Tag: perennial

What Kind of Plant is Best for Your Garden?

by Julia
May 14, 2026

We all admire the vibrant flowers on display at almost any garden center, maybe you've even been tempted to purchase a few. The first time, no matter what you did, your beautiful plants died within the year. You tried again, and the same thing ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: #RightPlantRightPlace, Annual, Biennials, Garden, Gardening, Gardens, Goals, Horticulture, Perennial, Plant Lifecycle

A Salvia for Late Summer Color

by Beth Bolles
May 14, 2026

Salvias are a popular group of plants for attracting pollinators and adding lots of color to the landscape. A unique salvia that offers velvety flowers is the Mexican bush sage, Salvia leucantha. In our heat, Mexican bush sage can tolerate ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Bees, Butterflies, Flowers, Hummingbirds, Perennial, Pollinators, Salvia

Florida Native Plants to Attract Hummingbirds

by Tia Saracino
April 13, 2026

There are three species of hummingbirds in Florida, by far the most common species is the Ruby throated hummingbird. They are attracted to red, orange, and pink tubular flowers. To attract hummingbirds to your yard, plant a variety of plant ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Birds, Butterflies, Central Florida, Florida Friendly, Home Landscapes, Hummingbirds, Native Plants, Perennial, Tsilvasy, Vine, Wildlife

Brazilian red cloak – landscape plant extraordinaire!

by Ralph Mitchell
March 24, 2026

A few years ago, I was given a small Brazilian red cloak plant to try in my landscape. It grew vigorously to about eight-feet tall by the following year and became a stunning specimen in my front flower bed. At Christmas it was festooned ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes
Tags: Brazilian Red Cloak, Flowering, Flowers, Ornamental, Perennial, Shrub

New year’s gardening resolutions – spring into 2025 with UF/IFAS resources!

by Ralph Mitchell
December 31, 2024

The New Year is a great time to make some horticultural resolutions that will benefit any landscape. Let's look at some resources that will make your landscaping experience in Southwest Florida the best in 2025 – we can help! The overarching ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Edis, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Landscape, Low Maintenance, Master Gardener Volunteers, Ornamental, Perennial

Have you spotted the leopard plant?

by Ralph Mitchell
August 9, 2024

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 prefers shade to part-shade conditions. ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Aureomaculatum, Crispatum, Kinkan, Leopard Plant, Ornamental, Perennial

Blue for your Florida-Friendly Landscape™

by Ralph Mitchell
November 27, 2023

Blue is an important color in the landscape that is not provided by many flowers in our plant palette. One plant that has been around for decades and is still popular supplies blue flowers in abundance – the genus Evolvulus or Brazilian ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Brazilian Dwarf Morning-glory, Evolvulus, Florida Friendly Landscape, Perennial

Steps on How to Utilize Cool Season Forages in Your Pastures

by Lizzie Whitehead
October 25, 2023

It is the time of year to start implementing cool-season forages in your pastures. Our perennial warm season pasture grasses in Florida become dormant in the fall and winter months because of the shorter days, cooler temperatures, and frosts. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Livestock
Tags: Cattle, Cool Seasons, Forages, Pasture, Pasture Management, Perennial, Planting

Shades of orange – the crossandra

by Ralph Mitchell
August 16, 2022

A common, but often underutilized plant, crossandra is an ideal companion for any landscape that offers part-sun and part-shade conditions. This native to India and Sri Lanka is a perennial evergreen shrub that provides a stunning combination ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Crossandra, Flowering, Gardening, Ornamental, Perennial

Blockbuster in the landscape – the firecracker plant

by Ralph Mitchell
June 22, 2022

The firecracker plant is a weeping shrub with a very unique look. The lanky, multi-stemmed, three- to four-foot-long branches are often covered in bright red tubular flowers from spring through early winter. Maybe you have a firecracker ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Firecracker Plant, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Ornamental, Perennial, Shrub

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