April Showers Bring May Flowers

If April showers bring May Flowers, then what do May Flowers bring?  Pilgrims!  Ok, so that's a really lame joke, but it came to mind as I snapped these photos this morning.  I wanted to show you some of the flowers I saw in bloom today.  

But before I get to that, I have to share my hike with you. My class had a great time and when we entered the woods, they just gushed with excitement.  I heard everything thing from "this is so cool" to "that's sick!"  (They both mean the same thing in today's vernacular.  "Sick" means crazy, cool, or insane according to the Urban Dictionary.)  They also got busy putting on their "war paint" in the Pine Flatwoods, and they made me laugh at all the fun they were having!  Even the girliest of girls got into it and they used all their resources to check out their new woodsy look; aviator glasses, phones in selfie mode, etc.  Nearly everyone of them had smeared charcoal on their cheeks by the end of the hike.  They were happy to wear the badges of nature on their faces for the return to school!  

Photo; boardwalk at Nature's Classroom

Below are the photos of the flowers I promised you. There are many more, but I'll stop at just these few for now.  

Carolina Wild Petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis) - It's seeds are spread by being forcibly expelled from the fruit of the mature plant. 

Agapanthus - This plant is also know as the Lily of the Nile. It is not native, but it is considered a Florida-friendly and drought tolerant perennial that someone planted along one of the paths I take the kids on.   

Lantana (Lantana camera) - This is a non-native, but drought tolerant, plant that is considered to be invasive. The flower is highly variable in color and may vary with age.  Butterflies seem to be attracted to it. The stem and leaves smell bad when crushed.  

Pickerelweed (Pontederia chordata) - This native aquatic plant gets its name from the fish that inhabit its area.  

Beach Sunflower (Helianthus debilis) - This native plant is also known as the Cucumber Leaf Sunflower.  It is easy to grow and maintenance free. It grows as well in a yard as it does on the dunes.  

Powderpuff (Mimosa strigillosa) - The leaves on this plant, like many other species of Mimosa, will curl up if they are touched.  

Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) - The small red fruit looks like a true coffee bean, but it can not be made into the drink.  The leaves look a lot like the gardenia, which is in the same family.  

Fire Bush (Hamelia patens) - Not only are the berries edible, but this native plant was also used for many other medicinal purposes.  It is a favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies. 

Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pukchekla). - This is perhaps Florida's most colorful wildflower and I saw them all along the side of the road as I drove home too. 

Florida Green Eyes (Berlandiera subacaulis) - This photo is from camp last weekend; it is endemic (unique) to Florida and likes dry, disturbed sites, like where our scout troop camped.

Between the kids and the flowers, it was a truly colorful day!