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The Coontie is a slow growing medium shrub-like plant that attains approximately 3' - 4' in height as well as width. It grows naturally in many areas and is used as a ground cover in landscapes here in Florida. Coontie is the larval host plant for the endangered Atala Butterfly which will completely strip the foliage but the plants always recover nicely. The brown female and male cones are 3" to 6" in length and occur on separate plants. The seeds are a bright orange color. This plant is drought tolerant once established and needs no fertilizer or water thereafter.

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American Wisteria is a woody, deciduous perennial vine that is not invasive like the Asian Wisteria. The blooms of cultivar 'Amethyst Falls' are said to be fragrant, but I find the scent rather unappealing. Here in my area the bloom time is extremely short, but I still enjoy the beauty of the flowers each spring.

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Tradescantia ohiensis, common Spiderwort, is a perennial native to the eastern United States. Spiderwort has 2' to 3' tall grasslike foliage and lovely bluish purple flowers that open in the early part of the day.

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The Princess Flower is one of my all time favorites. I love the soft fuzzy foliage and the beautiful purple blooms of this fast growing shrub. It's considered a tender evergreen and freezes back during cold winters but reemerges in spring.

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Christmas Senna is a shrub to small tree that will attain a height and width of 8 to 10 feet. Senna bicapsularis will naturalize in warmer, tropical climates and has become invasive in some areas. It can be grown as a container plant and pruned to a desired size. The beautiful yellow flowers attract bees and butterflies and the plant is a host plant for the caterpillars of the Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly.

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I can't say this is a favorite plant of mine as I am not fond of thorny plants ... and this guy does have thorns! I purchased this as a small plant many years ago because I thought the zig zag stems were interesting. It's been hanging out on my deck for a long time and until a few years ago I didn't even know it was a night bloomer. The buds first appear in March and it seems to take forever for them to grow and get to the bloom stage, but once they begin to fatten up and I see and smell the very fragrant blooms ... I think it's a keeper!

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The LIve Oak tree is found from Southeastern Virginia, south through Florida and west to Southeastern Texas. It is one of the most majestic trees of the south, growing to heights of 80' or more and has the strongest and heaviest wood of any tree in North America. Live Oak is an important food source for animals like the wild Turkey, Black Bear, White-Tailed Deer, the endangered Florida Scrub Jay and many squirrels.

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Carolina Cherry Laurel is a native American tree occurring from North Carolina to Florida and west to Louisiana and Texas. It has alternate dark green to yellowish-green leaves, depending on the soil conditions, and it bears fragrant white flowers in late winter and early spring. In nature the Carolina Cherry Laurel is a shrubby plant that forms large colonies. It is drought tolerant once established.

Carolina Cherry Laurel is a popular shade tree for the landscape in many areas and has sweet-smelling spring blooms, but I find it to be a pest with the little trees that sprout everywhere.

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We have a few Black Cherry trees around our property and neighborhood. They are pretty when in bloom and lots of birds enjoy the berries.

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A rare coneflower, Echinacea tennesseensis was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2011.

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Scentless Mock Orange is a multi-stemmed shrub that can reach 10' in height. It has upright arching branches with pretty, although non-fragrant blooms that usually appear in the month of May. This plant received its common name of "Mock Orange" because the blooms resemble those of citrus trees (orange blossoms).

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Virginia Creeper is a fast growing deciduous ornamental vine that can attain heights up to 50' and has beautiful deep burgundy foliage in the fall. It is native to Eastern North America, from Canada south to Florida, and west to Texas. This vine can be a nuisance in some regions, as it is here in my Florida garden. It's climbing up the trees, along fences and in some places along the ground.

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Nerium oleander is native to Northern Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean area and Southeast Asia. It is a fast growing evergreen tree, popular in warm, humid subtropical regions. Oleander will attain up to 20' in height, has grayish bark and thick dark green lanceolate leaves. The flowers grow in clusters at the end of the branches. Seed pods are long and narrow and split open to reveal numerous downy seeds. Flower colors for Oleander are red, white, dark and light pink and there is a yellow variety as well. All parts of the Oleander are toxic.

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Rhipsalis should be rested for 6-8 weeks each fall; keep the soil just barely moist. Propagation can be done by cuttings or, when available, by seed.

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Partridge Pea is a larval host for the following butterfies:
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe)

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Ruellia nudiflora is larval host for the following butterflies:
Cuban Crescent (Anthanassa frisia)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)
Malachite (Siproeta stelenes)

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Don't be afraid to attempt to rehabilitate a Medusa's Head even when it looks bad. Many times the plants have been over-watered and can be salvaged with a little TLC. Always check for root mealies by removing the plant from the pot. Replace the old soil with fresh soil.

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Mexican False Heather is a tropical evergreen sub-shrub that grows to 24" in height and 36" wide. It has highly branched, feathery foliage, with small oblong leaves appearing alternately along the stems. It prefers a semi-shady location and minimal pruning. Mexican False Heather is not bothered by pests.

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Purple Hyacinth Bean is a fast growing annual vine with bright purple, bean-like seedpods and pretty pink flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The dried beans contain high concentrations of cyanogenic glucosides and are only edible after prolonged boiling.

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The Gloriosa superba is a perennial herb from tropical Africa and Asia. The leaves have tendrils at their tips, aiding the plant in climbing and twining around and through anything in its path. The blooms are colorful and showy with pronounced reflexed petals.

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