Aloe
Soap aloe grows in a stemless rosette, and produces little offset rosettes around its margin. The main rosette gets up to about a foot and a half tall and just as wide. The lance-shaped leaves are thick and succulent, pale green with white speckles, and 10-12 in. long. The leaf margins are armed with sharp, dark brown teeth. Throughout much of the summer, soap aloe sends up a purplish branched stalk about 2 ft. tall, bearing showy tubular yellow, orange or red flowers. Culture Soap aloe is very easy to grow in sandy...
Read MoreOyster Plant
Oysterplant is a rather succulent herb with a dense cluster of sturdy 6-12 in (15.2-30.5 cm) long sword-shaped leaves arising from a trunklike stem up to 8 in (20.3 cm) tall. The leaves are a dark teal-tinged forest green on top and vivid violet underneath. The small white three-petaled flowers are hidden in boat-shaped purple bracts nestled in the leaf axils. Flowers and seed are produced all year. Culture Although it likes soil with substantial organic matter, oysterplant will grow in sand or even coral rock. It transplants easily and...
Read MoreSilver Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto is a small hardy fan palm whose stem usually remains below ground or runs just along the surface. In some cases, it develops an erect or arching trunk that may lift the whorl of leaves 2-8 ft above ground. The palmate leaves are 2-3 ft across. The cluster of leaves gets about 4-6 ft high with a similar spread. Culture Once established, saw palmetto is virtually maintenance-free. Light: Prefers full sun, but can tolerate partial sun. Moisture: Tolerates drought but can also tolerate moist soils. Hardiness: Hardy in Zones...
Read MoreAzalea
Azaleas are woody stemmed shrubs, prized for their characteristic, usually prolific, often fragrant, trumpet shaped flowers. These may be only 1/2″, or more than 4″ across. They come usually in shades of pink, white, purple, orange and red, and may be freckled, variegated, single or double. Many azalea varieties cultivated for landscape use are evergreen, but there are plenty of deciduous ones too. Culture Azaleas must have acidic soil with lots of organic matter. They are shallow rooted so they should be mulched...
Read MoreCreeping Fig
This agressive but beautiful evergreen vine is a relative of the edible fig, but bears little resemblance to it’s close cousin. Creeping fig is an enthusiastic climber able to scramble up vertical surfaces 3 and 4 stories tall with the aid of a powerful adhesive. This vine coats surfaces with a tracery of fine stems that are densely covered with small heart shaped leaves that are 1 inch long by about .75 in wide, they are held closely to the surface creating a mat of foliage that extends barely 1 in from the surface. These are the juvenile leaves. Once the vine has reach the top of its...
Read MoreCanna Lily
Cannas, or canna lilies, look like banana trees without the trunk! Their wide, furled leaves come out of thick, multiple-eyed rhizomes. Flowers are the main reason cannas are so highly prized, though. Culture Light: Cannas prefer sun, but will grow in partial shade. Moisture: Cannas like moist soil and will thrive even in boggy conditions. They can be grown in ordinary garden soils, but will need regular watering. Hardiness:USDA Zones 8-12. Canna lilies are remarkably easy to grow. These are great flowers for a wet...
Read MoreOleander
This fast growing evergreen shrub can reach up to 20 ft. tall but is usually seen trimmed at 6-10 ft. It forms a rounded mound to about 10 ft. wide. It is a tough, versatile plant with showy summertime flowers in white, red, pink, salmon and light yellow. Leathery, lance shaped leaves range from about 4-10 in long, depending on variety and are a bright green. Oleanders have a tendency to become leggy – overgrown individuals should be pruned as needed to maintain a nice shape. A popular variety is ‘Petit Salmon’ which is a...
Read MoreGardenia
Picture gorgeous, dark to bright green, opposite leaves on a shrub that can grow 6-8 ft. high with almost equal spread. The leaves are glossy and leathery. Mature shrubs usually look round, and have a medium texture. This is not a “bloom all at once and it’s over” shrub! It blooms in mid-spring to early summer over a fairly long season. The flowers are white, turning to creamy yellow as they age, and have a waxy feel. They have a powerful, sweet fragrance, and can perfume an entire room. Culture Requires acid soil, ideally moist and high in organic matter, but well...
