Winged Pitcher
Pink Sundew
Marilyn's Meadow
Native Plant Nursery
Map
Classes, Events
Pine Needle Basket-weaving
Fred A. Saas Architect
Beach Weddings
Beach Plants
Tours Home School Science
Home Sites on Biophilia
Native Plant & Wildlife Links
Sail the Daedalus
Invasive Plants
12695 C.R. 95, Elberta, Alabama 36530 U.S.A. 251 987-1200
e-mail:biophilia@gulftel.com
Centrally located between Fairhope and Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida.
Site C. 2001 C. Lovell-Saas.
BIOPHILIA is the human love for living things.
Biophilia Nature Center, Native Nursery & Bookstore
|
Winged Pitcher |
Pink Sundew |
Marilyn's Meadow |
 Purple Coneflower, Tiger Swallowtail |
 Beardtongue |
 Biophilia Grady Pond |
 Nature Center |
 Cooter |
CALL AHEAD TO SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT:
EVERYTHING IS BY APPOINTMENT. Biologist-guided tours can be arranged
for school groups, garden clubs, families, etc.. at $10/person (minimum 2 people).
There's no charge to shop for plants or books, or to do a bit of research in the Biophilia
reference library, just be sure to make an appointment.
What Might You See on a Tour?
Year ‘round you will see well over 100 species of
interesting labelled plants and many more yet unmarked. Learn about North
American wild edibles, butterfly gardening, wildlife, carnivorous plants,
wetland values, and uses for native plants. We'll show you plant and
animal artifacts, from magnified butterfly wings to fern fossils. Our
carnivorous plant collection includes 7 kinds of pitcher plants, 5 types
of sundews, bladderworts and more. In the Plants That Do
Tricks department, our sensitive plants respond to touch just as
dramatically as the Venus flytraps.
In the warmer seasons, we can
explore several ecosystems here and hunt for butterfly eggs, caterpillars,
chrysalises and adults as you learn about the native plants that attract
and feed our local butterflies, hummingbirds, and other animals of
interest. You'll be surprised to learn that even some of the trees and
grasses in your yard are butterfly baby food. If we have the luck to run
across birds, frogs, lizards, etc. your biologist guide will
identify them as well as their calls, animal signs, and
other curiosities along the way.
Your tour may include walking
through a live, hollow gum tree in the Tupelo Swamp. In the growing season, it can take
a couple of hours to see it all, but you may choose to do a shorter tour.
Tours are for mature six-year-olds on up. This is not for small children.
Please wear socks and shoes for the uneven terrain and normal hazards of
the wild outdoors, such as ants, briars, and animal holes.
This is NOT a polished, showy garden, but an ongoing
endeavor to put nature back into land once
stripped bare. Since late 1991, architect Fred Saas, biologist Carol
Lovell-Saas, and generous volunteers have worked to restore the swamp,
pitcher plant bog, forests and wildflower meadows of the 20-acre Center
with hundreds of native southeastern species.
Come see us! Our
caterpillar nursery and acres of restored butterfly habitat allow visitors
to watch the full life cycle of several species of showy moths and
butterflies, spring through fall. Dozens of these species are specific
foods for particular butterflies. Native butterfly baby food lists are
available to visitors. The library and bookstore provide information on
wildlife gardening, local natural history, conservation, and the battle
against invasive pest
plants. Visitors can learn to attract and observe wildlife in their
own home and school yards. Teachers will find plenty of good reference
material for teaching environmental units for all grade levels.
The Biophilia Native Nursery offers hummingbird and butterfly
attracting plants, beach wildflowers and sea oats, Venus fly traps,
pitcher plants and other carnivorous plants, and other beautiful, unusual,
or ancient native species.
YOU CAN HELP!
Join the non-profit (but not 501-C) Biophilia Nature Association for $10
per year and receive a biannual newsletter on enjoying nature, gardening
for wildlife, environmental issues, and the programs and progress of the
Center. Patronize the bookstore and nursery and set up a tour for your
club. Always welcome are: volunteers, long-leaf pine straw, caterpillars,
and additions to our several-hundred-species native plant collection.
