Filter Sort
Sort

Sort By :

By :

Ascending
Descending
Grid View
List View
Attractive Clear all
Default image
Tripsacum floridanum
Grows well well north of its native range.  Documented in very southern counties with an outlier in Martin County -- that outlier is also unique in that it was collected near a cypress dome. Closely related to corn, this species has been crossed with maize to produce a corn that is resistant to Helminthosporium turcicum, the fungus that causes northern leaf blight  (Wikipedia). Listed as Threatened in Florida. Informal borders.
  • Susceptible to breakage, even in moderate winds
  • Highly wind tolerant
  • Symmetrical shape
  • Sometime grows horozontially
  • Elegant appearance
Default image
Seymeria spp.
They are included here because they are valuable to insects and because they are lovely and good to have in a native garden if you are lucky enough to have them naturally.   Data on culture has been assumed from where this grows in nature -- it is not typically grown and no reliable data appears to be available. Can parasatize southern pines leading, in heavy infestations, to loss of vigor. Retain in semi-natural gardens.
  • Compact size
  • Does best in cooler areas of South Florida
  • Colorful new leafs
  • Tropical silhouette
  • Excellent small to medium hedge
Default image
Ilex opaca
Both male and female plants required for pollination and seed set. Specimen tree.  Screen.
  • Fruit eaten by birds
  • Does best in warmer areas of South Florida
  • Moderately slow growth
Default image
Baccharis dioica
This plant is believed to be extirpated in the wild in Florida.  According to most sources, it was known from a single area south of Miami near Biscayne Bay.  Old specimens at the University of Florida Herbarium for Escambia and Okaloosa counties were re-examined in 2006 and re-identified as Baccacharis dioica.  It has also been reported to have been found on a dune near Mobile, AL (Woodlanders, Inc.) and introduced into the nursery trade from there.  The map of herbarium speciment locations on the Florida Plant Atlas have not been updated.  Plants commercially available in FL apparently come from imports from the Bahamas. Where a moderate-sized shrub is wanted.
  • Does best with periodic fertalization
  • Striking and exotic
  • Prefers acidic soil
Default image
Cornus amomum
Has considerable winter interest as its bark is smooth and red. Wet site hedge, wet site specimen plant especially if a clump is suitable.Rarely planted but considerable value especially in areas where most shrubs are bare during the winter.
  • Thick branching into attractive silouttes
  • Wonderfully fragrant
  • Attracts butterflies and bees
Default image
Symphyotrichum concolor
Benefits from controlled burns. There are contradictions in herbarium databases, and reliable observations in counties where there are no herbarium specimens. Probably native in low abundance in dry (xeric) native grasslands and open pinelands throughout the state. Makes a colorful contribution to a native plant meadow. Becomes darker (more purple) after pollination. When flowering, the stem needs support from surrounding plants. It is primarily a fall bloomer.
  • Tiered branches
  • Wind tolerant
  • Sometime grows horozontially
  • Massive stature
  • Width often exceeds height
  • Slender and elegant
Default image
Exothea paniculata
Shade tree.
  • Highly nutritious fruit
  • Attractive dark green leaves
  • Very showy bright yellow flowers
Default image
Zephyranthes simpsonii
Flowers tend to appear in spring or after a significant rainfall. Otherwise inconspicuous. Small wildflower or plant in with other low groundcovers. Foliage is very fine and the plant is inconspicuous except when in bloom.
  • Often draped with Spanish moss
  • Magnificent
  • Stunning and colorful while in bloom
  • Delicious edible fruit
  • Prolific fruiter
  • Does best with periodic fertalization
Default image
Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum
Some literature sources suggest that this species may have some salt tolerance as it apparently grows along the upper edges of some salt marshes, but so far as we have seen recorded, not in Florida. Moist/wet wildflower garden.
  • Ideal for smaller spaces
  • Abundance of orange-red flowers in summer
  • Long-lasting year-round blooms
  • Extremely versatile
  • Elegant appearance
  • Somewhat drought tolerant
Default image
Argemone mexicana
This is one of Florida's most showy and most under-appreciated wildflowers. Look for it along disturbed roadsides in mid-late winter and early spring. This is a personal favorite of one of the authors -- it grows and bloom early and attracts lots of insects.  The only issue is the prickles, so I wear gloves when weeding around it.  It reseeds readily so long as there is good sun and  bare ground where the seeds land. Don't let the name fool you, this is a Florida native. Wildflower garden. Roadside wildflower areas. This plant blooms from late winter into spring displaying its large flowers when little else is blooming in the garden.
  • Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
  • Prominant gray-olive crownshaft
  • Very showy clusters of red flowers
  • Thrives only briefly, about 1 year
  • Fruit eaten by birds
  • Fragrant in the evening
Default image
Ptelea trifoliata
Understory tree, use as a background plant or screen.
  • Very showy bright yellow flowers
  • Slender trunk, 4" in diameter
  • Relatively uncommon in South Florida
  • Native
Default image
Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum
Edible, very hot fruits
  • Pineapple-like showy fruits (female plants)
  • Bright red fruits
  • Does poorly in very wet soil
  • Attractive flowers, typically deep orange
Default image
Sabal minor
Use as a small specimen shrub in moist areas. Can also be used in floodplains.
  • Often hosts orchids, ferns and bromiliads
  • Does best in warmer areas of South Florida
  • Tall and romantic
  • Easily trimmed to maintain desired size
  • Wonderfully fragrant
Default image
Spartina alterniflora
Used for shoreline protection. A major saltmarsh plant. Useful for erosion control.
  • Stunning
  • Long emerald crownshaft
  • Beautiful purple-brown crownshaft
Default image
Clethra alnifolia
The herbarium specimen from Polk County almost certainly has a wrong location.  Lithia is in Hillsborough County and the most likely translation of a wrongly written latitude and longitude is also in Hillsborough County -- but the exact location would have been agricultural in 1962. Hedges, back borders. Blooms in summer.
  • Lovely dark green, shiny leaves
  • Attractive contrast between flowers and foliage
  • Magnificent showy flowers in summer
Default image
Hypericum edisonianum
This is a State-endangered species.  Please honor all state regulations regarding growing and transport of this species. Plant in wet prairie setting, wet wildflower garden
  • Stunning
  • Unique purple-brown crownshaft
  • Distinctive-looking fruit with spiked exterior
  • Attractive dark green leaves
Default image
Viburnum obovatum
The name Walter's viburnum honors Thomas Walter (1740-89), English-born planter of South Carolina, who described this species in his Flora Caroliniana. Specimen plant, hedge or screen plant. Can be allowed to form a thicket, sheared, or kept pruned into a tree.  Fast growing.
  • Unusual stilt roots
  • Slender profile
  • Requires protection from strong winds
  • Often hosts orchids, ferns and bromiliads
  • Excellent hedge choice