Florida’s rainy season has begun, and Mother Nature has not been shy about pouring down on the Sarasota area lately. Frequent and long-lasting rain can mean the death of many landscape plants (due to excess water and a lack of oxygen), but don’t despair. If you’re looking at a water-soaked area, there’s still hope. Simply design your landscape with water-loving plants that don’t mind having “wet feet.” But first things first. It’s only logical to check your drainage first to see if you can Continue Reading
American Beautyberry Will Give You Butterflies
Looking for a Florida native plant that will attract butterflies, birds and your neighbors’ admiration? Look no further than the exquisite American Beautyberry – a cold-hardy deciduous shrub that produces a striking cluster of plump purple berries throughout Florida and the southern United States. Beautyberries look particularly charming under tall tree canopies where dappled sunlight can splash down through the leaves and make the berries almost seem to glow. You won’t find them at Continue Reading
Firebush: A Bullet-proof South Florida Native
South Florida native Firebush, with its tubular reddish-orange flowers, is an easy-to-grow plant attractive to myriad butterflies and hummingbirds (birds also like to feed on its berries). Not only does its natural look work in any home landscape, but it also requires very little attention once established. Interestingly, extracts of the leaves and stem have been used for treatment of many skin diseases and other ailments. Recent research also shows it has antibacterial and antifungal properties Continue Reading
Coontie Adds a Prehistoric Touch to Florida Landscape
We could start with how much sun this hardy cycad requires and where you should plant it, but let’s skip to the fascinating part about Indians, cyanide-like toxin and dinosaurs. Meet the coontie plant. Well before Florida was “discovered” in 1513, the native Calusa and Timucuan people were using the roots of this then-abundant native plant to make flour. Writings from the sixteenth century detailed how they would remove the cyanide-like toxin from its roots by smashing and washing them before Continue Reading
