Florida’s climate is most suited to native plants that can tolerate drought in the dry months and abundant moisture during the rainy season. By choosing landscape plants that thrive in the high heat and occasional cold snaps in Florida as well as those that can live with or without water, you can avoid the expense of replacing plants that do not respond well to our climate.
Achieving Privacy with a Flowering Shrub
Lovely white flowers that attract butterflies appear throughout the year on the Cocoplum, making it a decorative addition to your landscape. The Cocoplum is an excellent privacy hedge when you keep it pruned. It requires low maintenance as it spreads its canopy over a space of 10 to 20 feet at maturity. You can eat the fruit that it produces, and you may have to share it with wild birds that choose it as a juicy treat. Having a high resistance to wind allows the Cocoplum to survive storms that often create debris in your yard. The native plant requires low moisture but can tolerate damp conditions, and it is moderately resistance to drought. Considered hardy in the southern regions of Florida, it is a native plant that thrives in the environment.
Accenting with Style
The Florida Privet is a native plant that adds beauty to your landscape. Sometimes measuring as high as 15 feet at maturity, the plant is also popular in hedges when kept to a lower height. Abundant green leaves make it a show piece in your yard. Hardy enough to withstand cold temperatures that occasionally occur in south Florida, the plant prefers sandy soils that drain well. It requires a low level of moisture but can tolerate heavy rain as well.
Tolerating the direct rays of the sun in south Florida is a challenge that some non-native plants are incapable of meeting. Full sun is preferable, but the plant responds well to partial sun, making it a versatile plant that can accent different locations in your yard. Highly resistance to drought and salt, it is a good choice for your south Florida landscape.
Choosing a Southern Classic
Producing showy flowers that attract butterflies and last only one day, the hibiscus is a popular feature in southern landscapes. A durable plant, it is suitable for many different locations in your yard as long as it gets plenty of light. Like other plants that produce blooms and flowers, it needs access to the sun to produce its vibrant colors. It is essential to select native varieties and their hybrids so that you get to enjoy the beauty, versatility and hardiness of the plant.
While the leaves do not tolerate cold temperatures, the root system seems to get stronger every year as it recovers from their effects. Cutting back the branches after the last cold snap helps to keep the plant in good shape. With tolerance for damp conditions, salt and drought, the plant produces colorful flowers at variable times throughout the spring, summer and fall.
R & R Sprinkler & Landscape
931 SE 11th Avenue
Cape Coral, FL 33990
(239) 772-2607
