Florida native and Florida-friendly landscaping plants

Sweet Mimosa. One of the most useful tropical plants that is very cold tolerant, blooms all winter through spring with honey-fragrant flowers - canary yellow powder puffs, attracting bees and butterflies. This is a large size, multi-stem thorny shrub 15x15 ft that requires some space. It is very fast growing, can be used as a good screen plant. It will bring you joy with pretty flowers and sweet fragrance even during freeze snaps when other trees lose leaves and suffer. This one will continue blooming and stays evergreen - a real survivor! Tolerates poor soils and drought too. Provide regular water to establish quicker.

Aster Tree, Snow Bush, White Cloud Tree. This unique plant is the only tree in Asteraceae family. The persistent white pappus of the infructescences remains showy for months after the plants stop blooming. The plant looks like a white cloud or covered with snow. Winter bloomer. Unusual shape leaves 1-2" wide. Can be grown as a large bush, trained into a small standard tree, or kept in a pot. Very hardy plant, tolerates drought and poor soils, and some freeze.

Cocoplum. Easy care shrub that is used often as ornamental or a hedge; it produces edible fruit. The mature fruits are 1 to 2 inches in length and ovoid or globular. The thin skin of the fruit varies from pinkish white, to red, to purplish black. The white, cottony pulp adheres to the single large ridged seed and is somewhat insipid in taste. The cocoplum is generally stewed with sugar after the skins have been removed. It can also be used for jelly and jam, and the seeds can be roasted as nuts.
The plant is highly tolerant of salt, so it is often planted to stabilize beach edges and prevent erosion.

Bahama Senna. Low growing shrub with dense foliage and profuse, showy golden flowers. Drought tolerant, easy to grow. Good for small places or container culture.

Golden shower tree, Indian Laburnum - To many tropical gardeners, the most beautiful of cassias is Cassia fistula. This is a medium to large tree with ovate, pointed leaflets; when these drop, usually in the dry season, masses of bright gold flower clusters appear on almost every branch. This tree drops leaves in fall/winter.

Rare in collections! Chiococca alba - David's Milkberry, West Indian Milkberry, West Indian Snowberry - is from Gardenia family - Rubiaceae - and sure it has fragrant flowers! A rare Florida native vine or shrub with clusters of tiny, fragrant flowers like lily-of-the-valley, followed by bright white berries that glow against the leaves. Birds eat the fruit and butterflies love the blooms. Tough and adaptable, it grows in sun or shade, tolerates salty breezes, and can sprawl, climb, or be trimmed as a shrub. A graceful, unusual plant with a long history of traditional use.

Cinnamon Oak, Sandjack Oak, Bluejack Oak, Shin Oak Turkey Oak - is a hardy, low-maintenance tree perfect for adding character to your garden. Native to the coastal plains, it grows up to 40 feet tall with a relaxed, open crown of glossy green leaves that show a soft, silvery-blue underside. Its unique, rugged shape and dark, textured bark make it a standout in any landscape. Great for shade and easy to care for, this oak is a reliable choice for gardeners who appreciate natural native beauty with a touch of coastal charm.
Cinnamon Oak is native to the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of the United States, from Virginia around Florida to Texas and inland to Oklahoma and Arkansas

Seagrape. Popular plant used as an ornamental in gardens or indoors, subjected to salty winds and drought. It has stiff, rounded platter-like leaves shading from yellowish to olive green with prominent veins. Long clusters of berry-like fruit which follow are striking and give the tree its popular name. Somewhat acid in taste, the fruit can be used to make jelly. Very easy to grow and undemanding plant.

Monkey Ear, Ear Pod Tree, Elephant Ear Tree. Looking for a cool looking tree that grows faster than your to-do list? This large, feathery beauty is one of the quirkiest members of the subtropics.
This fast-growing, cold-hardy giant provides ample shade in no time, making it perfect for anyone seeking instant relaxation under a canopy. But here's the real kicker - the tree's pods curl up to resemble ears! These unique legume pods aren't just fun to look at, they're also great for crafts and decorations. Nature's art project, anyone?
So, if you're looking for a curious tree with personality (and maybe a bit of ear charm), the Monkey Ear Tree is ready to impress. Grow it, shade it, and get crafty with its ear-shaped pods!