Trees American Elm l Bald Cypress l Dahoon Holly l Laurel Oak l Loblolly Bay l Pond Cypress l Slash Pine l Sweetbay Magnolia l Sweetgum

Palms Cabbage Palmetto l Canary Island Date Palm l European Fan Palm l Saw Palmetto l Windmill Palm

Shrubs Beautyberry l Buttonbush l Viburnum l Fetterbush l Firebush l Florida Anise l Gallberry l Indian Hawthorne l Ligustrum Wax Leaf l Loropetalum l Rusty Lyonia l Shellings l Shiny Blueberry l Viburnum Suspensum l Wax Myrtle

Grasses & Vines

Confederate Jasmine l Coral Honeysuckle l Depressa l Fakahatchee Grass l Muhly Grass l Sand Cordgrass l Sunshine Mimosa

Confederate Jasmine Trachelospermum Jasminoides
This beautiful and energetic evergreen vine creates a special scene all through the year as clambers 40 ft up tree trunks using its holdfast roots to pull itself almost to the top. During April and May the plant goes two-tone as it flushes light green with new growth. Shortly thereafter the scene transforms again when the delicate 1 in white pinwheel flowers delicately breathe enchanting fragrances into the spring air. Confederate jasmine grows as a neat tangle of slender wiry stems that exude white latex when cut. These are covered with thick glossy evergreen leaves that are 2 in long, oval shaped, and pointed at both ends. The stems will twine and clamber over supports and cling to walls and hard surfaces with great ease and abandon.back to top

Coral Honeysuckle Lonicera Sempervirens
Coral honeysuckle is a twining or trailing woody vine that is evergreen or tardily deciduous in mild climates. The smooth leaves are 1-3 in long and arranged opposite each other along the stem. The last two leaves at the ends of new growth are joined at their bases, cup-like around the stem and the showy flowers are in terminal clusters just beyond. The flowers are tube shaped, about 2 in long, coral red or bright orange on the outside and yellow on the inside. The fruits are orange red berries, about 0.25 in diameter. back to top

Depressa Lantana Depressa
Depressa is an evergreen that blooms essentially all year except during prolonged dry and cold spells. The leaves are dark green and glossy and works well as a ground cover. It is also a striking ornamental will brilliant, golden yellow flowers. Depressa is propagated from cuttings and readily grown in moist but well drained soil in full sun. With regard to wildlife value, its principle use is as a butterfly nectar plant. The plants do bear dark purplish blue berries, but these are too scantily produced to be of much use to birds and other small animals. back to top

Fakahatchee Grass Tripsacum Floridana
Fakahatchee grass is a clumping grass with flowers borne spring through autumn. It quickly reaches three feet in height with a four foot spread. It has narrow leaves and therefore produces a more delicate and airy effect in the landscape. It grows well in moist but well drained sites in full sun to light shade. back to top

Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia Capillaries
A knee high purple haze in the distance may not be an atmospheric event, but the effect created by the wispy, purplish flower heads in a dense stand of Gulf muhlygrass. This is a showy clump forming grass that can get to 3 ft tall and just as wide. The stems and leaves are wirelike and unbranched, originating from a dense basal clump. (Muhlygrass does not produce runners.) The purplish-red or pink inflorescence is a diffuse, silky panicle, 18 in long and 10 in wide, that stands above the wiry leaves. It appears in late summer, and persists for 6-8 weeks. The ripe seeds that follow give an attractive tan color to the wispy plumes. back to top

Sand Cordgrass Spartina Bakeri
Sand cordgrass is a large bunch-forming grass (usually without runners) that gets 4-6 ft tall. The leaves are rolled, almost wire-like and a little sandpapery (but not sharp) to the touch. The stems and leaves arise in a dense cluster and curve out and down to take up a space equal to the clump's height. The whole plant is brownish-green: more green in summer and more brown in winter, but never as brown as pampas grass gets in winter. back to top

