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A Tropical Yard in Central Florida

Episode #8
Release Date: June 10, 2024

Does the thought of living in central Florida bring to mind a tropical-looking landscape? There are many plants that thrive in this area from ornamental plants like palms and foliage plants to fruit trees. What even does a tropical yard look like? Can Florida native plants help us achieve that look? Join us to find out in today’s episode.

Episode Transcript:

ANNE
Does the thought of living in Central Florida bring to mind a tropical looking landscape? The climate of Central Florida is unique, and it's changing. Warm temperatures most of the year. A summer rainy season. Mild winters still with a chance of frost. There are many plants that thrive in this area, from ornamental plants like palms and foliage plants to fruit trees.

So what does a tropical yard look like? Can Florida native plants help us achieve that tropical look? Let's find out in today's episode.

JULIE
Welcome to Your Central Florida Yard, the podcast series where we explore how to successfully garden in the unique climate of Central Florida. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this podcast is for you. So grab your shovel and get ready to dig in. This podcast is brought to you by UF/IFAS Extension, Polk County.

If you're new to the state, there's not one Florida in terms of the way we landscape and garden. You may have seen photos of our tropical paradise and white sand beaches, but in Central Florida there's a much different feel and way to landscape.

ANNE
It's important to remember that even though we're discussing landscaping in one state, the varying climates of Florida divide the state into three zones. We have North, Central, and South, and both the natural and urban landscapes look drastically different from one zone to another as we move throughout the state. And while you can grow subtropical plants in and around Central Florida, many of the tropical plants that may come to mind when you think of a tropical paradise might not survive the winter temperatures in Central Florida.

So, Julie, can you talk a little bit about tropical versus subtropical?

JULIE
Yeah, Anne. So here in Central Florida, we're actually considered subtropical. That's our climate. And so many plants labeled as subtropical are able to grow in our area. But as we look to tropical plants it's important that we refer to the plants  hardiness zone.

ANNE
So what is a hardiness zone, Julie? And why are hardiness zones important in selecting plants for our landscapes?

JULIE
So yeah, Anne. As gardeners it's really important that we know what the hardiness zone is. And we know what that means and what our hardiness zone is where we are living and growing our plants. And so the hardiness zones are actually set by the USDA, and they help determine optimal growing conditions for perennial plants. It's actually based on the average extreme minimum temperatures we can expect to receive in different areas.

And so in 2023, most of Polk County's hardiness zone was actually updated. So previously we were zone 9B. And in zone B the average annual minimum temperatures can reach 25 to 30 F. And so we know that s below freezing. But now that most Polk county is 10A, it's important that we know what those temperatures are. Now I do want to say specifically for Polk County, the update did not include the extreme northwest and southeast portions of the county. Those are still zones 9B, but the majority of Polk County is now considered zone 10A, and so in growing zone 10A, we can expect to receive average annual minimum temperatures of 30 to 35 F. So those average annual minimum temperatures have increased slightly here in Central Florida, specifically in Polk County. And so wherever you are in Central Florida, make sure that you know your hardiness zones so that you, when you're selecting plants, can choose plants that are suitable for that hardiness zone, especially when we're looking at tropical plants or subtropical plants, which can be more sensitive to cold temperatures.

ANNE
Yeah. And Julie, it's important to know that in terms of Central Florida is 9B and 10A, depending on where you live. Again, checking that zone map is important. And in terms of Central Florida, that's kind of the line straight across the state in Ocala and then straight across the state to the south, Tampa to Vero Beach. So in that section 9B and 10A is what you'll find. But it's pretty easy to navigate the USDA hardiness zone map to find the minimum temperatures where you live.

JULIE
Yeah, Anne. And we'll link the hardiness zone map so you can search your specific zip code and find that out.

ANNE
All right. So let's talk a little bit about getting that tropical look without the tropical plants or using the tropical looking plants that will grow in our zone of 9B and 10A. And so when we look at a tropical landscape, many people have an image that comes to mind when they start thinking tropical. And we're going to use some design features to kind of mimic that tropical landscape look.

