Aloe Bloom

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 or gravelly soils with good drainage. A single plant will expand considerably as it produces offsets. Divide the crowded clumps periodically.
Light: Full sun to partial shade. Plants grown in partial shade usually look healthier and more succulent.
Moisture: This aloe is very tolerant of drought, although the tips of the leaves may wither and curl during hot, dry periods. Supplemental watering will keep the leaves plump and juicy.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 8B – 11. Soap aloe is damaged in hard freezes, but recovers quickly.

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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 broken pieces resprout readily.
Light: Oysterplant seems to prefer light shade, but it grows well in bright sun as well as in fairly dim light.
Moisture: Oysterplant appreciates moist soil, but tolerates drought well.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 9 – 11. Oysterplant is definitely a tropical plant, but it may survive a light freeze if covered and coddled.

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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 8-10.

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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 heavily with leaves or pine needles, and you should never cultivate over the root zone. Most azaleas don’t need any pruning, but if you do prune, do so immediately after flowering, as azaleas set new buds for the next season soon after they bloom.
Light: Full sun to deep shade, depending on species and cultivar. The majority of cultivated azaleas do very well in partial shade.
Moisture: Azaleas need a moist soil. They are not tolerant of drought.
Hardiness:USDA Zones 4-9.

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They are more leathery than the juveniles, and are dark green, and about 3 in long by 2 in wide. The fruit is a fig. These are borne only on the horizontal stems, they are pale green in color and about 3 in long by 2.5 in wide.

Culture
Creeping fig is not particular about soil. It’s less aggressive and easier to manage when its grown in less fertile, drier soil. This vine will grow at seaside if protected behind dunes or buildings.
Light: Shade to sun.
Moisture: Water when dry when young. Once the vine matures you can let it fend for itself even during droughts.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 – 11. Can tolerate freezing temperatures for short durations.

Do not plant near wooden structures as these surfaces are damaged by the adhesive produced by the vine. Consider this a high maintenance plant when grown on structures as pruning will be required several times a year to remove growth from windows, roofs, etc. as the vine relentlessly endeavors to coat everything it encounters in a green blanket.

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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 area.

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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 dwarf that grows to only 4 ft.

Culture
Light: Bright sun, some shade is acceptable.
Moisture: Versatile, can survive both dry and wet soils. Fastest growth occurs when provided moisture in times of drought.
Hardiness:USDA Zones 8-10. Easily grown in warm humid climates, like Florida and the Gulf coast, oleander is recommended for USDA Zones 8-10. It will survive some frost and temperatures to 15-20ºF but foliage will be damaged.

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Culture
Requires acid soil, ideally moist and high in organic matter, but well drained.

Light:

Partial shade to sun.
Moisture: Moist to average.
Hardiness:USDA Zones 8-10

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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 be grown in good garden soil.
Light: Sun or shade. In bright sun, clumps will be compact and the stems closely packed. Under shady conditions clumps will grow higher and be composed of fewer stems and larger leaves giving a more graceful aspect.
Moisture: Umbrella plant is happy growing in shallow water but can also handle drier situations.
Hardiness:USDA Zones 8-11. This is a tender perennial. In Zones 8 and 9 frost will kill back foliage but the plant will recover if the root mass is not frozen.

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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 Zones 8B – 11.

Century plant doesn’t really take a century to bloom, but it does take 10 years or so in warm regions and as much as 60 years in colder climates. It dies after blooming (a condition called monocarpic), but produces offsets or “pups” throughout its life and these remain to continue the lineage.

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