ENH1082 Recommended Native Landscape Plants for Florida's Treasure Coast1 Sandra B. Wilson, Judith A. Gersony, Keona L. Muller, Janice C. Broda, and Edward A. Skvarch, Jr.2 Introduction Recently, a new course entitled "Native Florida Landscaping (ORH 3815C)" was developed and Plants are considered native to Florida if they added to the UF curriculum to teach students how to were here at the time of European contact in the early incorporate natives into existing landscapes. With a sixteenth century (1513). Florida has over 2,400 "Right Plant, Right Place" concept in mind, natives native species of plants, with some found only in can offer unique attributes that fulfill color, line, Florida (Wunderlin, 1998). They have survived form, texture, and scale requirements of a variety of through the ages because they are adapted to landscapes. Proven native performers of the Florida Floridian soils, temperature, and rainfall patterns. Treasure Coast (Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River Each plant is associated with specific natural plant Counties) will be discussed with relation to function, communities or ecosystems that occur throughout form and landscape use. Florida such as the coastal strand, sand scrub, sandhills, hammocks, flatwoods and swamps. Useful Native Plant Resources Although the Association of Florida Native Nurseries (AFNN) estimates that only about 25% of our native Books flora is in commercial production (AFNN, 2006), Austin, D., P.N. Honychurch, and S. Bass. 1991, interest in native landscaping continues to increase as 1997, 1999. Coastal Dune Plant Guide, Coastal evidenced by the recent influx of native plant Hammock and Mangrove Guide, Scrub Plant Guide. literature and books. Still, data indicate that native Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Palm Beach, FL. plant sales in Florida have remained essentially constant over recent years with estimated total sales Bell, C.R. and B. J. Taylor. 1982. Florida Wild of $100.9 million in 2000 (Hodges and Haydu, Flowers and Roadside Plants. Laurel Hill Press, 2002). Chapel Hill, NC. 1. This document is ENH1082, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date October 2007. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. Sandra B. Wilson, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Horticulture, Indian River Research and Education Center, Fort Pierce; Judith A. Gersony, Senior Biological Scientist, Indian River Research and Education Center, Fort Pierce; Keona L. Muller, Biological Scientist, Department of Environmental Horticulture, Fort Pierce; Janice C. Broda, Biological Scientist, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Vero Beach; and Edward A. Skvarch, Jr. Extension Agent, St. Lucie County, Fort Pierce, FL. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean Recommended Native Landscape Plants for Florida's Treasure Coast 2 Birr, R.E. 1992. Growing and Propagating Tomlinson, P.B. 2001. The Biology of Trees Showy Native Woody Plants. The University of Native to Tropical Florida. Harvard Printing and North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill & London. Publication Services, Allston, Mass. Daniels, J.C. 2000. Your Florida Guide to Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski. 1994. Butterfly Gardening. University Press of Florida, Gardening with Native Plants of the South. Taylor Gainesville, FL. Publishing Co., Dallas, Texas. Dehgan, B. 1998. Landscape Plants for Walton, D. and L. Schiller. 2007. Natural Subtropical Climates. University Press of Florida, Florida Landscaping. University Press, Sarasota, Gainesville, FL. FL. Haehle, R.G. and J. Brookwell. 1999. Native Wunderlin, R.P. 1998. Guide to the Vascular Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Plants of Florida. University Press of Florida, TX. Gainesville, FL. Hightshoe, G.L. 1998. Native Trees, Shrubs, and Yarlett, L.L. 1996. Common Grasses of Florida Vines for Urban and Rural America: A Planting and the Southeast. The Florida Native Plant Society, Design Manual for Environmental Designers. John Spring Hill, FL. Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. Useful Native Plant Websites Huegel, C.N. 1995. Florida Plants for Wildlife. Florida Native Plant Society, Orlando, FL. Association of Florida Native Nurseries. 2005. Contains wholesale and retail plant listings, news and Nellis, D.W. 1994. Seashore Plants of South events, and useful know the difference' articles. Florida and the Caribbean. Pineapple Press, Inc. http://www.afnn.org/search_afnn.asp?n=22 Sarasota, FL. Cowley, M. 1997-2005. Florida's native plants. Nelson, G. 1994. The Trees of Florida. Website contains useful information about native Pineapple Press, Inc. Sarasota, FL. gardening, plants for birds, and butterfly plants. http://www.nsis.org/garden. Nelson, G. 1996. The Shrubs & Woody Vines of Florida. Pineapple Press, Inc., Sarasota, FL. Florida Native Plants. 