A Guide to Planting an African-Am erican/African Focused Yard in Miam i-Dade County: A Selection of Ornam ental African Plants Suitable for the Miam i-Dade Landscape John McLaughlin Miami-Dade Extension Office 18710 SW 288 Street Homestead, FL 33030 The sub-tropical climate of Miami-Dade permits the use of many outstanding landscape plants native to Africa. W hilst many of the w orld’s most esteemed ornamental plants are from east and especially Southern Africa, an attempt has been made to include plants indigenous to other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, especially W . Africa. The plants discussed are arranged in alphabetical order according to the currently accepted scientific name for each plant1. Some of the plants described below are adapted to far more arid conditions than prevail in south Florida. W hilst this is advantageous in terms of landscape w ater needs, care should be taken w hen choosing a site for installing such plants. They w ill all require excellent drainage, good air circulation and full sun, though a few can w ithstand slight shade. Part of the yard could be developed as a dry rock garden to feature these plants. This entails choosing an open site in full sun, and constructing raised beds using rubble and larger rocks and filling in w ith coarse sand and gravel2. Some organic material, such as garden compost, coir or sphagnum peat plus grit can be incorporated w ith the sand w here plants are to be installed. Plants that are especially tender may be damaged during the cooler months of the year, and this is indicated in the descriptions below . W hen the threat of cold w eather has passed for the season, any dead branches/stems should be removed, and in most instances new grow th w ill resume in late w inter – spring. Unless otherw ise noted only items that w ill have some degree of permanency in the landscape are listed, and for the purpose of this publication these include herbaceous perennials, shrubs, vines, and trees. Some of the herbaceous perennials that grow from bulbs or corms are poorly adapted to the hot w et summers of south Florida. After they cease flow ering and the foliage dies dow n it is advisable to lift them and store for replanting later in the year. W hilst many of the listed plants are available locally, some may have to be ordered from mail order sources w ithin the U.S., or in some instances grow n from seed. Local plant society sales are often a useful source for difficult to find plants. Less commonly available plants are printed in light blue, w hilst those that should be the easiest to find are printed in violet. The remaining plants are available locally, though possibly not year round or at all locations. For a very limited number of the plants listed, little information is available on their use in Miami-Dade landscapes. How ever these are plants that have many attractive features, and for this reason they are w orth trying so as to assess their potential under local conditions. Palms and cycads are listed separately and can be accessed by using the back button and selecting the section titles ‘A Selection of Palms and Cycads native to Africa’. The follow ing symbols are used to signify various characteristics of the plants listed. If you have an idea of the type of plant you require, this w ill enable you to quickly scan the list for items w ith those attributes: 1 The plants described below can be found listed by common name at the end of this document. 2 For further detailed information including a selection of succulents, many from Africa, go to the Miami- Dade County Extension web site at http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/publications.htm and select the publication ‘Succulents in Miami-Dade: Planting a Dry Rock Garden’. Σ Flow ering tree γ Trees that provide year round shade, often grow n for their attractive form or foliage ς Flow ering shrub/herbaceous perennial χ True vines and spraw ling shrubs that usually require some form of support a support. Ο Plants having attractive, often colorful foliage as their principal landscape attribute δ Plants grow n from bulbs, corms and underground rhizomes. ∆ Succulents – plants having thick fleshy leaves or stems adapted for w ater storage. Ε Ground cover – usually low growing often spreading plants, used to fill in areas betw een other landscape features. λ Plants that either require dry soil and/or are able to w ithstand drought conditions. Acacia tortilis (Um brella thorn – Fabaceae) Σλ One of a number of acacias found in sub-Saharan and E. Africa w ith their characteristic flat topped crown. Attractive, rough, usually spiny, dark brow n bark; feathery foliage; many yellow , small, fluffy, globular