Hammock 2 Snapshot Information and Images
Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana (cal-ee-CARP-ah ah-mer-ah-CANE-ah)
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This well named shrub has beautiful berries, bright glossy purple-violet, by the thousands along the stem. The flowers are small and violet. The opposite leaves are rough and fuzzy. Beautyberry often grows in recently burned areas. The berries are birdfood.
Callicarpa americana (cal-ee-CARP-ah ah-mer-ah-CANE-ah)
See the Blog
This well named shrub has beautiful berries, bright glossy purple-violet, by the thousands along the stem. The flowers are small and violet. The opposite leaves are rough and fuzzy. Beautyberry often grows in recently burned areas. The berries are birdfood.
Boston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata (neff-row-LEP-us ex-all-TAY-tah)
Ferns of the genus Nephrolepis are a confusing complex of native, garden, and invasive species, all similar. Boston Fern is native, and differs conveniently from its invasive relatives by having the scales (fuzz) on the leaf stalks light tan (vs. dark or partly dark) and sticking out like a bad hair day as opposed to being pressed flat against the leaf stalk. Students wishing to sort out the local Nephrolepis ferns, ask the instructors for help.
Nephrolepis exaltata (neff-row-LEP-us ex-all-TAY-tah)
Ferns of the genus Nephrolepis are a confusing complex of native, garden, and invasive species, all similar. Boston Fern is native, and differs conveniently from its invasive relatives by having the scales (fuzz) on the leaf stalks light tan (vs. dark or partly dark) and sticking out like a bad hair day as opposed to being pressed flat against the leaf stalk. Students wishing to sort out the local Nephrolepis ferns, ask the instructors for help.
Graytwig
Schoepfia chrysophylloides (SHOPE-fee-ah kry-so-fill-OY-deez)
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You don’t see Graytwig in every hammock although it can be abundant in places. Students confuse it sometimes with White Stopper, but White Stopper has opposite leave in contrast with the alternate leaves on Graytwig. Its twigs are uniformly light gray, making the species easy to spot. The branches are a little bit zig-zag. The flowers are small and dark reddish with 4 petals. Graytwig is related to parasitic Hogplum, and Graytwig is parasitic too. The small red fruits are favored by stinkbugs as baby food. Sometimes seeing red and black stinkbugs on a shrub is a clue it might be Graytwig. Read about that relationship and the unusual pollination system in the blog.
Schoepfia chrysophylloides (SHOPE-fee-ah kry-so-fill-OY-deez)
See the Blog
You don’t see Graytwig in every hammock although it can be abundant in places. Students confuse it sometimes with White Stopper, but White Stopper has opposite leave in contrast with the alternate leaves on Graytwig. Its twigs are uniformly light gray, making the species easy to spot. The branches are a little bit zig-zag. The flowers are small and dark reddish with 4 petals. Graytwig is related to parasitic Hogplum, and Graytwig is parasitic too. The small red fruits are favored by stinkbugs as baby food. Sometimes seeing red and black stinkbugs on a shrub is a clue it might be Graytwig. Read about that relationship and the unusual pollination system in the blog.
Lancewood
Ocotea coriacea (ok-oh-TEA-ah core-ee-ACE-ee-ah)
Lancewood can be mildly tricky to identify. Little about it jumps out and shouts ‘hey, I’m Lancewood.” It is a tree or shrub with alternate leaves shaped like lance tips. They are a little aromatic when crushed, nothing special. Dark green above, lighter green below. The flowers are white, small, and numerous, and the fruit is a black pea sitting in a small reddish or greenish cup like a golf ball on a tee. The plant is pretty, and who knows why it is not used more in landscaping---maybe fussy to propagate and grow.
Ocotea coriacea (ok-oh-TEA-ah core-ee-ACE-ee-ah)
Lancewood can be mildly tricky to identify. Little about it jumps out and shouts ‘hey, I’m Lancewood.” It is a tree or shrub with alternate leaves shaped like lance tips. They are a little aromatic when crushed, nothing special. Dark green above, lighter green below. The flowers are white, small, and numerous, and the fruit is a black pea sitting in a small reddish or greenish cup like a golf ball on a tee. The plant is pretty, and who knows why it is not used more in landscaping---maybe fussy to propagate and grow.
