And The Winner Is…

283

The next plant is Golden Dewdrop, Duranta erecta “Gold Mound,” and it is classified as a dwarf shrub. A relatively recent introduction, the foliage is described as “golden-yellow” which I think is misleading as, to me, the leaf color runs the gamut from gold to lime green. It may be that these variations in color are due to differing amounts of light hitting portions of the plant. In any case, the Golden Dewdrop is quite attractive, presents a bright contrast to most other plants in the landscape and prefers full sun.

Who better than a jeweler to recommend a gemstone purchase? Who better than a chef for a restaurant recommendation? Who better than a literary aficionado to clue you in on a good book? And who better than a whole bunch of plant people to tell you about the best plants to use in your landscape?

Once again, the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA) has announced the Florida Plants of the Year (FPOY), this time for 2005. The purpose of the FPOY program is to identify and promote the use of superior and proven Florida plants.

Certain criteria must be met in order for a plant to be chosen. It should require little maintenance and should have a good pest resistance. It should also be fairly easy to grow and propagate, and exhibit some superior quality, improved performance or unique characteristic that sets it apart from others in its class. So, let’s take a look at this year’s recommendations and how they might best serve you.

The first selection, pictured on right, is Weeping Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria “Pendula”). This very cold hardy evergreen is often seen as a multi-trunked tree and is reminiscent of weeping willows in more northern climes.

Read the entire article in the January 2005 issue

Facebook Comments