Legally rescued bog plants and their seeds are needed to continue
restoration of the Biophilia wetlands. Biophilia is centrally located. If
you are in Elberta, Lillian, Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fairhope,
Daphne, Robertsdale, Summerdale, Loxley, Bay Minette or Mobile, Alabama,
or Pensacola, Florida, you need to come visit us and learn more about the
natural treasures of the Gulf Coast.
If you would like to support our project without spending any extra money,
simply use our link here to find and make your Amazon purchases.
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WEDDINGS AT THE BEACH OR IN THE WOODS
We provide a minister for weddings performed on a Gulf Coast
beach or at the Biophilia Center in the woods or wildflower meadows. This
is a romantic way to elope or have a small informal wedding surrounded by
nature. Beach weddings may be held in Florida, or Alabama at Gulf Shores,
Orange Beach, or other local shores for $150. A wedding at the Biophilia Nature Center is $100.
See http://www.biophilia.net/weddings.htm . An Alabama marriage license can be purchased
at the Baldwin County Courthouse in Bay Minette. Call the courthouse at 251 937-9561 for
more details.
BIOPHILIA NURSERY:
We occasionally do mail order, with a minimum purchase
of $40. Seed orders can be as small as $9. This list shows some recommended species we often (but not always) carry
during the growing season. Prices usually range from $6 to $15 per pot.
Hybrid pitcher plants and other rarities range from $15 to $45.
Butterfly Baby Food Plants (also known as host plants) are
printed in GREEN.
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Recommended Plants listed by Common Names
- Beach Morning Glory (Ipomoea imperati) white flower
- Bergamot, Wild (Monarda fistulosa) for hummers and butterflies; smells like Earl Grey Tea
- Black Willow (for Viceroy and Red-spotted Purple caterpillars
- Blazing Star (Liatris spp.) for butterflies
- Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium atlanticum)
- Bluestar (Amsonia ciliata) for butterflies
- Butterfly Pea (Centrosema virginianum) for Longtailed Skipper butterfly caterpillars
- Conradina (Conradina canescens) (able to grow in beach sand) for butterflies
- Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea) has red flowers for hummers; ornamental, poisonous red beans persist on shrub for months
- Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) for hummers
- Dewthread (Drosera filiformis) loves to eat no-see-ums and fruit flies
- Evergreen blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii) Naturally small blueberry with multicolored pastel foliage
- False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) for Red Admiral caterpillars
- Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) (Creeping Charlie) for Phaeon Crescent and Buckeye caterpillars
- Grass-leaved Golden Aster (Pityopsis graminifolia) (Silkgrass) Alternative to Lawn!
- Hooded Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia minor)
- Hybrid pitcher plants, absolutely gorgeous and amazing (Sarracenia hybrids)
- Lance-leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) for butterflies (very drought tolerant)
- Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana) for hummers and butterflies (lavendar/pink)
- Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psittacina)
- Partridge Pea (Cassia fasciculata) for Sulfur butterfly caterpillars
- Passionvine, Passionflower, Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) for Fritillary caterpillars
- Paw paw, Small-fruited (Asimina parviflora) for Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars
- Paw paw tree (Asimina triloba) for Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars
- Pink sundew (Drosera capillaris)
- Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa) for Pipevine
Swallowtail caterpillars (Wooly or Woolly Pipevine)
- Powdery Thalia (Thalia dealbata) for ponds or wetlands, also for Brazilian Skippers
- Red Basil (Calamintha coccinea) for hummingbirds and butterflies
- Red Bay (Persea borbonia) for Palamedes and Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars
- Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) for many, many species of birds! They love the berries.
- Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) white flower, red throat
- Salt Marsh Mallow (Kosteletzkya virginica) for butterflies, bright pink flower
- Scarlet Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) for hummers and butterflies
- Sea Oats (Uniola paniculata)
- Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)
- Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
- Sidesaddle or Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea)
- Silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia) Grass-leaved Golden Aster, Alternative to Lawn!
