Florida State University Grounds and Landscaping

The Century Plant (Agave americana) near Magnolia Hall now.

The Spider-lilies (Hymenocallis caribaea) are blooming in the beds in front of the Student Union. These exotic tropical perennials love the heat and humidity of summer.

Here are 16 plants that you can find blooming now in the month of June on our campus. Top row: Agapanthus, ‘Bengal Tiger’ Canna, Brown-eyed Susan, Chaste Tree; second row: Confederate Jasmine, , Narrow leaf Zinnia, ‘Dynamite’ Crape Myrtle, Gaillardia; third row: Hydrangea, ’Knock-out’ Rose, Pink Oleander, Brazilian Rock Rose; bottom row: Petunia, Plumbago, Southern Magnolia and Tall Verbena.

Few of the new campus plantings have elicited as much response as this fernlike-leafed shrub with bright yellow, orange and red flowers that we have placed in several spots- these are at Mendenhall A. The Latin name for this shrub is Caesalpinia pulcherrima, but it has been given a number of common names such as Dwarf Poinciana, Peacock Flower, Red Bird of Paradise, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Pride of Barbados, Barbados Flower Fence and Flamboyan-de-Jardin. By any name, you would have to agree, that it is certainly exotic and colorful. This particular Caesalpinia is native to the West Indies but is planted in the tropical regions across the globe. The Dwarf Poinciana is the national flower of the Caribbean island of Barbados and is depicted on its coat of arms. This shrub thrives on heat and is very drought tolerant, making it a popular choice for color in Southwest landscapes.

We have a few Ginkgo Trees (Ginkgo biloba) planted on campus. There are several attractive young trees at Doak Campbell Stadium and two older trees (one at the Longmire Building and one at Landis Hall) with a lot of character. This old tree covered with Spanish Moss is at Landis Hall. This is an interesting tree to Botanists because in the five groups of seed plants, it’s one of the groups all unto itself. “It’s the only member in its genus; the only genus in its family; the only family in its order, which is the only order in its subclass.” It’s a loner. From the fossil record we know that it has been around for at least 250 million years - fossilized leaves have been found in both hemispheres and in every continent. It has beautiful golden yellow leaf color in the autumn. We are at the southern end of the range where it can be successfully grown.

'Natchez' Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Natchez') is the most planted white variety on campus. After blooming in the summer, it gives us another round of snow-white flowers in the fall. Horticulturists at the University of Florida extension service (IFAS) tell us that ‘Natchez’can have a blooming period of around 90 days per year! This tall growing variety can be used as a small tree as it can reach 30 feet in height! ‘Natchez’ has very interesting trunks and limbs as its exfoliating bark peels back to reveal patches of deep cinnamon brown.

'Yellow King Humbert' Canna is blooming near the new Student Union. This variety was first described in a plant catalog in 1929 and has become popular with gardeners across the world. The famous plantsman Luther Burbank is believed to be the originator of this unique Canna.

European Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) makes an attractive tropical accent in the landscape. This cluster is growing west of the Strozier Library. It is one of only two palm species native to continental Europe, European Fan palm is very cold hardy, tough and drought tolerant requiring very little care.

These tall upright trees growing outside of Mendenhall A are known as Cabbage Gums (Eucalyptus amplifolia). They are native to eastern Australia where they can grow over 100 feet tall. We planted them outside of Mendenhall B. as part of a research project by Dr. Donald Rockwood a Forester at UF. This tree is a candidate for use as a bioenergy crop because it can be planted once but harvested many times as it will sprout from the base once cut down to form new trees. This is one of the two Eucalypts that are the primary food source of the Koala Bear. This tree is only marginally cold hardy in our area and has received extensive cold injury on several winters since it was first planted on campus in 2008- we have lost several-these are the survivors.