Sunshine Mimosa Mimosa Strigillosa
Mimosa is a carpeting perennial that flowers in the spring and summer. The foliage is divided into tiny leaflets of a lovely bluish green, and the leaflets are remarkably sensitive to disturbance, folding up within a second or two of being handled. The flowers consist of rounded pompoms of numerous, prominent, bright pink stamens. Although it reaches its fullest development when growing on moist, sunny banks, it is drought tolerant once established in dry, sandy areas. back to top

Trees (back to top)

American Elm l Bald Cypress l Dahoon Holly l Laurel Oak l Loblolly Bay l Pond Cypress l Slash Pine l Sweetbay Magnolia l Sweetgum

American Elm Ulmus Americana
The American elm is a tall and stately vase-shaped tree. The trunk usually divides near the ground and the separate limbs grow upward, arch outward, and end in slender drooping branches. The deciduous leaves are 3-6 in long with prominent veins, well developed marginal teeth and asymmetrical bases. The flowers appear before the leaves in early spring. They are not showy. The fruits, called "samaras", appear a few weeks later. They are flat and papery with hairy wings around the edges. American elms usually get 60-80 ft tall, but can get as tall as 120 ft. The elms can be recognized by their leaves which have asymmetrical, uneven bases. back to top

Bald Cypress Taxodium Distichum
Bald-cypress is a large tree, to more than 130 ft tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height of up to 10 ft or more. The young tree is pyramid shaped, but with age the top flattens and the crown may spread as much as 60 ft or more. The lower trunk is often greatly enlarged and buttressed. The bark is reddish gray or brown with long fibrous ridges that peel off in strips. Unusual among coniferous needle bearing trees, bald-cypress is deciduous. The needles turn rusty brown, then almost red before dropping in late fall or early winter. Bald-cypresses, especially when growing in or near the water, produce tapered "knees" to 6 ft high that stick up from the roots. The cones, maturing in late summer, are round and about an inch in diameter. back to top

Dahoon Holly Ilex Cassine
Dahoon holly is a small tree that has a narrow growth habit of upward pointing branches that grows to a height of up to 30 ft . It is often found in swamps and other wet locations where it achieves its greatest size. In warm winter areas the dahoon is evergreen but tends to shed its foliage in colder climates. The leaves are simple with smooth edges with just a few small sharp teeth and a sharp bristle at the tip. They are 2-4 inches long and about 1 in wide. The small white flowers are inconsicuous and appear in spring. In the winter, female trees are covered with bright red or yellow berries. back to top

Laurel Oak Quercus Laurifolia
Laurel oak is a beautiful, large tree with a broad, dense, rounded crown. After it drops many of its leaves in the early spring, the new leaves gradually expand and are a thin, pale green and translucent. They will eventually mature to a dark green with a leathery texture. It is valued for its straight truck, fast growth, tolerance for wet soils, and dense, leafy crown, which naturally grows in a broad, rounded shape. back to top

Loblolly Bay Gordonia Lasianthus
Loblolly bay is an attractive evergreen tree that can grow to 70 ft in height with trunk diameter up to 1.5 ft. It has persistent, leathery oblong leaves 4-6 inches long that are dark green above and paler, sometimes woolly below. The large handsome flowers are about 3 inches in diameter and appear in late spring and sporadically throughout the summer. The white blossoms are composed of 5 petals that burst from a spherical bud and surround a golden center. The flowers are fragrant and are attractive to many insect species. Loblolly bay grows with a distinct narrowly conical crown that is one the species' most attractive attribute. back to top

Pond Cypress Taxodium Ascendens
Pond-cypress is very similar to bald-cypress, and has been considered a variety of that species by some authorities. Most recent experts, however, now believe that pond-cypress is a distinct species. Pond-cypress has awl shaped or scalelike leaves which are closely appressed and overlapping on the twigs, whereas bald-cypress has linear leaves which spread out and are arranged in two ranks on opposite sides of the twigs. The branchlets of bald-cypress tend to spread horizontally outward, while those of pond-cypress are more ascending. Pond-cypress isn't as prone as bald-cypress to have knees, and when it does, they tend to be shorter and more rounded. Pond-cypress is usually more columnar than bald-cypress. back to top

