Posted by Marc Williams
Plants and Healers International Executive Director
i was blessed recently to spend some good time with naturalist and author Roger Hammer both at his home in Homestead, Florida and inside Everglades National Park.
Roger has written numerous field guides including one on Everglades wildflowers (2015b) and the Florida Keys wildflowers (2004). He has an upcoming book about the wildflowers of central Florida (2016) and he has written a book on attracting hummingbirds and butterflies as well (2015a). Roger worked at Castellow Hammock Nature Center for over 30 years. He also was awarded with an honorary Ph.D from Florida International University in 2012.
Roger took me on a tour of his yard where he has lots of interesting plants such as Pond-Apple (Annona glabra), Moujean Tea (Nashia inaguensis), Arborescent Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia arborea) and many others. He has a number of fruit trees as well. For his Mango he chose the “Manilito” variety. He also has a hybrid of the Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera) and Pigeon Plum (Coccoloba diversifolia). Some other choice fruits include Caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito), Black Mulberry (Morus nigra), Avocado (Persea americana) and a J-31 cultivar of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus). The latter is more columnar and compact in form, suitable as a dooryard tree, but was still loaded with fruit as seen below.
Roger’s knowledge of various kingdoms of life forms is astonishing. In addition to introducing me to many new plants he also shared their connections to birds, butterflies and other organisms. For instance the introduced White-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris versicolorus) loves to feast on the seeds of the Silk Floss Tree (Ceiba speciosa) and the hummingbirds will fight over visits to (Pavonia bahamensis). The latter is also visited by the Zebra Longwing (Heliconias charitonia) which is the state butterfly of Florida. Two-flowered Passionfruit (Passiflora biflora) is a weedy thing in his yard but also supplies larval food for Zebra Longwings, Julia Heliconians (Dryas iulia), and Gulf Fritillaries (Agraulis vanillae), though the fruit is not much to speak of regarding human consumption. The Grackles and Blue Jays love the fruit of the Cherry-of-the-Rio Grande (Eugenia aggregata).
Some other uncommon tropical plants were on display such as the lemon-scented Bay Rum (Pimenta racemosa), Rough Strongbark/back (Bourerria radula), Smooth Strongbark/back (B. cassinifolia) and Euphorbia punicea from Jamaica that is a nectar source for the Zebra butterfly. It was exciting to also see Parrotweed (Bocconia frutescens) that Roger referenced as from the Bahamas whereas the first time i saw this species was way up high in the Talamanca mountains of Costa Rica.
As amazing as the tour of Roger’s yard was i was also excited to go to the local wild environs where he has spent nearly 40 years studying the various life forms, first as an employee of the Miami-Dade Parks Department and now independently. Roger told me how on one occasion he was picked to be a guide for biologists from various disciplines from around the world who came for a conference at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. What an honor and joy to accompany he and his wife Michelle for some small group time on the trails around Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park. Poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum)
was a very common understory plant as was its family member Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum). Endemics such as Spermacoce terminalis and Pineland Clustervine (Jaquemontia curtisii) were present as well. Roger shared a story about an author working on the Asteraceae of North America who was going to travel a long distance just to catch site of the unassuming Sachsia polycephala syn S. bahamensis known mostly from the Caribbean.
Regarding other life forms we caught site of the Atala (Eumaeus atala) whose caterpillars feed on small Coontie (Zamia pumila)
and was thought extinct in Florida until Roger found it at Virginia Key at Key Biscayne in 1979 (Eliot, 1996). White Indigoberry (Randia aculeata) is a good nectar source for Atalas.
