Homeowners and businesses have a myriad of plants from which to choose that provide blooms and beauty throughout the season. Florida is known as a warm and humid state, but what people may not know is that weather records going back to 1900 indicate that at least one severe drought has occurred in Florida during every decade.

Residents of South Florida have flowers, bushes, ferns and trees that are able to tolerate dry conditions and even a drought without withering and dying. The following are some drought resistant plants from which to choose.

African Iris

Exotic looking white flowers emerge in the spring with distinct purple and yellow markings. It’s a low maintenance plant, the blooms last for only a day but it’s a profuse bloomer.

Beach Sunflower

Known as beach sunflower and dune sunflower, it can be found growing wild in coastal regions and can easily be adapted for inland plantings. A summer bloomer, the daisy-like yellow flowers may appear year-round in South Florida. It attracts pollinators that includes bees, butterflies and moths, while birds eat the seeds.

Beautyberry

The shrub produces lavender blossoms followed by clusters of purple berries in the autumn and winter. The seeds and berries are a food source for a variety of bird species, provides cover for birds, and the foliage is a favorite of deer.

Blanket Flower

A native to the state, it features red and gold flowers that attracts butterflies. It’s an annual that also readily reseeds itself.

Fern Leaf Lavender

Silvery foliage produces purple flowers that attract butterflies. The blooms and foliage are fragrant.

Firebush

The bright red tube-shaped flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden. The plant provides cover for birds and the seeds are a source of food for multiple types of songbirds.

Locust Berry

The Florida native features flowers of white, pink and red all on the same plant and it attracts butterflies. It can be grown as a small shrub or tree, birds eat the seeds, and it provides cover for multiple avian species. It’s a threatened species in the wild.

Reed-Stemmed Orchid

Also known as crucifix orchid and rainbow orchid, it’s easy to grow and the blossoms attract hummingbirds. The most common color is red-orange, but is also available in white and hues of pink, purple and yellow.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

Plants get diseases just like humans and animals. Before deciding to add a plant to the landscape, it’s a good idea to consider the potential for disease. Some plant diseases are easily transmissible among different species and can spread throughout an entire neighborhood.

Plants that are placed in locations contrary to their natural preferences will become stressed, fail to flourish, and are more vulnerable to attack from diseases, along with a variety of insect pests. When individuals see a plant they want to add to the landscape, do some research to ascertain if it’s prone to diseases ranging from mildew and root rot to blight and canker.

Soil, Sun and Water

The soil composition in the landscape is important. Some plants require alkaline soil while others prefer soil that’s acidic. Plants that need soil with excellent drainage will develop root rot in wet and soggy conditions. The spores of fungal infection can spread among different plants and be transmitted by insects. Heat and humidity provide a breeding ground for mold, bacterial, and fungal infection. Light requirements can vary widely and shade plants will quickly wither in full sun.

Proximity

Some very disparate plants can spread disease simply by being in close proximity to each other. There are plant diseases that require two hosts to complete its life cycle. An example is cedar-apple rust. The fungal spores infect eastern red cedars and are released in the spring where they infect the leaves of apple and crabapple trees. The disease matures over the summer and mature spores are released in the autumn to infect the cedars. The same type of co-infection affects junipers and quince.

Choosing Plants

It’s critical to purchase plants that are healthy and show no signs of disease. There are dozens of plants native to the South Florida environment, while others have been introduced to the area from locations with similar growing conditions and can thrive.

White pine is a species that’s not a native, but grows well in the state. However, it doesn’t tolerate salt and shouldn’t be planted where they’re exposed to saltwater. Some plants within the same family that are introduced from abroad have increased hardiness and resistance to disease in the Florida environment.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760