Finding plants that bloom all year in Florida may be tough. A Florida garden, on the other hand, is enjoyable because it develops flowering plants and shrubs that bloom all year. Colorful tropical plants with pink, red, orange, yellow, white, and purple flowers can be found in your front or backyard. Moreover, your garden landscape will always seem lush and healthy since many vivid Florida flowers have evergreen leaves.
Selecting the correct blooms for a Florida garden may be difficult. Native Florida plants, for example, may succumb to the heat and brightness of southern Florida since they thrive in the north. When the temperature drops below freezing in North Florida, however, evergreen blooming plants that thrive in South Florida may perish or lose their leaves.
This article identifies the most blooming plants for Florida, which bloom all year long and can be found here. You’ll also discover some landscaping tricks for incorporating these gorgeous plants into your Florida home.
The Best Flowers to Grow in Florida
All year long, the Sunshine State is a fantastic place to cultivate tropical flowers. Chinese hibiscus, ixora, firespike, and Egyptian star flower are the best flowers to bloom in Florida from January through December. Lantana, blue daze, and blanket flower bloom for many months of the year in most Florida areas, and other flowering plants like lantana do so as well.
Growing Zones in Florida
Each zone in Florida represents a certain area’s minimal winter temperatures, which are divided into four zones. When selecting which flowering plants to cultivate in your garden landscape, this data is critical. Evergreen plants that grow in zones 9 through 11, for example, are tender perennials that grow in zone 8.
Here’s a quick guide for growing flowers in Florida’s four hardiness zones:
USDA Zone 8: Pensacola in the panhandle and Jacksonville in the east are the northernmost points of Florida. South of Orlando, Zone 8 extends up to Zone 9. Zone 8 has a winter minimum temperature of 20°F (-6.6°C).
USDA Zone 9: Zone 9 is the most common zone in Central Florida. It has a subtropical and tropical climate that stretches from Orlando to Lake Okeechobee. In the winter, the temperature drops to 25°F (-3.8°C).
USDA Zone 10: From Fort Myers and Naples in the west to Vero Beach, West Palm Beach, and Miami in the east, most of southern Florida is covered. Zone 10 has a minimum temperature range of 30°F to 35°F (-1.1°C to 1.7°C).
USDA Zone 11: The Florida Keys, which stretch from Key West to the southernmost tip of the state, are included in this region. It seldom drops below 40°F (4.4°).USDA growing zones are only a rough guide, so it’s important to remember that. A plant’s growth can be influenced by its proximity to the sea or to exposed areas.
Flowers That Grow All Year in Florida (With Pictures and Names) – Identification Guide
In the Sunshine State, a variety of native Florida flowers has a lengthy flowering season. They’re ideal for adding year-round color to tropical settings with continuous sunlight of at least six hours a day. Please continue reading to learn about the finest flowers in Florida that bloom all year.
Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
This vigorous evergreen shrub with magnificent showy flowers blooms year-round in zones 10 and 11 in south Florida. It is known as tropical Hibiscus. Large trumpet-shaped blooms with protruding stamens are the trademark of tropical hibiscus. The funnel flowers of the shrub may be up to 8 inches (20 cm) wide.
In frost-free regions, Chinese hibiscus flowers bloom all year. Bright red, yellow, white, or pink blooms may be found on the huge tropical flowers. The glossy green leaves, which are made up of huge leaves measuring 6″ (15 cm) long, contrast with the gorgeous blossoms.
Tropical hibiscus grows as an evergreen flowering shrub in USDA zones 10 and 11 in Florida. Planting it as a screening hedge, blooming hedge, foundation planting, or specimen plant is also a good idea. The Chinese hibiscus is a beautiful plant for container planting in Florida’s northern zones, adding color to decks and patios.
Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera garvinea, Gerbera jamesonii)
In the warmer parts of South Florida, the brilliant cheerful gerbera daisy blossoms nearly continuously throughout the year. Multi-petaled blooms with a ray of slender petals surrounding brilliant centers are the gorgeous long-blooming blooms. Multi-colored disc-shaped blooms characterize some gerberas varieties.
Ray florets composed of slender petals are found on other evergreen perennial daisies. In Florida gardens, Gerbera daisies are a popular blooming plant. In the colder northern Florida areas in zones 8 and 9, daisy blossoms bloom from spring to fall. Outside floral displays may be seen at any time of year in zones 10 and 11.
Single, semi-double, or double Gerbera daisy blossoms may be up to 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter. Large slender petals have rosettes that grow along the ends of stems that are 18 inches (45 cm) tall. Daisy plants have lovely, semi-evergreen leaves that are mid-green in Florida, which adds to their appeal.
Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia)
Mexican heather is a tough evergreen flowering shrub that thrives in the hot and humid climate of most of Florida. The arching stems, low growth, and abundance of lilac, purple-pink, or white blooms flowering throughout the year in Florida identify this decorative shrubby plant. Moreover, this shrub is perfect for year-round color in Florida gardens due to its lovely pointed oval evergreen leaves.
