Whether you’re looking to introduce your first wildflower to your landscape, or searching for a colorful spike to introduce to an existing garden, Tropical Sage is sure to make an impact.
Blooming nearly year round and tolerant of heavy pruning to push new growth quickly, tropical sage provides color and texture to the garden that provides interest in every season in South Florida hardiness zones.
This one is available in red, pink, or white flowers borne on a flower spike that extends above the foliage. Flower spikes can be up to a foot long!
Gardener beware, as with most Florida wildflowers, tropical sage easily reseeds in the landscape which should be considered when planting. This does ensure an endless supply of fresh new plants, though!
Soil: Well drained, preferring somewhat moist but no flooding to dry soil. Adaptable to a wide range of soil pH.
Size: Can reach 6 feet if left untouched, looks its best maintained at 2-3 feet, and is narrow at about 1 foot wide.
Flower: Red, pink, white spike, year round in warmer winters.
Fruit: Brown
Salt tolerance: Moderately salt spray tolerant, not tolerant of inundation.
Landscape form: Medium sized wildflower
Phenology: Annual or short-lived perennial. Self seeds.
Wildlife Factor: Attracts migrating hummingbirds. Attracts butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Small birds such as warblers and nut-hatches enjoy the seeds.
Ecotype: Dry and distrubed sites, shell mounds, calcareous bluffs
Landscape Use
The tropical sage makes a great addition to both native and non-native landscapes. Its continuous colorful blooms allows it to mix well in both settings, and its new growth, a vibrant green, fits well even in a more exotic plant palette.
Tropical sage can be planted as a stand alone specimen to introduce a flower spike to an area of greenery. Add it to a pot at an entry or around the pool accompanied by low growing and weeping material to create a dramatic effect that is sure to “wow!”
When planted in masses, arch around a focal point or mix in with native grasses. When looking for a cottage style or wildflower garden, mix the three colors together to capture as much diversity as possible.
Because it can tolerate partial shade settings, the Tropical Sage is the perfect wildflower to bring color to areas that may be more difficult to do so. Great for pollinator gardens, butterfly gardens, formal and contemporary gardens, container gardens, and partial shade settings.
Establishment and Care
This one can be on the moderate to high range of maintenance requirements, needing more of a “gardener’s touch.” Tropical sage benefits from one-third to two-thirds cut backs three to four times per year. This will keep them attractive and from developing a leggy appearance.
Prune away expired flowers as frequently as you wish to keep blooms going and reduce reseeding in the landscape, or leave the seed heads to invite the small birds that will feed on the seeds.
Establishment with this one is relatively quick. Usually after 2-3 months, the Tropical Sage can thrive on its own, except for in severe droughts. Water as needed when leaves are noticeably wilted in the mornings or crispy in the afternoons.
There are no major pests or diseases to worry about with this one.
Elegant and majestic Muhly Grass. A standard ornamental grass, until Autumn approaches where Muhly Grass separates itself from the rest! An abundance of pink/purple, feathery inflorescence covers the grass for a few weeks in fall, fading to a golden color that is a foreshadowing of the cooler winter months to come.
Often a prized specimen of golf courses, resorts, parks, and homes for its fall show that never fails to impress both at a distance and when venturing for a closer look.
Muhly grass has been used by people of the Gullah Culture to make coiled basketry.
A must have for a sunny dry spot in the landscape that will be the talk of onlookers!
Soil: Well drained, moderate to dry soil. Adaptable to a wide range of soil pH.
Size: 3 feet tall by 3-3.5 feet wide
Flower: Pink/purple inflorescence in fall
Fruit: Pink/purple
Salt tolerance: Moderately salt spray tolerant, tolerant of brief water inundation
Landscape form: medium sized ornamental grass
Phenology: evergreen, lives 3-5 years or longer
Wildlife Factor: birds eat the seeds, used for cover by small animals and insects
Ecotype: Flatwoods, marshes, scrubs
Landscape Use
Plant Muhly Grass where it is sure to get lots of sun, but is well away from wet areas. When designed into a large park or golf course setting, large masses of Muhly Grass that flow and weave along paths roll with the topography of the land, adding a soft and welcoming feel.
In a residential setting, just one plant can make an impact. If room allows, planting in groups of three, five or seven can make a great sweeping flow to soften small spaces. Plant more when trying to recreate a scrub or meadow feel that is sure to invite plenty of wildlife.
Be careful of areas where water drains slowly, as this can prevent a healthy root system and lead to a shorter lived plant.
Establishment and Care
To establish, water the newly installed muhly grass often. It can generally thrive on regular rain events after about three months.
There is very little maintenance required for the Muhly Grass. Every year or two, a cut back of one third (⅓) to two thirds (⅔) can help remove an older appearance of the grass. Also removing the “duff,” or spent grass blades that hang below the new growth can revitalize and make the plant like new.
