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It has spread readily in the cedar mulch, which offers the right mix of moisture and light. In other locations it is sufficated by falling leaves or crowded out by grass, or unable to establish sufficient root support. (See also The Role of Junipers in Promoting Other Natives.)
One noteworthy feature of S. roemeriana's is that it is a sort of 'resurrection plant.' During the hot dry summer months it generally goes dormant and turns brown, almost invisible — dead looking. But with late summer & fall rains it comes back to life, and may even produce cleistogamous blooms.
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| August 19 summer drought | Sept. 9 after a fall rain |
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| S. roemeriana as a 'resurrection plant' — two views of the same area. | |
Another interesting feature is its hidden corolla (cleistogamous) phase, shown below, which begins in late summer and lasts until frost. Since this bloom lacks a showy red corolla, the secret of an auto-pollinating stage is difficult to discover — look for flowers that don't seem to open. The success of pollination being guaranteed, this stage also produces great amounts of seed (often the maximum of 4 seeds per bloom), even during extreme drought. In October 1999, after a period of 12 weeks without measurable rain, the fertile cleistogamous phase was in full swing in many areas (again, thanks to the cedars for shade and mulch). [Note: I can't find this information in the printed literature, and I can't recall the source I learned it from.]
Cleistogamous flowersThe calyx, generally tipped with red at this time, has been cut apart to expose the flower at the left. |
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FruitS. roemeriana produces up to 4 nutlets (far left) at the base of the flower cup. Originally white, they turn nearly black and fall out when mature, the calyx becomming orangish brown. Those shown here are from cleistogamous blooms, the source of the seeds at the left has been cut open. |