Slash Pine Pinus Elliottii
A tall coniferous tree growing to 100' tall and up to 3' in diameter. Leaves occurring as dark green needles 10"-12" long in groups of two per fascicle. Slash pine produces annual crops of cones 6"-10" long. Growing straight and tall with a strong central leader, most trees have cone shaped crowns which are relatively small unless grown in the open. The bark grows in plates and is red-brown. back to top

Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia Virginiana
Sweetbay is a rather tall, slender tree with alternate, simple leaves, a smooth gray trunk and an irregularly rounded crown. It can reach a height of 75', but more commonly grows 40'-60'. It bears large, fragrant, white blossoms in the springtime. The leaves are silvery underneath and give the tree a silver or white appearance. Its small fruits turn bright red in the fall. back to top

Sweetgum Liquidamber Styraciflua
Sweetgum is a large deciduous hardwood tree that can grow to height over 100 ft. When grown in the open, sweetgum forms beautifully symmetric, cone shaped crown that becomes more rounded as the tree reaches maturity. This tree is readily identified by its star shaped, palmate leaves that are 4-7 inches in diameter. Its blooms are inconspicuous, but it is sweetgum's infamous fruits that let you know there's a sweetgum around - especially when you step on one barefoot. About 1-1.5 inches in diameter, these are hard spiny golf ball size brown spheres that can be seen dangling from trees after the leaves drop. They often release their little seeds before they fall from the tree which aids in dispersal. On a good site, sweetgum can grow to be a true forest giant. back to top

Palms (back to top)

Cabbage Palmetto l Canary Island Date Palm l European Fan Palm l Saw Palmetto l Windmill Palm

Cabbage Palmetto Sabal Palmetto
A large robust palm with a single unbranching trunk that grows to about 50 ft but may occassionally reach heights of 70 ft. The crown is relatively small being 12-18 ft in diameter. Like many palms the crown is typically wider when grown in shade and more compact when grown in full sun. The large leaves have a dull finish and are a medium green, sometimes yellow-green, in color depending on the individual and situation. Each leaf is up to 12 ft long overall including the spineless petioles (leaf stems) which measure about 5-6 ft in length. They are up to 6 ft in width with drooping leaf segments about 3 ft long and 2-3 inwide. These segments are split to about half the width of the leaf and typically slough off tan fibers at the edges. Cabbage palm leaves are said to be costapalmate meaning that the leaflets are arranged on the stem in a pattern that is midway between palmate (leaflets arranged like the fingers on the palm of your hand) and pinnate (feather shaped). back to top

Canary Island Date Palm Phoenix Canariensis
Massive and imposing, the Canary Island date palm is the center of attention wherever it is planted. Growing up to 60' tall, the thick, hulking trunk is covered with interesting diamond designs that mark the point of attachment of the leaves. The massive trunk supports a huge crown of over 50 huge arching pinnate leaves that may reach 18' long. These leaves are deep green shading to a yellow stem where the leaflets are replaced by vicious spines. back to top

European Fan Palm Chamaerops Humillis
The attractive little European fan palm has become very popular in recent years, mostly due to its cold hardiness. Severe freezes in the mid-eighties decimated many other more tender palm species then being grown in central and northern Florida. Millions of dollars worth of landscape plants were killed, creating a demand for more cold resistant varieties that could withstand the occasional cold snap. This small fan leafed palm fit the bill. Not only can it resist temperatures below 20°F but it is fairly fast growing and drought resistant too! back to top

Saw Palmetto Serona Repens
Saw palmetto is a small hardy fan palm whose stem usually remains below ground or runs just along the surface. In some cases, it develops an erect or arching trunk that may lift the whorl of leaves 2-8 ft above ground. The palmate leaves are 2-3 ft across and green or bluish green. The cluster of leaves gets about 4-6 ft high with a similar spread. In the wild, saw palmetto often grows in clumps 20 ft or more in diameter. The petioles (leaf stems) are about 2 ft long and sharply saw-toothed. The fruits are round, black when ripe and about an inch in diameter. An especially attractive form with silvery-blue leaves occurs along the Atlantic coast in Florida and is the form most often grown in gardens and landscapes. back to top

