Confetti Lantana

For years of living and working here, every summer I’ve always had at least a handful of tourists who expressed an interest in the local plants.  It’s occurred to me that perhaps a little tutorial is probably in order.

   
Honeysuckle                                                       Oleander

There are many lantana bushes around the island, with pink and yellow blossoms.  Honeysuckle abounds here, some a white-yellow mixture and some red.  Oleander bushes, marked by their pink or white blooms and narrow leaves, can be spotted in just about every yard.  And, of course, we have an astounding array of live oaks.  A word to the wise, folks – though lantana and oleander are both very pretty, they are highly toxic to both animals and people.  If handled, it’s best to wash your hands before you eat or drink.


Live Oak at Springer's Point

One of our “celebrity” plants is the brightly colored, daisy-like red and yellow Gaillardia flower, locally known as the “Joe Bell.”  According to a popular legend, the original flower seeds were brought here by a man named Joe Bell.  He came to Ocracoke lovesick and broken-hearted because his lady love had married another; he moved here to escape his lost love.  He planted flower seeds until one day he was found lying dead in a patch of the beautiful blooms.  Local lore says that as long as Joe Bells continue to bloom on Ocracoke, so does the spirit of the man named Joe Bell.


Gaillardia (Joe Bell)

Fred Mallison, the nephew of Mr. Bell, says that while his uncle did bring Gaillardia seeds to the Outer Banks, it was not because of a broken heart.  It makes a good story, though, and, as the flowers thrive in our sandy soil and dry, hot summer sun, it’s a lovely thought that they celebrate the spirit of the man who so carefully tended them.


Yaupon

The native yaupon shrub or tree (depending on size), with its red berries, is found in great profusion over the island.  Its leaves and twigs have been dried as a tea for centuries.  Croatan Indians on Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands used the tea, called the “Black Drink”, for medicinal and ceremonial purposes, and traded it with their neighbors to the west.  Later residents enjoyed it as a replacement for Asian tea and coffee, as it is high in caffeine, especially during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars when they were difficult to obtain.  Many of Ocracoke’s old-timers remember their parents and grandparents drinking yaupon tea.  It is claimed that yaupon tea can be used as a stimulant, a tonic, an aphrodisiac, and a cure for hangovers.  Do not, however, attempt to make a tea from fresh ingredients, as the raw plant is toxic and acts as a purgative.  The leaves must be smoked or dried to cure out the toxins.  The Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum sells the dry tea, and, though I’m not certain, there may be a couple of stands on the island that do as well.


Fig tree with unripened figs

Of course, who can forget the fig trees?  Those of you who have been to the island before may or may not have noticed, but Ocracoke is full to bursting with fig trees, and many varieties, too.  There’s something about our sandy soil and hot climate that they love.  Some of the varieties are Sugar (the sweetest), Brown Turkey, Pound, Lemon and Celeste.  Most of the Ocracoke figs begin to ripen in mid-July and can continue all the way into late September.  In many restaurants you can order fig cake for dessert; I highly recommend you try Ocracoke fig cake if you haven’t yet.  Fig preserves can be purchased at the OPS Museum, the Variety Store, Woccocon Gifts on Lighthouse Road, the Community Store, and The Village Craftsmen.


Ripe figs

So there you have it – a crash course in Ocracoke flora!  I’m sure I’m forgetting some plants, but this is just a basic run-through of those you’ll most likely come in contact with.

“Until tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow”

Chrisi