Outdoor Plants

Grow the banyan tree in an area that is large enough to accommodate its eventual size – up to 100 feet in height with a spread that may take up several acres. As a houseplant, place the banyan tree in an area with partial shade or in bright light. Choose one or the other and then don’t move it or it may end up dropping its leaves.

Water the mature outdoor banyan tree only during prolonged periods of drought. Indoors, let the soil dry out and then place the plant under the faucet, turn it on to a steady drip, and saturate the soil. Another way to ensure that the soil is evenly saturated is to place the pot in a shallow pan of water. Add more water to the pan as the soil absorbs it, until the top of the soil is wet.

These trees are fast growers to 40 feet. No two grow alike, but the general rule of thumb is to expect a broad-spreading crown. Place the tree in an area of full to part sun with this eventual growth in mind.

Peltphorums are cold tolerant, growing anywhere in South Florida. It’s the only cold hardy tree of the three look-alikes that include jacaranda and royal poinciana.

Acacia farnesiana thrives in dry localities and it is drought hardy and fire resistant. It can be found at elevations between sea level and 1300 m. The species is reported to exhibit tolerance to drought, high pH, heat, low pH, salt, sand, and slope. It forms symbiotic relation with Rhizobium allowing it to grow in nitrogen poor soils. Thrives on poor, dry soils but favors deeper, moister, more fertile clayey soils.

Acacia farnesiana origin is in Mexico and Central America. This species was given its name since it was introduced to Europe in the 17th century to the Farnese Gardens, created in 1550 on the northern portion of Palatine Hill in Rome, Italy, by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, and was the first private botanical gardens in Europe. Since then it spread and became naturalized in many of the world’s subtropical and tropical arid lands

Growing F. foetida is as simple a matter as keeping its soil drained and making sure it receives an adequate amount of sunlight. These plants are drought-resistant and need to be watered only infrequently—in the wild, they often grow on rocks or cliffs—and they prefer full sun. If you’re growing them in pots rather than your garden, make sure the soil stays fairly dry and repot if necessary.

• Terminalia catappa is a large tree. It grows to 35 metres  tall.
• This tree is wonderful for giving shade…it is a fast grower.
• A decidious tree it can shed its leaves twice a year, the leaves turn into colours of red, copper, gold.
• The tree first drops its leaves when it reaches 3-4 years old.
• The fruits are almond-shaped and green turning brown to purple when ripe.
• In case you do not want the tree to grow very tall – you can cut off the vertical growing stem.
• The tree will then spread sideways.

Thorough watering encourages your lawn to develop deep root systems, which make the lawn hardier and more drought-resistant. Let the lawn dry out before re-watering; as a rule of thumb, the color should dull and footprints should stay compressed for more than a few seconds. When watering, put a cup in the sprinkler zone; it should get at least one inch (2.5cm) water. Most healthy lawns require only 1″ of water per week.

The best time for watering is early morning; less water will be lost to evaporation. Ideally, it’s better to water the first half-inch or so, then wait for an hour or two before watering the second half-inch.

Sharp-tipped leaves are the origin for the “prickly” name for this plant, and it definitely fits. Up to 2″ in length, these pointy leaves require the use of gloves to prune, but the flower stalks more than make up for the trouble.

Those flowers are actually clusters of 7-36 small flowers with extremely long stamens. The stamens are bright scarlet in color with yellowish-green tips, giving them a distinctly dual-colored look.

Visually stunning to look at, this plant can grow from five to thirty feet in height.

Wedelia is a plant that has some very mixed reviews, and rightly so. While praised by some for its small, bright yellow flowers and ability to prevent erosion, it is also reviled by others for its aggressive spreading tendencies. Keep reading to learn both about growing wedelia groundcover and the dangers of wedelia propagation.

The lemon is a small tree (Citrus limon) that is green even in the winter. It came from Asia, and is also the name of the tree’s oval-shaped yellow fruit. The fruit is used for cooking and other things in the world – usually for its juice