So think lush, large leaves, shiny surfaces, shiny greens, bold blue gray colors of leaves, lots of texture, thick texture. So we're not talking about fine small leaves and little flowers. We're thinking big, bold leaves, big bold shapes, bright colors. So utilizing those in the landscape will help you get that tropical look. So combining texture with color and shape and those bright, bold colored flowers will really give you that tropical look no matter what type of plant you choose.
And we're going to talk here in a minute about some of the plants that you can utilize in Central Florida to give you that tropical feel.

JULIE
Yeah, Anne. We have some great Florida-Friendly options for tropical looking plants here in Central Florida. And so I want to share just a few of those. The first one is hibiscus. I think many people are familiar with this. I think when you think of a tropical landscape, this might be one of the plants that comes to mind. And so this is a medium shrub. It does have those glossy green leaves that you mentioned as something we might want to consider. It also has those large colorful flowers that really help with that tropical look.

Another plant you might consider for the landscape is croton. Now these have thick leaves. They have very bright, vibrant color combinations on the leaves. So it's a foliage plant mostly. It's not known for its flower, but definitely those bright colors for that tropical look. And then you have ti. I've also heard it pronounced tea plant as well. T i. And so those come with large glassy foliage. They could be variegated pink, red and green. The leaves are straplike. And then the plant itself kind of has a narrow growth habit.

So great for shade gardens. You know, if you're looking for that tropical look, but this foliage can add that tropical look to that shady part of the garden. And then heliconias as well. Now these may need protection in winter. They do give that tropical look with those very unique flowers, bright colors. They have the tropical foliage look that is actually similar to maybe a bird of paradise, if you're familiar with that. And then those brightly colored red and orange bracts that look like flowers and have that very unique look.

ANNE
Yeah, Julie and we've talked a lot with those plants about color. So color from leaves and flowers and again bright bold reds and oranges and yellows combined to give that tropical look. Now people also think about palms when they think about the tropics. And there are a variety of palms that grow really well in Central Florida. And it is important that when we select palms for Central Florida landscapes, that we select palms that will not sustain damage in frost or freeze temperatures. And many demonstration gardens at UF/IFAS Extension Services around Central Florida will have palms that you can look at to get some ideas.

Our Extension office in Bartow has quite a few palms that you could easily use in your landscape as well. Low maintenance and cold hardy as well. So when we look at palms, some of the palms that that would work well in our landscapes would be a pindo palm, a needle palm, which is a native, a cabbage palm, another great native plant, the caranday wax palm, the pygmy date palm, also called the robellini and the European fan palm.

And a lot of these are smaller, shorter palms. Clumping, shrublike palms as well work for a variety of urban and suburban landscapes. And we'll link in the show notes to a fact sheet on some of these palms that would do well in our Central Florida yards.

JULIE
Yeah, Anne. I also want to mention, speaking of palms, we have a previous episode where we talk about palm fertilizer. So if you're interested in including palms in your landscape, definitely check out that episode for more information.

ANNE
Thanks, Julie, and I think we'll have lots of talk about palms throughout the life of the podcast, because they're just so integral to the landscapes that we see in Central Florida. Another landscape plant that is pretty easy to grow is ginger, and whether the edible ginger or ornamental, the gingers grow really well in sun or shade in our landscapes, have attractive flowers, large glossy leaves, and it's really great to have a plant in a landscape that can be versatile and do that sun or shade option.

There's also some variegated gingers as well, and that means they have multicolored leaves, so maybe like a green with a bright yellow or green with a bright white. And that stark contrast looks really nice in the landscape as well. 

And then we have our bird of paradise. A lot of people familiar with this one. This is just a common one that comes up when you imagine or even look at inspirational photos of tropical landscapes and that's the bird of paradise. The blue green foliage and the bright orange flowers that look like birds. That's how it got its name, can grow really well in most landscapes, and there is a white bird of paradise, and that is a tropical plant and gets very big. So just use caution if you are looking at a white bird of paradise. When you're purchasing a bird of paradise at the nursery, make sure you've read the tag and are purchasing the one that you're looking for because you'll be in for a big surprise if you accidentally buy the white bird of paradise and you were just looking for the the regular, smaller bird of paradise.