Read MoreUmbrella Plant
Like papyrus, the umbrella plant grows in clumps in wet and boggy areas, although it will thrive in drier situations as well. The clumps are composed of slender triangular stems that arise from a network of woody rhizomes and grow to a height of 2-6 ft. At the stem tips are about two dozen leaflike bracts that are 6-15 in. long, about 0.5 in. wide and radially arranged like the spokes of wheel. Clusters of small greenish flowers grow from the center of the disk. Flowers are followed by small fruits that mature to dark brown. Culture Can easily...
Read MoreCentury Plant
Century plant has no stem. Its thick and massive gray-green leaves originate from a basal rosette. The leaves get up to 6′ long and 10″ wide, and have sharp spines on the margins and tips. The margin spines are recurved like fishhooks and the tip spines can be more than an inch long. The flower stalk is branched, 20-40′ tall, and bears large (3-4″) yellow-green flowers. Culture Grow century plant in very well-drained, slightly acidic, sandy or gravely soil. Light: Full sun. Moisture:This is a desert plant. Once established, it is very drought tolerant. Hardiness: USDA...
Read MoreDaylily
Daylilies are clump forming perennials with arching, grasslike or straplike leaves 10-40 in long, depending on the cultivar. A leafless stalk, called a scape, extends above the leaves and bears the flowers. Most scapes have two or more branches, each with several flower buds. In most varieties the flowers open one at a time, and last only one day, but the blooming period may extend for weeks, even months. Culture Daylilies are carefree and easy to grow in fertile, well-drained soil with neutral to slightly acidic pH. Some even do...
Read MoreTorulosa Juniper
A very unusual juniper with an upright, somewhat pyramidal shape. Its foliage is a wonderful bright emerald green, and grows in very irregular twisted sprays which remain upright – no two are alike!! Retains its color during the winter ( no bronzing ). Very nice accent plant, and an interesting focal point in the garden. Has shown itself to have excellent heat resistance, as well as very good salt tolerance. Mature Height: 10-14 ft ( some specimens have been seen up to almost 18 ft tall ) Mature Width: 4-6 ft Growth rate:...
Read MoreFoxtail Fern
In USDA Zones 9 though 11 the Foxtail fern is often grown as a ground cover. It grows to a height of about 2 feet, and blooms in mid summer. The white blooms are rather inconspicuous, and the plant is grown primarily for its handsome foliage. Exposure: Part Sun Water Requirements: Medium
Read MoreSword Fern / Boston Fern
Sword Fern, or Wild Boston fern has erect fronds up to 3′ long and 6″ wide in tufted clusters arising from underground stems called rhizomes. Culture Light:Partial shade to shady outdoors and bright, filtered light indoors. Moisture: Sword fern likes a moist but not soggy, soil, rich in organic matter. This is the most drought tolerant of the commonly cultivated ferns, but it thrives only under conditions of high humidity. Hardiness: USDA Zones 9 – 11. Boston fern is killed to the ground by frost but will...
Read MoreHolly Fern
Japanese holly fern is an upright fern that forms a rounded mound up to 2 ft high and 3 ft wide. It sports glossy, very dark green fronds on slender, arching stems. Spores, light green when young and dark at maturity, adhere to the backs of specialized fronds. Japanese holly fern is evergreen in frostfree areas, but loses its fronds in colder climates. Culture Japanese holly fern likes rich, acidic soil and good drainage. It thrives with occasional fish emulsion or liquid fertilizer. Groom when foliage becomes frayed or unsightly. Ferns...
Read MoreLeatherleaf Fern
Deep green, leathery fronds are perfect in informal gardens or as filler for shady beds. Cut foliage adds attractive texture to floral arrangements. Effective as a groundcover and great in hanging baskets. Evergreen. USDA ZONE: 9 – 11 Needs regular watering – weekly, or more often in extreme heat. 3 ft. tall and wide on average.
Read MoreAztec Grass
Aztec grass sports eye-catching green and silver variegated foliage. A vibrant, easy to grow ornamental grass-like plant that makes an excellent edging plant. Also adds great color contrast to mass plantings and mixed planters. Zone: 9-11 Partial Sun Height: 15 in. Width: 15 in.