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) for Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars
- Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis) One of the best nectar flowers for butterflies
- Summer Phlox (Phlox paniculata) for butterflies
- Sundew (Drosera intermedia)
- Swamp Bay (Persea palustris) for Palamedes and Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars
- Swamp Hibiscus (Hibiscus grandiflorus) pink flower
- Sensitive Plant (Mimosa strigillosa) for Little Sulphur caterpillars
- Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) for Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars
- Violet, Common (Viola sororia) for Variegated Fritillary, Spangled Fritillary, Diana Fritillary
caterpillars
- White Topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia leucophylla)
- Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) for hummers and butterflies; smells like Earl Grey Tea
- Winged Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia alata)
- Wisteria, NATIVE (Wisteria frutescens) for Longtailed Skipper caterpillars
- Wooly Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa) for Pipevine
Swallowtail caterpillars (Woolly Pipevine)
- Yellow Passionflower (Passiflora lutea) Small, shade loving, with small pale yellow flowers for
Fritillary caterpillars
- Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
Recommended Plants Listed by Scientific Names (Note: the same list is printed alphabetically by common names above:-)
Amsonia ciliata - Bluestar for butterflies
Aristolochia tomentosa - Woolly Pipevine for Pipevine
Swallowtail caterpillars
Asimina triloba - Paw paw tree for Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars
Asimina parviflora - Small-fruited Paw paw for Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars
Boehmeria cylindrica - False Nettle for Red Admiral caterpillars
Calamintha coccinea - Red Basil for hummingbirds and butterflies
Cassia fasciculata - Partridge Pea for Sulfur butterfly caterpillars
Centrosema virginianum - Butterfly Pea for Longtailed Skipper butterfly caterpillars
Conradina canescens - Conradina (able to grow in beach sand) for butterflies
Coreopsis lanceolata - Lance-leaved Coreopsis for butterflies (very drought tolerant)
Drosera capillaris - Pink sundew
Drosera filiformis (green or red glands) - Dewthread loves to eat no-see-ums and fruit flies
Drosera intermedia - Sundew
Erythrina herbacea - Coral Bean has red flowers for hummers; ornamental, poisonous
red beans persist on shrub for months
Hibiscus coccineus - Scarlet Hibiscus for hummers and butterflies
Hibiscus moscheutos - Rose Mallow: white flower, red throat
Hibiscus grandiflorus - Swamp Hibiscus: pink flower
Ipomoea pes-caprae - Railroad Vine: bright pink flower
Ipomoea imperati or Ipomoea stolonifera - Beach Morning Glory: white flower
Kosteletzkya virginica - Salt Marsh Mallow for butterflies, bright pink flower
Liatris chapmanii - Blazing Star for butterflies
Lindera benzoin - Spicebush for Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars
Liriodendron tulipifera - Tulip Tree for Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars
Lonicera sempervirens - Coral Honeysuckle for hummers
Mimosa strigillosa - Sensitive Plant for Little Sulphur caterpillars
Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot for hummers and butterflies; smells like Earl Grey Tea
Morus rubra - Red Mulberry for many, many species of birds! They love the berries.
Oenothera speciosa - Showy Evening Primrose
Passiflora incarnata - Passionvine for Fritillary caterpillars
Passiflora lutea - Small, shade loving, with small pale yellow flowers for Fritillary caterpillars
Persea borbonia - Red Bay for Palamedes and Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars
Persea palustris - Swamp Bay for Palamedes and Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars
Phlox paniculata - Summer Phlox for butterflies
Phyla nodiflora - Frogfruit for Phaeon Crescent and Buckeye caterpillars
Physostegia virginiana - Obedient Plant for hummers and butterflies (lavendar/pink)
Pityopsis graminifolia - Grass-leaved Golden Aster (Silkgrass) Alternative to Lawn!
