A lush, green lawn is every Central Florida homeowner’s dream. But for those with a landscaper’s eye, an unbroken expanse of grass blanketing the front and back yards can look a little boring. And if your property has areas where grass has trouble growing, those bare patches detract from the beauty of the rest of your yard.

So what to do? Groundcovers can come to the rescue! Southern Living defines a groundcover as any low-growing plant (less than an inch to up to four feet in height) that can form a dense soil cover to help control erosion and suppress the growth of weeds. As Landcrafters further explains, “Groundcover plants are typically short, quick-growing perennials that don’t require all that much care or soil. Low maintenance, they’re typically referred to as an herbaceous layer (or even a regenerative layer) or a step over.”

Best of all, groundcovers are a budget-friendly addition to your lawn and garden areas that produce dramatic results in terms of aesthetic appeal – and even function! Fortunately, a wide variety of groundcovers are very well-suited for Central Florida’s climate and growing conditions. Once you learn more, you’ll be eager to get started – and get creative with the personality that groundcovers can bring to your yard!

Advantages of Using Groundcovers in Your Central Florida Landscape

Groundcovers can add interesting contrasts in texture and color to your landscape. According to University of Florida IFAS Gardening Solutions, they’re attractive in beds or open areas, and can reduce the maintenance your landscape requires. “There are groundcovers for shady areas, sunny spots, and everything in-between. They’re great for those hard-to-maintain places in your landscape, like small spaces that the mower can’t get into or steep slopes. Some groundcovers should be used alone, while others, like perennial peanut, can be incorporated into turf and even mowed.”

Groundcovers enable you to connect and merge different areas of your landscape – which is especially useful if you have a large yard. You can also use it to camouflage unsightly structures, fixtures or spaces to make your property more aesthetically pleasing. And as mentioned earlier, it’s an ideal solution for problem areas where grass won’t grow – such as wet, dry or shady spots.

Types of Groundcovers

Also as mentioned earlier, there are many types of groundcover plants to choose from. To keep from being overwhelmed by the vast selection, we’ve curated a list of the groundcovers best suited for Central Florida yards.

Asiatic Jasmine Minima – A common ground cover that you’ve probably seen numerous times without knowing what it is, Asiatic jasmine minima is a vine-like, evergreen plant that is hardy, woody and extremely drought-tolerant. Native to Japan and Korea, Asiatic jasmine minima is a low-maintenance ground cover that’s a great alternative to turfgrass. It offers a dense mat of foliage that can survive in both full-sun or full-shade environments with ample moisture. It is extensive, slow-growing and requires little care. Moreover, owing to its sturdiness, Asiatic jasmine minima is usually not subject to disease or pest issues. It can easily survive in harsh environments.

Beach Sunflower – This is one of the most common Florida groundcovers that homeowners love using in their landscape. This Florida-native plant attracts butterflies, and is ideal for hot and dry areas. It suits the coastal areas perfectly, as well. This spreading perennial plant also reseeds and blooms almost throughout the year. It produces two-inch beautiful sunflower-like flowers that can increase the curb appeal of your outdoor space. Moreover, as these plants grow throughout the year, they can brighten up the darker, colder times of the year when winter hits the Sunshine State.

It is tough, colorful and drought-resistant, which makes it one of the best groundcovers for Florida. Its flowers have broad yellow petals that are clumped around a brown center. It will control your soil conditions beautifully and attract wildlife ranging from butterflies to birds. Your landscape will be buzzing with beautiful wildlife and bright flowers!

Ferns – Utilizing ferns as a ground cover for your Central Florida lawn is a great idea – especially the Macho and the Foxtail fern. These ferns will keep your plants happy, the soil healthy and ensure that your landscape looks beautiful.

The Foxtail fern has tufts that are unbelievably soft and breathtakingly beautiful. Moreover, it can survive the harsh weather conditions of Florida. The Macho fern is another good option, as it gives the look of Jurassic Park owing to its sword-like appearance and dense growth.

Mondo Grass – Also known as monkey grass, this is an evergreen perennial that makes a perfect standalone grass-like plant or a groundcover. Its most popular use is as a border grass to add definition between a lawn and landscape beds. Mondo grass has deep green, variegated, or black foliage, and ranges from 2 to 24 inches in height. It’s sometimes planted as a groundcover, creating a shade-tolerant lawn alternative. It performs well in almost any soil and light condition. This slow-growing plant requires minimal care once established, and is ideal for Florida’s weather.

Perennial Peanut – If you love the look of symmetrical flat foliage that is tough at the same time, then perennial peanuts are the ideal ground cover for you! It requires almost no maintenance yet looks beautiful throughout the year. It also blooms delicate yellow flowers, which can uplift the look of your outdoor space. Moreover, with the right care, this beautiful plant can live up to 30 years.

Powderpuff Mimosa – Powderpuff mimosa, also called sunshine mimosa, is a low-growing, native Florida ground cover that is extensively used in residential and commercial settings. It is scientifically known as Mimosa strigillosa, and serves as a host tree for butterfly larvae. This plant blooms pink, bell-shaped flowers throughout the year. It also has a deep root that makes it drought-tolerant and erosion-resistant.

Purple Queen – Rightly named, the purple queen plant is a gorgeous groundcover that will make your landscape look royally purple. Originally from Mexico, this plant is a perennial spiderwort that blooms a pulper-covered, deep mass of foliage. The beautiful shade of purple will add an extra pop to your landscape and make it look well-maintained. The tip of each stem of this gorgeous plant has three-petalled pink flowers that are short-lived but lovely.

If you want the look of an aesthetically pleasing landscape without going overboard with your budget and time, then this plant has got your back. It is drought tolerant and can survive the hot weather of the Sunshine State. Moreover, it can survive the random cold snaps that Florida throws at you. Also, this beautiful plant will regrow quickly in case it gets damaged.

Society Garlic – Society garlic is a groundcover that creates delicate, beautiful star-shaped purple flowers. These plants can grow up to a height of one foot tall and are amazing in mass plantings or borders. It is both drought- and cold-tolerant, which makes it ideal for Florida landscapes. Placing society garlic in a high-traffic area can be attractive, but if you don’t like the constant smell of garlic, you should refrain from it. However, on the brighter side, this perennial plant is resistant to deer damage, as well.

Groundcover Care and Maintenance Tips

Even though most groundcover plants are low-maintenance, some require a little attention. For example, mondo grass should be cut back in early spring and late winter to keep it at its best. Overall, however, making sure you select the right groundcover for its intended location and purpose is essential to its ultimate success in your yard. Clicking on the link of our recommended groundcovers listed above will provide details about their optimum placement for planting and water requirements.

And here is some excellent advice from Master Gardener Glenda Taylor in her article for Bob Vila:

“Perennial beds that feature trees, shrubbery, and bushes are great spots for ground cover, but don’t plant both at the same time. Quick-growing ground cover plants can absorb the nutrients that newly planted bushes and trees need to get a good head start. Wait at least six months after planting the larger items before adding the ground cover to let larger plantings develop healthy root systems.”

Do you know who else provides excellent advice? Our landscaping experts at Daniel’s Lawn Service & Pressure Washing! Our full-service company provides landscape design, tree installation, tree trimming, yard maintenance, pressure washing and so much more. Contact us today so we can do the work, and you can do the enjoying! We proudly serve all of Central Florida – including Orlando, Sanford, Longwood and Lake Mary! We look forward to helping you achieve your goals and bring your vision to life!

Hardy, beautiful, long-living perennials are the gifts that keep on giving to Central Florida landscapes! Many perennial plants are very well-suited to our humid climate, high temperatures and intense summer sun – which means you have numerous options for creating a landscaping plan or garden spot that provides the look and function you want for your property and lifestyle.

Most people are familiar with the terms perennials and annuals, but as a recap, annuals are plants that last for a single year, while – depending upon the type – perennials can live from two to more than 20 years.

Why Your Yard Needs Perennials

While garden enthusiasts love visiting their home center or nursery to bring back containers of bright, colorful annuals, these flowering plants have a long blooming season, but live for just that one season. They must be dug out and replaced the next year – either with the same type of plant, or a different annual. Gardeners don’t necessarily consider this a bad situation or inconvenience. Instead, they see it as an opportunity to get creative with new flowers and new flower bed configurations.

Viewed from this perspective, if annuals provide beguiling pops of color that change from year-to-year, perennials provide the foundation for yard and garden landscaping. They’re the backdrop that remains consistent, allowing annuals their time and place to shine. Although most perennials have vibrant flowers, they continue as attractive plants that enhance the yard after their blooming season is finished. Moreover, the robust root system of perennial plants can prevent erosion and preserve nutritious, valuable topsoil.

Due to the wide variety of perennials available, it is incredibly easy to add several artistic elements to the yard besides colors – such as vining tendency, height and texture. For this reason, it’s possible to have a yard of exclusively perennials, with no compromise in aesthetic appeal. Which brings us to a major advantage of perennials – they require less maintenance than annuals! After all, not every homeowner has the inclination, time or ability to clear out flower beds and replant each year.

Top 10 Perennials for Central Florida Yards

 If you have tried to grow certain plants but failed or faced challenges due to the Sunshine State’s climate, we have curated a list of 10 popular perennials that will thrive in Central Florida yards. If you’re looking for some low-maintenance plants that will make your landscape stunning, look no further! The following recommendations are provided courtesy of University of Florida IFAS Extension for perennials and Florida native plants, and Free Plants. Our blog post – “Landscaping with Florida Native Plants” – provides additional suggestions.

Azalea – Azaleas are widely planted in Florida yards because of the bright, colorful flowers they produce. Most of the evergreen azaleas found in home landscapes are hybrids, and came from Asia. Because evergreen azaleas hold their leaves year-round, they make great backdrop plants for seasonal flower beds. And of course in the spring, they put on their own show with flowers ranging in color from white, to pink, to red, depending on the cultivar.

One widely planted evergreen cultivar is ‘George Lindley Tabor’, a variety that produces countless soft pink flowers each spring and grows to about 10 feet tall and eight feet wide. It is classified as a Southern Indica hybrid, a type favored by gardeners for its vigor and tolerance of colder temperatures, typically down to 20°F without experiencing serious damage.

Bird of Paradise – Strelitzia reginae, or bird of paradise, is a stunning tropical plant that is famous for its eye-catching blue and orange flowers. The unique shape of the flowers makes it appear like a bird in flight. The banana-like evergreen leaves produce a lush backdrop. Look for a sunny or partly sunny location. It will need regular watering and fertilizing to grow and flower at its best. Over time, the plant can form a three- to five-foot tall clump. It is also available in a white-flowering form which can grow up to 15-30 feet tall. Cover when a hard freeze is forecast, or plant in a pot that can be moved indoors.

Bougainvillea – This is a tropical vining shrub that comes in a wide array of bright and fanciful colors. The “flowers” are actually modified leaves, called bracts, which are long-lasting and bright. The colorful bracts outshine the plant’s true (but tiny) flower, much like a poinsettia. Bougainvillea blooms in fuchsia, red, white, yellow, and orange. It can be pruned into a shrub-like form, but is more often trained to grow over fences and trellises to dramatic effect. It can grow up to a height of eight-to-20 feet, with a diameter spread of around 10-40 feet. Bougainvilleas require full sun and perform better when their soil is left a little dry, making this a perfect plant for the drought-tolerant landscape. Protect from frost and freeze.

Camellia – Camellias bloom in the fall and winter, when their stunning display of colorful flowers is most appreciated. During the rest of the year, their interesting textures and shape, evergreen foliage, and moderate growth make camellias an ideal landscape plant. Camellias can serve several functions in the landscape – including foundation plantings, screens, accent plants, background groupings and hedges. You can also enjoy continuous blooms by opting for a range of camellias that bloom at different times of the year. Plant in a sheltered location with partial shade to help them grow and bloom better. Try to prune before late summer.

Hibiscus – This lavish flowering shrub blooms in a rainbow of colors and creates a picture of a vivid tropical paradise. Tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is commonly seen in garden centers and landscapes. Flowers can be many colors, come in single or double forms, and often last for just a day. Individual flowers may be short-lived, but the plant will produce blooms over a long flowering season. Hibiscus attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Tropical hibiscus are sensitive to cold weather; the slightest cold wave can cause lower leaves to yellow and drop off.

Hydrangea – Also known as French hydrangea, hydrangea is a large shrub with stunning masses of color. The two kinds of hydrangeas offer different looks to a garden. “Mop heads” have big round, dense balls of showy flowers that add a bold statement, whereas “lace caps” are more subtle and elegant. Hydrangeas need minimal care in well-drained, fertile soil, and are shade lovers. They’ll grow to several feet in height and can be three to five feet wide. The native oakleaf hydrangea has deeply lobed leaves that resemble large oak leaves.

Knock Out® Roses – A relatively recent shrub rose cultivar introduced in 2000, Knock Out roses can be planted throughout Florida and bloom year-round. They’re available in a variety of colors ranging from vibrant red to blush pink to yellow. Self-cleaning and drought-tolerant, they are resistant to black spot and powdery mildew. Knock Out roses are ideal for gardeners who love the appearance of roses, but don’t want the high maintenance requirements. These plants need at least six to eight hours of sunlight every day, and regular watering. It also helps to have a site with good air movement and well-drained soil that falls between pH 6.0 and pH 6.5.

Pentas – Also known as Egyptian star cluster, this is a slow-growing perennial plant that is native to Africa. Planting pentas in your yard will provide you with an all-year-round blooming garden and make it an attractive place for butterflies and hummingbirds. Pentas plants are available in a variety of colored flowers with each flower having five petals. You can choose from white, lavender, red, or pink blooms or bring a mix of different colored pentas into your yard. These plants can grow up to a height of six feet. However, as these plants can spread up to 15 inches, you must keep ample space around them.

Persian Shield – Also known as Bermuda conehead, Persian shield is a royal purple, evergreen perennial that can grow up to a height of three to four feet. This plant originates from Myanmar and is a tropical shrub that enchants gardeners with its deep purple, six-inch (15 cm) long foliage veined with green. It offers striking flowers in different shades of pink and white. In Florida, this beauty blooms throughout the year. This plant will thrive in full sun or shade equally, but keep in mind that the color will be less impressive under too much light.

Salvias – Salvias are herbaceous plants, usually with square stems. Flowers are borne in spikes which may be scarlet, purple, pink, blue, white, or yellow. They are great plants for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden, and have no serious pests. Salvias are at home in mass plantings, borders and even containers.

The height, spread, flower color, flowering season, and cold tolerance will vary depending on the specific salvia you choose. One particular species may have variable flower colors, as well. For example, the popular and native perennial salvia commonly called scarlet sage or scarlet salvia (Salvia coccinea) can have white, pink, or red flowers. Salvias bloom from spring to fall, and can reach a height of around three to four feet. They can grow under different conditions, and are drought-tolerant.

Want Beauty and Easier Maintenance? Try Florida Native Perennials!

Plants that thrive magnificently all on their own in Central Florida yards may sound too good to be true. However, Central Florida is a subtropical climate, and the state has many unique characteristics when it comes to soil, water and wildlife. The plants we see today have taken many thousands of years to adapt to our specific climate and geography. Because of this, Florida native plants can naturally endure the state’s heavy rainy season, very hot temperatures, periods of drought, humidity, occasional winter freezes, the harsh sun and more. 

The biggest benefit is that they’re simply easier to take care of! Florida native plants allow you to put in less effort for incredible results. Moreover, landscaping with Florida native plants will support your local ecosystem and curb the spread of intrusive, non-native species.

Some of the perennials mentioned in our “Top 10” list have native Florida species. For example, native azaleas – also known as bush honeysuckle – have smaller flowers and are more delicate-looking, but they’re also very fragrant, whereas non-natives have no fragrance. They usually bloom at the same time as other varieties, in the spring, with spectacular colors ranging from peach to pink to yellow. These fragrant native azaleas will reach up to a height of 10 feet and slowly lose their leaves during the winter. They prefer acidic, well-drained soil and are drought-tolerant. It requires little maintenance other than occasional pruning to have a healthy shape.

Another great example is Hibiscus coccineus, also known as the scarlet rosemallow, marsh hibiscus, or swamp mallow. This upright herbaceous perennial can reach a height of 4 to 8 feet. The long leaves of the marsh hibiscus have slender lobes with jagged teeth. Large, gorgeous deep-red flowers appear in mid- to late summer.

 Understand that we’ve just scratched the surface of perennials that can add beauty, enjoyment and distinction to your Central Florida yard! We hope we’ve provided inspiration for avid gardeners to incorporate more of these amazing plants into your landscape design. However, if you’re not the green thumb type but still want your property to be a source of pride and the neighborhood jewel, call Daniel’s Lawn Care & Pressure Washing to design, plant and even maintain the yard of your dreams!

Our full-service company provides landscape design, tree installation, tree trimming, yard maintenance, pressure washing and so much more. Contact us today so we can do the work, and you can do the enjoying! We proudly serve all of Central Florida – including Orlando, Sanford, Longwood and Lake Mary! We look forward to helping you achieve your goals and bring your vision to life!