This is a natural Loblolly Bay Swamp in Stuart. This picture comes from the east edge of Seabranch Preserve State Park. This is an unusually diverse blend of Swamp Redbay, Slash Pine, Lyonias, Cinnamon Fern, Swamp Fern, Sweetbay Magnolia, Sabal Palms, Sedges, Grasses, Wildflowers and many other species.
If you have a moist portion of your yard with lots of organic matter, this is the kind of plant mix that will give you great pleasure. Please do not purchase Cinnamon Fern unless it is grown from spores at a trusted plant nursery. It is endangered.
Native Bamboo in Gainesville
Wet Canebrake or Giant Cane, Arundinaria gigantea ssp. gigantea, is our only native bamboo and is found in floodplains and streambanks from central Florida to North Carolina and other states. It grows in thickets underneath wetland tree species like Red Maple, Sweetgum, oaks and many others.
A wet area of the yard that is not flooded for long is a good place to create your own Canebrake, or thicket . Just keep in mind that this plant sends out below ground horizontal spikes several feet from the plant. These send up new plants over a large area and must be given lots of room or a barrier.You can also just mow the shoots as they are sent up from the root.
Everglades Solution Hole
This is a natural Solution Hole in Everglades Park. These are sunken areas where the limestone has dissolved underneath the coral rock causing it to collapse.
They may have standing water in the bottom, which is often at groundwater level. You will find many tree species, Chapman’s Cassia, Quailberry, Ferns, Locustberry and wildflowers taking advantage of the moisture.These are watering holes for local birds and wildlife.
The appearance of a Solution Hole can be easily created with various sizes of limerock, or even cement lining a small pit. Don’t forget to add mosquito fish if the water pools for more than two days.
This natural stream in the Gainesville, Florida area is lined with native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs like Devil’s Walking stick and many different trees. These include Sweetgum, Hackberry, Red Maple, Florida Elm, Oaks, Pines and others.
Most of these trees grow well in South Florida and can be grouped to create this wonderful effect. You can even make a faux stream with a bed of different sized rocks. Then line it with native grasses, Canna Lily, Prairie Iris, Duck Potato, American Crinum Lily, ferns and others.
A winding path can be the stream as well.
Sea Oxeye Daisy
Borrichia frutescense
This meadow of Silver Sea Oxeye Daisy is growing next to a saltmarsh just west of the dune in Stuart, Florida. Those are mangroves in the background. The soil is moist and salty with other salt tolerant species like Cakile, Salt meadow Cordgrass and Sea Purslane growing with it.
In the drier soils next to this are Dune Sunflower, Beach Verbena, Goats Foot and Seaside Morning glory. When using this plant, keep in mind that it spreads aggressively though underground roots and may need a border to keep it in place.
I have used Sea Lavender to provide a welcoming color and texture to the front landscape of several homes. Soil must be well drained and rich with organic matter.
This is part of a half mile of almost pure Sea Lavender growing on a berm or dune separating the ocean from a salt marsh near Big Pine Key. Other plants nearby include Porterweed, Chapman’s Cassia, Gumbo Limbo, Poisonwood, Bay Cedar, Blolly, Seagrape, numerous salt tolerant grasses and other herbaceous plants.
There are three forms of Snowberry, see post on Snowberry, with this parvifolia species being great as a groundcover. You will find this species in the upper Florida Keys growing in the shade of tall trees.
If this is how nice it looks growing naturally, think of how it will look if trimmed a little.
The September blooming Little Bluestem species dominating this field provides a rare insight into what the prairies of central Florida once looked like. Other bluestem species can provide a similar look to your landscape.
Bordering a natural wetland are Slash Pine, Saw Palmetto, Sand Cordgrass and other wetland species. The soil can be wet to dry when planting Sand Cordgrass, yet it naturally occurs near wetlands. It will die if planted in water.
This grass can occur as individuals or in large masses mixed with Muhlygrass and other grasses and shrubs. On a lake edge, it occurs just before the dry ground begins.
This is a simple combination of Blue Saw Palmetto and Slash Pine in Juno Beach. This could be your front entrance if room permits.
