coming out of my shell
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Scarlet Hibiscus
We went for a walk at a nature preserve yesterday. This preserve has a raised, wood plank path to walk on, which I appreciate considering the place is filled with alligators, snakes, monster spiders and strange lizards. There are also Florida wildflowers blooming at various times of the year. Yesterday we came upon a Scarlet Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus). It is also called scarlet rosemallow, marsh hibiscus, or swamp mallow. We've only seen it in the wild at this one preserve, only at this time of the summer, and in this one spot along the walk. There were a number of buds, but only one flower in bloom yesterday.
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What a perfectly beautiful flower!
ReplyDeleteBut all those creatures? I am glad I live in Canada. I can almost accept the spiders, lizards and alligators. But the snakes? Nope!
Some of the snakes are dangerous, too. I came across a cottonmouth on the bike trail one day. Very scary.
DeletePretty. You need to go back when more of the blooms are showing off.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. I will put another photo up when I get it showing more.
DeleteI laughed when I read this. Several years ago, when our youngest was still in H.S. he loved to grow unusual plants and was very good at it. He found this plant somewhere and, either from seeds or a cutting, grew one of his own. Until it bloomed, my husband viewed it with suspicion as its leaves are similar to a plant son also tried to grow in secluded spots in the garden, though they were always found and eliminated by Pop. My husband thought son was becoming brazen about the whole thing when he placed this plant on the patio, in full view....until it blossomed!
ReplyDeleteYes, the leaves on this would definitely make one think it was something illegal. It was one of the first things we remarked upon when we first saw this plant (and it is how we identify it when it isn't in bloom).
DeleteIt's a beauty, I wonder what it will look like when there are more blossoms.
ReplyDeleteWhen there are more blossoms this plant looks like the Queen of the forest. I'll have to take some photos and put them up.
DeleteAbsolutely gorgeous. Reason enough to walk about snakes, gators, monster spiders and such. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYep!
DeleteWhat a beautiful flower. Looks like a wonderful place for a walk.
ReplyDeleteIt is. This is the same place my husband saw the owl (a few posts back).
DeleteOh my, I want that plant. I doubt it would grow, though, in the Northeast.
ReplyDeleteWikipedia says: "It is native from Southeastern Virginia south to Florida, then west to Louisiana" so you are probably right in thinking it won't grow in the Northeast." But no worries - you have so many more gorgeous flowers that we can't grow down here! Just about anything you can think of. Flowers don't do well down here.
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