Queen’s Crape Myrtle is a deciduous subtropical tree, USDA hardiness zone 10B-11, closely related to the more cold tolerant Lagerstroemia indica. However, Queen’s Crape Myrtle has a single trunk, much larger crown spread, larger leaves, and larger flowers varying in color from pink to purple, as opposed to the many flower colors of L. indica. It attains a height…
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Believe it or not, we do have seasons here in southern Florida. And spring is upon us! I just completed a tour of the nursery, where there is evidence everywhere of the new season. Sweet Almond (Aloysia virgata) is extremely fragrant, in contrast with its much milder scent during the winter. Mysore Raspberries (Rubus niveus) are…
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It has been three years since the Ylang-Ylang Tree was mentioned in this space. Its importance in human society makes the holiday season a perfect time to repeat the story of this special tree: “If you haven’t discovered the source of Chanel No. 5 perfume, allow us to introduce you to the Ylang-Ylang Tree. Native…
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Portlandia grandiflora (Tree Lily or Bell Flower) has fragrant flowers like its relative, the Gardenia. It is a small tree or shrub from the Caribbean attaining a height of 6-8 feet. It grows best in filtered light and does very well in South Florida’s alkaline soils. It blooms from spring to fall with 6 inch…
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In the inventory and articles published on this website, we think it’s helpful to provide both botanical and common names, but sometimes the informal names are head-scratchers. For example, “Swiss Chard” is the appellation placed on a plant that’s native to the Mediterranean. Fortunately, most common names do make sense, and we believe there are few more descriptive than ‘Powderpuff.’ The most ornamental…
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