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Q: We just moved to Florida and our yard is
currently just plain grass. I want to add some beautiful tropical plants, but I'm not sure
where to start. Can you suggest easy-to-care-for plants that look nice in winter, preferably with flowers? Considering it's Winter
time and some trees look dormant... But I can't wait to start my tropical garden!
A: Florida residents are blessed to have mild
winters, and many tropical and subtropical plants enjoy this climate year around. Just be mindful of your location's specific conditions (sun-shade, wet-dry, cold sensitive or hardy). Here
are some recommendations for easy-to-grow, evergreen plants that love
Florida and look great even in winter. They'll establish well during cooler months, add a splash of color to your garden with their flowers, and even treat you with fruit!
Tired of shrubs that burn out in summer? A lot of shrubs look great in spring - then collapse when real heat hits. Leaves scorch, blooms stop, and watering becomes a full-time job. That’s where the right plant choice changes everything. These shrubs are built for extremes. They handle blazing sun, reflected heat, and dry soil without constant attention. Some even perform better when conditions get tough.
Silvery leaves reflect heat, and it thrives in dry, poor soils where most plants fail. One of the most powerful butterfly plants! 👉 More
☀️ 2. American Beautyberry - Callicarpa americana 📸
A Florida native that handles heat well - drought tolerant once established and known for its bright purple berries. 👉 More
☀️ 3. Plumbago 📸
One of the easiest flowering shrubs - thrives in full sun and keeps blooming with pretty sky-blue flowers through heat with minimal water. 👉 More
☀️ 4. Cocoplum - Chrysobalanus icaco
Excellent for coastal and dry conditions - tough, evergreen, and great as a hedge. Plus tasty fruit bonus! 👉 More
☀️ 5. Dwarf Bottlebrush - Callistemon Little John
A compact, dense version of the classic bottlebrush that stays small but performs big in heat. It handles full sun, poor soil, and dry conditions once established, while still producing those bright red brush-like flowers that pollinators love. Perfect for tight spaces where you need something tough, tidy, and reliable. 👉 More
☀️ 6. Calliandra tweedii With Love - Red Tassel Flower 📸
Fast-growing, very cold-tolerant, and handles dry spells surprisingly well once established. Beautiful scarlet red flowers throughout the year. 👉 More
☀️ 7. Dwarf Powderpuff - Calliandra emarginata
Compact, resilient, and a great choice for smaller spaces that still need something tough. 👉 More
👉 Think trees and vigorous shrubs are your only option? Stay with us - next up are smaller plants and vines that thrive where everything else dries out.
Winter can be tough on plants, especially on tropical varieties. But with a little preparation, you can protect your garden and keep your plants safe from the cold. Here's how:
Winter Care Tips for Tropical Plants
Cut watering: Reduce watering to prevent root rot. Cold + wet = dead roots.
Water before frost: Thirsty plants are more vulnerable. Water them before a cold night to prevent damage.
Wind protection: Wind is more harmful than temperature drops. Plant near structures like houses or trees for shelter.
Prepare for long cold periods: If cold weather lasts for hours, use all available protection, including Christmas lights and propane heaters.
Don't use dry fertilizer in winter: Heavy fertilizing encourages tender growth, which is more susceptible to cold damage. Sunshine Boosters liquid fertilizers are safe to use year around as their intake is controlled by reduced watering. Use fabric covers, not plastic: Plastic can cook plants in the sun, while fabric allows better ventilation.
Photo above: we cover our plants in the nursery with a thin synthetic fabric (sintepon) called "frost cloth" or "strawberry cloth". It is light, breathable and allows light and water to go through unlike plastic that creates heavy water pockets.
Prepare for Cold Nights
Wrap plants: On cold nights, cover individual plants or trees with sheets or blankets to shield them from wind chill.
Use Christmas lights: A simple string of lights can add extra warmth, protecting your plants during frosty nights.
Use propane heaters: For added warmth in a larger area, place a propane heater near your plants. Make sure to follow safety guidelines and keep the heater at a safe distance from flammable materials. This can help maintain a few extra degrees of warmth, especially in more open garden spaces or temporary greenhouses. Always ensure proper ventilation to avoid harmful gas buildup.
Photo above: we use both propane and kerosene heaters at the nursery
Large Collections? Build a Temporary Greenhouse
Affordable winter greenhouse: For large plant collections, you don't need an expensive greenhouse. A mobile carport with plastic or fabric covering, costing around $200, can house up to 100 plants!
Photo above: Temporary wrapping around plant collection with a plastic or frost cloth protects from a windchill. It may also win you a few degrees even without a heater. In this particular case, according to our temp sensors, with 30F outside, it was 41F inside this "dome", no heaters used.
Southern Exposure and Garage Storage
Southern windowsills: Compact tropicals can thrive on southern-facing windowsills, getting plenty of sunlight during the day.
Move plants inside: If you have larger collections, move them into a well-lit garage for the colder nights or longer periods.
Photo above: using Christmas lights around plants while wrapping with frost cloth.
Key Factors for Survival
Cold duration: Tropical plants can survive brief cold spells but long durations, even above freezing, can be deadly.
Wind-chill: Wind chill can be harsher than the temperature itself.
Exposure: Southern-facing slopes hold heat longer, making them ideal for your plants.
Humidity: Proximity to lakes or oceans can create a milder micro-climate.
Gradual temperature Drops are safer. Plants adjust better to slow temperature changes than sudden cold blasts. Gradual cooling allows plants to prepare, reducing the risk of damage.
Strengthen Plant Hardiness
Health and maturity: Well-established, healthy plants are more cold-hardy. Boost plant immunity: Use products like SUNSHINE-Epi to improve cold resistance. Apply it before and during cold snaps to protect your plants. Healthy plant is hardy. Make sure to fertilize your plants on regular basis - healthier and stronger plants are more cold hardy.
With these steps, you can protect your plants and help them survive the winter months. Stay
warm and keep your garden thriving!
Podcast with Horticulturist Mark Hooten:
How to Protect Tropical Plants in Winter
Why is it called Passion flower and Passion fruit?
Passion flower - Passiflora
Passion fruit - Passiflora
Passion fruit - Passiflora
☸️ The truth about Passion flower and Passion fruit.
Passion vines, passion flowers, and passion fruits - these are all Passiflora - fascinating plants with a rich history. These vines come from tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas.
Medicinal: Various parts of the passion vine have been used in traditional medicine to treat ailments such as anxiety, insomnia, and hypertension.
Host for Butterflies: Passion vines serve as host plants for several butterfly species.
Passion of Christ: the passion flower's complex structure with five sepals, five petals often used to symbolize the Passion of Christ in Christian tradition. Spanish Christian missionaries in South America saw the flower's structure as a representation of Christ's crucifixion, which led to the name Passion Flower.
Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) - Maracuya - is highly nutritious, rich in vitamins A and C, fiber, and antioxidants.
Delicious pulp: the fruit is popular in many cuisines around the world, used in beverages, desserts.
Two main types of passion fruit: the purple sweeter variety (Passiflora edulis) and the yellow variety larger and more acidic (Passiflora x flavicarpa).
Fast growing vine in no time: known for their rapid growth, Passifloras need strong support as they can quickly cover large areas.
