What Should I Plant?

South Florida 101

To maximize the success of your planting it’s important to know a bit about the local ecology. South Florida’s biome is driven by water. Plant communities can vary greatly with small changes in elevation, which determine how wet or dry a site is. From dry to wet, here are the common ecosystems you may have had at home in Miami-Dade county:

• Pine Rockland Forest - High and dry, these are the best places to build and so have the most loss from development. There is a large pine rockland next to Zoo Miami.

• Hardwood Hammock - Intermediate elevation, hammocks are dense forests of tremendous diversity (shown above). The Deering Estate has a beautiful hammock you should visit.

• Cypress Forest - Wet and waterfront, cypress and pond apple forests are often found in flooded areas and provide important fishing perches for birds. You can see the original snapper creek at Pinecrest Gardens.

• Coastal / Salty - Mangroves along the waterline transition to salt-tolerant plants further inland. The trails of Matheson Hammock Park are a great place to see this yourself.

There are other important ecosystems in the Everglades that you might like to learn about, click here to learn more and here’s a list of great local hikes so you can see them for yourself.

High and Dry - Pine Rockland

Check out these plants for a site that is rocky or has well draining soil:

• Slash Pine - the famous “Dade County Pine”

• Saw Palmetto - Important food and shelter source

• Coontie - Larval host for the Atala butterfly

• Pineland Croton - Pretty, great butterfly support

The Guidelines for Planting a Pine Rockland has some great information if you want to learn more.

Sometimes Wet - Hardwood Hammock

These plants work well in a site that gets water but doesn’t usually flood:

• Gumbo Limbo - Large canopy tree with beautiful bark

• Willow Bustic - Medium tree with good pollinator support

• Wild Tamarind - Large, fast growing

• Satin Leaf - Medium, beautiful leaves

• Pigeon Plum - Edible fruit and attracts birds

• Dahoon Holly - Attractive small tree, get both a male and female

Wet / Waterfront

These plants work well along canals and can tolerate regular flooding with fresh water:

• Cypress - Beautiful swamp tree with delicate leaves

• Pond Apple - Important Everglades native

• Southern Red Maple - Beautiful red fall colors

• Blue Flag Iris - Beautiful flowers and interesting thin leaves

Pollinator Garden

Use a variety of the plants below as caterpillars and adult butterflies feed from different species:

• Milkweed - Larval host for the Monarch butterfly

• Corkystem Passionvine - Larval host for many butterflies

• Firebush - One of Florida’s best plants for attracting butterflies and birds

• Blue Porterweed - Great nectar source

• Spanish Needle - A “weed” that you may already have

Check out these tips and Zoo Miami’s list of native plants for attracting butterflies to learn more.

Native Hedges

These plants make great hedges that feeds the wildlife and bring birds to your yard. Mix them up for variety instead of planting all of the same kind:

• Marlberry - Super wildlife supporter

• Jamaica Caper - Beautiful flowers (pictured at left)

• Simpson’s Stopper - A hearty hedge plant with fragrant flowers

• Crabwood - Dense beautiful hedge tree

• Myrsine - Smooth green foliage

Eco Lawn

These ground cover plants make great lawns that feeds pollinators and don’t require mowing or fertilizer:

• Sunshine Mimosa - beautiful pink flowers and leaves that move when touched

• Frog Fruit / Creeping Charlie - fast growing ground cover that supports a number of pollinators

• Herb-of-Grace - a mat-forming ground cover that is great for wetter areas

I have each of these at my house and it’s like walking on a carpet surrounded by butterflies.

Mosquito Control

These plants can repel mosquitoes and attract dragonflies that eat them:

• Beautyberry - Lives up to its name!

• Wax Myrtle - Crushed leaves were used as insect repellant

• Fog fruit

Common Natives

What about Live Oak, Mahogany and Black Olive? We love these native trees but they are already widely planted throughout South Florida. Since biodiversity is our goal we recommend planting something else. And if you already have the plants we’ve recommended above, try something new.