ID Me

[axescot]

Can you tell me what this is?

 

[Marck]

Intriguing. The opposite leaves suggest something in the Madder Family (Rubiaceae) or Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae), but there are other possibilities too. The flowers are about to open. Please take and post another photograph with some open flowers.

My first thought was Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), but both the leaves and calyces are somewhat different.

 

[roadrunner]

.....

My first thought was Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), but both the leaves and calyces are somewhat different.

That's my guess. I'd like to see the plant's stem, that would help in ID'ing.

 

[Marck]

Yes, it may well turn out to be Asclepias curassavica. Perhaps the reason everything looks a little off and distorted is due to the insect damage, quite possibly damage from Milkweed Aphids (Aphis nerii).

 

[axescot]

Yes, it may well turn out to be Asclepias curassavica. Perhaps the reason everything looks a little off and distorted is due to the insect damage, quite possibly damage from Milkweed Aphids (Aphis nerii).

I've had issues with Aphids on my lemon tree before. I read certain flowers will attract good insects that eat aphids. Should I plant flowers like marigold around my fruit trees? Or would they take from the nutrients? I'm thinking marigold because I also read that rabbits and gophers (which have also been a problem) don't like them either.

 

[Marck]

Actually, what usually attracts things that eat aphids is the presence of aphids. Still by all means, do try to create an environment conducive to beneficial insects. Bee boxes, available moisture (mud) and a variety of micro-habitats will all help a little. Not spraying poisons will help immensely. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are wonderful plants, and largely pest free. By all means do plants some, but don't hang your hat on them alone.

Try to find the large, shrubby Bush Marigold (Tagetes lemmonii) in particular. It s a wonderful plant for pollinators and visual beauty. Golden flowers from Fall to early Spring and incredibly fragrant foliage (like a blend of lemon and mint). It's native to southern Arizona and northern Mexico.

While, magic bullet plant combinations are 'iffy' at best, I do recommend planting as diverse an array of plants as possible.
... and a good number of them should be native species. This give your garden a diverse and resilient ecology. Another major benefit of growing many different plants is you will avoid the pitfalls of monoculture. Major disease epidemics and pest infestations will most often occur when a large number of the same species are grown together to the exclusion of anything else.
Agriculture could learn a lot from Horticulture.

A specific tip for Californian gardeneres: Grow several varieties of our native Wild Buckwheats (Eriogonum spp.).
The Shrubby Eriogonum fasciculatum varieties are particularly hale and stalwart, as a re the species from the California channel Islands.
These uniquely rustic and attractive plants will attract a variety of pollinators and other benficial insects.

 

[axescot]

Actually, what usually attracts things that eat aphids is the presence of aphids. Still by all means, do try to create an environment conducive to beneficial insects. Bee boxes, available moisture (mud) and a variety of micro-habitats will all help a little. Not spraying poisons will help immensely. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are wonderful plants, and largely pest free. By all means do plants some, but don't hang your hat on them alone.

Try to find the large, shrubby Bush Marigold (Tagetes lemmonii) in particular. It s a wonderful plant for pollinators and visual beauty. Golden flowers from Fall to early Spring and incredibly fragrant foliage (like a blend of lemon and mint). It's native to southern Arizona and northern Mexico.

While, magic bullet plant combinations are 'iffy' at best, I do recommend planting as diverse an array of plants as possible.
... and a good number of them should be native species. This give your garden a diverse and resilient ecology. Another major benefit of growing many different plants is you will avoid the pitfalls of monoculture. Major disease epidemics and pest infestations will most often occur when a large number of the same species are grown together to the exclusion of anything else.
Agriculture could learn a lot from Horticulture.

A specific tip for Californian gardeneres: Grow several varieties of our native Wild Buckwheats (Eriogonum spp.).
The Shrubby Eriogonum fasciculatum varieties are particularly hale and stalwart, as a re the species from the California channel Islands.
These uniquely rustic and attractive plants will attract a variety of pollinators and other benficial insects.

You're a wealth of indispensible information @Marck ! Do you know if any of these double as rabbit and gopher repellents?

Also, I was visiting a neighbor's yard and she had the same plant as this post. She said it is Milkweed!

 

[Marck]

One group of plants that does have a logically-deduced reputation for repelling gophers is the genus Euphorbia, which exudes a toxic and caustic milky latex from broken stems and roots. One species, Euphorbia lathyris, is called Gopher Plant, but many other Euphorbia would have similar properties. There are many ornamental species; some have succulent stems, while others are leafy and herbaceous, and some are a bit of both. Of course, hungry gophers can still often manage to avoid the toxic plants and dig up the tasty ones.

 

[roadrunner]

My tropical milkweed plants always attract tons of these yellow aphids...always. I finally got a native variety of milkweed (White twinevine milkweed -- Funastrum clausum). So I'll be interested to see if it attracts these aphids in large numbers.

BTW, I don't attempt to fight off pests, if the plant can't deal with it, they die

 

[axescot]

My tropical milkweed plants always attract tons of these yellow aphids...always. I finally got a native variety of milkweed (White twinevine milkweed -- Funastrum clausum). So I'll be interested to see if it attracts these aphids in large numbers.

BTW, I don't attempt to fight off pests, if the plant can't deal with it, they die

Maybe I should plant them around my lemon tree. Let the milkweed die but maybe they will leave the lemon tree alone.

 

[Marck]

The aphid in question, is the Oleander or Milkweed Aphid (Aphis nerii). It is usually considered to be native to the Mediterranean, but is now found worldwide on members of the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae), including Oleander (Nerium oleander) and Milkweed (Asclepias). Another favourite host in my garden is Mandevilla.

The aphids on your Citrus are almost certainly a different species, and one that would not be interested in feeding on toxic members of the Dogbane Family.

I say 'almost', because even though Aphis nerii is usually found on members of the Apocynaceae, it is not strictly obligate to them. When the aphid population reaches high number, they will jump onto members of other plant families out of sheer necessity.
Other hosts families include members of the Crassulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, and even rarely Rutaceae, including Citrus.

 

[roadrunner]

Marck is correct...totally different species of what's on my milkweed vs. my citrus trees.