Dieffenbachia

A genus of Aroids with superbly variegated leaves, natives of Central and South America. Their juice is extremely acrid and is said to produce speechlessness, and not only that but swelling of the throat and burning agony for hours, hence the native name "Dumb Cane." I planted a number of these in the edge of my brackish swamp, confident that the land crabs would not dare to touch them or if they did their careers would be ended, but not the slightest injury came to them. They munched my beautiful plants as cheerfully as a horse would oats and even dug up and devoured the roots. They grow along streams and wet places in shade and are so tender I can scarcely get them through the winter.

Dioon

A magnificent Mexican Cycad with a great crown of long, flat, pinnatifid leaves of a rich, attractive green. It is a member of a once noble family that is now nearly extinct. It has a stiff, formal appearance and is appropriate for planting near dwellings. It will stand quite a little cold.

Dracaena

D. draco, the Dragon's Blood Tree of the Canaries, does well for me in pots but not in the open. D. fragrans partly succeeds in rich soil out of doors, D. godseffiana is doing well in partial shade, D. goldieana and D. sanderiana grow nicely in pots but not outside.

Echinocactus

So far as my experience goes none of these, the Mamillarias, Echinocereus or Melocactus do well here. A large number of the latter were brought from the Bahamas some years ago and planted in the grounds of the Royal Palm Hotel at Miami but they have not taken hold. A few of the Opuntias succeed here more or less.

Encephalartos

Magnificent Cycads with long leaves, from tropical South Africa. They are expensive plants and I have never tried them.

Eucharis Amazonica

Eucharis Amazonica is one of the most beautiful herbaceous plants we grow in South. Florida. It is doing fairly well in the edge of the hammock. The lubber grasshoppers do not seem to know whether they prefer this or the Crinums but they generally manage to get both.

Euphorbia

I have never been able to make any of the succulent species do any good. E. jacquiniflora is a fine half shrubby form, beautiful but very tender.

Fittonia

Two species, F. argyroneura with elliptical leaves netted with silver veins and F. verschaffelti with similar shaped leaves netted with coppery red, are cultivated. They require heat, shade and moisture and are fine for ferneries.

Furcraea

Succulent plants resembling Agaves but the flowers are more showy. F. cubensis has green leaves; F. gigantea, F. tuberosa, F. beddinghausi and F. pubescens are fine. F. Undent is a splendid plant of great size with striped leaves. All are from tropical America and are tender except F. longaeva.

Geranium

See Pelargonium.

Gesnera

A genus of lovely plants from the American Tropics, all of which need a moist atmosphere and shade. They might do in fern pools.

Gladiolus

Summer flowering plants, mostly from South Africa, the roots being corms. MacLaren at Fernandina and Pleas at Chipley report success with them. Here they are not very successful.

Gloxinia

Beautiful, delicate plants allied to Gesnera and requiring the same treatment. It is probable that they would grow in ferneries and on the walls of fern pools. It would be well to dig up the tubers of both genera when the plants die down and keep them rather dry during winter.

Gynerium Or Pampas Grass

Gynerium Or Pampas Grass is now Cortaderia argentea. It does well in the upper part of the state but I doubt if it will flourish here.

Gynura, Velvet Plant

A sort of second-rate plant, one of the kind you put in an out-of-the-way corner where you don't want to put anything else. Its leaves are covered with velvety purple hairs and it has tassel-like, yellow flowers; one of the things that are hardly worth keeping and yet just a little too good to throw away.

Hedychium Coronarium, Also H. Gardnerianum. Garland Flowers

They are fine, tall plants with canna-like leaves and handsome flowers, the former white, the latter yellow. Both are from India and like rich, damp ground. The latter is the hardier of the two.

Heliconia

Plants allied to the bananas, with slender stems and curious flowers borne in spathes. There are three or four species grown of which H. bihai is best known. They should have rich soil, moisture and shade.

Heliotropium

The well known Heliotrope. Old plants of this become half shrubby and when they do well attain considerable size. I once had one reach a height of six feet here but generally they do no good.

Hemigraphis Colorata

Hemigraphis Colorata is a pretty plant with purple leaves but is so tender that I can hardly carry it through the winter.

Hippeastrum, Formerly Amaryllis

Glorious bulbous plants that generally do well in Florida. They grow best in rich, damp soil but succeed somewhat in good pine land with plenty of fertilizer and mulching. Nehrling raises his wonderful hybrids at Gotha under slats in the rich, moist border of a lake. They are superb, and H. johnsoni, H. equestre and H. reginae are also fine.

Hemerocallis Yellow Day Lilies

Hemerocallis Yellow Day Lilies, are old favorites in the north and do well in all but the warmest part of the state. So do the Funkias.

Hyacinths

Hyacinths which generally flourish throughout the south are reported as doing finely at Chipley by Pleas and at Fernandina by MacLaren but Schnabel says they fail at Gainesville and Reasoner makes a like report for Oneco.

Impatiens Sultani

Impatiens Sultani and its varieties are beautiful flowering plants which do fairly well in rich soil in lower Florida but are especially subject to root knot. I have seen splendid specimens at Rita on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee. When troubled with root knot make cuttings of the tops and burn the roots.