Marlberry
Ardisia escallonioides (are-DIZ-ee-ah es-ca-loan-ee-OY-deez)
Here is another hammock shrub popular in landscaping as our native Ardisia, as opposed to a couple of introduced invasive Ardisia species. Marlberry favors shade where it makes thick glossy dark green leaves, panicles (branched inflorescences) of attractive white flowers, and purple-black pea-sized berries for the birds. The invasive Ardisia crenata has bright red berries and toothed (vs. untoothed) leaf margins. The invasive Shoebutton Ardisia, Ardisia elliptica, has purple flowers.
Ardisia escallonioides (are-DIZ-ee-ah es-ca-loan-ee-OY-deez)
Here is another hammock shrub popular in landscaping as our native Ardisia, as opposed to a couple of introduced invasive Ardisia species. Marlberry favors shade where it makes thick glossy dark green leaves, panicles (branched inflorescences) of attractive white flowers, and purple-black pea-sized berries for the birds. The invasive Ardisia crenata has bright red berries and toothed (vs. untoothed) leaf margins. The invasive Shoebutton Ardisia, Ardisia elliptica, has purple flowers.
Mastic
Sideroxylon foetidissimum (sid-er-OX-ah-lawn fet-ah-DISS-ah-mum)
Mastic is a hammock tree potentially becoming huge. Easy to recognize, the leaves need ironing. The terminal bud looks like a cat’s claw, and the sap is viscous. The small white flowers form directly on the stem. Orange when mature, the fruit resembles an olive.
Sideroxylon foetidissimum (sid-er-OX-ah-lawn fet-ah-DISS-ah-mum)
Mastic is a hammock tree potentially becoming huge. Easy to recognize, the leaves need ironing. The terminal bud looks like a cat’s claw, and the sap is viscous. The small white flowers form directly on the stem. Orange when mature, the fruit resembles an olive.
Poison Ivy
Toxicodendron radicans (tox-ah-co-DEN-dron RAD-ah-cans)
Oils on the leaf surface raise a nasty rash on many people, so be careful. A climbing vine rooting along the stem with glossy leaves having three leaflets. Poison Ivy is often confused with another vine, Virginia Creeper, but this vine has leaflets 5 or more. Poison Ivy has clusters of small white flowers followed by white pea-sized berries.
Toxicodendron radicans (tox-ah-co-DEN-dron RAD-ah-cans)
Oils on the leaf surface raise a nasty rash on many people, so be careful. A climbing vine rooting along the stem with glossy leaves having three leaflets. Poison Ivy is often confused with another vine, Virginia Creeper, but this vine has leaflets 5 or more. Poison Ivy has clusters of small white flowers followed by white pea-sized berries.
Red Mulberry
Morus rubra (MORE-us RUE-brah)
A beautiful tree with extremely variable leaves. Most but not all leaves are heart-shaped, rough-surfaced, with a toothed margin. They have delicate disappearing stipules. Some leaves may be deeply lobed. The small white flowers are crowded into short spikes. The fruit is a bumpy mulberry passing through a reddish phase to eventually near-black.
Morus rubra (MORE-us RUE-brah)
A beautiful tree with extremely variable leaves. Most but not all leaves are heart-shaped, rough-surfaced, with a toothed margin. They have delicate disappearing stipules. Some leaves may be deeply lobed. The small white flowers are crowded into short spikes. The fruit is a bumpy mulberry passing through a reddish phase to eventually near-black.
Satinleaf
Chrysophyllum oliviforme (cry-SOPH-ah-lum all-IV-ah-form-ee)
Satinleaf is a hammock beauty and is enjoyed in landscaping although fussy to cultivate and slow to grow. You can’t miss it; the leaves have a golden fur beneath. The small white flowers are followed by purple plums.
Chrysophyllum oliviforme (cry-SOPH-ah-lum all-IV-ah-form-ee)
Satinleaf is a hammock beauty and is enjoyed in landscaping although fussy to cultivate and slow to grow. You can’t miss it; the leaves have a golden fur beneath. The small white flowers are followed by purple plums.