Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! Program Summary: Freeze Friendly Foliage Plants

If you’re going for a tropical look, but don’t want to lose your landscape, then you’ll get some great ideas from this episode of “Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE!”.

Most of the Florida Panhandle falls within USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 9a.  The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map displays the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature for locations throughout the United States.  Based on NOAA weather data, the date of the last spring freeze can range from February 16 to March 15 depending on location in the Florida Panhandle.  It’s important to note these figures are based on averages and will vary from year to year.

Some plants need protection from freeze events.  More information on protecting plants from cold weather can be found in the article “Preparing the Landscape for Cold Weather”.

There are quite a few native plants that can give your landscape a tropical look.  Plants that have a tropical look usually have bright flowers, variegated leaves, and/or coarse textured foliage.  A native that comes to mind is Florida anise that grows well in shaded areas and is available in varieties with variegated foliage and light green foliage.  The native firebush (Hamelia patens) will freeze back some years, but provides a tropical focal point with its showy flowers and unique foliage.  Some oakleaf hydrangea selections with chartreuse colored blooms can also provide a tropical aspect.

Other plants that give a tropical feel, but aren’t native to Florida include cast iron plant, canna lilies, red hot poker, fatsia, farfugium, holly fern, African false hosta, and loquat trees.  Some tropicals that freeze back, but will come back in the spring include ornamental gingers and tumeric.  To view other suitable plants for the Florida Panhandle check out the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Plant Guide.       

Row covers and frost cloths can provide some insulation for sensitive plants.  The thickness of the material used can vary significantly and offer different levels of freeze protection.  It’s important the material covers the plants all the way to the ground, not just the foliage.  More information on row covers in the article “Using Row Covers in the Garden” from the University of New Hampshire.

It’s important to wait to clean up and prune freeze damaged plants.  Mid-to-late March is a good time to cut back plants that have been damaged from a freeze event.  However, the longer you wait the better.  More information for caring for these plants can be found in the article “Treating Cold-Damaged Plants”.

Coastal climates differ from mainland environments.  In the winter, temperatures in these two places will be similar, but windchills may be exaggerated in coastal areas.  Additional wind tends to dry plants out faster, but spots near water may allow for some experimentation with more tropical plant material.

For more ideas on plant selections for the Florida Panhandle, check out other Gardening in the Panhandle articles or contact your local Extension Office.  The “Freeze Friendly Foliage Plants” episode of Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! can be found at 2025 Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! Freeze Friendly Foliage.  Visit the NWD IFAS YouTube page to view additional episodes of Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE!