Common name:     Milk Flower Tree Botanical name:     Stemmadenia litoralis Family name:           Apocynaceae S. litoralis is a small evergreen, ornamental tree from Central America. The leaves are a glossy dark green.  The yellow-centered white tubular flowers appear in late spring and early summer.  The fragrant flowers only open a few at a time. Llamas, Kirsten A. 2003. Tropical Flowering Plants. Timber Press, Portland. Page 70.

Myrtle-of-the-River, Wild-Coffee, and Royal Fern, all previously described in the Florida Native Garden, fill this area near the fence.

Common name:      Ant Farm Orchid Botanical name:      Myrmecophila (Schomburgkia) tibicinis Family name:            Orchidaceae   In Latin, Myrmecophila means “living with ants”, and as the name implies, wild specimens of this orchid do actually harbor ants in their large, hollow pseudobulbs that may each grow to over 2’ in length. There is a good reason for this relationship: in return for the orchid providing them with a home and nectar the ants defend it from predators. This warmth and sun-loving orchid ranges from Mexico through Costa Rica where it grows to a very large size. In spring it sends out whip-like stems, up to 15’ long, crowned by a swaying inflorescence of purple, golden yellow and white blossoms that have corkscrewed petals and sepals. Its accommodating flower provides a landing platform for its pollinator, the bee. – Darrin Duling

Llamas, Kirsten A. 2003. Tropical Flowering Plants. Timber Press, Portland. Page 70. Internet reference

The eye-catching parts of each flower are the 5 narrow petal-like calyx lobes that persist long after the darker purple corollas drop. The rough texture of the dark green leaves has given it the common name of the Sandpaper Vine.  Internet reference

Mounted on the Milk Flower Tree are these two orchids.

Oncidium flexuosum (native to Brazil)

Common name:    Yellow Barleria Botanical name:   Barleria oenotheroides. B. micans Family name:         Acanthaceae From southern Mexico and Central America, this shrub grows to about 5 feet.  The pointed, elliptic leaves are 5 inches long.  The yellow flowers appear in the winter. Internet reference

Dendrobium nobile hybrid

Common name:     Lignum Vitae (Wood of Life) Botanical name:    Guaiacum sanctum Family name:          Zygophyllaceae Guaiacum sanctum has a wide distribution in the Florida Keys, the West Indies, and Central America.  This species is endangered and becoming extinct through deforestation and felling of timber.  The timber of Guaiacum species is of considerable commercial importance despite being very difficult to work with because the wood is so hard. It has great strength and is self-lubricating because of its high resin content. It has been used for a variety of applications including propeller shaft bearings in ships, mallet heads, and bowling balls, and has been used as a remedy for many serious diseases. Recent research has shown a potential for the treatment of arthritis. Stanley Gart and children donated this specimen in loving memory of  Rita Arama Gart. Internet reference

The remaining specimens are located on the south side of the path just beyond the Vaughn pool and toward the Florida Native Garden.

Common name:     Queen's Wreath, Sandpaper- Leaf Vine Botanical name:     Petrea volubilis Family name:           Verbenaceae Petrea Volubilis is one of the most distinct and beautiful of the cultivated climbers. Here it is trailing on an arbor over the boardwalk. A fast-growing, twining, woody vine or a rounded shrub, this spectacularly flowering plant from Tropical America produces foot-long racemes of magnificent star-like purple flowers (15-30 flowers per raceme) during late spring to early summer.

Common name:     Flamingo Cone Botanical name:    Quesnelia arvensis Family name:          Bromeliaceae Q. arvensis has a bright red inflorescence. Small dark purple flowers that fade to white poke out between the lower bracts.  Internet reference

Common name:    Mexican Weeping Bamboo Botanical name:    Otatea acuminata subsp. aztecorum Family name:         Poaceae From Mexico, this gracefully arching clumping bamboo can reach a maximum height of 20 feet. The canes can grow to a diameter of 1 1/2 inches and are densely clothed with very thin, narrow and long light green leaves lending the plant a soft appearance. It is a hardy and mostly non-invasive bamboo. (The South American genus Otatea is now considered to be separate from the larger Asian genus Sinarundinaria.) Internet reference Internet reference

Common name:      Lady-of-the-Night Botanical name:     Brunfelsia americana Family name:           Solanaceae Native to the West Indies, B. Americana is an evergreen, delicate upright growing plant. It Grows small to no more than 5 feet in South Florida. In spring and summer the flowers appear in cycles; bursts of long 3-5 inch white flowers that turn pale yellow as they age on the stem. Lady of the Night refers to the night-time fragrance. Within 10 seconds after sundown, the aroma appears from zero to full power. There is absolutely no smell nor hint of aroma in daylight hours.

Common name:      Blood of the Bull Botanical name:     Ruprechtia coriacea Family name:           Polygonaceae R. coriacea is an evergreen tree from  Venezuela that grows to 20 feet and flowers in late fall and winter.  Male flowers are white in long racemes and female flowers are maroon to magenta in short racemes.  Our specimen is the male one. Llamas, Kirsten A. 2003. Tropical Flowering Plants. Timber Press, Portland. Page 318.

Common name:     Climbing Oleander, Poison Arrow Botanical name:    Strophanthus gratus Family name:          Apocynaceae From West Africa, S. gratus is  a climbing vine with soft  white to pink five petaled flowers that have a deep pink-burgundy throat.  The glossy green leaves are rubbery. If desired, pruning can keep it shrubbery.  Extracts of the seeds contain a digitalis compound that is very toxic (strophanthin, commonly known as ouabain) and has been used as a heart stimulant and dart poison. Gardino Nursery donated this specimen.

Common name:     Milkyway, Snowflake Flower Botanical name:    Wrightia antidysenterica Family name:          Apocynaceae Milkyway is a rare shrub from Sri Lanka that grows to about 5 feet.  The leaves are glossy dark green and the nearly everblooming white flowers have five petals and a yellow center.  It is a medicinal plant in India. Internet reference

Common name: Botanical name:     Hohenbergia stellata Family name:           Bromeliaceae An outstanding Bromeliad, Hohenbergia stellata is named in honor of Hohenberg, a Wurttemberg king and a patron of botanical literature. Stellata means star shaped, referring to the star- shaped flower clusters. It is native from Trinidad to Brazil. Ken Marks donated this specimen.   Internet reference

Common name:    Pink Trumpet Tree Botanical name:    Tabebuia impetiginosa Family name:          Bignoniaceae There is nothing quite like the beauty of a mature Pink Trumpet Tree in full bloom in late winter and early spring. From the rain forests of Central and South America, this popular tree tends to drop its leaves before flowering.  Tea made from its bark has been used in folk medicine and contains anti-cancer and anti-fungal chemicals. Unfortunately these are highly toxic and have not been shown to be valid treatments. Internet reference

Lake Huntington Walk

The aroma goes all night long then stops exactly at sunrise. This plant resists transplanting.  Internet reference

Common name:     Teddy Bear Palm, Redneck Palm Botanical name:    Neodypsis lastelliana Family name:         Arecaceae From warm areas of Madagascar, this palm will not tolerate frost.  Growing to 30 feet it has a light colored - almost white - trunk with greenish rings of leaf scars, and pinnate leaves.  The crownshaft is covered in a reddish brown felt giving it the common name of Teddy Bear Palm and also Redneck Palm.  Riffle, Robert L. 1999. The Tropical Look.Timber Press, Portland. Page 245.

Common name:     Buddha's Belly Bamboo Botanical name:    Bambusa vulgaris `Wamin' Family name:          Poaceae (Graminae) Gardeners often avoid bamboo because bamboo may run rampant. However, there are two types, clumping and running. Clumping bamboos are better for small gardens since they do not have to be contained. Running bamboos can be invasive, but their running habit can be controlled.  A popular clumping bamboo is Buddha's Belly, Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin' so named for the swellings in between the nodes. It is admired for the golden color of the mature stems and it grows to about 8m high. The giant form, from China, can grow to 10m. - Darrin Duling. S. Oliphant donated this specimen.

From here walk to the chickee hut area where the gate to the recently added Lake Huntington Walk is located.

Epidendrums are reed-like orchids that grow wild like weeds from Florida to Brazil.  They are epiphytes but can be grown in a fluffy soil compost.  Their clusters of brightly colored flowers make them very desirable and fortunately they are easy to grow.  Epidendrum hybrids are scattered throughout the garden.

Common name:     Leafy Coral Blow, Red Firecracker Plant Botanical name:    Russelia sarmentosa Family name:          Scrophulariaceae This evergreen shrub from Mexico, Central America, and Cuba produces striking tubular red flowers most of the time.  It grows to about 6 feet and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Bok Tower Gardens donated this specimen. Llamas, Kirsten A. 2003. Tropical Flowering Plants. Timber Press, Portland. Page 315.

Common name:     Firewheel Tree Botanical name:    Stenocarpus sinuatus Family name:          Proteaceae One of Australia's most spectacular flowering trees may be found in the AOS garden. The Firewheel Tree takes its name from the dazzling red, wheel-shaped inflorescences that appear in summer.  It occurs in nature as a narrow, compact, pyramidal tree up to 100 feet but it is usually smaller in cultivation, particularly in south Florida where it is rather slow-growing. Care must be taken when fertilizing this tree as it is highly allergic to phosphate and will quickly die if exposed to regular fertilizer. For this reason it is better to top-dress with a rich, organic mulch or apply a phosphate-free fertilizer. - Darrin Duling