Alternative plants Alternative plants to ficusto ficus

Henry MayerHenry Mayer

Miami-Dade Cooperative ExtensionMiami-Dade Cooperative ExtensionNovember 14, 2007November 14, 2007

http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.eduhttp://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu

Whitefly damage

Whitefly damage

Factors

• What is the objective of the hedge?• Height and width• Full sun or partial shade• Flowers and color or evergreen• Budget for installation and maintenance• Soil characteristics: pH, moisture, OM• One plant or a hedge design• Others

Hedge height

Shade

Color

Why do you want a ficus hedge?

• Fast growing• Cheap ($2.00/3g)• Low maintenance ?• Easy to find (400

NSY)• Popular

Right plant in the right place!

• Check your soil • Visit Fairchild or

other• Ask the Extension

Service• Look in books,

website, etc.

Plumbago

• Blue and white flowers• 3g / $4.00• Full sun or part shade• Common pruned height:

4’-6’• Tolerates moderate

drought• Moderate salt tolerance• Attract wildlife

Areca Palm

• 3g/$6.00• Low maintenance?• Partial shade• Drought tolerant• Salt tolerant: none• K deficiency

Silver buttonwood

• 3g/$4.00• Native• Full sun• Common pruned height:

4’-7’ or taller• High salt and drought

tolerant• Tolerates poor drainage• Sooty mold could be

present

Schefflera arboricola ‘Gold Capella’

• 3g/ $4.00• Full sun to partial

shade• Moderate draught

tolerance• Compact hedge• Salt tolerance?

Schefflera arboricola ‘Trinette’

• 3g / $4.00• Smaller than the first

one• Drought tolerant• Full sun or partial

shade

Schefflera arboricola

• Tolerate more shade• Mature size: 8’ – 15’• Tolerate poor

drainage• Full sun or partial

shade• Drought tolerant

Oleander

• 3g / $5.00• Plant is poisonous• Flowers: pink, white,

red, salmon, etc• Salt and drought

tolerant • Full sun and partial

shade• Caterpillars, witches'

broom

Jatropha

• 3g/$4.00• Salt tolerance:

moderate• Drought tolerance:

moderate• Mature size: 10’-15’• Attract wildlife

Dracaena

• 3g/ $4.00• Drought tolerance:

high• Salt tolerance:

medium• Full sun and partial

shade

Croton

• Many cultivars like ‘Petra’, ‘Mammey’, ‘Norma’, ‘Gold Dust’, etc.

• Foliage with colors• Full sun or partial shade• Drought tolerant• Salt tolerant: moderate• Attract wildlife• Mature size: 3-8 feet

Surinam cherry

• 3g/ $4.00• Full sun or partial

shade• Salt and water

tolerance: moderate• Mature size: 8-20 feet• Formal hedge

Bamboo

• 1,600 varieties• 7g/$50.00• Full sun to full shade• Resists cold• Needs water• Rapid establishment

Firebush

• 3g / $4.00• Full sun to full shade• Tolerates poor

drainage• Attracts wildlife• Native• Drought tolerance:

moderate• Salt tolerance: none

Shrimp plant

• 3g / $4.00• Full sun to full shade• Attracts wildlife• Salt tolerance: none• Drought tolerance:

moderate• Red color flowers

Acalypha

Many cultivars with colors

Mature size 8-12 feet

Tolerates poor drainage

Full sun or partial shade

Salt tolerance: medium

3g / $5.00

Pruning

Chenille plant

• 3g / $5.00• Full sun or partial

shade• Salt and drought

tolerance: medium• Mature size: 6 – 10

feet

Podocarpus

• 3g / $6.00• Drought and salt

tolerance: high• Full sun or partial

shade• Mature size:30-40

feet • Formal hedge

Ligustrum

• 3g / $5.00• Salt tolerance: high• Full sun or partial

shade• Mature size: 8- 12

feet• Drought tolerance:

medium

Cocoplum

• 3g / $4.00• Drought and salt

tolerance: high• Native• Full sun or partial

shade• Mature size: 10-*20

feet

Viburnum

• 3g/$4.00• Drought tolerance:

high• Full sun or partial

shade• Mature size: 20-30

feet• Salt tolerance: low

Questions??