Florida-Friendly Landscaping Guide - Right Plant, Right Place Advice

1. Right Plant, Right PlaceAlicia LambornUF/IFAS Extension Baker CountyHorticulture Agentalamborn@ufl.edu904-259-3520

2. What is “Florida-Friendly”? Florida-friendly plants are considered to be non-invasive, low maintenance plants. Having a Florida-friendly yard can be achieved simply by changing the way you take care of your yard.

3. A Florida-Friendly Yard incorporates 9 major principles: Right plant, right place Water efficiently Fertilize appropriately Manage yard pests responsibly Mulch/ Recycle Provide for wildlife Protect the waterfront Reduce stormwater runoff

4. Right Plant, Right Place • Matching the plant to the site conditions • Reduce the need for water, fertilizer, pesticides and pruning by using plants suited to the specific site conditions.

5. Right Plant, Right Place • Know Your Site • Know Your Zone • Know Your Plant Material

6. Know Your Site! Site Analysis Soil Drainage Light Temperature Structural Limitations Other

7. Soil & Drainage High & Dry – Use Drought-Tolerant Plants • Require less water because they are adapted to regions with frequent droughts or soils with low water-holding capacity. • Thrive in elevated dry spots, windy areas, exposed areas, berms and along unshaded southern or western walls of buildings. Low & Wet – Use Water-Loving Plants • Select plants that tolerate flooding or occasionally wet soils No time, energy, money is wasted caring for plants not adapted to the spot you have chosen.

8. Light/Sun Exposure

9. Made in the Shade • Position trees & shrubs strategically to improve your home’s heating & cooling. • Tree shade can reduce air conditioning costs by 50 percent. • Plant deciduous trees on the south, southeast and southwest exposures. • Their bare canopy in winter will allows the sun’s rays to warm the home in winter, thus creating additional savings.

10. Wind-Wise Plantings In Florida, winter winds hail from the North/Northwest

11. Wind-Wise Plantings Summer winds from South/SE/SW Air circulation cools outdoor living spaces and reduces moisture buildup on foliage.

12. Keep Lawns Useful • For sunny recreational areas, turfgrass makes an excellent choice • In shady areas, plant groundcovers instead of turf, which will not grow in dense shade. • Lawns don’t pollute, people pollute • The potential for over watering, over fertilizing and applying too much pesticide can be larger on turf than in other areas of the landscape.

13. Know Your Zone Select plants recommended for our… Cold Hardiness Zone AND Heat Zone

14. Selecting Plant Material • Based on lowest average temps. • What hardiness zone are we? • Baker County is zone 8B • Also consider microclimates

15. Zone Average Number of Days per year above 86°F 1 Below 1 2 1 to 7 3 8 to 14 4 15 to 30 5 31 to 45 6 46 to 60 7 61 to 90 8 91 to 120 9 121 to 150 10 151 to 180 11 180 to 210 12 Above 210 Heat Zone Map

16. Know Your Zone • Examples: • Ageratum 10-11, 12-1 • Tulips 3-8, 8-1 Cold hardiness Heat zones Summer Annual Winter Annual

17. Know Your Plant Material!

18. Right Plant, Right Place Avoid those impulse purchases using… The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Plant Guide (Mobile App) http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/mobile

19. Plant Match-Making Scattering woody plants across an expanse of lawn can disrupt maintenance patterns. Turfgrass (lawns) and woody ornamentals (trees & shrubs) have different water, fertilizer and maintenance needs. Therefore, plants should be grouped in beds according to water requirements and maintenance needs to reduce maintenance and conserve water.

20. Grasses & Groundcovers

21. Lovegrass Elliott’s Lovegrass and Purple Lovegrass (Eragrostiseliottii) (Eragrostisspectabilis) • 3’ x 3’ Clump • Fast growth rate • High drought tolerance • Sun or Partial Sun • Grows best in hot, dry sites

22. Panic Grass(Panicumvirgatum) *Florida Native • Also called Switchgrass • Many named cultivars • Different sizes/colors • Drought tolerant • Full sun or partial shade ‘Cape Breeze’ Dwarf (2-2.5’) ‘Heavy Metal’ Blue Foliage (4-5’) ‘Northwind’ Upright (4-5’)

