Eldora State House — Plants
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Snake Plant, a species of Snake Plant
Common Names: Mother-in-law’s tongues, St. George’s sword, Viper’s bowstring hemp, Bow string hemp, Jinn’s tongue, and Devil’s tongue
Botanical Name: Sansevieria trifasciata
Description: The Snake Plant is a succulent plant with swordlike leaves that point upright. It is green with vibrant yellow edges and is great for purifying indoor air. Snake plants are fairly easy to grow and hard to kill. They thrive in either very bright light or almost dark corners, adapting to full sun or dimness. Excellent for planters and container pots, they are also drought resistant.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Genus: Dracaena
Species: D. trifasciata
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Wax mallow, a species of Mallow
Common Names: Turkcap, Turk’s turban, Ladies teardrop, Scotchman’s purse, Hibiscus, Mazapan
Botanical Name: Malvaceae
Description: A flowering plant in the mallow family that differ from the closely related Hibiscus. Wax Mallow is characterized by smooth, narrow, waxy, rich green foliage and red, fleshy fruit. The fruit can be used to make jelly or syrup and both the fruit and flowers are used to make herbal teas. They produce 2-3" long, pendant, sleepy scarlet flowers from late summer through spring. Excellent for Hummingbirds and other long-tongued pollinators.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Malvaviscus
Species: Malvaviscus arboreus
Simpson’s stopper, a species of Myrcianthes fragrans
Common Names: Twinberry
Botanical Name: Myrcianthes fragrans
Description: Simpson's stopper is an evergreen, tolerant of salt and drought with leaves that vary between a pale chartreuse to a deep wine. The leaves are also fragrant when crushed, giving off a spicy/citrusy scent similar to nutmeg. The exfoliating bark flakes off to reveal shades of reddish-brown. Flowering occurs in April and May in Florida and the flowers are white and fragrant, and followed by orange to red berries in late summer and early fall. While these berries are edible for humans (excepting the seeds), they are not often considered palatable. Simpson's stopper attracts butterflies, bees, and birds and its flowers lure pollinators. Its dense canopy offers protection for birds like buntings, cardinals, blue jays, and the mockingbird which eat the berries. Simpson's stopper is a threatened plant species and is listed on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' threatened list.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Myrcianthes
Species: M. fragrans
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Triangle Cactus, a species of Triangle Cactus
Common Names: Barbed-wire cactus, Sword-pear, Night-blooming cereus, Dildo cactus,
Botanical Name: Acanthocereus tetragonus
Description: The triangle cactus is native to the coastal hammocks and hot, dry coastal habitats and thickets and sandy coastal habitats of central and southern Florida and the Keys, south into the Caribbean. Its stems are spiny, impenetrable and thicket-forming and grow up to 10 feet. The stems can be propagated by cutting a branch and replanting it in moist, well-drained soil. The cactus also has large, fragrant white blooms that open at night and close during the day throughout the summer. The flowers are white with a deep red and orange center and attract hummingbird moths.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Acanthocereus
Species: A. tetragonus
Cape Honeysuckle, a species of Trumpetbushes
Common Names: Cape trumpet-flower
Botanical Name: Tecoma capensis
Description: Cape honeysuckle is a beautiful evergreen shrub with sprawling, woody, vine-like stems. The flowers are small, red-orange, trumpet-shaped flowers that attract butterflies and birds including hummingbirds. Each flower in the cluster is about two inches long with papery winged seeds developing in capsules and scattering in the wind when the capsule opens. It's not a true honeysuckle. This plant’s species name, capensis, means, “of the cape,” and it is a reference to the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern tip of Africa. Cape honeysuckle is a member of the Bignoniaceae family, which is sometimes called the “trumpet-vine family.”
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales
Family: Bignoniaceae
Genus: Tecoma
Species: T. capensis
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