Peacock Ginger (Kaempferia pulchra) is a very good ground cover for a moist shaded area. Peacock Ginger produce four-petaled lavender flowers throughout the summer, but their beautifully patterned foliage probably stands out the most. The oval leaves consist of a green background with an overlay of striking bronze or purple markings. It spreads via rhizomes…
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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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