|
LANDSCAPING
ALTERNATIVES
Native
Beach/Dune
Sunflowers
photographed
on our
islands. |
Whether you want to go native, with Sea Grapes, Sea
Oats and
Sabal Palms
… or want to
mix in the
tropical
colors of
Florida-friendly
Bouganvillea,
Hibiscus and
Shore
Juniper,
there are
hundreds of
flowers,
shrubs,
ferns,
grasses,
vines, palms
and other
trees that
blend beauty
with
benefits to
the
environment.
And leave
you with
low-to-no
maintenance
worries. |
Just a little studying-up can go a long way. Here are
some guidelines
to get you
started
Plants provide
food and shelter
for wildlife.
The plants you
choose determine
the wildlife
value of your
yard—birds and
butterflies and
four-legged
critters.
Plants already
on your
property,
particularly
native plants,
may be
well-suited to
the site, and if
at all possible,
should be
retained! Saving
existing plants
reduces costs
and leaves
valuable
wildlife habitat
undisturbed.
If you’re
building a new
home, retaining
existing plants
also limits
erosion by
reducing the
amount of
clearing
required.
Don’t plant noxious, invasive species! The State of Florida prohibits planting Brazilian
Pepper,
Australian Pine,
Carrotwood and
Melaleuca,
though,
unfortunately,
there are still
plenty around.
These invasives
crowd out native
plants,
seriously
threaten
Florida’s
ecosystems and
wildlife, and
some can cause
allergic
reactions.
Aim for
diversity.
Strive for a
potpourri of
trees, shrubs,
ground covers,
native grasses
and wildflowers.
Large expanses
of the same
plant species
(monocultures)
are prone to
disease and
insect
infestation.
Good alternatives to turf areas are ground covers or
landscaped beds.
They greatly cut
down the need
for fertilizing,
watering,
cutting and
pesticides!
(Shore and Blue
Juniper, for
instance, make
an evergreen low
maintenance
cover for septic
fields.)
Strange as it
seems,
slower-growing
plants last
longer and
create less
work.
Here's a
list of more
than 100 Native
&
Florida-friendly
plants.
Plants that
appear in bold
are Native
Island plants.
Plants
designated with
"(S)" are
suitable on top
of septic
fields.
Flowers
Black-eyed Susan,
Blanket
Flower, Blue
Daze(S), Blue
Sage,
Butterfly Weed,
Coreopsis,
Crown of Thorns,
Dotted
Horsemint,
Firecracker,
Fireweed,
Galardia,
Goldenrod,
Liatris,
Liriope,
Milkweed,
Mimosa,
Mistflower,
Penta,
Porterweed,
Prickly Pear,
Purple Queen,
Rosemary,
Scarlet Sage,
Sea Oxeye,
Spider Lily,
Spiderwort,
Starry
Rosinweed
Shrubs
Agave, Bay Cedar, Beachberry,
Beach Elder, Beauty
Berry, Blue
Juniper(S),
Bottlebrush,
Bougainvillea,
Cassia,
Century
Plant,
Cocoplum,
Coontie,
Copperleaf,
Corky Stem
Passion Vine, Croton,
Firebush,
Florida
Privet,
Golden Creeper,
Golden
Dewdrop,
Hibiscus,
Inkberry,
Ixora, Jatropha,
Lakeview
Jasmine,
Marlberry,
Myrsine,
Natal Plum, Necklace
Pod,
Oleander,
Pigeon Plum,
Plumbago,
Podocarpus,
Sea Grape,
Saw
Palmetto,
Shore Juniper
(S), Silver
Buttonwood,
Simpson Stopper, Shrub Allamanda,
Snowbush,
Sweet Acacia,
Wax Myrtle,
White
Indigoberry, Wild
Coffee,
Wild White
Lantana,
Yapon
Holly,
Yucca, Zamia
Furfuracea
Ferns
Boston,
Fishtail,
Leather
Grasses
Fakahatchee,
Muhly,
Pampas, Sand
Cordgrass,
Sea
Oats
Climbers & Vines
Beach/Dune
Sunflower (S),
Beach Morning
Glory(S),
Blue Sky,
Confederate
Jasmine,
Coral Bean,
Cross,
Flame,
Nickerbean,
Passion,
Railroad Vine(S),
Wild Allamada
Palms
Alexander, Areca, Bismark, Chinese Fan, Christmas, Coconut,
Lady, Foxtail,
Needle,
Pautotis, Queen,
Roebelenii,
Royal, Sabal,
Silver,
Thatch,
Traveler,
Washingtonian
Trees
Black Olive,
Buttonwood,
Fiddlewood,
Geiger,
Gumbo Limbo,
Live Oak,
Loblolly Pine,
Longleaf Pine,
Mahoe,
Mangrove,
Papaya, Red
Bay,
Slash
Pine,
Southern
Red
Cedar, White
Bird of
Paradise,
Wild Tamarind
USE MELALEUCA MULCH
The melaleuca tree is considered “a pest” and “hazardous”
because of its
tendency to blow
over during wind
storms. It has
become illegal
to plant one in
Florida.
BUT…
By using Melaleuca mulch, you will not only
help eliminate
this pest of a
tree, but you’ll
NOT be using
Cypress mulch.
(The native Bald
Cypress trees of
Florida are
being harvested
at an alarming
rate for the
sole purpose of
mulch.)
Melaleuca mulch
is a wonderful,
fine mulch. It
has been
documented as
being highly
insect-resistant
(including
termites).
And it does not
wash away.
Red Mulch is not
recommended due
to the impact
the dye has on
the environment.
Melaleuca
mulch is available
at Englewood
Landscape Supply,
MRT Landscaping
(both on SR 776) and
Florida Plant
Nursery (Myakka
Rd., Sarasota).
“A Guide to
Environmentally
Friendly
Landscaping:
Florida Yards
and
Neighborhoods
Handbook”
provides
some helpful
concepts, tools
and techniques.
Find it at:
http://hort.ufl.edu/fyn/handintro.htm
Also, you may
find the
following of
interest:
*University of
Florida
Extension:
www.ifas.ufl.edu
*Florida Native
Plant Society
website:
www.fnps.org
*(For Plants to
avoid) Exotic
Pest Plant
Council:
www.fleppc.org
*People for
Trees, a
non-profit
organization
dedicated to
preserving
native trees:
www.peoplefortrees.com
*Florida Green
Building:
http://floridagreenbuilding.org |