JULIE
Absolutely, right plant, right place.

ANNE
And then another group of plants, it's really great for that tropical look is orchids. And there's so many varieties of orchids from ground orchids to orchids that grow in containers to ones that hang from trees. Orchids grow very well in most landscapes in Central Florida. If you have a shadier location, you can grow orchids very easily. So consider bringing in some orchids and you will have to protect them, when frost or freezing temperatures are predicted. And we'll talk more about frost and freeze later in the episode, but they are pretty susceptible to those cold temperatures, so anytime you can put them in a container, it makes it a lot easier to move them.

JULIE
Yeah, Anne. I want to mention also on growing orchids, we have video on our YouTube channel from some Master Gardener volunteers that are experts on growing orchids. And we had a panel of them talk about how to grow and maintain your orchids. So if you're interested in more information on growing orchids, definitely check out that video on our YouTube channel.

You might also want to consider some fruit trees for that tropical look in your landscape. So we've talked about a lot of ornamental plants that you can include, but don't forget about fruit trees. And so when selecting fruit trees there's many things to consider, such as if they have any chill hours, as well as their tolerance to frost or freeze.

Also think about will these fruit be able to handle drought? If that's an issue that you're dealing with, or how much irrigation you might need to supply to keep those healthy and thriving? We're definitely going to talk more about growing fruit in your Central Florida yard on future episodes, but we do want to mention just a few tropical fruit trees or plants that you might consider.

And so avocado is one that would grow. It grows in a tree form. Now, there are many types you might want to consider choosing varieties that are cold hardy. Those are going to do better here in Central Florida. Banana is another tropical looking fruit that you might consider growing. It definitely has those large glossy leaves. And then of course, you get that delicious fruit. Mango is another tree to consider, and even lychee.

And so those are all trees. You might also consider growing pineapple. So while that's not a tree, it is a ground plant. And it definitely is just a beautiful landscape plant on its own. And then of course you can get the fruit. I do want to mention that on our YouTube channel, we also have some webinars that have been recorded by one of our Master Gardener volunteers on growing bananas and pineapples here in Central Florida. So if you're interested in growing any of those, or if you've had some trouble in the past, definitely check out those webinars on growing banana and pineapple, and we'll link those in the show notes today.

ANNE
Yeah, it's always great when you can double up and get food and ornamental quality from the same plant. So all of those mentioned are great options for that. There are many ways also to use native plants to get a tropical or tropical like look. Coontie cycads. Many of the cycads are great because of that bold leaf texture, and the coontie cycads are just one of my favorite native plants.

They're really versatile. Sun or shade. Glossy green leaves year-round, and they're small, mounding plants so they can grow in most anyone's landscape. Saw palmettos are great. Again, big bold leaf texture, but also a big plant as well. So make sure you have the space to grow saw palmettos. They're available in both a silver and a green variety, so you can kind of even combine those in the landscape together to use to get more of a tropical look.

There's also seagrape. Seagrape has a really cool leaf shape. It's kind of round and the plant itself is definitely more upright. So it doesn't take up much lateral space in the landscape, so you can kind of fit it in with other plants. But those round, thick leaves look very tropical. This is a plant that you would actually see in natural areas of Florida along the beaches. So it makes a lot of sense. And it does well in our landscapes in Central Florida.

There are also some yuccas that will do well in our landscapes. These plants are all drought tolerant, cold hardy, low maintenance plants. The native yuccas that we can grow in our Central Florida yards are the Spanish bayonet, the mound lily yucca, and Adam's needle.

And these all have again, a coarse texture. They're mounding kind of clumping, and you can use them in combination with some of these other plants. They do shoot up a really tall flower spike. So you can account for that as some of the size recommendations when you're going to nurseries. But most of them are fairly small clumpers. You just do need to be cautious when planting them in the landscapes, because they have that spiny kind of needle into their leaves, and so you don't want to be planting them along walkways or things like that where they could catch people's clothing.