23. Muhly Grass(Muhlenbergiacapillaris) *Florida Native Height: 2-5’ Width: 2-3’ • Pink flowers in fall • Prefers sandy soils and full sun • Tolerates extreme drought and flooding ‘White Cloud’

24. Bamboo Muhly(Muhlenbergiadumosa) Height/Width: 4’ • Grown for billowy bamboo-like foliage • Flowers insignificant • Full sun/partial shade • Drought tolerant

25. River Oats(Chasmanthiumlatifolium) *Florida Native Height/Width: 2-5’ • Flowers summer – fall • Fall color (tan/bronze) • Full sun/partial shade • Moderately drought tolerant • Larval food plant for Gemmed Satyr butterfly

26. Lily Turf, Monkey Grass(Liriope muscari) Height: varies Width: 1-2’ • Evergreen • Purple (hyacinth-like) flower spikes • Black berries in fall/winter Many Cultivars Available: ‘Big Blue’ ‘Majestic’ ‘Evergreen Giant’ ‘Lilac Beauty’(prolific flowering in sun or shade) ‘Silver Midget’ ‘Silvery Sunproof’ ‘Variegata’ 18-24” ‘Silvery Sunproof’

27. Mondo Grass(Ophiopogonjaponicus) Height: 10” Width: varies • Forms dense, fine textured, grass-like mat • White or lilac flowers in summer • No pest problems • Prefers shade (or partial shade) • Excellent low maintenance groundcover in areas too shady for turfgrass, but will not withstand foot traffic. Cultivars: ‘Nana’ (2-3” dwarf with small white flowers) ‘Variegatus’ (green & white striped foliage) and others

28. Holly Fern(Cyrtomiumfalcatum) Height: 2’ Width: 3-4’ • Evergreen fern • No major pest problems • Tolerates some direct sunlight and full shade but prefers partial shade in moist, well-drained soils • Good low maintenance groundcover in shady sites • No flowers or fruit; only large, round, brown sori on undersides of mature leaflets

29. Perennial Peanut(Arachisglabrata) Height: 6” Width: varies • Slow growth • High drought tolerance • Yellow/Orange flowers summer-fall • No nitrogen fertilizer needed • No pest problems • Withstands foot traffic • Not evergreen (damaged by frost)

30. Powderpuff, Sunshine Mimosa(Mimosa strigillosa) *Florida Native Height: 6-8” Width: 8-10’ • Fast growth • Full sun or partial shade • High drought tolerance • Pink, ball-shaped flowers bloom spring – fall • Fern-like leaves fold up when touched • Leaves look fragile, but will withstand light foot traffic • Not evergreen (damaged by frost)

31. ‘Salsa’ Dwarf Jasmine(Trachelospermum minima) ‘Angyo’ Height: 6-12” • Small, glossy leaves • Many cultivars • Fast growth, spreads aggressively • Full sun or partial shade • Moderately drought tolerant • Tolerates foot traffic • Evergreen, some cold damage in low 20s ‘OgonNishiki’ ‘Bronze Beauty’

32. Vines

33. Evergreen Blooms in Spring Hummingbirds Tolerates Full Sun to Shade, Prefers Partial Sun Florida Native Deciduous Blooms Spring-Summer Hummingbirds & Butterflies Tolerates Full Sun to Shade, Prefers Full Sun Non-Native Cross Vine Trumpet Creeper(Bignonia capreolata) (Campsis radicans)

34. Coral Honeysuckle(Lonicera sempervirens) *Florida Native Height: 10-15’ Width: varies • Fast growth • Flowers in Spring/Summer • Relatively pest free • Flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds • Fruit attracts birds

35. Passion Vine 2 Natives of Florida: Purple Passion Vine (Passiflora incarnata) Corky-stemmed Passionflower (Passiflora suberosa) Height: 5-10’ Width: varies *Non-native species: manage to prevent escape Fast Growth, High Drought Tolerance, Tolerates Occassionlly Wet Soil, Evergreen, Flowers Summer & Fall, Attract Hummingbirds & Butterflies

36. American Wisteria(Wisteria frutescens) *Florida Native Height: 10-20’ Width: 6-12’ (uncommon) • Lavender flowers (fragrant) in Spring • Fast growth • Moderate drought tolerance • Prefers full or partial sun • Deciduous ‘Amethyst Falls’

