Go Native
by Dr. Robert Black, Consumer Horticultural Specialist

When I travel around the state I always like to ask home gardeners what types of plants they would like to use in their landscapes and the answer is always the same. They desire plants requiring little or no maintenance, plants having few pest problems, plants well adapted to local climate and soils and last but not least, plants which are attractive. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find plants to fit these criteria.

Very often the most adaptable and trouble free plants in Florida are our native plants. These plants have persisted in the wilds because they are adaptable and relatively trouble free. Only a few native plants--such as our state tree the cabbage palm--are appreciated and well known, while many others are ignored when they deserve to be used much more extensively.

Florida has nearly half the species of trees available in the United states and many of these are excellent landscape materials. It would be impossible to list all of our native trees so only a few of the more common species are included in this article.

Native palms are paurotis, silver, Sargent cherry, needle, royal, cabbage, Jamaica thatch, and the saw palmetto. Many of these are available from nurseries in south Florida.

A few of the more common native trees are red and Florida maple, black olive, gumbo limbo, redbud, dogwood, pigeon plum, silver buttonwood, fringe tree, loblolly bay, bald cypress, sea grape, wax myrtle, American holly, yaupon holly, southern red cedar, sweet gum, magnolia, sand, spruce and slash pine, flatwoods and chickasaw plum, cherry laurel, live, laurel, shumard and water oak, mahogany, and tulip tree. This list is far from complete but includes some of the more popular and commercially available species. Some of these trees can be found growing throughout the state, while others are native to certain regions of Florida.

There are also vines, ground covers, small, medium and large shrubs, herbs, flowers and water plants which are native to Florida and which should be used more extensively. Some native plants have specific growth requirements; others thrive under a variety of climatic and soil conditions. You need to consider the native habitat of a plant and plan its use in a similar environment.

Remember that plants native to your area in Florida are obviously adapted to the soils and climate and have few problems requiring pest control and maintenance. Use these plants to their fullest potential and your gardening problems will be minimized and you will have more time to spend on cultivation of those exotic ornamentals not native to Florida.