With a continued interest in edible ornamentals, edible landscapes are a common theme in Florida horticulture. The intentional effort of adding plants to the landscape that are both attractive and edible is a common practice with many ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
Some types of Ficus trees have a bad reputation related to growing too big, categorized as prohibited, or just outright invasive. One variety of Ficus, specifically Ficus microcarpa var fuyuensis 'Green Island' is an amazing plant that ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
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
Why is the shrub known as “Golden Showers”, “Rain-of-gold”, or Thryallis considered a great Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ approved plant? Flowering almost all year round, this graceful shrub is a low-maintenance evergreen that ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Many plants in our landscape are just not going to tolerate shade to any degree and look usefully ornamental - they often become leggy, lose foliage color or never flower. There are a few exceptions to this rule however and one example ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes
What: The UF/IFAS Native Plant Sale. When: June 21 and 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Where: The UF/IFAS Native Plant Nursery, just west of the greenhouses located at 2333 Mowry Road, Gainesville. About: Shop hundreds of native plant species ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Events, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
A native wild shrub that has worked its way into the nursery trade - and our hearts - is the wild coffee. While it is a plant native to Florida, it is not coffee. However, it is an attractive shrub resembling the gardenia, a close relative. ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
In some landscapes in Charlotte County, you may find a shrub-like plant called cassava or yuca which is the source of tapioca and other starch products. Once somewhat common in Florida backyard gardens, this plant produces swollen, edible ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
The panama berry tree (Muntingia calabura) goes by many names such as strawberry tree, jam fruit tree, and cotton candy berry. The Panama berry is a tropical fruit tree with a strawberry looking flower and sweet edible fruits that taste like ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, , Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
There is a good reason why Charlotte County landscapes are full of Sweet Viburnum. Sweet Viburnum, a type of shrub and small tree, are very versatile in that they not only make a great hedge material, but can also be trained into small, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes