Don't Banish All of the Weeds
Among the seedlings that volunteer in our landscapes are many cultivated plants -some native, some exotic -that are considered weeds if they arise in an undesirable place such as a rain gutter or among bedding plants.
If these volunteers are noticed while still small, they can be transplanted to an acceptable location in the garden, whereupon they cease, philosophically speaking, to be weeds.
But vast numbers of other species that volunteer freely are summarily ripped out and destroyed even if they have considerable ornamental value or, at least, can add interest to landscapes. Those unfortunate plants, rarely cultivated, can't seem to shed their "weed" designation, but I like them anyway.
One of my favorite weeds is pokeweed, also called pokeberry (Phytolacca americana), a handsome, herbaceous perennial that's native from Maine to Florida and west to Texas.
Pokeweed, which can grow up to 12 feet tall in full or part sun, has an absolutely smooth, often variegated trunk that displays a pleasing blend of wine and graygreen colors. Leaf axils and the bases of leaf stems also have a reddish tone, while the foot-long, lance-shaped leaves are medium green.
Pokeweed's white flowers, produced in elongated clusters throughout the warm months, aren't eye-catching, but the berries that follow are lovely. These berries, in narrow bunches up to 8 inches long, turn from green to red to purple as they ripen. All parts of pokeweed contain toxins and should never be eaten.
Another handsome plant is Caesar weed (Urena lobata), an herbaceous or semi-woody shrub up to 9 feet tall, though usually smaller.
Caesar weed, which is a mallow and thus related to hibiscus and okra, bears hosts of charming pink, rosy-eyed blossoms year-round in full sun. Also distinctive is the grayish-green, lobed foliage of this widely naturalized, tropical species.
One of our most graceful weeds is dog fennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), a feathery, 6-foottall herbaceous perennial with finely textured foliage and tiny white flowers in summer and autumn. On sunny, breezy days, few plants are more attractive and animated than dog fennel, a native species common throughout the Southeastern United States.
Undeniably a weed but irrefutably pretty is Mexican poppy (Argemone mexicana), an annual species that's naturalized in several Southern states, including Florida.
This prickly-leaved plant is the ultimate combination of beauty and toughness: Bright-yellow blossoms appear spring to autumn, even on plants that struggle to survive on bone-dry sites in full sun.
My final recommendation for a wonderful weed is the pepper vine (Ampelopsis arborea), a vining, perennial native with extremely attractive foliage and innumerable clusters of purple or red berries.
Happy gardening!
WORD OF THE WEEK
PHYSAN 20 is a disinfectant widely used by gardeners and greenhouse hobbyists.
Charles Reynolds, a Winter Haven resident, has an associate's degree in horticulture and is a member of the Garden Writers Association of America.