2001-2007. Useful before and after pictures of native landscape designs and Nelson, G. 2000. The Ferns of Florida. various articles and essays about native plants. Pineapple Press, Inc., Sarasota, FL. http://www.floridanativeplants.com/index.shtml Nelson, G. 2003. Florida's Best Native Florida Wildflowers Growers Cooperative. Landscape Plants. University Press of Florida, 2003. Informative brochures, planting information, Gainesville. seed availability, and photo gallery. Osorio, R. 2001. A Gardener's Guide to http://www.floridawildflowers.com Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gardening with Florida Yards and Gainesville, FL. Neighborhoods. 2007. Links to UF/IFAS publications, endangered species, edible plants and Songdah, H. and C. Leon. 2007. The Art of landscaping. http://cfyn.ifas.ufl.edu/native.html South Florida Gardening. Pineapple Press, Inc. Sarasota, FL. Native Plants Journal. A forum for dispersing practical information about planting and growing Suncoast Native Plant Society. 1997. The Right native plants for conservation, restoration, Plants for Dry Places. Great Outdoors Publishing reforestation, and landscaping. Indiana University Co., St. Petersburg, FL. Recommended Native Landscape Plants for Florida's Treasure Coast 3 Press, Bloomington, IN. Sources to Obtain Native Plants for http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org. the Treasure Coast The Florida Native Plant Society. 2005. Association of Florida Native Nurseries Information about upcoming native conferences, (AFNN). Native Plant & Service Directory. local chapters, and publication links. The site also Wholesale and retail catalogs available online at contains a state map where you can click on your www.afnn.org. county and see what native species grow in your area. http://www.fnps.org DR Bates Liners plus, PO Box 68, Loxahatchee, Fl 33470, 561-790-3246, Email: Wilson, S.B. 2007. Florida Native Landscaping. [email protected] Website contains a virtual garden tour and hyperlinked plant identification sheets showing Environmental Studies Center, 2900 Indian flower, fruit, form and leaf characteristics. River Drive Ocean Breeze Park, Jensen Beach, FL http://irrecenvhort.ifas.ufl.edu/FNL/index.htm. 34957-4934, 772-219-8285 Related EDIS Publications Indian Trails Native Nursery, 6315 Park LN W, Lake Worth, FL 33467-6606, Email: Native Plants: An Overview, Jeffrey G. Norcini, [email protected] http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP297 [view pdf] Maple Street Natives, 2395 Maple Street, W. 50 Common Native Plants Important In Florida's Melbourne FL 32904, 321-729-6857, Ethnobotanical History, Ginger M. Allen, Michael D. http://www.maplestreetnatives.com Bond, and Martin B. Main, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW152 [view pdf] Meadow Beauty Nursery, 5782 Ranches Road, Lake Worth, FL33463, 561-966-6848, Email: Native Shrubs for South Florida, Alan W. [email protected] Meerow, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EH159 [view pdf] Mesozoic Landscapes, 7667 Park Lane Road, Native Trees for South Florida, A.W. Meerow, Lake Worth FL 33467-6728, 561-967-2630, Email: H.M. Donselman, and T.K. Broschat, [email protected] http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EH157 [view PDF] Native Plants Materials Directory. Contains Native Ground Covers for South Florida, Alan information on more than 1,000 North American W. Meerow http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EH402 [view pdf] nurseries that specialize in native plants and seeds. University of Idaho Press, Moscow, Idaho., Native Plants that Attract Wildlife: Central http://www.rngr.net Florida, Craig N. Huegel, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW062 [view pdf] The Natives, 2929 JB Carter Road, Davenport, FL 33837, 863-422-6664, http://www.thenatives.net Native Florida Plants for Home Landscapes, R. J. Black, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP011 [view pdf] Gardens Within or Near the Treasure Native Landscape Plants for South Florida, Jody Coast With Native Plant Displays Haynes, John McLaughlin and Laura Vasquez, Environmental Learning Center, 255 Live Oak http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP222 [view pdf] Drive, Vero Beach, FL 32963, 772-589-5050, http://www.elcweb.org.