Allamandas
Allamandas with their bright yellow, tubular flowers are part of the Tropical Garden in the East Gardens of The Florida Botanical Gardens. They require full sun for best flower production. The evergreen leaves have a coarse texture and milky sap that can be an irritant to some people. Allamandas also contain similar toxins as their cousin the Oleander. The bush Allamanda is generally used as a freestanding specimen but can be grouped to make a bold statement. Allamandas are native to Brazil but well adapted to Central and South Florida.
Beach Sunflower
Beach Sunflower (Helianthus debilis) are used as ground cover and in beds throughout the gardens. This Florida native if found growing throughout the state and is best suited to coastal beaches. The yellow ray flowers surround a purplish-brown disk floret and are produced year-round.
Bird-of-Paradise
Bird-of-Paradise and Strelitzia nicolai, the White Bird-of-Paradise, are both planted throughout the Florida Botanical Gardens. The large, bold, dark green foliage forms a backdrop for the very unusual flowers that are a boat-shaped bract. These bracts hold the orange or white sepals and blue tongue that resemble birds. The fruit is a three-angled capsule that splits to reveal the edible seeds. This native of South Africa needs a rich organic soil and afternoon shade.
Blue Daze
Blue Daze (Evolvulus glomeratus) grows best in full sun to part shade on well-drained sandy soil. The blue flowers are seen year around. It's used as a border or ground cover and adds color to any landscape. This herbaceous perennial may develop a fungus disease during the rainy season. Blue Daze is planted in the West Garden and also around the Topiary cake in the Wedding Garden.
Caesalpinia
Caesalpinia (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is a striking shrub with clusters of yellow or red flowers. The unusually long, slender stamens add to the interest of this plant. The fern-like compound leaves are evergreen. When the four-inch long seedpods turn brown they may be thought of as unsightly but they are an easy way to propagate new plants. Caesalpinia is sometimes referred to as the Pride of Barbados even though it did not originate in that area. Caesalpinia shrubs have been growing in the West and South parking lots at the Florida Botanical Gardens for several years with very little maintenance. They flower best when grown in full sun, are tolerant of salt drifts and not fussy about the soil type.
Carrion Flower
Carrion Flower (Stapelia spp.) gets its common name from the odor emitted by the bloom. This smell is said to resemble decaying meat, animal manure or dead animals. The odor attracts flies, which are needed for pollination. Other common names are Starfish Flower or Starfish Plant because the large purple-splotched flowers open to a flat star-shape. It is a low growing succulent that is used in sandy, dry areas and found in the cactus garden of the Florida Botanical Gardens. Native to South Africa one of the species S. gigantea is very ornamental in spite of the smell. Propagated by seeds or division.
Chaya
Chaya (Cnidoscolus chayamansa) is a tropical plant that is sometimes used as a green vegetable. It was introduced into Cuba and from there to Florida. In South Florida it is often found as a rank shrub, but seldom is appreciated for its food value as a vegetable. Chaya blooms almost year round and both male and female flowers are together on the same stem. Chaya's leaves vary in the amount of lobing, size and number of hairs. These plants can be found near the entrance of the Tropical Pavilion and in the Herb Garden.
Clerodendrom
Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum speciosissimum) is growing in several areas at the Florida Botanical Gardens. This large shrub with heart shaped pubescent leaves is covered with clusters of scarlet flowers most of the year. A relative of Bleeding Heart, Clerodendrum is suited to the warm semi-tropical climate of Florida although originally from Java. It prefers full sun and good drainage. New seedling plants can often be found growing near the mother plant and are easily transplanted. New plants can also be started from cuttings.
Coral Vine
Coral Vine (Antigonon leptopus) has beautiful bright pink flowers throughout the year. There is also one with white flowers but it is not nearly as striking. The heart shaped leaves have a coarse texture and light green color. The Coral Vine is used to veil our west fence near the 4-H entrance of the Florida Botanical Gardens. A native of Tropical America the Coral Vine is well established in Florida and is a low maintenance plant. The vine can be cut to the ground in winter and will re-grow from the root system. It also grows from seed.
