FOR RELEASE:  December 29, 2002
 Daniel F. Culbert,  County Extension Director

                                                                   New Plants for the New Year

 Have you resolved to beautify your Florida Yard in 2003? Since 1998, the Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association has recommended an annual group of plants for the landscapes and homes of our state. The 2003 Florida Plants of the Year program will be promoting seven outstanding ornamentals for the new  year. 

 Expect to see these plants highlighted in regional gardening magazines and exhibits at the best horticultural events during the
coming year.  Today's column will highlight these plants and offer suggestions on their adaptability and use in our local Florida Yards.  Information for today's column comes from University of Florida Extension Specialist Ed Gilman and from Florida's Nursery Growers.

 The plants have been selected for their ease of maintenance, their ability to be easily grown in the nursery and in the landscape, and because they show  some superior characteristics of quality, performance or appearance that set them apart form other similar plants.  A panel of expert judges reviewed hundreds of suggestions, but settled on this magnificent group of seven.  Here they are:

* Stokes Aster is a herbaceous flowering perennial that produces several four-inch flowers in summer.  The mature clump will grow to 18 inches in height and be topped with  fragrant flowers that can range from deep blue to lavender to white in color.  In our area, be sure they are planted in a soil with acid or neutral pH levels.  Give the plant full sun or partial shade but choose a well-drained soil. They look great in mixed border plantings or masses in perennial flower beds, and are very attractive to butterflies. Once established, Stokes Aster will be quite drought-tolerant.  There are several varieties of Stokes Aster
available. New plants are grown from fall seeding or by dividing the clumps in the spring.

                                                  

 * Purple Wreath Vine is also know as Sandpaper Vine or Queen's Wreath. It is a tropical Central American vine that thrives in high summer heat and sun. It is fast growing in the late winter to early spring, with long petaled amethyst-blue colored flowers growing in foot long clusters that resembles wisteria.  Flowers will last a few days, but the larger showy bluish purple calyces remain, fading first to blue and then a pale gray color.  This evergreen plant can climb to 40 feet, with rich dark green foliage, and has three to five  inch long heart-shaped or arrow shaped leaves.  In cold winters, the leaves will drop off and the top will die back, but it recovers quickly upon the return of warmer weather. It is wonderful for shading patios or terraces, or found spreading along eaves and fences. Use mulch  for acid plant fertilizer if your soil is alkaline, and check for scales and mealy bugs.

                                                         

 * Crown Grass or Evergreen Paspalum is not for lawns, but instead is an ornamental accent plant that grows in a three to four foot tall clump. Native to Uruguay, this attractive bunch grass was introduced through California. It remains dark green all year, and is moderately salt tolerant.  Under drought stress, the broad leaves roll up and show a bluish green cast.  When massed at four foot internals, this will be an attractive massing plant which can serve as a ground cover.

                                    

 * Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow may be one of the most beautiful plants grown in Florida landscapes, with masses of multi-colored flat flowers throughout the warm season.  Actually, the flowers first open up purplish blue, fade to light blue on the second day, then come back a third day as white - which explains the name of this plant.   Surprisingly, flowering will occur in partial shade.  The plant is an evergreen shrub with glossy leaves can be used along the foundation of large building, but grows too large for planting along most house foundations.  While it likes well drained soils, high pH soil is not a limiting factor, and Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow  has moderate salt tolerance and is normally pest free.

 * Beautyberry or French Mulberry is no stranger to native plant enthusiasts, and this year's designation as a 2003 Plant of the year may make it a staple in our Florida Yards. It is a loosely-arranged, rounded shrub, five to eight feet tall with long arching branches.  The name comes from the vivid magenta-colored fruit, which appear in the fall and will last into the winter if not discovered by birds.  In the spring, the small flowers are a treat for butterflies.  Give it plenty of room, a four to seven feet wide space, and place it where a deciduous plant can offer seasonal screening in areas with a naturalistic appeal.

                                                         

 * Little Gem Magnolia is a beautiful accent tree that was selected from the magnificent native trees that define southern landscapes. Little Gem will only reach a height of 30 to 40 feet and has mature spread of only 8 feet wide, more typical of a multi-stemmed shrub.  It is also possible to find blooms on four- foot tall Little Gems, while with other Magnolias the wait would be much longer before blooming. The bottom of the Little Gem leaves are covered with a distinctive brown fuzz, and the leaves are a deep dark green.  Brown "cones" follow the spring time blooms, and in fall and winter they reveal bright red seeds which valued by wildlife.  Magnolias prefer acid soil but will tolerate a slightly basic, even wet or clay soil, with moderate salt and drought tolerance.

                           

 * Schefflera 'Luseane' is a patented plant developed by Pine Valley Nursery in Apopka, who hold the patent rights of this  new cultivated variety of Arbicola until 2023.  The nursery owner gave the plant his wife's name to this cultivar.  The tight growth with miniature leaves, dense foliage and medium light tolerance makes this a valuable interior plant.  It also may have use as a specialized landscape item for shaping and training.  Because it grows slowly and requires less pruning than other varieties, this unique dwarf plant is ideal for planters or bonsai.

                                                             

 At our office, we have detailed University of Florida fact sheets on several of these plants, as well as the colorful flyer produced by the FNGA.  I have placed photos of these plants on our website at  http://indian.ifas.ufl.edu . 

 If you need additional information on these plants, call or stop by our office (1028 20th Place, Suite D, Vero Beach).  Master Gardener Clinic hours at the Extension office are held during business hours, Wednesday morning at the North County Library in Sebastian, and the second and fourth Saturday of the month at the Environmental Learning Center.
Our phone number is 770-5030, and you can email us at indian@ifas.ufl.edu.
 Happy New Year!

References:

* FNGA Plants of the Year program
http://www.fnga.org/marketing/marketingPlantsOfTheYear.asp
* Stokes Aster
http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod03/01700877.html
* Sandpaper or Purple Wreath Vine
http://www.fm.asu.edu/plantlist/queenwreath.htm
* Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow IFAS Fact Sheet FPS-77
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/BRUGRAA.PDF
* Beautyberry or French mulberry IFAS Fact Sheet FPS-90
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/CALAMEA.PDF
* Little Gem Magnolia IFAS Fact Sheet ST-375
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/MAGGRAE.pdf
* Schefflera 'Luseane'
http://www.apopkafoliage.com/WebAd/PineValleyNursery.htm

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