Fogfruit - Elizabeth Smith

Fogfruit, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Smith.

Fogfruit Phyla nodiflora
Verbena family

I saw this along the bike path, growing in among the Spanish needles. This is the spot where I saw so many White Peacock butterflies, and later I learned that this plant is the larval food for its caterpillars. I wonder if they were laying eggs that day? Butterfly eggs are so tiny that I may have to wait until the caterpillars hatch and grow up a bit before I can find them.

I also found out that this plant has spread into many countries throughout the world, and has a lot of different common names. I think my favorite so far has to be “Turkey Tanglefoot.” I can just imagine tangled mats of this low-growing ground cover along the sunny edges of trees, ready to snare an unsuspecting bird!

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~ Elizabeth Smith, Naples, FL USA