Crossandra
Crossandra (Crossandra infundibuliformis) is a perennial that lives for several years. They are one of the few flowering plants that will take full shade. We have a planting along the path leading into the main entrance of the Pinellas County Extension. The deep green foliage sets off the salmon, yellow or orange flowers. Crossandra can attain a height of 3 feet but are usually pruned to encourage compactness.
Cuban Buttercup
Cuban Buttercup, Turnera ulmifolia. Scattered throughout the gardens, the Cuban Buttercup adds a splash of color during the summer months. This native to Mexico, the Bahamas, West Indies and northern South America is very easy to grow in Florida. It is a small shrub that may grow to four feet tall. The fragrant yellow flowers have 5 petals that are one to two inches across. The variety shown here is Elegans which has purple blotches at the base of the petals. Will self-seed.
Firespike
Firespike (Odontonema strictum) is used to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to the landscape. The spikes of fire-red tubular flowers are produced in the summer and fall. The Firespike grows to a height of six feet with straight smooth stems and large shiny leaves. Native to Central America it is not cold hardy so often dies to the ground in winter. Luckily it will come back from the roots in the spring. Plant in full sun on fertile, sandy soil. Propagated by cuttings or division.
Heliconias
Heliconias are native to Tropical America and related to Bananas and the travelers-tree. Their large green leaves form a backdrop for various kinds of highly colored, very beautiful bracts. There are single specimen plants and mass plantings of Heliconias in the tropical garden and along the front entrance of the West Gardens. These plants are quite salt tolerant and grow in full sun to part shade. A fertile, moist soil is required for flower production.
Jatropha
Jatropha (Jatropha spp.) plants can be very unusual. There are several different species both at the West and East Gardens. These evergreen shrubs will attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Their height ranges from a few feet to 15 feet tall. Flowers are usually red but there is a pink variety. Jatrophas are often sold by edible names such as Nutmeg and African Peanut. Their seeds contain a toxin and should not be eaten.
Magnolia
Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
With a name like grandiflora you know the flowers are outstanding. The Magnolia is a native of Florida and can reach heights of 75 feet. The shiny green leaves are present all year but that doesn't mean they will not shed. Large leaves will also be on the ground year around. The Magnolias in the Wedding Garden are a cultivar of Magnolia grandiflora known as 'Little Gem'. They flower while quite small and their slow growth makes them an ideal specimen plant.
Passion Vine
Passion Vine (Passiflora spp.)is a great butterfly plant. The Julie and a Zebra larvae (caterpillar) use this vine as food. The Passion Vine is a vigorous grower and needs a good support. There are many species and varieties of Passion Vine and not all produce edible fruit. The ornamental vines have flower colors of purple, red, white and mottled purple and prefer a slightly acid well-drained soil. Flowers are produced all year unless a frost kills the vines to the ground. The fruit bearing species are P. edulis, P. edulis f. flavicarpa and P. quadrangularis. Propagation by seed, grafting or cuttings.
Petunia
Petunia (Petunia x Hybrids) is a hardy fall, winter and spring annual in the Florida Botanical Gardens. It is planted in beds at the Tropical Walk, around the Tropical Pavilion and at the entrance of the main building. Flower colors of red, yellow, white, pink, salmon, purple, lavender and bicolor add that special pizzazz to the winter months. Petunias need full sun to part shade and well-drained soil. They reach a height of six to eighteen inches and spread six to twelve inches. Propagation is by seed. Petunias should not be planted past March.
Salvia
Salvia adds color to many areas of the Florida Botanical Gardens. They flower most of the year and can take full sun to part shade. Used for borders, bedding, cut flowers and edging these colorful plants will do well in that moist area of your landscape. They come in shades of pink, purple, white and red. Remove old flower heads to keep them blooming.
