Carissa shrubs for all your highs and lows.

Emerald Blanket Carissa combine with other plantings at this home in The Concession. Landscape designed and installed by ArtisTree.

Carissa shrubs will go to any length to please Florida homeowners, as we explained to one local resident who asked us about Emerald Blanket Carissa. She had been enjoying hers for several years as a lush groundcover but wished it “came in” a larger size.

Well, it does, we explained. There’s Carissa Boxwood Beauty in a nice size medium and Carissa Natal Plum in a generous size large. While all Carissa varieties are slow growers and share the same deep green foliage, you can manage their shape and size to fit your landscape with occasional trimming.

Carissa shrubs: small, medium or large made to order.

Emerald Blanket is the dwarf cultivar, the groundcover of the bunch that likes to spread out and just nap in the sun all day. Boxwood Beauty has similar qualities but prefers to show off her curved, compact shape as either a shrub groundcover or traditional shrub. Then’s there Natal Plum, the largest of the three who tries to trump Boxwood Beauty as a foundation plant or even steal the show as a towering hedge. Natal Plum even produces edible fruit you can make into jelly.

Carissa shrubs
This hardy Boxwood Beauty grows at a Sarasota retail center and would benefit from some trimming.

The “Carissa crew” awaits your invitation.

Clearly, Carissa shrubs each have their strong points, but you can select any one of the cultivars to fit your formal or informal landscape. They’re cold hardy except in prolonged freezes and are drought tolerant once established. Low trimming requirements, too.

Of course, all this was good news to hear for our local homeowner, who decided to add Natal Plum shrubs to her landscape for a tall privacy screen. She said she might even try to make jelly from the fruit and would let us know how it turned out. Good idea!

Carissa shrubs
Natal Plum fruit is edible and can be used to make delicious jelly or pies.

If you’re looking for a hardy groundcover, shrub or hedge plant, consider Carissa shrubs for their good looks and versatility. Contact ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design to meet with one of our award-winning designers. 941.488.8897, ext. 312.

Carissa shrubs
Emerald Blanket: 1.5 feet tall. Boxwood Beauty: 2 feet. Natal Plum: 5 to 7 feet, although you can keep it trimmed at 3 feet. All have an attractive, rosette-shaped leaf pattern.

Call ArtisTree Landscape 941.488.8897

ArtisTree HOA landscape maintenance

To get your landscape renovation started now, browse ArtisTree’s portfolio and then call Jenni Lassen at 941.488.8897, ext. 312, to meet with one of our award-winning designers. We proudly serve Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.

ArtisTree also provides complete landscape maintenance services for HOA communities throughout Southwest Florida. Contact Michael Casper at 941.488.8897, ext. 321, for your custom proposal.  

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