Two native Sennas to consider if you want to attract the Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly (Phoebis sennae) to your garden. The first naturally occurs in 19 Florida counties including Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys. This would be Senna ligustrina or the Privet Senna. It flowers periodically throughout the year and has an upright growth habit up…
Read more
There is a native scarlet red morning glory (Ipomoea microdactyla), more commonly called Wild Potato Morning Glory or Man-in-the-Ground. It is endangered in Florida and only grows in the Pine Rockland habitat of Miami-Dade County. It has underground tubers to store energy when it goes dormant during the dry winter season. The flowers attract bees,…
Read more
Thailand Powderpuff (Combretum constrictum) is a shrub that blooms year round. It has the common name ‘Powderpuff’, but it is not related to the shrub Calliandra which is also commonly called powderpuff. The flowers do resemble each other, as they are shaped like a powderpuff, thus the confusion I guess. Although the Thai Powderpuff is…
Read more
There aren’t a lot of trees that bloom year round, but one that comes to mind is the Butterfly Orchid Tree (Bauhinia divaricata). This tree blooms year round with white wispy flowers that fade to pink, and is an excellent nectar source for butterflies, especially, the Giant Swallowtail. As a bonus, in the winter, the ruby-throated…
Read more
Consider a fragrant flowering vine for your fence or isolated trellis. Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is such a vine. It flowers freely throughout the year in S. Florida. If you want the native Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) or commonly called coral or trumpet honeysuckle, that is also a good choice for a year round bloomer. It…
Read more