Why Grow Florida Native Plants?

Blog Post #8 Why Grow Florida Native Plants?

Blog Description: What’s the big deal about Florida native plants? Why grow them? Can you mix them in with more common imported plants in your garden? Where can you see them growing, and where can you buy them? This post answers all that and more.

Today, I challenge you to go native! With your plants, that is. We’ve all heard the term “native plants” thrown around at some point on our gardening journey, but what does it really mean? And what makes a plant specifically native to south Florida or your zone 10 neck of the woods? These are some of the questions I pondered when I first began gardening here, and after three decades, I’m still learning! 

A native plant is indigenous or natural to a particular geographical area. Florida natives have been growing here since long before humans began disturbing the soil to build towns and cultivated gardens.

They have adapted over centuries, even millennia, to thrive in the wild in our climate with its sandy, salty soil, hot temperatures, and seasonal stormy weather. This unique trait makes them ideal to include in your garden, as the old adage goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”!

Why Go Native?

• Abundant in Natural Resources – Native plants provide food and habitat for native wildlife and pollinators, including birds, butterflies, moths, and bees. Some species of wildlife are only fed by specific native plants, so if we plant more of these, those species will be better able to survive overall. Together they create a synchronistic ecosystem. 
• Easy Keepers – They are easier to care for than non-native plants in general. Their nutrient needs are in line with the local climate. They do not require fertilizers and require fewer pesticides than non-natives, saving money and reducing harmful chemicals washing into the water supply and into sensitive natural areas.
• Water Savers – Many Florida natives are drought tolerant, and most can survive on natural rainfall once they are established.
• Well Adapted – They can withstand our local weather and the natural disasters we have here including hurricanes.

South Florida has many different microclimates and growing conditions. In fact, scientists have identified a surprising 17 of them, and different native plant communities grow in each one. So, like all plants, not every Florida native will grow in every spot. Instead of forcing a habitat for one you love, observe where it grows in the wild and see if there is a space in your garden that resembles that. Remember what nature does – right plant, right place!

Now, I’m not going to be radical and tell you to convert your entire garden to native plants, though you certainly can if you like. But that does limit your choices, and there are plenty of well-behaved imported plants that have proven themselves in our climate and play nicely with anything else you want to grow.

Rather, my suggestion is, next time you are looking for a plant to fill a spot in your garden, investigate the native plants that might fill it. For inspiration, visit a local garden dedicated to native plants and see what you like.

If you are in the east, visit the small, very walkable Pan’s Garden in Palm Beach, right around the corner from Worth Avenue. Florida Atlantic University has a native plant demonstration garden as well. And the Pelican Island Audubon Society has planted one in Vero Beach. On the western coast, the Estero Island Garden Club has planted one in Fort Myers Beach, at the corner of Palermo Circle and Estero Blvd.

Some nurseries where you can buy Florida natives are Indian Trails, and Meadow Beauty and Mesozoic Landscapes in Lake Worth, and Native Choice and Southern Natives in Loxahatchee. Additionally, some local nurseries have a good selection of natives along with other popular plants. These include Amelia’s Smarty Pants and Erhardt Nursery, both in Lake Worth. In Miami, Citizens for a Better Florida has a demonstration garden and nursery. I’m sure there are many more, but these will get you started.

For help in deciding which plants to check out, try searching Plant Real Florida’s database. Looking at their map, you can even narrow it down to the plant community that naturally grows in your area. This map also shows the actual range of Zone 10, which not only includes south Florida, but also extends up the coasts of the central part of the state.

Another great resource is the Florida Native Plant Society. Their website has a map showing the locations of gardens all over the state that have native plant displays. Chapters sometimes run native plant sales, and the organization also sells plants at its annual conference.

For more information on these excellent allies for your garden and the ones I recommend, be on the lookout for my new book:  The Simple Beginner’s Guide to South Florida Gardening: How to Cultivate a Stunning and Sustainable Garden in a Subtropical Climate Without Spending All Your Time and Money.

I am excited to tell you that this fun, information-packed read will be coming out very soon! 

Among many other subjects including perennials, annuals, water-loving plants, garden design and more you will find an entire chapter dedicated to the native plants and how to incorporate them into your landscape. How to grow them, what soil, sun, and water needs they have, and more. 

What are some of your favorite native plants? Share your successes and challenges, and of course, any questions you may have. We are all here to learn, teach, and share.

Until next time, happy gardening!