We also saw tuberous Passionflower vine (Passiflora tuberosa) that supports the typical Gulf Fritillaries and others. It has very heterophyllous leaves. Pineland Croton (Croton linearis) was one plant present which supports two rare native butterflies including the Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon acis) and the Florida Leafwing (Anaea troglodyta floridalis). As an aside the USDA still has it listed as (Croton michauxii var. michauxii). Even though i like the former name which is descriptive of an actual characteristic of the plant and accepted by the foremost authority on such matters The Plant List. The namesake Michauxs from France are some of my favorite botanists ever, along with the Bartrams their American counterparts, for the incredible amounts of studies they conducted in the southeast in late 1700s and early 1800s (Anderson, 1990; J. Bartram, 1942; W. Bartram & Harper, 1998; Coker, 1911; Cothran J. R, 2004; Deleuze, Michaux, Williams, & Sims, 2011; Earnest, 1940; Fishman G, 2004; Gummere, 1955; Hallock, 2001; Harper, 1953; Lackey C. E, 2004; McClellan III J. E, 2004; Merritt III, 1978; A. Michaux, 1974; F. A. Michaux, 1805; Pluchet R, 2004; Plummer, 1977; Rembert, 1979; Rembert Jr. D. H, 2004, n.d.; Reveal J. L, 2004; Rogers G. A. Rogers-Price V. Hagan D.V, 2004; Savage, 1986; Silver, 1978; Sorrie B. A, 2004; Stephens, 1967; Walter Kingsley Taylor & Norman, 2002; W. K. Taylor & Norman, 2004; Thwaites, Michaux, Michaux, & Harris, 1904; Walters, 1989; Williams, 2004; Williams C, 2004).
It was nice to see a thriving Red Bay (Persea borbonia) as this genus, which includes Avocados (Persea americana), is currently under attack from the Laurel Wilt disease spread by the introduced Red Bay Ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) which intentionally inoculates plants with the fungus (Raffaelea lauricola) as a way of cultivating a food source. The beetles are thought to have been introduced in Georgia around 2002 and since then have steadily marched south affecting many members of the Lauraceae family on their way. Some varieties in particular of the Avocado seem to be resistant as can be seen in the link about the disease above.
We also saw a station for an annual competition hunt of the introduced and invasive Burmese Python (Python bivittatus). 
According to the attendant they had already caught 42 individuals up to 16 feet long in eight days! One other invasive we took note of was an orchid of all things (Eulophia graminea) which was relatively recently introduced but is now running rampant across the south of the state.
Other interesting woody plants abounded. Two versions Bullys, one with thorns, Florida Bully (Sideroxylon reclinatum) and one without, White Bully (S. salicifolium) as well as Pigeon Plum (Coccoloba diversifolia).
The native Pineland Acacia (Acacia pinetorum) which the USDA refers to with the outdated (Vachellia farnesiana var pinetorum) with pretty yellow/orange flowers was on display as was Tetrazigia bicolor amongst the few Melastomataceae members present in Florida natively. Back at the house i also took note of the native Button Sage (Lantana involucrata) which unlike other things called sage from the Lamiaceae and Asteraceae is a member of the Verbenaceae.
All in all the time with Roger was delightful and informative. i was glad to be able to purchase his books that i did not have already from him directly in one way of supporting a very good cause and get them autographed to boot. Here’s hoping for more good times botanizing down the line with this great naturalist and human being!
Literature Cited
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Bartram, J. (1942). Diary of a Journey Through the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, 1765-66. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society.
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Hammer, R. L. (2004). Florida Keys Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Wildflowers, Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Florida Keys. Guilford, CT: Falcon Guides.
Hammer, R. L. (2015a). Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies in Tropical Florida: A Companion for Gardeners. Gainseville, FL: University Press of Florida.
Hammer, R. L. (2015b). Everglades Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Wildflowers of the Historic Everglades, including Big Cypress, Corkscrew, and Fakahatchee Swamps (2nd Ed). Guilford, CT: Falcon Guides.
Hammer, R. L. (2016). Central Florida Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Wildflowers of the Lake Wales Ridge, Ocala National Forest, Disney Wilderness Preserve, and More. Guilford, CT: Falcon Guides.
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