Occasionally Muhly Grass can invite a common pest called the Mealybug. First try a hard stream of water to wash off the pest. If it persists, apply a neem oil to the affected areas.
Florida’s tough plant! The coontie is a native evergreen cycad of southern and central Florida where it boasts a palm-like appearance, tolerance of any light conditions, and extreme drought hardiness.
The Native Americans processed the coontie’s starch reserves (caudex) to create a flour, receiving the name “Seminole Bread.” Settlers then harvested the coontie to near extinction, and it has since made a comeback as a tough and beautiful landscape plant.
It is also the larval host plant for the endangered Atala Butterfly, more commonly seen in South Florida.
WARNING, the Coontie is highly toxic if ingested, monitor pets in the yard when Coonties are in the landscape.
Soil: Well drained, moderate to dry soil. Acidic to neutral pH.
Size: 3 feet by 3 feet
Flower: N/a
Fruit: Orange/brownish cones
Salt tolerance: Moderately salt spray tolerant, tolerant of brief brackish water inundation
Landscape form: small shrub
Phenology: evergreen, long lived
Wildlife Factor: larval host of Atala Butterfly and Echo Moth, cover for small birds and mammals
Ecotype: Upland hardwood forests, pine forests, coastal hammocks, shell middens.
Landscape Use
In the landscape, the coontie makes for a bold yet fine textured small shrub. Its unique foliage resembling palm fronds or fern allows it to mix well with a wide variety of different companion plants. Use it in formal gardens as a rolling mass, or in more organic, free flowing gardens to capture the elegant mature growth of the foliage.
Use the coontie in areas with full sun all the way to full shade. Avoid areas of standing water or poor drainage as the coontie will not tolerate prolonged moisture and slow drainage.
Coonties are slow growing, so have patience and give them time and space to fill their location. Oftentimes, young coonties planted from one gallon container pots will drop leaves during the first year and look as though they’ve died. This is normal, and in most cases it is just fine and will flush out with new growth.
Consider using Coonties as a backdrop to small trees or in the toughest parts of the landscape where nothing else seems to grow.
Establishment and Care
To establish, water the newly installed coontie often. The coontie can generally thrive on regular rain events after about four months.
There is very little maintenance required for the Coontie. Trimming is unnecessary and will actually take away from the beauty of the Coontie.
Occasionally coontie can succumb to scale. Apply a neem or horticultural oil to kill the scale. On more severe infestations, prune away affected foliage. Rarely does scale kill coontie.
This central and south Florida large shrub is a versatile plant choice for most yards and light exposures. Its large, glossy leaves and dense growth habit make it attractive for a diverse range of aesthetics and practical uses in the garden or landscape.
The flowers of this one are mainly inconspicuous but make way for a berry that the birds will love. Because of the larger size of the myrsine, many small animals will find shelter in among its many branches and dense coverage.
Opt in for this one instead of the common non-native hedges as it will achieve the same successes while promoting local wildlife and reduced water and fertilizer needs.
Beware, when used as a screening hedge to hide from neighbors, you may actually invite more unsolicited conversation for everyone wanting to know what they are and where you got them!
Soil: Moderately moist to rarely dry. Poor soil tolerance. May require more water in full sun.
Size: Up to 15 feet tall and no more than 8 feet wide.
Flower: Inconspicuous white
Fruit: Black
Salt tolerance: Tolerant of salt spray. Not tolerant of salt inundation.
Landscape form: Hedge or screening plant
Phenology: Evergreen, long lived shrub
Wildlife Factor: Fruit attractive to birds, shelter for small animals
Ecotype: Hammocks, pinelands, sloughs, moist areas of pine rocklands
Landscape Use
Use myrsine where height is needed but not necessarily width. Because it is taller than it is wide, myrsine is a great choice for dense screening, especially in tighter locations where you may want to retain some space.
Large, glossy green leaves allow the myrsine to fit into a more tropical landscape combined with colorful native and Florida-friendly tropical plant material.
Myrsine can be planted in deep shade all the way to full sun. Although it tolerates full sun, the leaves may become smaller and it may require more water to thrive, especially in drier periods.
Establishment and Care
Myrsine will require about 3-6 months of frequent watering to establish properly. It is usually able to fend for itself after about one year, except for periods of drought where weekly watering is necessary to continue looking its best.
Myrsine can tolerate frequent pruning or shearing, but planted in the right location it will require very little maintenance.
Fertilizer requirements would be low to none on this poor soil tolerant plant.
The Driftwood neighborhood in St. Petersburg has long been known for its beautiful canopy trees like Pines and Oaks. However, it also wrestles with a host of invasive species, which can pose many problems for the average homeowner and their landscape. This project in particular involved a lot of invasive removal, but included a planting of incredible diversity across the entire property. From coastal zones close to the bayou to more inland gardens around the foundation, this yard is a prime example of the diversity that a native yard can achieve.