37. Climbing Hydrangea Decumariabarbara *Florida Native • Spring flowers Hydrangea anomalapetiolaris • Summer flowers • Height: up to 60’ • Moderate drought tolerance • Full sun/partial shade • Deciduous

38. LargeTrees

39. Height: 25-60’ Width: 25-40’ Height: 35-80’ Width: 25-35’ Both… Florida Native Fast Growth Prefer Full or Partial Sun Give Fall Color Deciduous Tolerate Occasionally Wet Soils Florida Maple Red Maple(Acer barbatum) (Acer rubrum) Red Maple Florida Maple

40. River Birch(Betulanigra) *Florida Native Height: 40-50’ Width: 25-35’ • Deciduous, multi-trunked tree • Peeling, papery bark • Prefers full or partial sun • Tolerates periodic flooding but not long periods of drought • Chlorosis develops in alkaline soils ‘Dura Heat’

41. Height & Width: 50-80’ Prefers full sun Tolerates occasionally wet soil Does not tolerate compacted soil Attracts butterflies & birds Showy fall color: yellow/purple Height: 50-100’ Width:30-70’ Plant in full sun to shade Tolerates wet conditions Good for shaded areas Lower wind resistance Attracts butterflies Showy fall color: yellow White Ash Green Ash(Fraxinus americana) (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) *Both are Florida natives *Watch for ash borers

42. Tulip Poplar(Liriodendron tulipifera) *Florida Native Height: 80-100’ Width: 40-80’ • Large, deciduous tree • Plant in full or partial sun • Yellow/Orange flowers in spring-summer • Attracts butterflies • Newly transplanted trees are susceptible to leaf yellowing and drop without proper moisture

43. Oaks Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercusmichauxii) Height: 60-200’ Width: up to 148’ White Oak (Quercus alba) Height: 60-100’ Width: 60-80’ Shumard Oak (Quercusshumardii) Height: 55-80’ Width: 40-50’ Sawtooth Oak (Quercusacutissima) Height: 40-50’ Width: 50-70’ Overcup Oak (Quercuslyrata) Height: 30-40’ Width: 30-40’ All provide wildlife food and tolerate occasionally wet soils

44. Elms American Elm (Ulmusamericana)* Height: 70-90’ Width: 50-70’ Winged Elm (Ulmusalata)* Height: 50-70’ Width: 30-40’ Chinese Elm (Ulmusparvifolia) Also called Lacebark Elm or ‘Drake’ Elm Height: 55-80’ Width: 40-50’ *Florida Native - Deciduous - Fast Growth - High Drought Tolerance - Full or partial sun - Fall color - Pruning needed for strong structure

45. Cypress (Taxodium spp.) Bald Cypress Pond Cypress Wetland plant that adapts to dry sites Height: 50-80’ Width: 10-35’ *Florida Native - Deciduous - Fast Growth - High Drought Tolerance - Full or partial sun - Fall color - Attract birds

46. MediumTrees

47. American Hornbeam(Carpinuscaroliniana) Also called Ironwood or Musclewood *Florida Native Height & Width: 20-30’ • Deciduous • Slow Growth • Pest Resistant • Orange/Yellow flowers in spring • Excellent understory tree • Seeds and catkins used by birds & squirrels • Plant in full sun to shade • Red, orange, yellow fall color

48. American Hophornbeam(Ostryavirginiana) *Florida Native Height: 30-40’ Width: 25-30’ • High Drought Tolerance • Nuts Used By Some Wildlife • Full sun to Shade • Yellow Fall Color • Attractive Bark: orange or grayish-brown peeling off in longitudinal strips

49. Southern Red Cedar Juniperussilicicola Arizona Cypress CupressusarizonicaandCupressusglabra 'Carolina Safire' Height: 30-40’ *Florida Natives • Evergreen • High Drought Tolerance • Full sun

50. Eastern Redbud(Cerciscanadensis) *Florida Native • Deciduous Height: 20-30’ Width: 15-35’ • High Drought Tolerance • Plant in full sun to shade • Purple/Lavender/Pink flowers in spring • Pest Sensitive Cultivars: ‘Forest Pansy’ (dark purple/red foliage) ‘Silver Cloud’ (variegated foliage) ‘Flame’ (double pink flowers)