Garden Club of Cape Coral | Winter blooms in Southwest Florida
As we observe the snow, ice and frigid conditions that our northern friends are currently enduring, it’s hard to believe that Florida actually has a winter season! While temperatures are cooler from November through April and the humidity is lower, we can still enjoy gardening and beautiful blooming plants throughout this season that is usually associated with bare trees and grey conditions in the northern states. There are many options for including winter blooms in your garden, and today I’d like to introduce you to a few trees, shrubs and annuals that will provide color and variety in your landscape.
You are probably familiar with many of the winter flowering trees that thrive in Southwest Florida because they make such a dramatic impact when they bloom. The Hong Kong Orchid Tree is one of the best known and most striking winter blooming specimens. It’s hard to miss these trees with their abundant pink, purple or yellow orchid-like blooms. There are many varieties of the Hong Kong Orchid (Bauhinia) available, and since the tree can grow quite large you should choose your site carefully and be prepared to prune your specimen!
The Golden Trumpet Tree is known for its bright display of yellow trumpet-shaped flowers that appear in late winter before the tree’s leaves emerge in the spring. There are other trumpet tree varieties with pink and purple flowers that can be more difficult to find but are striking additions to your landscape. The Chickasaw plum is a smaller Florida native tree that grows to about 6 to 12 feet; it sports clusters of small, fragrant white flowers in late winter.
There are many winter flowering shrubs that can be easily incorporated into your garden. One of the best known is the bougainvillea with its vibrant pink, purple, red and orange bracts. The “bloom” is actually a modified leaf structure, or bract, and if you look closely you will see the tiny white flower inside the colorful bract. These hardy vining plants prefer the dry winter season and will reward you with nonstop color and little maintenance! Ixora is a versatile evergreen shrub that can be used as a hedge, border or even in containers. This shrub displays clusters of red, orange, pink and yellow tubular flowers year round, and also attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. The large, colorful blooms of hibiscus really shine in the winter months and provide a tropical flair for your garden. With its vibrant red-orange tubular flowers and winter berries, the semi-woody perennial firebush attracts birds and butterflies throughout the year and can provide valuable cover for your shade-loving plants.
If you are lucky enough to have space for vining plants, there are two native plants that provide stunning winter displays. The sky-blue clustervine or Key West morning-glory is a native vine that occurs naturally in coastal hammocks and along wetlands in South Florida. This evergreen vine produces an abundance of small showy flowers in colors ranging from sky blue to pinkish-lavender with white throats. As a member of the morning glory family, the flowers open in the morning and attract a variety of pollinators. You can usually find this plant at a native plant nursery. The Carolina jessamine, or yellow jessamine, is another native vine that blooms in late winter to early spring. The vines’ yellow, trumpet shaped flowers emit a sweet fragrance that attracts pollinators. Like the skyblue clustervine, the jessamine can be used as a groundcover (particularly on steep banks) and on arbors, trellises and pergolas.
There are many familiar “winter annuals” that perform best in the cooler months here in Southwest Florida; these plants can be used in your garden beds or in colorful mixed containers.
Begonias provide colorful pink, yellow, orange, red and white blooms with interesting foliage that can vary in color. The bright cheery marigold will introduce pops of orange and yellow into your garden. Dianthus, sometimes known as “pinks” or Sweet William, provide vibrant blooms in shades of pink, rose and purple, and also have interesting foliage. Pentas come in shades of red, pink, white and lavender and are wonderful pollinator plants with constant blooms. Dusty Miller is grown for its silvery, wooly foliage and it makes quite a statement in the garden. Other reliable winter annuals include pansies and violas, petunias, snapdragons and sweet alyssum. These plants are now readily available at local nurseries and big box stores.
The promise of year-round gardening was one of the compelling reasons that I decided to move to Florida. I remember only too well the dreary winter days up north, when even the grass wasn’t green! This is the time of year to take advantage of cooler temperatures and lower humidity, and there are many plants that will reward you with beautiful blooms. Whether you are a snowbird or a full-time resident, this is the perfect time for gardening!
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Don’t miss March in the Park – the Garden Club of Cape Coral’s biggest fundraiser on March 8 at Rotary Park, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Cathy Dunn is a Lee County Master Gardener Volunteer, Garden Club of Cape Coral member and president of the James E. Hendry Hibiscus Chapter. Visit gardenclubofcapecoral.com. Like us on our Facebook page!