With ample rain and warmer weather, more people are spending time in the home landscape attending to tasks and chores which upgrade the homestead’s appearance and appeal in north Florida.
Clipping, clearing, pruning and shaping are all part of seasonal improvement efforts. There are also a variety of projects which require penetrating beneath the soil’s surface into the mostly unseen realm of roots and rhizomes.
The common tree or shrub root holds few surprises. A woody root appears as the subsurface equivalent of a branch, except there are no leaves.
Still, there are some encounters which leave the inexperienced excavator wondering exactly what they have unearthed. Betony tubers are one of the surprising, but benign, subterranean plant structures found in the Big Bend region.
Stachys floridana, as betony is botanically known, is often mistaken for a beetle grub or caterpillar at first glance because of its size and shape. The pale color and segmented appearance of these tubers contrast distinctly against the soil.
Betony roots are often mistaken for a beetle grub or a subterranean caterpillar. In a robust cluster of these native plants, many will be found an inch or two under the surface.
This native weed flourishes in full sun but will grow in partial shade. It is also commonly seen in disturbed sites such as ditch banks and fence rows.
A perennial, it grows in clumps and can reach two feet in height. Blooms are pink to purple.
Another plant which produces a distinct root system is purple nutsedge. This invasive and non-native weed is the bane of many homeowners and landscape managers, not to mention ranchers who want to produce forage in pastures across the panhandle.
Purple nutsedge, Cyperus rotundus, grows from every possible sunny location with soil capable of supporting the plant. This non-native pest is a rapidly spreading perennial which will take every opportunity to colonize new locations.
Its roots are a series of spreading rhizomes and tubers or bulbs identified as nutlets. Each nutlet sprouts a new bunch of grass-like leaves and continues growing the rhizomes.
The dense population of this sedge quickly crowds out most other plants, but especially turf and forage grasses. It can reach a height of 18 inches on its triangle-shaped stem.
The root system’s design assures this plant continued success. Removed whole, a root strand appears like a necklace with the nutlets evenly spaced on a thread.
If pulled, the rhizomes break off, leaving a large number of nutlets to develop and emerge at a later date.
Smilax, also known as green briar, cat briar and depending on the frustrations of the gardener some rather graphic names, is a native vine which thrives in the area.
Smilax roots have an alien quality to their appearance. If unwanted (which is commonly the case), this hardy vine must be eliminated both above and below the soil.
Above ground smilax, the sinewy vine, puts up an intimidating visual barrier to man and beast when not veiled in greenery. Its vines are not easily cut and are covered with sharp thorns.
Below ground its root system looks like a space alien larva from a 1950’s horror movie that is waiting to hatch and trap unsuspecting teenagers.
The roots grow into collections of pale bulbous protrusions with sinewy roots extending from the top of each bulb. Mature examples can weigh over ten pounds and are impossible to manually pull from the soil.
Because of this hardy root system, individual plants can withstand harsh treatment and environments. If burned or mowed to the soil’s surface, they will regenerate from a segmented rhizome root system.
So, when entering the netherworld beneath the greenery, expect surprises. Plants have used the eons of time to assure their collective survivability.
Leave a Reply