by Larry Williams | Sep 9, 2014
What plant is found mostly in older landscapes but is poorly available in most local nurseries, is closely related to okra and cotton but is called a rose and produces showy fall flowers that turn from white to pink or red? Give up?
The plant is commonly called confederate rose. Some people call it cotton rose. Its botanical name is Hibiscus mutabilis.
Confederate roses usually begin blooming in late summer and continue to flower well into fall.
Even though it’s frequently referred to as confederate rose, it’s not a member of the rose (rosaceae) family. It belongs to the mallow (malvaceae) family, which includes numerous ornamentals, cotton and okra.
It is a true hibiscus. But, unlike many other ornamental hibiscus species, for some reason it is not usually found in most local garden centers. The plant finds its way into other landscapes simply by one gardener sharing a cutting with another gardener.
It’s easy to propagate. New plants can be started in spring from seed or from 8 inch long terminal cuttings taken during spring, summer and early fall. Cuttings can be rooted in a conventional propagation bed or even in a glass of water.
There are several forms of confederate roses. The cultivar known as ‘Rubus’ has deep pink flowers. ‘Plena’ has double white flowers that change to pink or red on the second day. The older, original types have double flowers that open white in the morning and gradually turn pink in the afternoon.
Even though confederate rose is not very impressive during spring and summer with its cotton or okra like leaves, you may find it a worthwhile landscape plant as it produces its large flowers (some up to 6 inches across) in late summer and fall.
Confederate rose in bloom, Photo Credit: Santa Rosa County Extension
With proper care, a confederate rose should grow into a 15-foot tall bush during a single season. But expect the entire plant to be killed to the ground during the winter. But it usually sprouts rapidly from the crown the following spring. Be careful, too much fertilizer can result in lots of leaves but few blooms.
by Beth Bolles | Sep 2, 2014
Many species of butterflies are flitting through summer gardens but a special butterfly has recently made its appearance in perennial gardens. The Blue butterfly bush, Clerodendrum ugandense is a mid to late summer blooming plant that has unique flowers resembling butterflies.
Photo: Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
During our hottest days, light blue flowers appear above attractive green foliage. Plants may grow between 6 and 10 feet in height when provided with partial shade and moisture during the warm season. Although butterfly bush is a frost sensitive plant, it will likely return from the roots in hardiness zones 8 and 9. Even when replanted in the spring, it grows well enough that you will enjoy a flowering display by summer’s end. Plant your butterfly bush to accommodate a spreading growth habit and where garden visitors can get a close view of the interesting flowers.
Flower panicles. Photo: Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
by Julie McConnell | Sep 2, 2014
Purple passionflower
Gulf Fritillary caterpillars have a voracious appetite for purple passionflower vine Passiflora incarnata! This native vine is a host for the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Agraulis vanilla larvae, is easy to grow, and readily available in garden centers.
Like any other vine, it grows quickly and may spread across your garden, so keep this in mind when choosing a location. It prefers full sun, is drought tolerant, adapts to many soil types, and should be given support for twining tendrils. Purple passionflower has intricate purple flowers that are followed by the fruit called a maypop, which is another common name for this vine.
Gulf fritillary butterflies are primarily orange with some black and white markings. They prefer sunny areas and adults will feed on nectar from many different flowering plants. However, they are more specific about where they will lay eggs because the diet of the caterpillar is more selective than adults.
If you have purple passionflower in your landscape, look for tiny yellow eggs and orange caterpillars with black spikes to see if you have a backyard Gulf fritillary nursery. Plants may be totally defoliated by the hungry caterpillars, but healthy plants can tolerate the damage and should flush back out without difficulty.
by Julie McConnell | Aug 12, 2014
Most people appreciate a colorful landscape, but may not have a lot of time or money to invest into keeping it looking good. Add to that the low nutrient soils that do not hold water that are common in the western Panhandle and keeping an attractive yard becomes even more challenging, especially if irrigation is not available.
If you are looking for plants that require minimal maintenance beyond watering until establishment here are a few you might want to try.
Butterfly Bush Buddleia spp.
There are many different mature sizes and colors, but if you have a small space consider a dwarf like CranRazz or the Lo & Behold® series. Butterfly bush blooms throughout the warm season and if it slows down, just deadhead or prune heavily and it will flush out with new foliage and blooms. As the name suggests, butterflies are attracted to the blooms.
Hyssop
Another plans that is very heat tolerant with low water requirements is Hyssop Agastache rupestris. Fine textured foliage and flowers that bloom all summer and thrive on neglect. These come in hot colors including orange, pink and bicolor varieties.
