Spider lilies and Southern dewberries
That “the marsh is prettier on the other side of the bayou” isn’t always true. I’m ashamed that I’ve spent so much time out in the marsh, with all the wild things, that I’ve forgotten the treasures that I might find awaiting me in my own backyard. Something urged me to take a walk, and here are just a couple things I found.
Spider Lilies. Several clumps of these spider lilies have appeared out of nowhere. The appearance of these beauties just blows me away. I don’t know. Maybe something good did come with the tidal surge of Hurricane Rita after all.
How about a little closer look?
And then there are the dewberry vines that literally carpet the ground. Before the flood waters, they were much farther back on the property. Something has caused them to spread more toward the house than toward the woods; and I plan to leave them just as they are. The primocanes are much more plentiful than the floricanes, so there’s not much fruit. I don’t care. I love these indigenous plants.
But when the berries ripen, we’ll pick what we can and make a dewberry cobbler. Mmmmmm. I think that might make a good Bayou Woman Cooks addition.
And then there’s the berry bush, which I can’t exactly identify–even using my favorite Louisiana Wildflower book.
From the descriptions in my book, this is neither an American Holly nor a Deciduous Holly (Possum-haw). If anyone has a positive identity and a link, please let me know.
Mayhaws??? They look like young mayhaws that should ripen next month. Holly usually has a darker, waxier leaf with a “piquant” or sticker on the end… I think!
Have you been lurking around here boy? Mayhaws? That would be super! I can’t imagine that the flood waters brought in mayhaw bushes that were never here all these years. Someone recently asked me what in the heck a mayhaw is anyway? I’ve eaten the jelly, but never seen one growing!! I hope you’re right, MD. See you soon?
PS: I read the description of mayhaw in my Louisiana Wildflower book, and it does not fit. Anyone else have an idea before I contact my LSU Extension Agent?
Lovely photos. I’ve never seen a spider lily. It’s very aptly named.
It is definitely not a mayhaw. I had them on my property in Covington……….they did not look like this. I don’t know what it is.
Isn’t this some kind of privet or that weed bush that grows everywhere? it’s invasive, isn’t it?
Dan Gill (of master gardener fame) thinks it is a Deciduous Holly, so I’m not sure.
It could be a honeysuckle. There’s one that grows here, but I can’t recall its name. It was one of those imported things that ended up being a weed. I want to say Japanese honeysuckle but i’m not sure that’s right.
Please ell me more about the dewberry bush, my dad just purchased one and wants to know how to care for it.
That is deciduous holly, also known as Possum Haw 🙂
It looks like all the possum haws I’ve seen.
Patty, thank you for the comment. So, if this is Possum Haw, it does not make any kind of fruit, right?
My husband dug up a number of these down in the wetlands part of our land, near the Cumberland River, TN. They were planted for about five years and last year bloomed. They are so pretty. Just found out they are called bayou woman and are a spider lily.
Hi Linda and welcome to this bayou. We’ve had a couple little disputes about what they’re called. They are very similar to another lily species called swamp lily, but if you Google them side-by-side, you can see the difference in the shape and arrangement of the white flower pedals. Regardless, they are both beautiful plants! Thanks for stopping by and sharing! BW