Two native plants to South Florida that probably are growing in your yard right now and you may not even know it, or you walk by them without taking a second glance. The first is the Resurrection Fern (Pleopeltis michauxiana). This amazing epiphytic fern shrivels up during dry periods losing 90% of its tissue moisture.…
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Bulnesia arborea is a tree with a spreading, rounded growth habit, which creates dense shade under its canopy. Over time the canopy becomes wider than the overall height of the tree which can obtain a height of 20-30 feet. It has shiny dark green pinnately compound leaves composed of 7-14 pairs of leaflets. It produces brilliant…
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Spanish Shawl (Heterocentron elegans) is related to Tibouchina, and when you see the flower, it is quite apparent. Unlike Tibouchina, Spanish Shawl does quite well in South Florida’s alkaline soils. It is a low, fast growing free flowering ground cover that forms a very dense mat. It will easily meander and cover rocky areas. It…
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Hedychium (pronounced Heh-DICK-ee-um) is a genus in the family Zingiberaceae, commonly called the Ginger Family. These gingers are native to India, SE Asia, and Madagascar. The flowers are very fragrant and appear at the terminal ends of 5-7′ canes arising from underground rhizomes. Definitely a very tropical look for a moist filtered light location in…
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Pentalinon luteum is a native species of S.FL. It ranges on the east coast of Florida from St. Lucie County to the Florida Keys. On the west coast of Florida, from Lee County to Monroe County (Mainland). This plant is a vigorous vine in the Apocynaceae Family with shiny leaves and bright yellow trumpet shaped…
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