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Scutellaria integrifolia is a North American native wildflower that attains heights of 12" - 24". It has square, pubescent (soft, hairy) erect stems with opposite leaves that are branched near the base. The lower leaves are broader and toothed while the upper leaves are smooth. Flowers appear in spring and summer and are bluish purple, to pink and sometimes white. Helmet Skullcap grows in both full sun and partial shade, and thrives in a wide range of locations and soil types, from fields and meadows to pine flatwoods and moist hammocks.

Helmet Skullcap is a Florida native that pops up all over my lawn each spring.

Encyclia alata is found in Central America from Mexico through Costa Rica. It likes heat and humidity and is generally epiphytic but has been found growing terrestrial in pockets of soil also. The bloom color varies and can be yellowish to green with brown edges and a white lip. The 2" flowers have a sweet honey fragrance.

Encyleyvola Surprise (Brassocattleya Binosa x Encyclia Plicata var. alba) is a compact Cattleya type orchid with a beautiful bloom. I purchased this plant in April 2011. It bloomed for the first time in August 2011 and is currently in bloom again (February 2012). The website where I purchased this orchid states that some have detected a fragrance of mint with a hint of vanilla with this orchid but I've not detected any fragrance.

I'm in Florida, zone 9b and I grow this plant mounted on bark in a location where it gets morning sun and filtered bright light the remainder of the day.

The Broughtonia cubensis, a native orchid of Cuba is the smallest of the Broughtonia genus and is a relative to the much recognizable Cattleya orchids used for many years as a corsage orchid. Broughtonia cubensis is said to be very rare in cultivation. I've had my little plant about a year and this is the first time it's bloomed. I detect no fragrance on the blooms.

The Broughtonia sanguinea are great little orchids for those with a lack of space. Small, easy to grow plants with pretty little blooms, the Broughtonia sanguinea does best mounted on wood slabs or growing in a fast draining potting medium, and must be allowed to dry completely between watering or rot will occur and death of the plant. Broughtonia's thrive in heat and high light situations, and like most orchids they prefer an area with good air circulation.

Yaupon Holly is native to the coastal plains of the Southeastern USA. A popular residential landscape tree, this holly is an evergreen shrub to small tree that can attain heights to 25'. It has stiff, dense branches and small, glossy green elliptical shaped leaves. This shrub bears small white flowers during the spring months and the beautiful red berries appear from fall and throughout the winter. The leaves contain caffeine and although I've never tried it the young leaves can be steeped/brewed to make Yaupon tea, which is said to be quite delicious.

Birds enjoy the berries of the Yaupon Holly but these fruits are toxic to mammals. The berries contain Saponins which can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Posted by plantladylin on Oct 15, 2011 4:46 PM
Native to Southeast Asia, Persian Shield is a fast-growing, soft-stemmed perennial sub-shrub that has iridescent purple leaves with green veins. The reverse side of the leaf is purple. The plant is mainly grown for its lovely foliage, but it does bear small, funnel-shaped, pale violet/purple flowers on short spikes. It requires bright light, but no direct sun, which will burn the foliage. Persian Shield makes a nice single specimen plant and also looks great in mixed container plantings. Pruning will help to keep a compact shape. Persian Shield requires good drainage and is drought tolerant once established.

This is a hoya that is sometimes found in local garden centers and nurseries. My plant came as a large healthy plant from a friend. It grew and grew and bloomed its head off for a few years and I took many cuttings to root and give in trades. Unfortunately, the last two winters have taken a toll on this plant. It hasn't recovered and is almost totally gone.

I received a small cutting of this hoya in 2007 and immediately placed it in a terrarium to root. It rooted and grew and did real well in the terrarium then I read that this particular hoya does not like high humidity so I removed it from the terrarium and planted it in it's own container where it immediately faltered and died. I should have left it in the terrarium!

This has been by far one of the easiest Hoyas for me. I received a cutting in a co-op in 2008 and it rooted quickly and the vine seemed to take off. The foliage takes on a red tinge when grown in a lot of sun.

I received my H. obscura in a trade in late 2007. This is a great Hoya with a very sweet, fragrant bloom. Unfortunately this is one of the plants I lost to an unusual winter freeze.

This is an unusual and interesting Hoya, so different looking from many other Hoyas. I received my plant in a trade and it did very well for a couple of years and then suddenly withered and died.

I received a small cutting of H. macgillivrayi in a trade summer 2011. The cutting rooted quickly and put on a lot of growth. I'm hoping next summer it will really take off and that I will possibly see a bloom or two.

Hoya kanyakumariana is a hoya with small, leathery fan shaped leaves and white flowers. It prefers warmth and humidity to do well. I no longer have this little cutie, another plant lost to a rare Florida winter freeze.

This was a Hoya I received in trade as a small plant that grew to a very large size. Unfortunately I never got to enjoy seeing blooms as I lost the plant to the 2010/2011 winter freeze.

The cute little Hoya bella was given to me as a cutting in a trade. The cutting rooted fairly quickly and the little plant lived for about seven or eight months and then suddenly withered and died. I didn't try to figure out what went wrong with this one and I have not tried growing this particular Hoya again.

I had two baskets of Hoya curtisii a few years ago. It didn't survive for long under my care. They were both out on my deck with all of my other Hoyas, receiving bright indirect light. I read somewhere recently that H. curtisii prefers cooler conditions so it might have survived longer if I'd kept it inside in the air conditioning and not outside in the high heat and humidity.

Lovely Magnolia. This cultivar is a slow grower and does not attain the heights as the species tree but makes a wonderful accent in the garden. It has leathery dark green leaves with a soft/pubescent brown reverse, a nice contrast to the darker green. The blooms are absolutely gorgeous and have a nice fragrance!

The Climbing Aster is a Florida native found along the edges of swampy wetland areas, along streams and rivers and other waterways. It is a perennial woody and sprawling shrub-like plant and although it does not have tendrils for clinging like other vines, it climbs over and through other vegetation, blooming from late summer through fall and even into December here in Florida. Although this is a wetland plant and can handle saturated soil for long periods, it adapts well to regular landscapes too; just be sure to water a bit more during extreme drought situations.

Native to Brazil, Cryptanthus bivittatus is a slow-growing, spreading bromeliad that has stiff, variegated leaves growing in a rosette form. Mature plants bear small inconspicuous three-petaled white flowers at the center of the rosette, usually in early spring. Cryptanthus gets its common names of Earth Star and Starfish Plant from the form/shape of the plant -- the slim elongated leaves with pointed tips forming a rosette that resembles a star. Propagation is by offsets or little "pups" that form at the base of the parent plant and also at the leaf axils. Cryptanthus bivittatus prefers a well-draining potting medium and bright light. The leaf color will change depending on the light intensity. Keep from direct hot sunlight which will scorch and fade the foliage.