foxtail palm

Available in single or multi-trunk specimens. Its smooth gray trunk is topped with a bright green crownshaft and big tufted fronds that resemble the bushy tail of a fox. Native to Australia. By Clau8a – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link   Classification Alternate names Latin name Wodyetia bifurcata Family Arecaceae (palm) Related species Cultivars…

crepe myrtles

Crepe myrtles are among trees with the highest wind resistance (“Wind and Trees: Lessons Learned from Hurricanes”). Here is a good article from Southern Living on how to prune a crape myrtle. Best time to prune is when it’s bare, in late winter. “Once crepe myrtles have bloomed and shed their first flowers, they will…

spiral ginger

Despite the name, spiral ginger is not a ginger, but it’s related. By Franz Xaver – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link Alternate names insulin plant Latin name Costus pulverulentus Family Costaceae Related species Gingers Cultivars Characteristics evergreen ornamental cold tolerant freeze tolerant part shade to shade tropical low maintenance edible flowers medicinal Description Leaves…

beautyberry

You’ve seen beautyberry if you’ve taken a summer walk in any of the parks around Pinellas or Hillsborough counties that have wild plants, or botanical gardens showcasing native plants: a shrub with fuzzy, light green leaves and clusters of bright magenta berries like living jewels. If you rub the crushed leaves on your skin, it’ll…

candlestick senna

The first thing sustainability-minded people usually say about candlestick plant is, “Yay, it’s a host plant for sulphur butterflies to lay their eggs” (of which we in FL are blessed with species ranging from the tiniest sulphur species, the size of a fingernail, to a giant floating flower the size of a tiger swallowtail.) But…