flow ers. Grow s to 30’ and used for the production of gum arabic. Has become invasive in areas of the Pacific and Australia. Grow in full sun – not particular as to soil providing it is free draining. Acokanthera oblongifolia (Poison arrow plant – Apocynaceae). Σ Found in Mozambique and South Africa, this and other members of the genus have terminal clusters of small pinkish-w hite, sw eet smelling flow ers and attractive stiff leathery leaves, and grow to 15-20’. Tolerant of full sun, the plant benefits from some afternoon shade during the hottest days of the year. Choose a site w ith free draining soil, and although drought tolerant, Acokanthera spp. w ill respond to supplemental w ater. This and other plants in the genus make attractive landscape items but are not w idely used, probably because they are extremely poisonous, especially the seeds. Like many other members of the Apocynaceae, A. oblongifolia produces copious amounts of milky sap, and this w as used by African Bushmen as part of the poison applied to arrow tips. Adansonia digitata (Baobab – Malvaceae) Σγ A signature feature of the E. African savanna, this is probably the continents most familiar tree. The massive squat trunk can be up to 36’ in diameter and 60’ in height. Leaves palmately compound in mature specimens, flow ers w ith w hite petals up to 8” in diameter on long hanging stalks appear briefly before new leaves. Pollinated mainly by bats. The tree is dormant during dry part of the year and should not be w atered. Needs full sun and thrives on poor soil. Only exceptionally large sites are suitable for landscape use, how ever it can also be grow n in a container as a bonsai tree. There are many other baobabs including the striking Madagascar species, A. grandidieri. This grow s with a straight 75-100’ tall 9’ diameter trunk w ith smooth rust to grey bark. The narrow flat canopy consists of a few thickened branches at the very top of the tree. Adenia spp. (n/a - Passifloraceae) λ∆ A group of caudiciform (sw ollen base) succulent plants found in arid parts of southern and eastern Africa. Although not as show y as their South American cousins (the passion flower vines), Adenia spp. are nonetheless striking for the huge partly underground sw ollen base they develop. Adenia globosa has a 3’ by 3’ round knobby rootstock w ith spiny leafless branches, w hilst Adenia spinosa develops a flatter w ider (1¼ - 4’) rootstock from w hich grow many thin spiny intertw ined stems bearing small slightly lobed leaves. For all species, male and female flow ers are borne on separate plants and are small, bell shaped to tubular, green to yellow . Adenia require full sun and a gritty free draining soil – try a raised bed in a dry rock garden2. They are grow n more often w ide containers. During w inter they become more or less dormant and lose leaves at w hich time they should be w atered sparingly. W atch for root and stem rots in Miami-Dade's seasonally w et climate. Adenium obesum (Desert rose - Apocynaceae) ςλ∆ Desert rose and closely related plants are found in sub-Saharan, east and southern Africa. A striking succulent that eventual develops a swollen stem (caudex) and is covered w ith masses of show y red to pink tubular flow ersa particular in w inter and spring. Usually seen grow ing in w ide shallow containers, but desert rose can be successfully grow n in the landscape in full sun as part of dry rock garden2. Afrocarpus gracilior syn. Podocarpus gracilior (African fern pine – Podocarpaceae) γ A small genus of evergreen cone bearing trees and shrubs found only in east and southern Africa, and restricted to humid highlands. The African fern pine, also commonly know n as w eeping podocarpus, is an erect tree grow ing to 50’ w ith drooping branch tips and fine textured foliage. Trees are dioecious (male and female cones on separate trees) w ith cones produced during summer. Choose a protected site in partial shade to full sun. This tree is moderately drought tolerant once established. Unless pruned low er branches w ill touch the ground, completely hiding the trunk. An excellent choice as a shade tree w here there are concerns over invasive roots – can be planted next to drivew ays and sidew alks. Much less often encountered in Florida is Afrocarpus falcatus (yellow -w ood), a slow grow ing tree to about 40’ w ith stiffer looking branches than A. gracilior and blue green foliage, that a More detailed information is available in the publication “The Desert Rose (Adenium obesum)” available from the Miami/Dade Extension Office or download from: http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/commorn/publications/desert-rose.PDF develops more of a pyramidal shape.