We’re just going to come right out and say it (before we even dive into the article). At Landcrafters, we’re big on trees. We believe that no matter what type of landscape you’re working with—residential, commercial, single-family, apartment complexes, HOAs, and beyond—there’s a beautiful tree that can enhance and elevate your landscape in a snap (without a doubt).
That belief is why we’ve spent years honing our skills, developing a cultivated talent for designing landscapes that include gorgeous, Florida-friendly trees, planting, maintaining, and growing beautiful trees. The best part? There’s a huge variety of trees that can truly thrive on your Florida landscape—we like to call them Florida-friendly.
If you’re looking to spruce up your property with Florida-friendly trees and shrubs, there is actually a large group to pick from. Sure, you’ll have to consider the type of soil you’re dealing with, the moisture in the air in the area you live in, the heat, and more, but as a general rule, these 10 trees and shrubs you see before you are ideal for most Florida properties (specifically for our Pinellas County area).
Are you ready to learn all about the Florida-friendly trees you’ve been missing out on? We thought you might. Check out our list below of some seriously stunning Florida-friendly trees and shrubs, pick your favorites (if you can), and you’ll be one step closer to elevating your landscape with these Florida tried-and-tested trees.
(SPOILER ALERT: These are just 10 of our favorites—the actual list of these Florida-friendly trees goes on and on—and on. Trust us.)
It will typically grow to approximately 20 feet over the first 20 years of its life.
A cultivar of the southern magnolia, the Little Gem will thrive in moist, organic soils (if evaluable) and won’t wither away in the full sun or the heat. These babies are considered to be drought-tolerant (moderately) and prefer acidic soil. That being said, they’ll definitely tolerate a slightly basic, even wet or clay soil just fine. Like we said, they’re pretty durable little things.
The good part about this Florida-friendly tree? It’ll grow with ease in the hot and humid weather. The only bad part? Those big, beautiful, fragrant blooms slowly decompose and drop, which some might consider to be too messy. That being said, don’t let a little maintenance keep you from investing in the tree of your dreams—at Landcrafters, we’ve got tree maintenance on lockdown.
Crepe myrtles are revered for being one of the most versatile landscape for sunny locations (ahem, hello, Florida)—and the best part is, they’re available for use as medium-sized trees, small-sized trees, shrubs, ground cover, and beyond. Yep. They’re that versatile.
Crepe myrtles do require pruning to remain healthy and to encourage growth. This maintenance is easy to perform but can be overdone, so make sure that your landscape professional is familiar with the plants and their care!
The only caveat with these Florida-friendly beauties? They’re not the most salt-tolerant tree we offer. They can deal with full sun, low fertility soil, and lots of drought, but they’ll need to be protected against irrigation with saline water (and they need to be especially well-cared for near the coast).
The blooms produced by these incredible plants are iconic. From trinkets in gift shops to Hawaiian leis, the undeniably recognizable flowers are truly stunning and come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. They’re highly valued for how bright, colorful, and vibrant they are, making them an exceptional Florida-friendly tree for anyone who’s looking for a whole lot of eye-catching zest in their landscape.
They are also relatively easy to care for and can be planted in the earth or in containers. If opting for the latter, more frequent maintenance is required due to their tendency to become rootbound. In tropical environments, the colder months are generally not an issue. That being said, if we do ever get a random Florida freeze (which, we sometimes do during our mild winters), it’s best to take any and every precaution as they are not (repeat, not) equipped to deal with freezing temperatures or frost.
And while the green leaves on this tree are rough, hairy, and can feel like sandpaper (they look good but they’re not particularly pleasant to touch), they also feature impossible-to-ignore orange blossoms that basically explode with vibrancy. There are few trees that look quite as Florida as the Geiger tree, which hands down makes it one of Florida’s most beautiful native trees.
If orange clashes with your style, you can opt for white and yellow blooms. The best part? These trees can be used as container or planter shrubs or can be allowed to grow into huge trees—giving you some serious versatility. No matter which variety you choose, these lovely trees are guaranteed to enhance your landscaping!
With its multiple trunks and shrubby appearance, the dwarf poinciana (also called the Barbados flower fence) is a tree that fills the void between shrub and full-grown tree and offers plenty of open-branched, fine-textured beauty and security for your landscape.
Not only does it meet this need, but it also does so in an impressive manner. The versatility of this particular plant is valuable, too. You can choose to grow it in the shape of a large shrub or prune it to maintain a more tree-like appearance! Best of all, this shrub-tree combination can tolerate hot, dry areas with no problems at all—it even flowers year-round with a peak display you won’t want to miss come spring and fall seasons.
A bottlebrush is a plant that’s known best for its striking and distinctive flowers—bright red spikes that look like a bottle washer. An upright species, the standard bottlebrush can make an exceptional shrub, but it also grow as high as a tree, up to 25 feet. With a little extra patience, it can even be trained as an espalier.
The bottlebrush thrives in full sun, is drought-tolerant, and can handle salt as well—making it a perfect Florida shrub to include.
A natural native to the Florida Keys, this plant is found almost everywhere along the sunbelt of the united states, like Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, Hawaii, and more. AKA, it actually grows best and thrives in full sunlight (even though it will tolerate a little partial shade, too).
While the shrub can be tamed, it takes frequent trimming. Otherwise, allow the plant to run wild and impress with its natural beauty or trim occasionally to keep it in check. That being said, it can grow up to 18 feet tall if allowed.
This larger-than-life tree can grow up to 100 feet in height! With soft, fern-like, and deciduous foliage, the Jacaranda has dense, terminal clusters of fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers in varying shades of light-lavender blue that bloom in April through August.
These trees are wonderful for a little extra spunk in your landscape, but because of their height and spread, they make fantastic shade trees, too—beauty and function, how about that?
Originally native to southern and central south America, these fast-growing trees do best in full-sun, have a high drought-tolerance, and can tolerate all kinds of soil.
They can feature single or multiple trunks, but all include clustered blooms that are sure to enhance your landscaping in the spring. Warm locations with soil that has good drainage are a must. That being said, they are able to adapt to a multitude of growing conditions, making them a great choice for south Floridians. If you’re ready to transform your outdoor space with these beautiful, durable trees, look no farther than our trained experts who can help you through the process by inspecting and evaluating your property to offer recommendations tailored to your needs.
Though we’re proud to offer you a myriad of landscaping services, our main goal at Landcrafters is to ensure we’re building and maintaining a stunning landscape that speaks to your vision! And helping you choose, plant, and care for the right trees on your property is a big part of that.
Landcrafters prides itself on its custom-tailored designs and use of only the highest-quality plants and trees. Whether you’re looking for something exotic or something with local flavor, getting a quote from us is quick, easy, and free! (And you can guarantee the trees we recommend will be Florida-friendly, easy to care for, and an integral piece of your stunning landscape).
So, what are you waiting for? Contact us with any questions at (727) 493-7123 or request a consultation. Don't forget to check out our regularly updated blog for insider tips and tricks!
Image sources: little gem magnolia, crepe myrtle, frangipani, geiger tree, dwarf poinciana, tibouchina granulosa, standard bottlebrush, golden dewdrop, jacaranda, tabebuia