Sedum
Sedum love hot, dry spots and Sedum rupestre “Angelina’ is a groundcover type with showy yellow foliage. It performs great in containers or sprawling over beds. Evergreen with a bronzy winter color, it stands out all year. Tiny yellow flowers appear to float above the foliage in the early summer, but do turn brown and need to be snipped off to keep plants looking tidy.
by Sheila Dunning | Jul 28, 2014
The “Dog Days” are the hottest, muggiest days of summer. In the northern hemisphere, they usually fall between early July and early September. The actual dates vary greatly from region to region, depending on latitude and climate.
In ancient times, when the night sky was un-obscured by artificial lights, the Romans used the stars to keep track of the seasons. The brightest constellation, Canis Major (Large Dog), includes the “dog star”, Sirius. In the summer, Sirius used to rise and set with the sun, leading the ancient Romans to believe that it added heat to the sun. Although the period between July 3 and August 11 is typically the warmest period of the summer, the heat is not due to the added radiation from a far-away star, regardless of its brightness. The heat of summer is a direct result of the earth’s tilt.
Spending time outdoors this time of year is uncomfortable, potentially dangerous, due to the intense heat. However, the chinch bugs are very active in St. Augustine grass, and the summer flowers need water. So, take care of those tasks early in the day and then retreat to the air conditioning to plan your fall planting.
Plant tomato plants in August for tomatoes in October. Varieties such as Phoenix, Florida 91, Solar Set and Heat Wave II are good selections for setting fruit in high temperatures, should summer temperatures continue. Otherwise, try some of the newer UF/IFAS recommended varieties for fall planting in North Florida such as Bella Rosa, Tribute or Finishline. For more information on tomato selection refer to Tomato Cultivars for Production in Florida. For information on other vegetables for fall gardening refer to the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide. Plan to attend the Fall Gardening program at the Extension office this September.
Many bedding plants flower quickly and can add color to the fall landscape. These include pentas, African marigolds, torenia, zinnias, melampodium and scaevola. Other can be planted in October for blooms all winter-long. Plan spaces and color themes for calendulas, pansies, snapdragons and violas. Add in ornamental cabbage or kale and some dusty miller to accent the garden. They too will perform through the cold. For more information on Annuals for the Florida Garden refer to Gardening with Annuals in Florida.
Dependable fall blooming perennials include lion’s ear (Leonotis leonurus), pineapple sage (Salvia elegans), firebush (Hamelia patens), cigar plant (Cuphea micropetala), yellowbells (Tecoma stans) and firespike (Odontonema strictum). Also, garden mums (Chrysanthemum sp.) and many different Irises will add color again in the spring. To gain information on perennials for Florida refer to Gardening with Perennials in Florida.
Webster’s second definition of “dog days” is a period of stagnation or inactivity. But, even when the heat forces you to slow down on the labor-intensive work, there is plenty of gardening “activity” to do. Stay in the air conditioning and plan that spectacular fall and winter yard.
by Mary Salinas | Jul 15, 2014
We all seem to have this dilemma: A desire to re-landscape or just add a few plants to an area, but not knowing what would be the best choice. Plants need to be compatible with their location. The right plant should be chosen for the right place. Many have particular light, moisture and zone requirements in order to do their best. The ultimate size of the plant is also an important consideration; if you want to avoid constant pruning, choose plants that only grow to size you would like to ultimately have. Some great resources are provided below to get you the information you need.
UF IFAS Extension has a brand new app for your mobile device or web! The app contains a database of over 400 Florida-friendly plants is searchable by plant name, type, shape, native status, light requirements and more. The yearly subscription is only $1.99 to have great info on the go.
The downloadable 104-page Florida-friendly Landscaping Guide to Landscape Design and Plant Selection not only has photos and detailed information about plants by category, it also has great ideas on how to improve your landscape design! 
UF’s Florida Yards & Neighborhoods maintains a searchable Florida-friendly Plant Database. Make choices based on region, plant type, light and moisture quantity, soil texture salt tolerance.
For native plants, the Florida Association of Native Nurseries has two websites where you can find plants for your particular zone, plant community (like at the beach or in pine flatwoods), plant type and by wildlife usage. There is a site designed for nursery professionals that lets you find local wholesale growers and also a similar site for homeowners that has resources on where to find desired plants at local nurseries.
Speaking of native plants, the Florida Native Plant Society also has a searchable list of plants appropriate for your particular needs.
Gardening Solutions has lots of great information for lawn, landscape and garden by category, and it is easily accessed.
Happy Gardening!
