Silver Buttonwood

Silver Buttonwood is a very hardy bush that turns into a tree if not trimmed. The wood looks like an olive tree or a Tabebuia. The silvery color is a superb addition to any landscape and the foliage is very soft to the touch.
Trimming Silver Buttonwood will ensure fullness and branching and prevent the bush from turning into a tree unless you want a tree obviously!
My experience in transplanting established Buttonwoods (after 1 year) has been disastrous. The tree looses all its leaves and regrowth is difficult with many parts dying out.
Silber Buttonwood becomes very large and needs room to grow.
Iguanas are not a problem and the plant is mostly disease free.

Thryallis

Thryallis has been a little disappointment. My two mistakes:
* Thryallis' visual impact implies you put it around contrasting foliage. Otherwise you will not notice it. Also it is best if you group several bushes together for a bigger visual impact.
* I read it is important to trim it real hard in the winter time. I did exactly that but the next year's flowering was not impressive
This beautiful plant is also fairly brittle.
This being said, this is a nice addition to a yard
This plant will only grow in South Florida

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow ("Brunfelsia grandiflora")

YTT is very special: a flower is being born bright purple (yesterday), the next day it fades to pale purple (today) and the third day it turns white (tomorrow). The fourth day, the flower dies.
Since the plant is very generous when it blossoms (during the winter months), flowers are being born at different times and the plant is covered with three different colors!
YTT requires a lot of watering when transplanted (for at least two months). It does not like wind. I read they are heavy feeders but when I feed them, I burn the leaves. So i stay away from fertilizers when it comes to YTT.
YTT is usually available in good nurseries. Mine are still young and relatively small but I have seen some that are small trees. This can grow into a big plant if untrimmed. Apparently, trimming must happen before September though or you will inhibit flowering in the winter months

Queen Palm

Queen Palm has become very popular and contrary to Coconut trees, is not susceptible to lethal yellowing. The tree is fairly fast growing and the fronds are truly beautiful. I love this palm tree but it is messy.
I recommend adding magnesium every three months or if you notice that newer leaves turn yellow fast. Feeding a palm fertilizer every three months is also necessary.
The flowers and fruit are very messy. First the flower will appear as a beautiful firework of creamy stems that burst out of a huge seed pot. Once the stem is out, it sheds continuously and turns the soil into a carpet of creamy flowers which will disappear pretty fast and is not a big issue. The flowers attract bees in droves and it is best not to mess with the flower stem as long as bees are working on it. The best moment to trim the stem is right after all flowers have fallen off and you have a naked stem with small berries because it is lightest at that moment. If you let the berries grow, not only will they turn into a real big mess down the road but the sheer weight of the stem with the berries will destroy anything underneath the tree. The weight of a stem with berries is amazing!
I also tried removing the huge seed pot before the flowers come out but unless you take it down when it is small, you'd better avoid trimming a big seed pot because it will fall like a massive rocket and will damage anything that is underneath it.

Jatropha integerrina

Jatropha is amazing because it flowers year round. I never had a Jatropha without flower at any given time! The red is very intense and quite beautiful and when you have 50 -or more- little stems it adds up to a beautiful burst of color.
It can be very pretty but it turns leggy within six to twelve months. Pruning to shape to your taste is a good idea to turn its legginess into a sculptural shape because the branches always arch in any direction and so you can turn the bush into an object of art. Bad pruning might result in a much less desirable result when it comes to the shape but the flowers will always be there.
Jatrophas can grow very old and will turn into small trees. If you give them enough space they can be very pretty specimens.
If you like flowers, Jatropha belongs in your yard.
Fertilizing is not necessary and the plant does not need much water

Bougainvillae

Bougainvillaes are originally from Brazil and are among the most beautiful bushes there is. They grow fast and can become quite invasive rapidly but they are breathtaking when in full bloom. They are at their best in a corner of your yard where you want a jungle of colors or against the walls of your house or to hide a fence. Mixing colors is a good idea.
Trimming them reduces the production of flowers because they flower at the tips but if you cut woody stems, you will generate a lot of new shoots and in so doing, trimming promote fullness and growth.
Excessive water will apparently inhibit the production of flowers. It is a good idea to feed them monthly a specialized fertilizer that promotes blooms.
The golden variety does not bloom as long as the fuchsia type which in turn lasts a little less then the purple type. The golden type also fades rapidly while you can keep your fuchsias for a month straight.
Iguanas are a problem if they have easy access to the plant. they will constantly eat the tender shoots and your tree will not grow at all during the Summer when it is supposed to explode.

