Oct 5, 2007

Six Plants Named Florida Plants of the YearSource: FNGLA

What do a native groundcover, an almond-scented flowering shrub, a tropical-looking perennial, a native fan plant, a versatile foliage plant and a storm-durable native tree have in common?

They were all named the 2008 Florida Plants of the Year by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association. The six standout plants were selected by a jury of 20 industry experts from a list of 48 plants. The plants were judged on criteria ranging from ease of maintenance, versatility, consumer appeal, pest and disease resistance, geographic use, ease of propagation and plant availability.

“In choosing the 2008 Florida Plants of the Year, we focused our efforts on picking the best plants from a broad cross-section of the industry as well as plants with large geographic identity,” said Rosemary Warner, chair of the Jury Selection Committee and FNGLA’s incoming president.

The 2008 Florida Plants of the Year are:

• Aloysia virgata (Almond Bush): This sweetly fragrant, vigorous, drought-tolerant, upright growing tree/shrub from South America produces fingerlike spiked clusters of small, white, almond-scent flowers.
• Dichorisandra thrysiflora (Blue Ginger): The plant’s purplish-blue blooms grow on 6-inch spikes in summer and fall. It boasts tropical, glossy-green foliage with succulent stems that spread slowly underground, creating a dense mass with a tremendous show of blossoms.
• Mimosa strigillosa : A reliable and vigorous low-grower that is native and drought-tolerant growing in moist or dry soils. In warmer seasons, it produces pink, ball-shaped flowers that attract butterflies. The foliage is delicate looking with small compound leaves that draw back when touched, but the leaves are durable enough to walk, park or drive on, and even mow.
• Quercus geminata (Sand Live Oak): Similar to southern live oak but smaller in stature, this salt- and drought-tolerant Florida native tree has an irregular growth habit and spreading canopy. Some forms are tree-like and some may form a thicket. The dark-green cupped leaves are distinctly boat shaped with whitish-gry on the undersides, and its acorns are sought by wildlife. Its proven storm durability makes it ideal for Florida’s sometimes stormy weather.
• Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto): One of the most durable cold-tolerant plants in the world, this Southeast native is a small, drought-tolerant palm with fan-shaped fronds. Its foliage is green to blue-green, and long stalks of white flowers produce small black fruits enjoyed by wildlife.
• Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Triostar’: This striking upright foliage is grown mainly for its beautiful coloration. The oblong leaves are thick, glossy and variegated with white, green, and reddish-pink coloring.

For more information, visit www.fngla.org.