Salt Tolerant Native Plants, Turkey Tangled Frog Fruit, Phyla nodiflora

 Old buildings teach me so much about the wind, sun and salt tolerances of native plants.

Phyla nodiflora, Turkey Tangled Frog Fruit growing out of the old brick walls of Fort Pickens, Pensacola Beach

Turkey Tangled Frog Fruit (TTFF), aka Lippia nodiflora (Verbenaceae) has long been one of my favorite Florida native plant species.  First of all I'm enchanted by its name.  Rumor has it that once upon a time a flock of turkeys got their long legs and feet all tangled up in the Frog Fruit vine-like flexible stems. Supposedly all the turkeys then fell over, practically squishing all the happy frogs who were eating the plant's fruit-like flower buds.  Of course this ruckus caused quite a stir with all the butterflies feeding on TTFF's nectar and they proceed to flit about telling the mockingbirds what was happening.  Well you know, once a mockingbird hears a good stanza, it'll be repeated everywhere. To this day the low growing groundcover as been known as Turkey Tangled Frog Fruit.

From time to time, I've been asked for a list of native plants that may be salt, wind and blazing sunlight tolerant.

There are many reference books that discuss optimal growing conditions for native species, but I always find that the best way to learn which native plants do best in any location is to walk around and look at what plants are growing on older buildings in the specific location you are interested in.

Here is a photo of a marvelously healthy Turkey Tangled Frog Fruit growing out of the brick walls of Fort Pickens in Pensacola Beach.

The only irrigation this plant receives is dew, air humidity, ocean salt spray and rain.  The Gulf of Mexico is only a few steps to the south and the just as salty Pensacola harbor is a few steps to the north.

There is no tree canopy around for shade, just hot, glaring sunlight.

The four or five meter per second persistent ocean winds are salt laden and dessicating.

The old brick walls of this fort are a hard place for any plant to survive.  Yet this TTFF specimen is thriving.

Spending time in the field is the very best way to learn what, where and how native plants need to grow.