The Survival Gardener

by David The Good

Natives

Food Forest, Fruit trees, Mulberry, Natives, Survival Plant Profiles

Survival Plant Profile: Mulberries

Growing mulberries in Florida is a no-brainer… yet it’s surprising to me how rare they are as a fruit tree.…
Mystery plants, Natives, Nitrogen-fixers, Plant ID

Groundnut plant – or not?

Is this a groundnut? Anyone? Are these photos of the ever-elusive Apios americana? I found this particular plant growing at Payne’s Prairie:…
Mystery plants, Natives, Ponds

A Dixie Iris? Wait! That’s not a cattail!?

I thought I had a cattail but instead I had a Dixie iris! Here’s the story: I added some cattails…
Mystery plants, Natives, Plant ID, Uncategorized

An unknown Eleagnus: it’s Sideroxylon tenax!

<<RE-UPDATED AT BOTTOM – it’s Sideroxylon tenax!>> I need some help. I found a shrub on the same hike I…
Food Forest, Foraging, Natives

Is the Simpson Stopper edible?

Is the Simpson stopper edible? Yes – and they’re truly an overlooked native fruit. I don’t care what anyone says…
Berries, Crops, Natives

The Case of the Disappearing Berries

Those are (were) Simpson Stopper berries, a pleasant native edible. I set a little plate of them down on the…
Fruit trees, Natives, PawPaw

Asimina pygmaea, a native Florida pawpaw

I visited my friend JJ’s new property somewhere in N/C Florida to check out what he had and ID whatever…
Florida gardening, Natives

Florida Gardening in April

It’s time to take a look at Florida gardening in April. Back when I lived in Tennessee, I loved the…
Fruit trees, Natives, PawPaw

Florida native pawpaws: an interview with Terri Pietroburgo, Pt. II

The following is the continuation of yesterday’s interview with Terri Pietroburgo on Florida native pawpaw trees: DAVID: If I were to…
Fruit trees, Interviews, Natives, PawPaw, Scrubland

Florida native pawpaws: an interview with Terri Pietroburgo, Pt. I

I’ve always been fascinated by rare and exotic fruit trees. For years I wanted to see a Florida native pawpaw…