Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation – Florida-Friendly Landscape
The vibrant landscape surrounding the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation is an excellent source of beauty and inspiration. Its carefully selected plants are outstanding choices for Central Florida and many similar growing zones, as well. Information about the Florida-Friendly plants that make up this lush garden is provided below. Florida-Friendly landscaping utilizes plants that are well-suited for the climate and conditions; minimizes the use of potable water for irrigation, avoids run-off of excess fertilizers and pesticides and provides habitat for wildlife, including pollinators and birds.
To learn more about the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, its mission and legacy of good works, visit edythbush.org.
Green Gem Ficus
Ficus nitida ‘Green Gem’
The Green Gem Ficus is a lush evergreen tree with a dense canopy, aerial roots and upright growth habit. The lime green new growth is an attractive contrast to the darker mature leaves. It thrives in full sun but can take partial shade. Regular watering is vitally important. Quick growing, this ficus can reach up to 50 ft. in height and 35-40 ft. in width. If consistently sheared, it can be kept as low as 5 ft. and makes a beautiful privacy hedge.
Blooms: Spring with inconspicuous flower
Attracts: Wasps, Butterflies, Birds
Zones: 9 – 11
Date Palm
Phoenix dactylifera
The slow-growing tropical Date Palm is known for its large, prolific clusters of edible fruit and beautiful textured trunk. It produces a beautiful canopy of blade-like thick, silvery-green fronds that can grow up to 20 feet in length. A distinctive raised-diamond design on the trunk is created as the fronds are cut away when the classic method of pruning is employed. When mature, this palm can reach heights up to 80 feet and 25 feet in width. It can live up to 100 years, though productivity declines after 60-80 years.
Orange inflorescence (large groups of flowers on a single stem) are heavily branched can reach lengths of 4 feet and produce bundles of white flowers that pollinators love. Fruit typically ripens in the fall through early winter. Date Palms prefer full sun, are fairly drought tolerant and require well-drained neutral to acidic soils.
Blooms: Spring with small white flowers
Attracts: Wasps, Butterflies, Birds
Zones: 8-11
Rubra Imperial Bromeliad
Alcantarea imperialis ‘Rubra’
This large, impressive bromeliad has beautiful two-toned corrugated leaves with burgundy undersides. The leathery, strap-like leaves typically measure 6 inches wide and can grow to an impressive 5 feet in length. The plant, which requires little maintenance, grows in full sun or dappled shade, but the leaf color is more distinct in full sun. The ‘Rubra,’ like other bromeliads, require very little maintenance. New pups that form around the plant base can be separated and replanted to produce more plants. Although it takes years to do so, the ‘Rubra’ will produce a bold red flower spike that reaches 6 feet in height and can last up to 12 months.
Blooms: Late summer to early fall; may take up to a decade to produce its vivid bloom spike
Attracts: Mosquitos and other water-loving bugs
Zones: 9-11
Boxwood
Buxus microphylla ‘Apple Green’
“Southern Living” magazine calls the Boxwood the “little black dress” that every garden needs. Boxwoods provide an element of formality to any garden and look good in every season. This beautiful, evergreen shrub is an excellent choice for low, compact hedges. ‘Apple Green,’ commonly called a little leaf boxwood, is slow-growing and densely branched. At maturity, plants typically can reach 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. Boxwoods thrive in full or partial shade and need well drained soil. While fragrant, the small greenish-cream flowers are without petals, making them inconspicuous. This variety is among the hardiest of all small leaf boxwoods.
Blooms: Spring; inconspicuous greenish-cream
Attracts: Bees
Zones: 6-9
Gold Mound Duranta
Duranta erecta ‘Gold Mound’
‘Gold Mound’ is desired for its petite, bright golden-yellow, chartreuse colored leaves. This low mounding shrub thrives in heat and humidity and do best in full sun. They typically grow to 30 to 36 inches in height and width. It can be used as a hedge or grown as an individual, eye-catching accent in the landscape. To keep a Duranta looking its best, fertilize and prune regularly to maintain its shape and promote healthy growth. The plant’s loose sprays of lavender-blue flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators. Duranta is typically resistant to most pests, however, some plants are susceptible to spider mites and white flies. Both easily can be treated with an insecticidal soap.
Blooms: Spring, Summer; Lavender-blue
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Birds
Zones: 9a – 11
Pixie Loropetalum
Loropetalum chinese rubrum ‘Pixie’
The Loropetalum is also known as the Chinese fringe flower due to its distinctive pinkish-purple frilly blossoms. This ‘Pixie’ variety of loropetalum is a Florida-friendly dwarf cultivar that stays more compact than the larger growing varieties. Its foliage is a purplish-burgundy-green color year-round. It can grow to be 1 to 2 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide making it a good choice for containers and landscape beds alike. ‘Pixie’ prefers acidic, well-drained soils and thrives in both full sun or partial shade. When planted in full sun and not overly pruned, it is a prolific bloomer.
Blooms: Spring & Intermittent throughout the year
Attracts: Butterflies and Bees
Zones: 7 – 10
Podocarpus
Podocarpus macrophyllus
The Japanese Yew, commonly referred to as podocarpus, is native to Eastern Asia and Japan. It is an evergreen shrub that is widely used in Central Florida as manicured landscape hedges, although it can be shaped and grown into small trees. Podocarpus are often pruned into low to medium tall hedges, but left untrimmed easily can reach between 20 to 40 feet high. Mead Botanical Garden has a large cluster of decades-old podocarpus trees; their deep shade provides visitors a cooling respite from the hot summer sun. The plant’s dark green linear leaves have a waxy feel; they range anywhere from 1 to 3 inches in length and typically are less than half an inch wide. New stems start off bright green but turn woody over time. Podocarpus grow well in full sunlight to partial shade and prefer well-drained soil. Although it does not flower, the male species produce pollen cones and the female species produce reddish-purple seed cones that look similar to berries.