Read MoreBridal Wreath Spirea
Bridal wreath spirea grows as a loose, gracefully arching shrub to around 6 ft in height and width. The slender shiny brown stems tend to be a little zig-zaggy. The leaves are glossy dark green, often turning purplish or reddish orange in autumn. The flowers are snowy white and double, about a third of an inch in diameter and produced all along the stems in open corymbs of 3-6, each cluster about 2.5 in across. Bridal wreath spirea blooms in early to mid spring, before the leaves come out. Culture Light: Grow...
Read MoreTea Olive / Sweet Olive
Tea olive is a large upright shrub that can reach 20 ft tall and 6-8 ft wide, but is usually seen in landscapes at 6-10 ft high. The opposite leaves are a dark, shiny green and the edges may be finely toothed or smooth with both types present on the same individual. As the plant matures, most of the foliage is held at the outermost ends of the stems, but the plant retains a handsome appearance despite the legginess. In autumn, winter and early spring white flowers cover the shrub. It also blooms sporadically throughout the...
Read MoreHeather
Mexican false heather is a small tropical evergreen sub-shrub with many charming attributes including compact form and fine textured foliage. Growing to a maximum height of about 24 in, false heather grows to form flat topped mounds 18-36 in. in diameter. The plant’s flat feathery sprays of foliage are 12-18 in long and are highly branched. Tiny flowers emerge from the axils (the points where the leaf attaches to a stem) to create a show of color that lasts for much of the year. False heather flowers range from the typical purple and...
Read MoreMuhly Grass
A knee high purple haze in the distance may not be an atmospheric event, but the effect created by the wispy, purplish flower heads in a dense stand of Gulf muhlygrass. This is a showy clump forming grass that can get to 3 ft tall and just as wide. The stems and leaves are wirelike and unbranched, originating from a dense basal clump. The purplish-red or pink inflorescence is a diffuse, silky panicle, 18 in long and 10 in wide, that stands above the wiry leaves. It appears in late summer, and persists for 6-8...
Read MorePurple Queen / Purple Heart
Purple heart is a long-jointed sprawling groundcover plant with succulent stems and pointed leaves. The leaves are about 1 in wide and 3-5 in long. The stems and upper surfaces of the leaves are a deep royal purple that becomes suffused with a faint dusty turquoise-gunmetal undertone as the foliage grows older. The undersides of the leaves are an even more vivid violet that shades towards pink Pale orchid-pink 0.5-0.75 in three-petaled flowers emerge from curving double bracts at the stem tips. Purple heart blooms constantly during warm...
Read MoreCroton
In the wild, garden croton is an evergreen shrub that grows to 10 ft tall and has large, leathery, shiny leaves. The cultivated garden crotons are usually smaller and come in an amazing diversity of leaf shapes and colors. Culture It’s quite a challenge to keep these beautiful foliage plants healthy outside of the tropics or a greenhouse. They need to be kept warm and humid. Light:Needs bright light or partial shade, but should be shaded from direct summer sun. Moisture: Crotons require moist, humus-rich, but well-drained...
Read MoreHibiscus
Chinese hibiscus is a large shrub or small tree that gets up to 15 ft tall in frost free climates. The toothed leaves are large, dark green, and shiny. Chinese hibiscus has a coarse texture and normally grows upright and broad spreading. It usually grows as a bush with many stems. Flowers are glorious and huge at their best — up to 6 in. in diameter — and occur in many colors. Most are flared and have a bell shape; they may be single or double, smooth or scalloped. Culture Deep, moderately fertile, well drained, and slightly...
Read MoreDowny Jasmine
Downy jasmine can be thought of as an evergreen, branching vine that can be trained as a shrub, or as a spreading, vine-like shrub. It usually appears as an open, spreading, weeping mound, 5-10 ft tall and just as wide. The white, clustered, star-shaped flowers appear nearly year-round and are not as fragrant as other jasmines. Culture Downy jasmine is fast-growing and easy to cultivate in acidic to alkaline soils. Light: Full sun to partial shade. Moisture: Moderately drought tolerant. Hardiness: USDA Zones 9 – 11. Give...
Read MoreBouganvilla
Big and rowdy, loud and lovely, this sprawling woody vine is colorful showboater wherever it is grown. The bougainvilleas are mostly evergreen or semi-evergreen dropping their leaves for a brief period in winter. Their woody, thorn-armored canes soar to great heights and then tend to flop over sprawling across whatever is adjacent. This can look rather sloppy so many gardeners trim their plants into shrubs removing the overly enthusiastically growing canes as they appear. The heart shaped leaves are rich green and 3-5 in...