Pycnanthemum muticum - Silver or Short-toothed Mountain Mint
Salix niger - Black Willow for Viceroy and Red-spotted Purple caterpillars
Sarracenia alata - Winged Pitcher Plant
Sarracenia flava - Yellow Pitcher Plant
Sarracenia leucophylla - White Topped Pitcher Plant
Sarracenia minor - Hooded Pitcher Plant
Sarracenia psittacina - Parrot Pitcher Plant
Sarracenia purpurea - Sidesaddle or Purple Pitcher Plant
Sarracenia hybrids - hybrid pitcher plants, absolutely gorgeous and amazing
Sassafras albidum - Sassafras tree for Spicebush butterfly caterpillars
Sisyrinchium atlanticum - Blue-eyed Grass
Solidago sempervirens - Seaside Goldenrod
Stokesia laevis - Stokes Aster
Thalia dealbata - Powdery Thalia for ponds or wetlands, also for Brazilian Skippers
Uniola paniculata - Sea Oats
Vaccinium darrowii - Evergreen blueberry - miniature blueberry with multicolored pastel foliage
Viola sororia - common violet for Variegated Fritillary caterpillars
Wisteria frutescens - native Wisteria for
Longtailed Skipper caterpillars
Exotic Carnivorous Houseplants:
Drosera binata
Native Plant & Wildlife Links: How to Plant Sea Oats and other
Major Beach Dune Grasses of the Gulf Coast
Sea oats and other coastal plants hold the dunes together!
When lost to extreme weather and waves, the plants must be restored or
severe beach erosion may continue. Classes & Events - December 2008/January 2008 (If you have a group that
wants to do a class on a different date, call us.)
Pine Needle Basketry (Streamlined One-Session Course for Beginners) Pine Needle Basketry is a gorgeous how-to book full of color
photographs and is available for $24 including shipping and handling. Mail your check to
Biophilia 12695 County Road 95, Elberta, Alabama 36530.
Here are some of the WORST INVASIVE
PLANTS on our Gulf Coast.
Click on underlined words for images and information
about identification and control. A FREE BOOK is available online through this link:
Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests or a hard copy can be ordered from the Southern
Research Station, P.O. Box 2680, Asheville, NC 28802
Cogongrass
, Imperata cylindrica, is one of
the WORLD'S worst weeds! Cogon is resistant to most poisons that are
used to kill grasses and its roots grow more than 6 inches
underground. Cogon shoots can pierce and injure feet right through
shoes. Because it burns so quickly and creates such a hot fire,
cogon fires can rage out of control and damage trees and plants that
would otherwise tolerate or even benefit from a naturally occurring
fire.
Chinese Tallow (click on popcorn
tree to see the popcorn-like seeds) Sapium
sebiferum
Chinese privet
Ligustrum sinense is a formidable pest in Coastal Alabama.
Click here
for a map of its range.
Japanese Honeysuckle
Lonicera japonica shades out and destroys natives. For good images, click on:
Japanese Climbing Fern,
Lygodium japonicum .
Control methods for this invasive fern are
described near the end of Dr. James Miller's informative article
Controlling Exotic Plants in your Forest.
Kudzu
Pueraria lobata
Air Potato,
Dioscorea bulbifera is
a recent introduction to South Alabama. Our motto is: biophilia@gulftel.com
April 7, 2008
Alabama Wildflower Watch
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Florida Wildlife Extension
Frog and Toad Calls!!
Endless Plant Info
Caterpillars of
Eastern Forests
Stinging Caterpillars of Alabama
Butterflies and Moths of North America
What's That Bug?
Dragonflies
and Damselflies of Alabama
Bird Songs, USGS
Florida Bird Songs
When to plant Sea Oats - Year 'round, according to
the University of Florida/Cooperative Extension System Fact Sheet FPS-594.
When to plant Panic
Grass (Panicum amarum) and Cord
Grass (Spartina spp.) - March through June
How deep to plant - the root crown
(just below where leaves emerge) should be 6 to 10
inches below the sand surface
Spacing - 15 to 18 inches apart
When
to fertilize - first apply at planting, then make a second application 6
weeks later
Recommended fertilizer - 10-10-10
Call for current
prices. If you buy sea oats from Biophilia, you're helping us to restore habitat and continue our educational programs. Thanks for your support!
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Note: classes aren't listed in exact order due to multiple dates for some classes.