Aloe
Aloe plants are from the Old World tropics and warm temperate regions. These succulent lily relatives are great for rock gardens, in urns, as bedding plants and as seaside plantings. Aloes are planted along the walk leading from the West Gardens to the East Gardens and in the Rock Garden at the East entrance of the West Gardens of the Florida Botanical Gardens. Aloes will take full sun to shade and bloom in the spring. Aloe is used in many cosmetics.
Begonias
Begonias (Begonia spp.) come in many different sizes, shapes, leaf structure, and leaf texture. Several species and cultivars of begonias are growing at the Florida Botanical Garden. The wax leaved begonias can take full sun to shade and not only have colorful leaves but also flowers. Begonias prefer a rich, organic soil that is well drained. They are used as bedding plants, in urns, hanging baskets or houseplants. Flower colors are pink, white or red. Their seedpods are angled and often green with red markings.
Blanket Flower
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia spp. and hybrids) with its daisy-like flower adds splashes of color in several areas of the Florida Botanical Garden. The original plant is a native wildflower but there are now hybrids that are sold in local garden centers as well. The blanket flowers needs full sun for blooming, a well-drained, sandy soil and is very tolerant of drought and poor, infertile soil. Flowers come in red, yellow, orange and combinations of the three. They can reach a height of 18 inches and don’t seem to be bothered by root-knot nematodes.
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.) adorns the fences at the entrance of the West Gardens and is located on both sides of the entrance to the Tropical Pavilion in the East Gardens of the Florida Botanical Gardens. Highly colored bracts of white, pink, orange, purple, red or even multicolor enclose the small, tubular white flowers. Bougainvillea bloom in the late winter but the bracts may remain on the plant for months. They need full sun, good drainage and acid soil.
Cannas
Cannas (Canna spp.) are planted in several areas of the Florida Botanical Gardens. Their large wide leaves serve as a backdrop to other smaller flowering plants when the Canna is not blooming. The native Canna (Canna flaccida), like other species, prefers wet ditches, marshes, and swamp margins and can be found growing along the Retention Pond Native Area Display. Cannas grow from rhizome roots and produce showy flowers along a stalk among the leaves. Flower colors are in shades of red, orange and yellow.
Cassias
Cassias (Cassia species). trees and shrubs produce some of the most vivid yellow flowers of any of the flowering plants in the Florida Botanical Gardens. Cassia spectabilis, C. fistula and Cassia alata are used as specimen plants to highlight areas of the East and West Gardens. C. fistula produces clusters of hanging flowers that are a foot or more long during the summer months. C. alata is commonly called Candle Bush to denote the tall spikes of bright yellow blooms that butterflies love. C. spectabilis flowers off and on throughout the year with the most show of color in the summer months.
Chinese Plumbago
Chinese Plumbago (Ceratostigma willmottianum) is a deciduous shrub up to four feet tall. Both stems and leaves are covered with bristly hairs. The tubular reddish-purple flowers with pale blue lobes form in terminal heads. A native of Western China and Tibet the Chinese Plumbago grows well in the Florida Botanical Gardens and is used as a bedding plant. Easily propagated by division or cuttings.
Coral Honeysuckle
Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is a Florida native that flowers in the spring and summer. The trumpet-shaped, bright red blooms are inviting to butterflies. The Coral Honeysuckle vine is used in several areas of the Florida Botanical Gardens. It is a vine and needs some type of support. The smooth, evergreen leaves are white on the underside adding to their garden interest. Propagation is by runners, seeds or cuttings.
Crinum Lily
Crinum Lily (Crinum spp.) are one of the larger lilies in the Amaryllis family. They are clump-forming plants whose strap-shaped leaves can be 18 to 48 inches long. Clusters of white, pink, rose, deep-red or variegated, funnelform flowers top the thick flower stem. The 'Milk-and-Wine' Crinums have flowers that are purple-red on the back and white on the top. Crinums are planted around the Tropical Pavilion and throughout the gardens.