There's also the golden canna. So cannas are definitely tropical looking. They have very bold flower colors, and the native canna has a bold yellow flower with very glossy green leaves that are large leaves.  It grows about 3 to 6ft tall and it does really well in moist soils. So if you have a low spot in the landscape or maybe you live along a lake or pond, this is a great way to get that tropical look with the addition of water. The scarlet hibiscus is also one that likes that moist soil to wet soils near ponds and lakes.

So we mentioned hibiscus before when we were talking about just general ornamental landscape plants. The scarlet hibiscus is native and it has a really unique leaf shape. And the flower color is a really nice bold red. So that is definitely tropical looking and fits into our landscape. And a bonus is that it's a great pollinator plant for hummingbirds and as a host plant for several butterflies and skippers. And we never want to forget about our wildlife when we're planting. Firebush is a great native shrub. This shrub has orange to red flowers almost year round. It can be cold sensitive and freeze back in the winter, but regrows really quickly in the springtime. It can have some really nice fall color as well, so kind of turns like a purply red in the fall. And this is another one that's great for our wildlife as well.

So again, we've talked a lot about flower color, the reds, the oranges, the yellows, the purples, the pinks, those bright bold colors. And then kind of going into the last native plant I have listed today is the Bahama senna or cassia. This is another yellow flowering plant, does really well in full sun to partial shade, and is attractive to some of our solitary bees and host plant to the cloudless sulfur butterfly, among a couple of others. So a really nice way to get that tropical look and also use native plants in our landscapes as well.

So as we wrap up kind of talking about landscape plants that have that tropical look, and we've talked about fruit and fruit trees and then native plants as well, it's important that we kind of go back to the beginning and think about what we think about when we think about a Florida landscape.

And if that is, again, bringing to mind a tropical look, just knowing that that's not a true landscape for every zone in the state of Florida. And it's nice to learn to appreciate the various landscapes that can be found around the state. So, if you have a certain design theme that you prefer, such as tropical or otherwise, pulling in some of those native plants that grow well in the area of Florida that you live, so you can appreciate the tropical look of a landscape that you might find in South Florida.

Think about ways to kind of give a nod to Central Florida, and think of ways to pull some of that bold texture and color from plants that you would find naturally occurring. So when we talk about our native plants, we can get that design feel. So it's more about a design concept or theme rather than specific plants to specific zones in Florida.

JULIE
So yeah Anne. So while we may think of that tropical look that we find in South Florida as being all of Florida, that's not necessarily the case considering our hardiness zones, which we know are so important. And that concept of right plant, right place with Florida-Friendly Landscaping. So remember you can use some of those plants, but make sure they're appropriate for your zone.

And so with that, if you are choosing some more tropical or subtropical plants that are cold sensitive, you may need to consider freeze protection. It's really important in our Central Florida yards, as we can still receive those frost-like conditions or freezing temperatures. You know, think of those tropical plants that might be in some of zone 10, some of zone 11, and those may need to be moved or covered during the winter, depending on what the forecast is for our area.

And so during frost or freeze, think about temperatures that might be in the 30s and even 40s for some plants. They could sustain damage or even damage to the point that those plants can't recover. So if you do want those plants in your landscape, be prepared to cover them or be prepared to replace them. And so that's where right plant, right place and choosing plants for your hardiness zone are so important.

And so remember the purpose of this frost or freeze protection. We're actually trying to trap a little bit of heat from the previous day. And so it's important to consider what materials we might use when we're doing this protection for our plants. And so some of those materials include actual frost cloth, cloth that's intended to have that protection. Cotton sheets also work or any other suitable materials. Now one material that you don't want to use when you're trying to protect your plants from frost or freeze, would be plastic. That's because they radiate cold and heat more readily, and so they could transfer that cold to your plants. Or if they were left on too long, they could cause too much heat the next day as temperatures start to warm. So no plastic, but frost cloth, cotton sheets, anything else that might be suitable. Just not plastic.

