Silver Buttonwood Unbuttons Dark Florida Landscapes

Silver Buttonwood can unbutton a dark Florida landscape in no time. Sure, the usual Florida buffet of palms, tree and shrubs can certainly add nourishing greens to your landscape plate. But sometimes you need a jolt of something light and bright to add more aesthetic flavor.

Silver Buttonwood Sarasota Florida

That’s where the Silver Buttonwood steps in. This mangrove-associated species pretty much stands up to most anything – drought, salt, sandy soil, pests, wildlife and occasional heavy rain. And its wood is as hard as a rock, which explains why it’s been used for cabinet work, firewood and even smoke-free wood for grilling meats and fish. Branches are asymmetrical, growing with solid purpose and producing rounded flower heads dotted with tiny florets. No need to hard prune, although you can shape it in late March or early April if you like.

Silver Buttonwood Tree
Courtesy: South Florida Plant Guide

Silver Buttonwood grows best as tree or hedge

You’ll see Silver Buttonwood most often used as a specimen tree or hedge. Either way, its silvery leaves beckon from a distance, adding stunning contrast without a lot of messy leaves to rake up.  Already-trained one-trunk trees can be ordered from a nursery and can grow up to 20 feet, making it an ideal choice for a patio or deck area. It also works just fine as a neatly trimmed formal screen or an informal hedge (up to about 10 feet).  

Be sure to plant your Silver Buttonwood in full sun to partial shade, although brighter is better for this coastal-loving sun lover. Although it’s drought tolerant, it will look its silvery best with regular watering. Love the silver look but prefer something in the palm family? Consider the Silver Bismarck in an almost identical color.

ArtisTree Landscape Florida

Contact ArtisTree Landscape

If the hardy Silver Buttonwood sounds like a sterling choice, contact ArtisTree Landscape for a visit with one of our award-winning designers. Call 941.488.8897 and ask for Jenni. She’ll be happy to schedule you for a full landscape renovation you and your family will love.

Live in an HOA community and wish everyone’s landscape looked better? ArtisTree can provide your property manager with a full-service landscape maintenance proposal. Contact Mike Casper at 941.488.8897. ArtisTree maintains HOA communities throughout Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.

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