Hey, hey, its sweet bay!
As botanical names are always accurate, let’s start with what we are talking about in this article – Laurus nobilis – sometimes called bay or sweet bay – not to be confused with magnolias. This… Read More
Category: Home Landscapes
A copperleaf of a different color
When you think of colorful foliage plants that you might add to your landscape, you may target crotons, coleus, or even caladiums. But what about the copperleaf? Copperleaf shrubs today come in a surprising array… Read More
Variegation – St. Augustine style!
There are a plethora of variegated plants out in the gardening world that you may never have seen before. When a familiar green plant comes in a variegated form (white and green or cream and… Read More
The longan, cousin of the lychee
The longan tree is one of the few fruit trees producing a crop in August, so the small brown fruit are a welcome seasonal taste treat. A family member of the lychee, the longan tree… Read More
An orange-flowering tree in bloom now – the Geiger Tree
To continue the theme of orange-flowering woody plants from last week, let me introduce you to the Geiger tree or Cordia sebestena. In bloom right now with bright orange flower clusters, this medium-sized tree is… Read More
Our local crape myrtles look great this year!
Our crape myrtles have their good years and their less good years, but 2021 has been pretty good for this flowering tree in Charlotte County! Crape myrtle blooms are popping right now catching the… Read More
Have you spotted the leopard plant?
Somewhat new to our area, the perennial known as the leopard plant is an interesting selection that I first saw about six years ago. Besides large, attractive green leaves, the leopard plant also blooms and… Read More
A cool flowering plant for hot summers
The “summer snapdragon”, better known as Angelonia, is a great summer flower that grows from one to three feet tall and produces almost one-inch wide white, blue and white, and pink flowers arranged on… Read More
The shrublet
What is smaller than a shrub? A shrublet of course! One of my favorite shrublets is called false heather or Cuphea hyssopifolia, a native of Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. There is no better small… Read More
The other pineapple – the ornamental pineapple – a landscape jewel!
Are all pineapples edible? Technically, I suppose so, but in reality, there is a whole line of pineapples grown just for their looks – ornamental pineapples! Like all pineapples, they are a type of… Read More