The iguana problem

Iguana pets were first released in the wild in South Florida in the 1960's. They love the climate, they have hardly any predator in urban South Florida and they breed like rabbits. The result is an invasive specie that does not belong here and that create havoc in South Florida gardens. So far it was mostly waterfront properties that were affected but by now, iguanas are too numerous and have also invaded dry lots. Beware folks, your precious plants should fear the worst. This posting is the only controversial of my blog because I am certain there are defenders of iguanas out there. I am a garden lover and the voracious and endless appetite of iguanas is such that I lost one year of establishment of my backyard by trying to figure out what was going on with all those plants that disappeared.
Something has to be done. For the iguana lovers out there, let me at least suggest systematic destruction of nests and neutering of iguana pets to help control the population.
For those who suffer, let me also share my experience of what iguanas eat and what they do not touch. In general, the rule is tender and green leaves will be devoured while rougher textures or colored leaves are less affected. Iguanas will attack hibiscuses first no matter what but they will progressively discover new plants and once they discover one, do not be surprized if it disappears in a matter of days (my red firespike vanished in one week time after being established for six months).
Very affected: hibiscus, bougainvillae - tender shoots only -, pentas, copperleaf when still green, bleeding-heart vine, jasmine vine, red firespike, thryallis, yellow elder
Not affected: silver buttonwood, jatropha integerrina, golden mound, wild coffee, allamanda, porter weed, pampa grass, liriope, arboricola schefflera, Ti plants

Wild coffee ("Psychiotra nervosa")

Wild coffee is usually found in more specialized nurseries rather then at Home Depot or Lowe's. Its leaves are a very beautiful, deep shiny green. During establishment, the bush needs regular watering or you risk loosing it. Later on you can lower the watering but this bush is not for a dry spot. Mine has grown to 5' after two years. It is not a fast grower but it spreads quite a bit. Flowering time is April and the flowers have an unpleasant smell. Later colorful berries appear.
Iguanas do not touch it.

Yellow Elder or Esperanza ("Tecoma stans")

Yellow Elder is sold under the name "esperanza" at Home Depot. It is not very common in South Florida but I think it deserves to be used a lot more because it requires very little irrigation and is truly beautiful.
This tree is wonderful if you have a fairly large spot that you want to fill quickly and which is very dry. Mine never gets water except from natural rainfall and has turned into a huge bush in 6 months time (it quickly reached 8').
The flowers come mostly during the warm season but the tree blossoms practically year round. Every branch produces beautiful bell shaped yellow flowers and the leaves are very pretty.
This bush/tree is not for you if you hate trimming or if you cherish a manicured look.
It is for you if you enjoy beautiful colors and a wild look.
Beware: Yellow elder is grazed by iguanas when small and will not develop if iguanas infest your yard

Royal Poinciana ("Delonix Regia")

The Royal Poinciana is a native of Madagascar and very common throughout the tropics. I It is one of the world's most beautiful tree especially between May and July when it is in full bloom.
Flower color varies between orange and deep red.
In Florida it will only grow in South Florida because the tree dies with the slightest frost.
The tree should be pruned many times when it grows to achieve the desirable shape and enable it to grow higher.
It is semi-deciduous. If the winter is dry or if you do not water it in your yard, it will be fully deciduous. Moisture will allow it to retain some leaves. In South Florida, it is dormant essentially between December and April.
Its root system is very aggressive and the tree is very messy at bloom time but the show is worth the hassle!

Muscovy Ducks

We live in Fort Lauderdale (South Florida) where Muscovy ducks are plentiful and we live by the water. A male with various females have established their 12th nest in our yard over the past three years. They might not be the cutest birds at first sight, but like anything else, you grow to like what you grow to know. These animals are fascinating and actually very cute. Their behavior to some extent reminds of human beings (agressivity, tenderness, difference in personality, etc...). While duck sex looks like rape, our male is actually very thoughtful towards his females, he guards the nest, kisses them often etc... Babies are beyond cute the very day they are born but many die within 2-3 weeks (the survival rate is approximately 20%). They need their mother for protection only because they can eat and swim the day they are born. The female lays usually one egg per day in a nest always in a very secluded part of the yard. We noticed that the male suggests the location of the nest to the female who decides if she agrees. You can get near a nest but never within reaching distance: a cold spell that defoliated our hibiscuses exposed one nest that was readily abandoned! She starts sitting on the nest only after she has laid 10-15 or sometimes up to 25 eggs. A brood is usually 10-17 ducklings - the rest does not hatch-. Once you get to know them it is easy to spot what is going on in their life because their behavior changes drastically as they mate, as they sit on the nest, as the babies are born etc... Each phase corresponds to a very different attitude and even the noise they make. The ducklings are raised by their mother only. If the mother gets to know you, you can grab a duckling (they are very silky) and release it. At first she will scream but she quickly gets used to it. Males are much larger than females and they grow that red skin on their face which females do not. Males hiss and females tend to clock more like a chicken than a duck “quack”. The females will quack when they are being chased or bitten by another duck (to establish pecking order). Our male –pioupiou- is very mallow and quite a gentle duck but some males can be aggressive. In 3 years that I have observed them, they never attacked us contrary to what some people claim. If you stand your ground, they are afraid of you and will readily take off if you chase them.