So the key to this frost protection is make sure that these covers extend all the way to the ground. You don't want any gaps because remember, the whole point was we're actually just trapping a little bit of heat, that's actually the protection that we're getting. You can anchor these with maybe some rocks or some bricks or even soil nearby. You could just mound over the edges of those sheets to help keep them there to the ground, and not allowing any of that cold air to enter overnight. Also, remember that the covers should not be touching the plants, the foliage of the plants, because that contact could also cause injury if the temperatures were cold enough. Also, preparation before, keeping your plants healthy is really important to help them sustain these colder temperatures, if we should receive those those temperatures that could be damaging to some of our more cold sensitive plants. And so keeping those plants well-watered, that soil well-watered is actually important, because that wetter or moist soil is actually going to hold more heat. So that's going to be beneficial as well.

So again we're just watering the soil. We're not watering the foliage of the plants. That's not how we're protecting our landscape plants. It's just keeping them healthy and well-watered prior to that freeze event. And then with that make sure you turn off your irrigation system. We don't want that running in the middle of freezing temperatures in our landscape.

And then after the chance of frost or freeze has passed, wait to remove that frost cloth or those cotton sheets until the air temperature has reached about 50 to 60 F. That's when it's going to be safe to remove that cover and allow those plants to then receive the normal air temperature that they're used to.

ANNE
I'm glad you made all of that so clear, Julie, because many times when we have freeze or frost warnings coming in, we see people putting really small towels or blankets on just the tops of plants. And we now know that that's not going to serve any purpose, because it's not going to trap any of that heat from the soil and actually could damage the plants because the the towels touching the foliage anyway.

And then also remember too, when they talk on the news and things about freeze and frost protection in agricultural areas, that that does not apply to landscapes, and that we're not going to be doing any protection by applying water before or after those cold temperatures. That's going to cause damage to our plants. That's strictly an agricultural practice.

JULIE
Yeah, thank you Anne for clarifying. Even though you may see that on some of those agricultural crops nearby, that's not appropriate for your residential landscape. I also want to mention we might want to think about the microclimates in our own landscapes as well. You know, if you've noticed, there's different temperatures around your home potentially. And so if you want to utilize the benefit of that, it's important to know.

And so the coldest areas next to your home are actually on the north side of the house. Opposite to that, the warmest areas are on the south or southwest corner of your home. So if you are including some of those tropical or subtropical plants that may be sensitive to cold temperatures, consider planting them on the south or southwest corner of the home for that little microclimate protection.

And I will share, Anne, in the last several years, we've had two near freezing or frost damaging temperatures here at our Extension office in Bartow. And so we have a Florida-Friendly Landscaping demonstration garden. And there is the tropical garden that we call the tropical themed area. It's on the southwest corner of the building. And during those freeze events, none of those plants were damaged.

We have hibiscus, we have croton, we have ti or tea plants, however, you prefer to pronounce that and none of those received any damage. And so that is just a nod to right plant, right place and even utilizing that microclimate in our own landscapes.

ANNE
Yeah, that's a good point because sometimes you're just somewhere and you see a tropical plant that you really want to have, and knowing those microclimates is important. But another option as well is to put some of the tropicals in large containers. They work really well on patios, pool decks. You can put them nestled right into your ornamental plants in a landscape bed. And then when risk of those cold temperatures comes, then you can move those, you know, into the garage very easily and not have to worry about protecting them. So it's always very easy to move a container plant when cold temperatures occur.

And now for this episode's garden checklist. Hopefully you have some new ideas for what a tropical landscape looks like in Central Florida and you re interested in adding some tropical plants to your yard.

And if you are, use the resources that we have listed in our show notes, and we'd love it if you would share a photo of your tropical landscape or a tropical plant addition to your landscape on our social media at Polk Gardening.

JULIE
For more information on a tropical yard in Central Florida, information and workshops available, contact your local UF/ IFAS Extension Service. Many have plant clinics that can further assist you. All resources for this episode are listed in the show notes.

ANNE
Thanks for listening to Your Central Florida Yard. We hope this episode has provided you with valuable insights and tips for your gardening journey in this unique part of the state. Your Central Florida Yard is produced by Anne Yasalonis and Julie Schelb. If you have any questions or suggestions for future episodes, find our contact information in the show notes.

This podcast is brought to you by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, an equal opportunity institution. Thank you for listening. And as always, happy gardening.

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Transcribed by: J. Bayer-Fermier - 01/02/25
Proofed by L. Hice - 01/12/25

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