before putting them on. You never know who might be living in there.

Emersonian Wisdom

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bluebonnets

Bluebonnets (also known as Lupines in other parts of the country) are one of my favorite annual wildflowers. I planted some in my garden this year, but I did it fairly late in the season, having started the seeds indoors when most of the wild blooms were already appearing around town. They are growing much slower than I expected, and the random "volunteer" populations in the fields and empty lots around here are already dying back, while mine haven't even reached full height. Hm. That's the last time I follow what the package says about waiting till after the risk of freezing temperatures is past.

Better start those seeds earlier next time.

Invasion of Bermudagrass...

This is what crab grass looks like when it goes to seed.

This is how bermuda grass looks.

This is what the UC Davis Integrated Pest Management Program says about how to tell the two apart:

The flowering stems of crabgrass are similar to those of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), but the spikelike branches on the flowering stems of bermudagrass originate at the same point whereas those on crabgrass originate about 1/8- to 1/4-inch apart at the end of the stem.

By the way, unless you live in an area where summer is the dry season (not the case here on the Gulf Coast), their advice for controlling bermuda grass may not be applicable to you.

This is what I have in my lawn:



And it's not going away, despite the fact that we used a lawn weedkiller/fertilizer treatment. I couldn't get any pictures of it going to seed, but when it does, it looks more like Bermuda grass than crab grass.

It's in my lawn and it's invading my flowerbeds. Ugh. I hate this stuff.



Even more interesting, this that I dug up today looks suspiciously like nut grass:



Goody goody. And I hear mulching does not slow it down.

Oh, yes, and after pulling this stuff up from my beds for weeks, I found out today that pulling is a bad idea. Whoops. :)

This is why it pays to look up weeds.

Nutgrass control information.

Book Review: The Houston Garden Book.

Overall impression: Excellent.

Pros: Specific advice for the southeast corner of Texas in which Houston is located, and the unique soil and climate issues that affect us here. This book tells you exactly what will grow here, and when and where and how to plant it. Lots of plant descriptions and recommendations, lists of plant species that thrive in this region, plant care tips, pest control info, and many pretty pictures to inspire you. The section on edible plants was very helpful, and listed what is in season during what part of the year, so you can plan your food-related planting accordingly. It made me want to run outside and start an herb garden.Another awesome feature is that it includes suggested organic gardening methods and common synthetic chemical methods of plant care, so you can use either or both.

Cons: Not enough pictures! While the lists of plants are helpful, I have no idea what they look like, which means I need to either get another book, or search for them online if I want to be sure a listed plant is right for my vision for my garden. A few more illustrations in the pest chapter would be useful as well. Also, no info on antique roses, though it has an entire chapter dedicated to more recent varieties that can survive here. I ended up getting a second book for that.

Summary: Nearly everything you need to know about gardening here, you can get from this book.

Are you sick of fire ants?

Maybe we can return the favor:

LUBBOCK, Texas -- The battle against red fire ants has plagued farmers, ranchers and regular folks for decades. Now it seems the reviled pests could be in for some sickness of their own. Researchers have pinpointed a naturally occurring virus that kills fire ants, which arrived in the U.S. in the 1930s and now cause $6 billion in damage annually nationwide, including about $1.2 billion in Texas. The virus caught the attention of U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers in Florida in 2002. The agency is now seeking commercial partners to develop the virus into a pesticide to control fire ants.

Complete story.

Of course, this is assuming this virus won't ultimately create more problems than it solves.

The upside to fire ants (yes, there appears to be one), is that they help to control those little white grubs the june bugs leave behind. At least, that's what I have heard.

If you are interested in organic fire ant control, one of my local nurseries recommends this.

The Mystery Plant

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Update: I e-mailed Betsy Dunphy at the Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac Information Center. She says it is not poison ivy (whew!) and looks like a type of bean, such as the Hyacinth Bean. Thanks, Betsy!
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There is no poison ivy in coastal California. Poison oak, yes. I can recognize that pretty easily.

Poison ivy is another matter. In the first place, I haven't grown up around it. In the second, there are so many subtle variations of it, and so many impostors.

So...I'm wondering What is this vine that I found sprouting up in my garden, and should I be afraid?

A close up of the leaves. Those two huge ones in the background are from the original sprout. That's the bark of a tree behind it.


Another shot.

Relevant Posts from my Main Blog:

Petite beauty: Humility means Longevity for roses.

Cardinals in my Garden

Making Friends with the Natives: The Green Anole

Real June Bugs--in March!

The American Alligator (Not something you'll probably see on your property, unless it backs up to a natural water source. Interesting just the same)

Starting over.

Growing up on the Pacific Coast, I learned a lot about gardening from plant-lovers in my family. Then I moved to the Gulf Coast. Oh boy. It turns out that much of what was familiar to me in the extremely mild climate I was used to does not apply out here. (Not a big surprise, I know).

So, I am re-educating myself!

I'll be posting some of the things I learn here. I know that I can't be the only one with questions about how to take advantage of the green lushness of this semi-tropical region. I don't expect I'll be updating this as often as my main blog, but check back from time to time to see what you can see.