Crown-of-Thorns
Crown-of-Thorns, (Euphorbia spp.) like many other plants has been hybridized so there are both species and cultivars. There are several different ones in the Tropical Walk at The Florida Botanical Gardens. Crown-of-Thorns is used in planters, as ground cover and border plants. Their flowers are inconspicuous but the bright red or pink bracts are striking. They do best in full sun and on well-drained soil.
Dwarf Oleander
Dwarf Oleander (Nerium oleander) have grown fast and quickly filled in the area along the tropical walk at the east gardens of the Florida Botanical Gardens. One of the more than 500 poisonous plants found in Florida landscapes the Oleander is often maligned because of its toxicity. The flower color of the Dwarf Oleander is pink while its larger cousins come in red, cream, pink or white. The Dwarf Oleander is used as foundation plantings or as border plants. Easily propagated from cuttings any time of the year.
Gardenia
Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) has a prominent place in the Tropical Walk at the Florida Botanical Gardens. Several cultivars are planted at the entrance. Gardenia flowers are very fragrant and can be either single or double, small or large and white or off white. Most blooms are produced in early summer but there are new cultivars that bloom throughout the year. Gardenia jasminoides are grafted on the rootstock of nematode-resistant Gardenia thunbergia.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) are planted in a group and as a specimen tree at the West Garden and as hedges and specimen plants in the East Gardens at the Florida Botanical Gardens. The flowers come in many different colors and hybridization has produced thousands of cultivars. Hibiscus needs well-drained, rich soil and at least six hours of full sun daily.
Lantana
Lantana (Lantana spp.) has been around Florida for a long time in fact there is a native species, several ornamental species and an exotic invasive species. The one used as a ground cover around the Palm Pavilion at the Florida Botanical Gardens is Lantana montevidensis commonly known as Weeping Lantana. The flower heads of purple or white are produced throughout the year. Other Lantanas have flowers of red, white, yellow and purple and are used as flowering shrubs. There is a pungent odor to the crushed leaves. Lantanas bloom best in full sun, are tolerant of sandy soils and can be propagated by cuttings or layering where the stems touch the earth.
Manaos Beauty
Manaos Beauty (Centratherum spp.) is almost like a mystery plant. It is difficult to find much written about this perennial. The foliage has a slight scent of pineapple and the unusual purple flowers are thistle-like. They are members of the Compositae family and other common names are Larkdaisy, Brazil Buttons and Mexican Bachelor’s Button. There is a small bed of Manaos Beauty growing near the entrance of the main building at the Florida Botanical Gardens. Propagation is by seed.
Perriwinkle
Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) has been used in the perennial garden for many years. It is drought tolerant and blooms in spite of neglect. The newer cultivars are more compact and come in flower colors of red, lavender, white, pink and purple. They need full sun and a well-drained soil. Other names are Vinca and Madagascar Periwinkle. Periwinkles are used in both east and west locations at the Florida Botanical Gardens. Propagation by seed or cuttings.
Plumbago
Plumbago (Plumbago capensis) is along the bank in the tropical walk and at the entrance to The Florida Botanical Gardens. The Azure-blue flowers are produced throughout the year. This native of South Africa has become almost naturalized in the peninsula area of Florida. There are both blue and white forms of P. capensis and a red plumbago (P. indica) is excellent for mass plantings.
Shrimp Plant
Shrimp plants are massed together to form a mass planting in areas of the Tropical Garden. This native of Mexico produces spikes of showy heart-shaped, hairy bracts, which surround the true flowers. These bracts are reddish-brown or yellow. This plant tolerates most soil types and once established is low maintenance. Shrimp plants like a fertile soil and full sun to part shade. They are a popular container plant.