Windmill Palm Trachycarpus Fortunei

Windmill palm is one of the most cold hardy palms available. It is beautifully compact and grows to heights of 20-40 ft. Windmill palm has a rather slender single stem that is 8-10 inches in diameter and is typically a bit narrower at the base than at the top. Trunks are usually covered with a loose mat of coarse gray or brown fiber. In older individuals the fiber sloughs away to reveal a smooth ringed surface. Chusan palm, as it is also commonly called, has light to dark green palmate leaves that are lighter, almost silvery (glaucous), on the underside. They are held on thin 3 ft flattened stems that are finely toothed along both edges. Leaves are circular, about 3 ft in diameter and segmented about halfway. They are flat with leaf segment tips held stiffly, but occasionally you will see individuals with droopy tips. Leaves are arranged into a symmetrical crown that is about 8-10 ft wide. Specimens grown in full sun and/or under poor conditions may have much smaller, more compact crowns. back to top

Shrubs (back to top)

Beautyberry l Buttonbush l Viburnum l Fetterbush l Firebush l Florida Anise l Gallberry l Indian Hawthorne l Ligustrum Wax Leaf l Loropetalum l Rusty Lyonia l Shellings l Shiny Blueberry l Viburnum Suspensum l Wax Myrtle

Beautyberry Callicarpa Americana
American beautyberry is an outstanding deciduous shrub that grows 6-8 ft tall with a loose, open form and outward pointing branches. This shrub makes a coarse appearance large toothed green to yellow-green leaves 6-8 in long and pubescent beneath. In springtime, tiny lilac flowers appear. These are held in clusters called cymes that arise from the leaf axils (where the leaf joins the stem). By autumn the flowers give rise to berrylike 1/4 in drupes in striking metallic shades of magenta and violet in the fall. The beautyberries are packed tightly together in clusters that encircle the stem. Variety lactea has white fruits. back to top

Buttonbush Cephalanthus Occidentalis
Buttonbush is a rounded, open branched wetland shrub that can potentially get as large as 20 ft tall but is normally about 6-8 ft tall with a similar spread. It usually has a rather scrubby appearance and a few dead branches. Buttonbush has deciduous leaves, with most arranged in opposite pairs and some in whorls of 3 or 4, even on the same plant. The leaves are oval or elliptic, 3-6 in long and 2-4 in wide. The tiny flowers are creamy white and borne in dense spherical heads a little more than 1 inch in diameter. The pincusionlike flower balls stand on 2 in stalks in clusters arising from stem tips and from leaf axils. They are sweetly fragrant and produced over a long period in late spring and summer. The flowers give way to little reddish brown nutlets which give the hanging balls a rough texture. The fruit balls may persist on the tree through the winter. Botanists recognize several naturally occurring varieties. back to top

Viburnum Viburnum Obovatum
Walter's viburnum is a shrub or small tree with small, shiny, opposite leaves only about 1-2 in long. The plant can get up to 30 ft tall, but is more commonly 6-15 ft or less in height. It often has multiple trunks and sometimes, under ideal growing conditions, sends up suckers as it spreads itself into a thicket. Young twigs have a reddish fuzz that is quite pretty. Walter's viburnum stays evergreen in mild winters. The tiny flowers are creamy white with five petals and arranged in flat topped cymes that are 2-3 in across. Emerging in early spring along with the new shoots and leaves, they are mildly fragrant and very showy. The quarter inch fruits, maturing in late summer, are at first red, then ripen to black. 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight' is a dwarf selection especially suited to formal hedging. This cultivar was named by Florida plantsman Steve Riefler for a friend whose name resembles 'Schillings', as in Ilex vomitoria 'Schillings', the similar looking and very popular dwarf cultivar of yaupon holly. back to top