Read MoreJerusalem Thorn Tree
Jerusalem thorn is a small tree growing to 25 ft tall with a short trunk and a graceful, spreading, sometimes weeping, crown to 20 ft wide. The slender branches and twigs have green bark, and are armed with stout spines up to 1 in long. Jerusalem thorn has peculiar straplike, twice compound leaves that look like long, feathery streamers. A spectacular display of clustered pealike flowers in spring makes the whole tree look like a giant yellow bouquet. Culture Jerusalem thorn does well on sandy or gravelly soils, and is tolerant of...
Read MoreGolden Rain Tree
Golden rain tree is a fast-growing, deciduous tree reaching about 30′ in height. At maturity, it has a rounded crown, with a spread equal to or greater than the height. It has compound leaves that give it an overall lacy appearance. The leaves turn yellow before falling. The bark is light gray-brown and becomes furrowed with age. Golden rain tree is perhaps most striking in the fall with its large clusters of showy yellow flowers. These are followed by 2″ red-purple seed pods, which are...
Read MoreBottlebrush
Bottlebrush is a beautiful flowering tropical tree (or large shrub) that boasts a springtime explosion of scarlet blossoms. An attractive tree even when not in bloom, this bottlebrush grows to a height of about 20 ft, forming a wide rounded crown if the lower branches are pruned off. Brilliant red stamens are arranged into 6 in cylinders that resemble the brushes used to clean bottles. These hang from the tips of pendulous branches and wave in the breeze.Leaves are narrow and lance shaped growing up to 4 in. in length. The...
Read MoreNeedle Palm
The needle palm is a terribly talented plant that is beautiful, rugged, extremely cold hardy, fast growing It is a small shrubby fan palm that grows to about 6 ft in height. It produces suckers freely, these multiple stems creating an ever widening rounded clump of indeterminate width. Over time the tightly packed stems will form an impenetrable thicket. The needle palm doesn’t form a trunk. Culture Needle palm prefers fairly moist, well drained soils with lots of organic matter but is very adaptable to less than ideal conditions....
Read MoreWindmill Palm
Windmill palm is one of the most cold hardy palms available. It is beautifully compact and grows to heights of 20-40 ft. Windmill palm has a rather slender single stem that is 8-10 in. in diameter and is typically a bit narrower at the base than at the top. Trunks are usually covered with a loose mat of coarse gray or brown fiber. In older individuals the fiber sloughs away to reveal a smooth ringed surface. Leaves are circular, about 3 ft in diameter and segmented about halfway. They are flat with leaf segment tips held stiffly,...
Read MoreCabbage Palm / Sabal Palm
It is a large robust palm with a single unbranching trunk that grows to about 50 ft but may occassionally reach heights of 70 ft. The crown is relatively small being 12-18 ft in diameter. Like many palms the crown is typically wider when grown in shade and more compact when grown in full sun. The large leaves have a dull finish and are a medium green, sometimes yellow-green, in color depending on the individual and situation. Each leaf is up to 12 ft long overall. They are up to 6 ft in width with drooping leaf segments about 3...
Read MoreChinese Fan Palm
The large bright green fan-shaped leaves are deeply divided into about 75 segments that droop downward to give a gracefully fountain-like aspect inspiring its common name Chinese fountain palm. These leaves may grow up to 5 ft in diameter and form a dense canopy on a solitary brown trunk that bleaches to gray on older specimens. Trunks grow to about 18 in (46 cm) in diameter and are wider at the base. This palm is occasionally seen in Florida, slowly growing to a height of 30 ft . It cangrow to 50 feet in its native habitat but...
Read MoreEuropean Fan Palm
The European Fan Palm can resist temperatures below 20°F and it is fairly fast growing and drought resistant too! The European fan palm forms clumps than can grow up to 15 ft in height. The triangular, fan shaped leaves grow to about 20-24 in long by 24 in wide. This is an extremely variable plant both in color (the leaves range from blue green to grey green to yellow green) and in shape. Some plants form suckers more freely than others to become very shrubby plants that may reach 15 ft in width. Other individuals can be seen that are almost...