Location: Biophilia Nature Center 12695 County Road 95, Elberta, AL 36530
Contact: Carol Lovell-Saas biophilia@gulftel.com or 251 987-1200.
Map at bottom of this page.
Please call or e-mail ahead to make reservations for any of the following.
Edible and Useful Wild and/or Native Plants - A Workshop on Identification and Harvesting
Friday, January 2nd, 2009, 1 pm - 3 pm OR
Saturday, January 24th, 2009, 1 pm - 3 pm
Broiled acorn burgers, Wild Onion soup, and crisp Florida Betony snacks are just a few of the wild goodies enjoyed by foragers
on the Gulf Coast. There are hundreds of wild edible species in our part of the world for the serious survivalist. However,
you must be 100% sure you’ve found the right plant before reaping where you have not sown. This is best
learned hands-on. Carol Lovell-Saas, a biologist who has studied Gulf Coast native plants since 1983, teaches safe foraging
at the Biophilia Nature Center in Elberta, Alabama. Practice in recognizing and harvesting of in-season edibles is provided, as
well as a list of local pick-your-own fruit orchards. Books on local
foraging and plant identification are available for purchase at the Center. Classes are geared for adults but motivated
(and patient) youth are welcome, too.
The cost is $10/person.
Friday, January 30th, 2009, 10 am - 2 pm
OR
Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 10 am - 2 pm
Learn how to coil, shape and finish a basket in this extremely simplified class.
Reservations required. I recommend this for 12 years old on up, but even younger, motivated students have mastered this
skill, so I don't have a set age requirement.
Tuition is $25. Materials are $10.
Pine Needle Basketmaking 101 (Comprehensive Two-Session Course for Beginners)
Part I: Saturday, February 7th, 2009, 9 am - noon Part II: Saturday, February 14th, 2009, 9 am - noon
Part I: Thursday, February 12th, 2009, 9 am - noon Part II: Thursday, February 19th, 2009, 9 am - noon
Learn to weave pine needle baskets in two 3-hour sessions. Keep a traditional craft alive
and make beloved future heirlooms for your friends and family! You will learn how to create and
embellish a center, coil and shape your basket, make handles, and other skills.
Total tuition + materials = $50/person
Free Help: Bring your Invasive Plants to be Identified
Sunday, March 22nd, 2 pm - 4 pm
If you think you have cogon grass, bring leaves and at least a portion of the root for me to see. No matter what you bring, be sure to place the stems of your cuttings directly into water when you harvest them just like you would for cut flowers.
Wilted plants are much harder to identify. Most of my plant knowledge includes natives and invasive exotics, but
Biophilia has an extensive reference library as well as internet tools for trying to solve your mystery. There are plants
that can destroy your landscaping and require lots of expensive poisons and manpower to eradicate if you let them multiply out of
control. However, these plants can be simple to dig up if you learn to recognize them when they first arrive.
Tenerife Weaving for Jewelry or Basket Centers -- 3-hour course
Tuesday, February 11th 1 pm - 4 pm
Learn the art
of creating spokes on a frame and weaving through the spokes to create beautiful patterns. Create centers for baskets, jewelry, window hangers, tree ornaments, or other unique gifts. For 11-year-olds on up.
$20 includes materials. Reservations required.
Please let me know if you're
interested in being notified when a new date for a particular class is set up. Tell your friends! If you have four or more,
we can set something up right away to suit your group's schedule.
A tip - rubbing alcohol cleans pine sap or resin off of pine straw, skin or hair.
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Control: Large trees - cut or girdle tree
and apply
triclopyr
(e.g. Garlon 4) to the ring of green living tissue which lies just
under the bark. Saplings with trunk diameter 6" or less - Spray
triclopyr on bottom 12" of trunk. Seedlings - Spray with
glyphosate
(e.g. Round-up). Call your local Extension agent for suggested
alternatives.
In spite of the
fact that EVERYONE knows that kudzu can devour large tracts of land
and buildings at a single bound, huge sprawling kudzu patches are
allowed to thrive just a couple of miles away from us.
SHARE SOME SPACE WITH WILDLIFE!