Fetterbush Lyonia Lucida
Fetterbush is a handsome evergreen shrub with shiny dark green leaves and sweetly scented flowers. The thick leathery leaves are elliptic to oval, alternately arranged, 1-3 in long, and about half as wide. There is a conspicuous vein that runs around the leaf blade just inside and parallel to the margin. The flowers are little bell shaped jewels, about a half inch long, borne in 10-15 flower clusters from the leaf axils. They come out on wood of the previous season, before new growth begins in early spring. Fetterbush flowers are usually pink, but some are nearly white and some nearly red. Although they may be small, the flowers are in showy clusters, very fragrant and they last for several weeks. The bushes average around 3-6 ft tall, but can sometimes get as tall as 12-15 ft. Fetterbush often grows in thickets and individual bushes can have multiple stems. back to top

Firebush Hamelia Patens
Firebush is a showy, fast-growing, semi-woody evergreen shrub that can get up to 15 ft tall under ideal conditions, but usually stays much smaller. It has whorled leaves, usually with three but occasionally as many as seven at each node. The leaves are elliptic to oval, about 6 in long, and gray-pubescent underneath with reddish veins and petioles. They are reflexed upward from the midvein. Throughout the year, firebush produces showy terminal clusters (cymes) of bright reddish-orange or scarlet tubular flowers, each about 0.75 in, long. Even the flower stems are red. The clusters of fruit also are showy. Each fruit is a juicy berry with many small seeds, ripening from green to yellow to red and finally to black. A firebush plant usually has flowers and fruit in various stages. back to top

Florida Anise Illiciam Parviflium ‘Forest Green’
Florida anise is a broad-leaved evergreen shrub or small tree with a compact stature and a maximum height of 10 ft. The leaves are leathery, smooth and shiny, 2-6 in long and an inch or two wide. When crushed, they emit a characteristic anise-like odor, obnoxious to some, but pleasant to others. The flowers, about 2 inch in diameter with 20-30 slender maroon petals, are attractive but tend to be overlooked in the lush shiny foliage. The flowers also have a peculiar odor - like that of a live fish! When ripe, the shiny, jewel-like seeds literally explode out of the papery star-shaped fruits. back to top

Gallberry Ilex Glabra
Gallberry is a slow growing medium sized evergreen shrub with fine textured foliage. It has an upright rounded habit, developing multiple trunks and spreading and becoming open and leggy as it grows to a mature height of 4-8 ft. The smooth dark gray brown to greenish black stems arise from heavy tuberous rhizomes. They branch into flexible light green twigs with alternate narrowly oval leaves that are shiny and dark green on top and duller and lighter on the underside. The leaves are 1-2 inch long and 1/3-1/2 inch wide and have smooth edges except near the tip, where there are several teeth. Tiny creamy white flowers appear half-hidden in the foliage in late spring. On male plants the flowers are borne in clusters, whereas female plants bear single flowers. They are followed by 1/3 in green berries that turn black as they ripen in the early fall. These fruits hang on the bushes all winter, but are too sparse to be of ornamental value. Sometimes the foliage develops a plum colored cast in the winter. back to top

Indian Hawthorne Raphiolepsis Indica ‘Alba’
Indian Hawthorne is a dwarfish shrub with evergreen, leathery, serrated leaves. The white flowers are produced in abundance during spring making them an excellent substitute for azaleas in full sun. Indian Hawthorne does best on well-drained soils and tolerates drought conditions well. Plants will not be as dense or flower well if grown in partial shade. back to top

Ligustrum Wax Leaf Ligustrum Japonicum
The Japanese ligustrum, also called Japanese privet, is a large shrub or tree that is usually seen at 6-12 ft in height but is capable of reaching 20 ft or more. The attractive leaves are evergreen, opposite, and somewhat pear-shaped with a sharp terminal point. They have 6 to 8 pairs of veins that may be somewhat sunken on the back. In spring, white flowers are borne on large terminal clusters (panicles) 5-8 inch long. The flowers produce a perfume that is not particularly pleasant as well as quantities of pollen that many people find bothersome. The blossoms are followed by green berries that ripen to dull black in winter and tend to persist on the plant for most of the year. The older and larger the tree, the more open its form becomes and looks attractive limbed up to create a bonsai-esque effect. back to top

