South Florida Landscaping Ideas That Will Wow You and Your Neighbors

South Florida temperatures are seldom below the mid-50s. The dominating characteristics are heat and humidity.

When it comes to the Florida landscape, South Florida is tropical. 

Plant selection is dictated by the weather. But there are other challenging issues as well. Water conservation is important. And there’s the constant battle with weeds and invasive plants. 

Read on for Florida landscape ideas that’ll increase your curb appeal and make your property pop!

 

Hot and Humid

When looking for plants for your Florida landscape, look for plants that thrive in zone 10. 

Zone 10 has mild winters. The summers are hot and humid. Zone 10 plants must withstand high heat, which presents a challenge for many plants. 

If you live in zone 10, there are lots of great plants and trees from which to choose. 

When it comes to shrubs try:

• Garden croton
• Waxmyrtle
• Encore Azaleas
• Gardenia

Give these trees a try:

• Sago palm
• Eucalyptus
• Little Gem Magnolia
• Royal Empress
• Muscogee Crape Myrtle
• Italian Cypress

Roses aren’t too crazy about high heat. But there are a couple of hardy roses that’ll work for your Florida landscape:

• Knock-Out Roses
• Drift Roses

Fruit and Citrus:

• Key Lime
• Meyer Lemon
• Moro Blood Orange
• Nules Clementine
• Nagami Kumquat
• Brown Turkey Fig
• Loquat
• Avocado
• Santa Rosa Plum
• Bananas (Dwarf Cavendish and Musa Grand Naine)

There are many flowering plants that’ll do great in your Florida garden. Make sure they’ll work in zone 10 before buying.

Mix and match these and other trees, shrubs, and flowers in these fun landscape ideas. 

 

Butterfly and Hummingbird Retreat

Entice butterflies and hummingbirds into your yard while helping the butterfly population. 

Red and pink Penta plants offer year-round color in your landscape. Pentas have a five-pointed shape earning them the nickname Egyptian stars. They grow as wide as 3 feet and as tall as 6 feet. 

Lantana plants also attract butterflies. Lantana comes in many different colors such as red, orange, and pink. Try surrounding a birdbath with these beautiful plants, and watch the wildlife play. 

The butterflies and hummingbirds love these plants and you will too. 

 

Go Mediterranean

Does your South Florida house feature a Mediterranean style? Then why not finish it off with a Mediterranean landscape?

Line long brick paths with juniper and topiary balls. Add some potted Sago palms. For a majestic touch, try a couple of Eucalyptus trees. Their silvery leaves add to the Mediterranean look and feel.

A rock garden looks great in a Mediterranean-themed Florida landscape. A rock garden has many benefits. 

 

Colorful and Bright

Looking for a colorful landscape? Try some croton plants. This perennial evergreen shrub comes in many different colors, shapes, and sizes. 

Orange, purple, pink, and green are a few of the colors of the croton plant. This shrub loves a warm, humid environment making it perfect for South Florida. 

Couple your croton plants with some flaming sword bromeliads and cairn markers. Flaming sword bromeliads have attractive foliage and beautiful flowers. The flowers stick up from the foliage like a sword, giving it its name. 

 

An Exotic Look

Are you landscaping a luxury home? How about a waterfall?

Install a water feature and pond. Then use plants like the Rojo Congo Philodendron. This plant has beautiful red stalks and bold leaves. 

Rojo Congo likes filtered light. Make sure the soil is moist. 

Couple the Philodendron with flowering plants such as the Yellow Barleria (giant shrimp) plant. Enjoy the bright-yellow flowers year round. This plant grows best in indirect sunlight. 

 

Try a Bamboo Garden

Bamboo offers a tropical flair. Pair some blue bamboo with red butterfly flowers. Add in some pink roses for a whimsical touch. Giant shrimp plants pair well with bamboo as well. 

Pinwheel jasmine is pretty in the bamboo garden. Pinwheel-shaped white flowers adorn this plant. The name is associated with a beautiful scent, but this flower has no fragrance. 

It’s a beautiful shrub and flower that grows to about 5 feet in height. It makes a great understory planting around the bamboo. 

 

Low-Maintenance Landscape Plants

If you’re going for low maintenance, choose plants that are slow-growing. Slow-growing plants don’t need as much trimming. 

Crotons are great in a low-maintenance garden. They have beautiful colors but don’t require a ton of work. They do well in sun. 

If you’re looking for a shrub, try Pittosporum tobira. The shrub comes in an all-green or variegated variety. The variegated shrub has pretty light-green leaves and cream-color edges. It looks great as a hedge bush. 

Pittosporum tobira is often well manicured. But left untrimmed, it grows small white flowers in the spring. The flowers have an enticing orange-blossom scent. 

Crown of thorns flowers almost year-round in South Florida. It has bright beautiful flowers. You’ve got several choices of color, including pink, yellow, and red. They grow about 3 feet tall. They love plenty of sunshine. 

If you’re looking for a climbing vine with a sweet scent, try Carolina jasmine. This climber grows fast, but it doesn’t get out of control like other climbers. Put it in a container and provide a trellis or lattice. 

Looking for something low maintenance and dramatic? Try a Strelitzia reginae (orange bird of paradise). The flowers on this plant look like a flying bird. It’s a stunning plant making it the perfect focal point of any garden. 

If you’re looking for a sturdy border plant, try the Raphieolepis indica (Indian Hawthorne) plant. This plant does well in partial shade and sun. In the spring it has little white flowers that turn into berries. The birds love the berries!

Have a spot under your trees that won’t grow grass? Try some Indian Hawthorne. 

 

Florida Landscape Ideas

Now you’ve got some ideas for your South Florida landscape. Have fun mixing and matching the different plants that work for zone 10. 

Look at your garden throughout the day and notice how much sun it gets.

Always read the plant specs and plant care instructions before buying a plant. Pay close attention to whether the plant does best in full sun or shade. Then place it in the garden accordingly. 

There are so many great landscaping ideas, it’s overwhelming. But a great landscape is important for curb appeal. 

Contact us today to get started with a consultation to discuss your options.