A client recently gave us an exciting challenge: design her front yard using only Florida native plants. We quickly saw this as an fun opportunity to create a themed garden.
Florida natives aren't guaranteed success in your garden, but a plant that evolved here's going to have an advantage over non-natives.
If you're interested in some native additions to your garden, here are some shrub options:
|
Botanical Name |
Common Name |
Notes |
|
Eugenia axillaris |
White Stopper |
Dense, evergreen, fragrant leaves, drought & salt tolerant. Great for hedges or screening. |
|
Eugenia rhombea |
Redberry Stopper |
Smaller than white stopper, also evergreen. Great for wildlife. |
|
Forestiera segregata |
Florida Privet |
Hardy, fast-growing, dense foliage. Good for screening. |
|
Ilex vomitoria |
Yaupon Holly |
Tough, adaptable, evergreen. Can be shaped or left natural. Tolerates drought and wet soils. |
|
Ilex cassine |
Dahoon Holly |
More tolerant of wetter soils than yaupon. Taller, upright form. |
|
Morella cerifera |
Wax Myrtle |
Fast-growing, fragrant foliage, good for privacy or wildlife gardens. Can be pruned as a shrub or grown as small tree. |
|
Myrsine cubana |
Myrsine |
Evergreen, compact, tough and adaptable. Great for low-maintenance buffer planting. |
|
Psychotria ligustriflora |
Bahama Wild Coffee |
Similar to Wild Coffee (P. nervosa), more salt and drought tolerant. Attractive glossy leaves. Shade-tolerant. |
Mind you, these are just shrubs. There's an entire world of trees, flowers, vines and ground cover for the native enthusiast. Need help? Give us a call or email us!