Loropetalum Loropetalum Chinense
Loropetalum is a finely textured evergreen shrub. It has a loose open form and will grow as high as 12 ft and 6-8 ft wide. Loropetalum has a spreading habit with branches arranged in horizontal layers. Young shrubs have greater spread than height and are densely branched. When vertical stems are periodically removed loropetalum makes an effective large scale groundcover with some newer varieties selected especially for that purpose. The flowers are arranged in small clusters with each having 4 narrow straplike petals that droop downward. back to top

Rusty Lyonia Lyonia Ferruginea
Rusty lyonia is a charming little shrub with an irregular growth form and distinctive leaves with turned under margins. New growth appears in flushes and is a tawny, yellowish brown contrasting beautifully with the older, dark green foliage. The small white flowers are quaintly attractive in the spring that look like little globes with a pinched mouth. back to top

Shellings Ilex Vomitoria
The yaupon holly is an evergreen shrub or small tree that grows 20-25 ft in height. It typically produces multiple stems to form dense shrubby clumps. The yaupon has simple, leathery, dark green leaves leaves that are held alternately on the branches. Leaves are oval shape, usually about 0.25-1 in and crenate (like sawteeth) along the edges. Yaupon is dioecious which means that male and female flowers are born on separate plants. The tiny white flowers appear in spring in great numbers and are borne in the leaf axils, close against the stem. Female flowers are following by small bright red berries that persist on the trees through fall and winter. The bark is smooth and gray and is often mottled with yellow-green patches of lichen. back to top

Shiny Blueberry Vaccinium Myrsinites
Shiny blueberry is a knee-high shrub that has glossy little leaves all year long, pinkish white urn-shaped flowers in spring, and shiny blue-black berries that ripen in summer. The closely related glaucous blueberry (V. darrowii) is very similar, and can be found growing in the same places, but its leaves, berries and flower stalks are usually covered with a powdery bloom that can be wiped off with the finger. The condition is called "glaucous", and it imparts a beautiful bluish cast to new leaves and stems, unlike the glossy green leaves of shiny blueberry. Another way to tell the two species apart is to use a 10X hand lens, and look for tiny stalked glands on the underside of the leaves. Vaccinium myrsinites has the glands and V. darrowii does not. Both species can get up to 3 ft tall. Both are evergreen with many branches and a rounded habit. Both have edible berries which can be just as tasty as the cultivated commercial blueberries (V. ashei, for example). back to top

Viburnum Suspensum
Viburnum suspensum is a handsome evergreen with a spreading habit and coarse texture. It has an attractive compact form growing to 6-12 ft in height with about an equal spread if left untrimmed. The coarse leaves are dark green and densely cover the shrub. They are oval with serrated edges about 3.5 inches long and 2 inches wide and are held oppositely on rough textured, dark brown stems. In late winter and sporadically throughout the spring and summer the sandanqua produces small waxy tubular flowers held in tight panicles (flower cluster) that are 1.5 inches in diameter. Flowers are white with pinkish tints and give way to small round red berries in autumn. back to top

Wax Myrtle Myrica Cerifera
This beautiful native tree grows in abundance at my place in Florida's panhandle. It is semi-evergreen where the winters are frosty but here it is evergreen. This popular plant has an attractive rounded form and is commonly used in landscaping as both a small tree or kept pruned as shrubs. Wax myrtle is uncommonly beautiful and has so many desirable attributes that it is my third most favorite native tree [after the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and live oak (Quercus virginiana)]. The simple narrow leaves of the wax myrtle range from 1-5 inches in length and about 0.5 inches wide. They are gray-green to yellow-green and aromatic when crushed. If you look at the leaf surface under magnification you'll see that it is covered with tiny yellow glands. Wax myrtle sends up multiple trunks that can grow to as high as 25 ft and will eventually form a colony if suckers are not removed. The flowers appear in late winter. back to top

This information used by permission of:
• The Floridata website--Copyright 2008 Floridata.comLLC and

Reprinted courtesy of the University Press of Florida: http://www.upf.com
• Osorio, Rufino. “A Gardener’s Guide to Florida’s Native Plants,” 2001.
• Watkins, John V.; Sheehan, Thomas J.; and Black, Robert J. “Florida Landscape Plants: Native and Exotic,”2005.