Blooms: None; produces seed cones
Attracts: Birds enjoy the fleshy cones
Zones: 8-11
Evergreen Giant Liriope
Liriope muscari ‘Evergreen Giant’
The Evergreen Giant Liriope is a large, dark-green clumping grass-like perennial. It puts forth spikes of lilac purple blooms during summer months. The leaf blade typically ranges from 12 to 18 inches in length; the plant will spread to 1 to 2 feet in width. ‘Evergreen Giant’ is often installed as a ornamental edging along walkways or used to anchor other hedge plants. Planted in mass, liriope can also be used to create an attractive durable, textured ground cover. Plant on 18-inch centers for the best groundcover effect. The plant flowers in the summer months with attractive lilac to purple blossoms. The flowers are rich in nectar and attract bees.
Blooms: Summer; Lilac
Attracts: Bees
Zones: 6 – 10
Tif 419 Bermuda Grass
Cynodon dactylon x C. transvaalensis
Tif 419 is an outstanding performer, combining toughness with beauty. Its dense, rapidly spreading growth habit makes it the ideal turf for high traffic areas, residential and commercial lawns and for sports fields. Tif 419 has a dark green color with medium fine textured blades and a low growth habit; it spreads with above ground runners and below ground rhizomes forming a dense turf. This Bermuda grass will survive droughts and thrive with as little as ½ inch of irrigation per week. Tif is well suited for warm climates; it will tolerate frosts and go dormant for the winter, but recovers quickly with higher springtime temperatures.
Zones: 7b – 11a
SunPatiens
Impatiens x hybrida SunPatiens®
Impatiens x hybrida SunPatiens® is a registered hybrid of impatiens resulting from crosses between traditional New Guinea impatiens and wild impatiens. Unlike other members of the Impatiens genus, this hybrid has been developed to perform well in full sun and in hot, humid summer climates, making it perfect for most Florida gardens. They perform best when they receive regular watering. Drying out may cause leaf scorch, but if soaked well, plants will revive without losing its flowers, buds or foliage. Note, full shade should be avoided! The plants are grown as a perennial in southern states, but in cooler climates, you can enjoy these colorful plants as annuals. The SunPatiens® plants are generally larger and bushier than the traditional New Guinea impatiens and produce more blossoms over a longer period. SunPatiens have quarter-sized flat flowers (usually with five leaves) and come in a wide variety of colors including shades of pink, coral, orange, salmon, red, lilac, lavender and white. They are spectacular plants in mass, in containers and intermixed in garden beds. The nonfragrant flowers are a source of nectar.
Blooms: Spring through mid-Fall
Attracts: Hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators
Zones: 9b – 12
Flax Lily
Dianella tasmanica
Flax Lily is a grass-like ornamental plant that offers texture, color and visual interest due to its distinctive variegated leaves. While often used as a border plant, it also works well as a center piece “thriller” in containers. Planted in mass two feet apart, it can also be used as a ground cover. Flax lily grows in clumps that can be easily divided into multiple plants, ideally done in the spring. At maturity, it can reach up to 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. The drought-tolerant plant thrives in well-drained soil with either sun or partial shade. It requires little care once its established. Despite its name, it doesn’t produce showy blossoms. Instead it blooms with small, light blue flowers in early winter through spring. Some flowers occasionally are followed by bluish colored olive-size berries.
Blooms: Winter through Spring
Attracts: Bees and other pollinators
Zones: 8 – 10
Walking Apostle Iris
Neomarica caerulea ‘Regina’
The Regina ‘Walking Iris,’ also known as Giant Apostles’ Iris, originated in Brazil but is considered a Florida-friendly plant. Its long, glossy upright jade-colored leaves overlap and form a flat fan. Flushing in succession February through August, the plant blooms with stunning 3 inch wide purple-blue flowers that resemble an iris. The ‘Walking Iris’ gets its name from its propagation habit. New plantlets form on the top of the flower stalks which overtime bend to the ground, allowing the plantlets to take root. Eventually a new plant will grow; as the process repeats time and again, it “walks” across the landscape. ‘Regina’ thrives in full to partial sun and is drought tolerant once established, but also does well in consistently moist conditions. It can be grown in borders, as seen here beside the parking spaces at the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, in mass planting, in mixed beds or containers.
Bloom: Spring, Summer; Purple to Purple-blue
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Birds
Zones: 8 – 11
Ti Plant
Cordyline terminalis ‘Red Sister’
Ti Plants add tropical interest and a splash of drama to the Central Florida landscape. The plant, which can grow 8 to 10 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide, has long, broad, upright leaves that are 4 to 6 inches wide. The color of the leaves can change throughout the growing season and include deep pinks, burgundy, dark red, and bronze-green. ‘Red Sister’ is used in a variety of ways in the landscape – for hedges, accents, borders and screening to container centerpieces. The plants do well in bright light to deep shade, but leaf coloration is more distinct in sunnier spots. It prefers well-draining soil, humid conditions and warm temperatures. It prefers a frequent, but not overly abundant drink of water. Ti plants are reluctant bloomers until they are more mature in age. They will then produce small yellow to pinkish white colored flowers.
Bloom: Spring
Attracts: Bees and other pollinators
Zone: 9b – 11