Read MoreQueen Palm
Growing to maximum height of about 50 feet, this plam has a smooth straight grey trunk ringed with evenly spaced leaf scars and topped with a large canopy of feathery plumes. These lacy fronds are a dark glossy green and have double rows of leaflets. These droop to the ground like double rows of fringe to cast shady patterns on the lawn. Informal groupings of three or more queens provides soft filtered sunlight perfect for shade gardens. Culture Queen palm is tolerant but prefers enriched sandy soils. Fertilize twice a year in spring and summer with a fertilizer that contains micronutrients,...
Read MoreSago Palm
This unique plant resembles a palm tree but is actually a cycad. These living fossils, members of the Cycadaceae family, dominated the landscape during the Mesozoic era over 150 million years ago. This very symmetrical plant supports a crown of shiny dark green leaves on a thick shaggy trunk that can grow to 10-12 ft high. The plant is very slow gowing requiring about 50 years to achieve this height. As the plant matures branching of the thick stem may occur which only adds to the interest and charm of this beauty. Japanese sago also tends to...
Read MoreCanary Island Date Palm
Massive and imposing, the Canary Island date palm is the center of attention wherever it is planted. Growing up to 60′ tall, the thick, hulking trunk is covered with interesting diamond designs that mark the point of attachment of the leaves. The massive trunk supports a huge crown of over 50 huge arching pinnate leaves that may reach 18′ long. These leaves are deep green shading to a yellow stem where the leaflets are replaced by vicious spines. In areas of high rainfall, like Florida, these palms are often seen with ferns growing from among the old leaf stems. Decomposing leaf...
Read MoreWashingtonia Palm
Washington palm has many fine attributes including salt resistance and fast rate of growth. The Washingtonia leaves are rich glossy green and grow to about 5 ft long and 4 ft wide. Culture Washington palm prefers a moderately rich well drained soil but can survive on poor soils, even sand. Light: It does best in bright sunny conditions but Washington palm will tolerate some shade. Moisture: Washington palm is drought resistant when established, but looks better and grows faster when given adequate...
Read MorePindo Palm
This beautiful feather palm has long leaves that arch and recurve towards the ground from atop a thick stout trunk. The trunk can grow to 20 feet, but normally reaches 12-15 ft. The leaves range from light green to bluish gray and grow 5 to 10 feet long. The palm produces bright orange fruit (often called pindo dates in the Deep South). These palms vary in form from one individual to the next. Specimens raised in dry and/or infertile soils tend to be smaller in stature with smaller leaves. Light also affects the plant’s form while those...
Read MorePygmy Date Palm
Pygmy date palm grow slowly reaching heights of 8-10 ft. The stem is covered with old leaf bases and is topped with a dense head of bright green pinnate leaves that grow to about 4 ft in length. Delicate leaflets, arranged neatly along the upper length of the gently arched leaf stem lend the plant a very graceful aspect. Lower leaflets are modified into sharp pointed 2-3 in spines. Although this palm is single stemmed most nurseries offer it in containers planted with 3 to 5 specimens. When grouped like this, the stems tend to curve...
Read MoreJapanese Maple
Japanese maple is a deciduous shrub or small tree with a broad, rounded shape. The canopy is wispy and delicate, and in some cultivars, weeping. The species usually stays about 15-20 ft tall and wide, but can get larger under ideal conditions. Japanese maple has slender, glabrous twigs and smooth gray bark. Branches tend to grow in horizontal layers, and often are contorted and twisted, and some specimens have more than one main trunk. Famous for its autumn display of color when leaves turn brilliant shades of scarlet, yellow or orange. Culture Needs a fertile, well drained, acidic...
Read MoreRedbud
Eastern redbud is a small to medium sized tree, occasionally reaching 40 ft in height, but usually staying around 20 ft tall. It sometimes has multiple trunks and its branches form a spreading, flattened or rounded crown up to 30 ft across, but usually less. The leaves are simple and heart shaped, appearing after the magenta flowers bloom in early spring. Those flowers are borne in clusters all along the naked branches and make the whole tree look pinkish-purple. Redbud is a member of the bean and pea family, and you would certainly know that...