Mary

12/27/24: I am leaving this portion below here so we don’t lose it as I update posts with your edits. – Aubrey

24 Natives to Know and Love

Here is a list of some of our very favorite native plants for South Florida and zone 10 in general:

• Beautyberry (Calicarpa americana + other spp.) – A deciduous shrub that blooms with small, pale lavender flowers that attract butterflies in the spring through summer. The flowers give way to beautiful, shiny, purple berry-like fruits in the fall.
• Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) – A non-woody perennial, this wildflower produces long, tubular red flowers.
• Climbing Aster (Symphyotrichum carolinianum) – This vining perennial is well worth growing for its beautiful, long lasting blooms (summer through winter), in pink through purple, and its unique foliage.
• Coastal Verbena (Glandularia maritima) – This endangered super-native only grows in South Florida through the Keys and nowhere else in the world, so we need to grow more of it! Its light purple flowers bloom throughout the year. 
• Dune Sunflower (Helianthus debilis) – These wildflowers have dense, dark green foliage and prolific, small yellow flowers that bloom throughout the year.
• Firebush (Hamelia patens) – This semi-woody perennial shrub has vibrant orange flowers, which bloom almost year round.  
• Florida Anise (Illicium floridanum) – An evergreen shrub with deep red flowers that begin blooming in the spring, giving way to seed pods in late summer. 
• Florida Yew (Taxus floridana) – An evergreen tree, the young needles start out bright green and darken as they age, so at any given time this tree will have several beautiful shades of green. It has red berries that ripen in the fall.
• Honeysuckle, Coral (Lonicera sempervirens) – This evergreen can be grown as a groundcover, a climbing vine, or even a small shrub. It blooms most of the year with clusters of pink flowers.
• Mangrove Spiderlily (Hymenocallis latifolia) – This exotic-looking plant boasts stunning, sweet smelling white flowers. It blooms from spring through the fall, then produces seed pods.  
• Man-In-the-Ground (Ipomoea microdactyla) – A rare wildflower, it is on the Florida state list of endangered species. A perennial vine with small red or pink morning glory flowers on it, it also produces a tuber.
• Marlberry (Ardisia escallonioides) – This evergreen boasts showy white flowers and black fruits loved by birds but inedible to humans. It flowers on and off throughout the year.
• Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) – An ornamental dark green grass that blooms with pink to purple flower plumes in fall.
• Necklace Pod (Sophora tomentosa) This shrub has silver leaves with a unique fuzzy texture and flower spikes that bloom with yellow flowers. It then fruits with pods which grow up to 6 inches long, thus its common name.
• Passionflower (Passiflora spp.) – Short-lived perennial vines, they climb with tendrils and the flowers bloom throughout the year. They fruit with a lightweight, egg shaped pod with spongy flesh. 
• Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) – A long-lived evergreen perennial, this fan palm blooms with showy flowers from spring through summer.
• Silver Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) – A shrub known for its velvety silver leaves; there is a green-leaved type, but the silver is so pretty. It can also be grown as a small tree or sheared as a hedge.
• Simpson’s stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans) – This evergreen flowers in spring, then produces colorful berries. The peeling bark is visually appealing as well. 
• Tree Seaside Oxeye Daisy (Borrichia arborescens) – Actually a short, ornamental shrub, this perennial has silver foliage and yellow flowers which bloom year round.
• Twinflowers (Dyschoriste humistrata and D. oblongifolia) – Considered a short-lived perennial and treated like an annual, these plants produce tiny, purple flowers that bloom throughout the year. 
• White Twinevine (Funastrum clausum, Sarcostemma clausum) – A fast-growing twining vine, it blooms with unique white flowers. 
• Wild Allamanda (Yellow Allamanda, Urechites lutea, Pentilinon luteum, Echites andrewsii) – A vine-like shrub with yellow flowers that bloom year round.
• Wild Coffee (Psychotria undata) – This evergreen shrub blooms in spring with clusters of white flowers, followed by bright red berries. 
• Yellowtop (Flaveria linearis) – The clusters of flat-topped yellow flowers bloom atop a 2 to 3 foot stem give this plant its common name. 

Ferns

If you are going to grow ferns, you might as well grow natives. We have varieties for full sun through deep shade in our South Florida climate. 

Here is a partial list to help you choose which varieties will best fill your garden’s needs:

• Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) – This deciduous fern grows to 3 feet tall with show fronds.
• Fishtail Fern (Nephrolepis falcata) – Grows fast to 3 feet tall with ruffled fronds, and spreads, but can be contained.  
• Giant Leather Fern (Acrostichum danaeifolium) – This evergreen variety does well in moist areas and alongside water features. 
• Macho Fern (Nephrolepis biserrata) – This fern boasts large, pointed fronds, spreads readily, and grows to 3 feet tall.
• Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis) – A deciduous variety that grows to 3 feet tall. 
• Swamp Fern  (Telmatoblechnum serrulatum) – Also a deciduous variety, it grows to 2 feet tall. Its young fronds are coppery pink, turning dark green as they mature. 
• Sword Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) – This evergreen grows to 3 feet tall and spreads readily.
• Avoid Wart Fern (Microsorum scolopendria, a.k.a. Polypodium phymatodes) as it is invasive.