Top 5 Native Florida Plants for Stunning, Low-Maintenance Landscapes
Grant's Gardens understands the importance of creating beautiful, sustainable outdoor spaces. As a full-service landscaping company serving Sarasota and Longboat Key, we're committed to using native plants that not only enhance the local ecosystem but also require minimal maintenance. Here are our top 5 picks for native Florida plants that will add a touch of natural beauty to your landscape:
1. Firebush (Hamelia patens)
Known for its vibrant red, orange, and yellow tubular flowers, firebush is a popular choice for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. This versatile shrub can be grown as a single specimen or in a mixed border. It's drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun to partial shade.
2. Coontie (Zamia floridana)
A prehistoric-looking cycad, coontie is a unique addition to any landscape. Its sturdy, palm-like fronds and edible roots (when prepared properly) make it a conversation starter. Coonties are slow-growing and prefer well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.
3. Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
Beautyberry is a deciduous shrub that produces clusters of bright purple berries in late summer and fall. These berries are a favorite of birds and add a burst of color to your landscape. Beautyberries are easy to care for and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions.
4. Florida Anise (Illicium floridanum)
This evergreen shrub or small tree offers fragrant, star-shaped flowers in spring and summer. The glossy, dark green leaves add a touch of elegance to any garden. Florida anise is a low-maintenance plant that prefers moist, well-drained soil in partial shade.
5. Native Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
Native hibiscus is a tropical shrub with large, showy flowers in shades of red, pink, and white. It's a popular choice for attracting pollinators and can be used as a hedge or specimen plant. This plant thrives in full sun and requires regular watering.
Why choose native plants?
- Environmental benefits: Native plants support local wildlife, conserve water, and help prevent soil erosion.
- Low maintenance: They are well-adapted to Florida's climate and often require less care than non-native plants.
- Beauty: Native plants offer a variety of colors, textures, and shapes, creating stunning landscapes.
By incorporating these native Florida plants into your landscape, you can create a beautiful, sustainable outdoor space that benefits you and the environment. Grant's Gardens is here to help you design and install the perfect landscape for your home. Contact us today at 941-343-9396 for a free consultation.
Know Your Palm Trees: A Few Types Of Palms You May Have Never Heard Of
Driving about on Siesta Key or Sarasota roadways you may seem some pretty exotic looking palm trees. While some of these are fairly well-known there are plenty of exotic palm tree species around to keep a tropical plant or gardening enthusiast interested.
Well start things off with the Purple King Palm tree.
Purple King Palms are also known as the Mount Lewis King, Purple Piccabean Palm or just the Purple Palm.
Rarely seen outside of tropical botanical gardens the Purple King Palm will turn heads as passers by look twice to make sure they really did just see a purple palm tree. Well, to be more specific the crown shaft of the Purple Palm is a dusky bluish purple that can have an intense purple color (really were not kidding).
The fronds of the Purple King Palm are nothing to sneeze at either. Long tropical looking graceful fronds that resemble a coconut tree's fronds except a little firmer and less glossy. The Purple King is from the Mount Lewis area of Australia, it's scientific name is Archontophoenix Purpurea, and it is a medium-large palm tree that grows to heights between 30-50 feet tall. The spread is moderate at 15 feet so it is recommended to plant this palm tree in groups between 3 to 5 trees.
The Purple Palm Tree prefers partial sun to full sun but can be also grown indoors if the lighting is bright enough. This tree also prefers moist soil well-drained soil, and when taken well care of has a fast growth rate.
The Caranday Palm
Another rarely seen palm tree is the Caranday Palm. The comes from South America in Paraguay,Bolivia Brail and Argentina. It's defining characteristic is only apparent if the landscaping company maintaining this tree does not become to aggressive when trimming off other fronds. When the fronds of the Caranday Palm are allowed to remain on the tree longer a fountain effect is created. The new leaves grow mostly up while older ones bend downward making a beautiful "fountain" of palm fronds that cascade downward from the top of the tree. However to obtain this unique look leave the fronds on the tree longer.
The Caranday Palm is a large robust tree that grows to heights of 50 feet or more with a spread of 15 feet. The trunk is "knobby" similar to a Date Palm until the tree is very mature and a large size.
Carandy Palms are cold hardy down to 25 - 30 degrees but well-established trees have withstood even colder temps. The trunk as with the date palm grows very straight. The color of the fronds can vary from tree to tree with some looking more of a silvery blue and others more of a light waxy green.
