If you have a moist shady area in your yard, and want a nice tropical look, two Philodendrons come to mind. One is the Tree Philodendron (Philodendron selloum) and the other is the Giant Philodendron (Philodendron subincisum). The Tree Philodendron has a vertical trunk like a tree, with a nice pattern created by petiole scars…
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Picramnia pentandra is an endangered native which only occurs in Miami-Dade County in Florida. However, it also occurs in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is a small tree, 12-15′ tall and a very narrow crown. The tree is dioecious, meaning there are male and female trees. The flowers of both the male and…
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Two closely related Florida native plants, one a small tree, the other a small shrub. Bourreria succulenta, is a small tree, 15-20′ tall with a narrow weeping crown only occurs in Florida in Lee County, Miami-Dade County, and the Florida Keys. Bourreria cassinifolia, is a small shrub, 5-7′ tall and almost as wide only occurring…
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Chiococca alba is a Florida native shrub with a sprawling vinelike growth habit in the Coffee Family (Rubiaceae). It occurs in the coastal counties of Florida just south of the Panhandle all the way to Key West, growing in partial shade. Snowberry has somewhat fragrant yellow bell-shaped flowers providing nectar for butterflies and bees. The…
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Vanilla planifolia, a member of the Orchid Family (Orchidaceae) is the primary species of orchid grown commercially to produce the very expensive vanilla extract. This orchid is actually a vine which starts out in the shade and grows up the trunks of trees, eventually flowering, when it gets high enough up in the tree it…
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