May Free Plant List

Open Greenhouse & Plant Swap, Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 602 Ronele Drive, Brandon, FL 33511

IMPORTANT: We changed the time back to 9 to 1 since we apparently went from winter to summer with no spring in between.

If you’ve never been to Open Greenhouse, it’s a great way to see what’s happening in my Florida-friendly yarden and meet other gardeners. The plant swaps are great fun – you never know who is going to bring what. (They’re not a tit-for-tat swap so you don’t need to bring anything if you don’t have plants you can share.)

If you’re planning for a long, hot, dry summer, you’ll definitely want some of this native groundcover. Dune sunflower laughs at dry heat, and keeps on blooming. We have some seeds and lots of cuttings that are easy to root — ask for directions if you’re never done it before. (I bought five plants last spring and they’ve pretty much covered a 10 by 25 spot that gets full sun and isn’t easy to water.)

Also on the free native plant list:

Native Red Salvia, another plant that keeps blooming through hot dry summers. It spreads easily by seed and is a favorite of bees and many butterflies.

Firebush is a larger plant but it’s my all-around favorite because so many critters use it. You’ll almost always see zebra longwing and sulfur butterflies, plus giant bumblebees and hummingbirds all winter. We have about a half-dozen you-dig plants that birds shared with us in spots we don’t want them.

Wild coffee is another Florida native that is spectacular in a shady location.

Simpson stopper seems to be happy in either sun or shade.

Elderberry is best in a larger yard, but it’s super-easy to grow. Bees and butterflies love its flowers — and birds love the fruit if you don’t pick it fast enough.

Native porterweed is a charming groundcover that does well in sun or shade, although you’ll get more blooms in the sun.

Other free plants that are Florida-friendly and easy to grow:

Mulberries are covered in fruit. Take some fruit home along with some cuttings — you should have your own fruit later this summer.

Dwarf poinciana is a well-behaved relative of the giant red flamboyant tree. It has yellow flowers all summer but stays at about 10 feet.

Salmon porterweed isn’t native but it’s much more well-behaved than the non-native purple variety. We get less than a half-dozen volunteers every year, and they’re easy to rehome because they’re hummingbird favorites.

Speaking of hummingbird favorites, check out the giant dumbeya, aka Florida hydrangea. It’s a winter bloomer so it’s at its best when our beautiful little friends are here.

Crinium lilies are another plant that loves hot, dry summers.

Brazilian red cloak blooms all winter long in full sun or deep shade. It’s also an awesome cut flower if you don’t mind stealing food from the hummingbirds.