Read MoreDogwood
Flowering dogwood is a small tree, up to 30 ft in height and 35 ft across, but the typical size is more like 15 ft tall and 15-20 ft across. It has a short trunk and a full, rounded crown with horizontal branches often in layered tiers, spreading wider than its height. The bark on mature trees is broken up into small square blocks. Flowering dogwood blooms in the spring, as its new leaves are unfolding, and usually remains showy for 2-3 weeks. Culture Light: Partial or broken shade is best, but flowering dogwood can tolerate full sun, too. It does best with some shade in the south and full...
Read MoreWeeping Yaupon Holly
Weeping Yaupon Holly makes a very distinct, irregular, weeping form with its upright crooked trunks and slender, curved, pendulous branches clothed with small, oval, grey-green foliage. Capable of reaching 30 feet or more in height, Weeping Yaupon Holly is most often seen 15 to 20 feet tall with a spread of only 6 to 12 feet. The yaupon holly is an evergreen shrub or small tree that grows 20-25 ft (6.1-7.6 m) in height. It typically produces multiple stems to form dense shrubby clumps. The yaupon has simple, leathery, dark green leaves leaves that are held alternately on the...
Read MoreMagnolia
Southern magnolia is a large, broad-leafed evergreen tree that can grow 60-90 ft in height with a trunk up to 2-3 ft in diameter. It’s trunk is typically straight and erect with spreading branches that form a dense, broadly pyramidal crown. The evergreen leaves are large 5-8 in. long, leathery and dark glossy green above with rusty, velveteen undersides. Southern magnolia has large, showy white flowers that are 8-12 inches in diameter. These have a pleasant fragrance and appear throughout the spring and summer. The fruits are reddish-brown conelike structures, 2-4 in. long, with bright...
Read MoreRiver Birch
River birch is an upright, slender tree, often with a divided trunk, and reaching up to 50-70 ft (15-21 m) high. Young trees have shaggy reddish brown bark that flakes and peels in layers into small pieces. In older specimens the bark becomes grayish and fissured. The young branches are very smooth, slender, and reddish brown. The leaves are diamond shaped, to 3 in (8 cm) long, and glossy green, turning yellow in autumn. Culture Light: River birch thrives in full sun to partial shade. Moisture: River birch prefers moist, acidic...
Read MoreWeeping Willow
The beautiful weeping willow is a hardy deciduous tree, usually encountered growing in moist soils and often along lakes and streams. It forms a gracefully rounded crown to about 50 feet in height with a spread just as wide. It’s bark is dark gray and deeply furrowed. Branches divide into many thin stems that hang in pendulous curtains to the ground. Leaves are typical of those of the willow family being lance-shaped up to 6 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide. The leaves are olive green on top with silver undersides, but culitvars with bright yellow green leaves are also...
Read MoreRed Maple
The swamp or red maple is a beautiful deciduous tree that is often planted as an ornamental. It ranges from medium to large in stature with notable variation in size and form depending on its site. While this tree may attain a height of 120 ft in diameter under ideal conditions, it more commonly grows 40-50 in height with diameters of 1.5-2.5 ft. Light: Full sun to partial shade. In nature the red maple is often a pioneer, occupying open sites but it will tolerate a fair amount of shade and can survive under the shade of larger trees. Moisture: Tolerant of both extremely wet and extremely dry...
Read MoreDrake Elm
The Drake Elm is a deciduous tree with a broad canopy of dark green leaves and weeping branches. It typically grows to be 30-40′ tall. It is adaptable to a wide range of soil types, tolerant of heat drought and wind, and thrives in an extensive range of soil pH. The rounded canopy, which is often wider than it is tall, is formed by long arching branches. The drake elm requires full sun to partial shade and likes well drained...
Read MoreCathedral Oak
The Cathedral will provide a consistent uniform look, and will make a wonderful street tree, parking lot tree, or specimen tree whenever a large maturing evergreen shade tree is desired. Cathedral Oak has a full-growth habit that will make it an instant hit and a lasting knockout in the landscape. Desription – The Cathedral Live Oak is large in size, 40 to 50 feet in height, 3 to 4 feet in trunk diameter. Foliage – Leaves are strikingly dark green, 2 to 3 inches long, 1/2 to 2-1/2 inches wide, oval to elliptical-shaped. Bark – The bark is dark red-brown, up to 1...
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