Mexican heather is drought and salt tolerant and adapts to a wide range of soils. Planting in Florida’s coastal areas is made even easier by the evergreen shrub. You may grow the shrub as a blooming perennial in USDA zones 9 to 11 and it will bloom all year.
The landscaping shrub should be grown as an annual in colder areas. Little, funnel-shaped blooms with six spreading pale purple or pink petals set off Mexican heather. Almost all year, the shrub produces abundant blooms. Mexican heather may be cultivated in containers, as a full-sun ground cover, walkway edging, or driveway edging.
Egyptian Star Flower (Pentas lanceolata)
In Florida’s warmer zones, the Egyptian star flower is a towering evergreen shrub that produces dense clusters of tiny star-shaped blooms all year. Pink, lilac, white, or red blooming clusters are most common. You may anticipate flowers throughout the year, especially during the winter, as an evergreen perennial in warmer zones.
The height and width of Penta bushes range from 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2 meters). The attractive foliage of pointed oval leaves, which grows 6″ (15 cm) long, is one of the identifying features of Egyptian star flower. Moreover, the brightening of southern tropical gardens is aided by clusters of tiny, five-petaled blooms that bloom year-round.
Hummingbirds and pollinators prefer Egyptian star flower shrubs, which are perfect for setting in a Florida garden. The blooming shrub will thrive all year round in Central and South Florida. The shrubby plant, on the other hand, thrives as an annual or tender perennial bedding plant in Florida’s zone 8.
In full sun or in light shade, Pentas will grow quickly and adapt to most soil types. If you want pink plants growing along a foundation, driveway, or edging a flower bed, some dwarf cultivars are ideal for landscaping small gardens in Florida.
Salvia
Salvia is an herbaceous purple-flowering perennial plant that blooms throughout the year in frost-free Florida zones, producing purple flower spikes. Salvia plants produce dense clusters of tiny purple or lilac two-lipped blooms from flowering spikes. Another feature of aromatic salvia plants is that they produce blue, yellow, white, and pink blooms.
Salvia plants may grow up to 30″ (75 cm) broad and reach 18″ (45 cm) tall. In zones 9 and 10, the perennial sun-loving types will continue to bloom all year. However, the plant blooms in the summer in colder zones and is an annual bloomer. Salvia thrives in full sun and is a blooming plant native to Florida.
When crushed, the aromatic leaves release a pungent, earthy odor. The bright blooming spikes add a carpet of brilliant hues to a Florida landscape throughout the summer and into the winter.
Firespike (Odontonema cuspidatum)
Firespike is a showy evergreen tropical shrub with green leafy leaves and tall flowering spikes featuring vividly colored red tubular flowers that bloom all year. In southern Florida landscapes, this small decorative shrub adds a year-round burst of crimson colors. Firespike shrubs bloom throughout the fall and winter in Central and North Florida.
Fireworkspike plants reach 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) in height in the tropics. Three-inch (7.5 cm) cylindrical red blooms adorn the tall spikes. The plant’s glossy dark green pointed leaves with wavy borders contrast with the crimson and lipstick red blooms.
Firespike thrives in the sun and can endure most soil conditions. When established, it is also drought tolerant. Firespike may die back after a frost in colder zones, but return in the spring. Plant firespike as a foundation planting or understory for taller landscaping trees in a Florida garden.
Ixora
Ixora is a low-maintenance flowering shrub that thrives in south Florida when it is given the correct conditions. The gorgeous clusters of four-petaled red flowers contrast with the dark green glossy foliage in this attractive landscaping plant. During hot summers and mild winters, these long-lasting blooms bloom continuously. Dwarf cultivars that grow 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.7 meters) tall are the best ixora shrubs for a Florida landscape.
To add red flowers to Central and South Florida landscapes, choose the eye-catching ever-blooming shrub. Ixora shrubs with orange, orange-rose, dark crimson, pinkish-red, and yellow blooms are also available in red varieties. Ixora plants bloom continuously throughout the year under ideal conditions.
When grown in partial shade in Florida, you may also appreciate its lush foliage and wonderfully fragrant flowers. ixora is a wonderful addition to warm Florida landscapes, requiring very little care.
Knock Out Roses (Rosa ‘Knock Out’)
In warmer parts of Florida, the sun-loving and easy-to-care for ‘Knock Out’ roses have gorgeous blooms that bloom virtually all year. Bushy rose bushes bloom with double blooms in an open rosette form and are easy to grow. In most parts of Florida, these lovely bushes bloom virtually throughout the year.
Plant ‘Knock Out’ roses in the sun for six to eight hours a day to get the best results. The bushy rose plants will reach a height of 3 to 5 feet (1.5 to 1.5 meters) and a width of one meter. The roses will survive some drought, heat, and humidity once they are established. They also need little care.
From spring till frost, Knock Out roses will bloom continuously in North Florida. Rose bushes in warmer climates will bloom all through the winter. Decorative flower bushes can be used as a colorful hedge, foundation plant, or transitional between perennial bushes.
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Oleander is a tough drought tolerant shrub that blooms all year in South Florida. The five-petaled trumpet-shaped blooms of the bushy shrub are pink, purple, or white and grow in small clusters. The blooms will bloom practically throughout the year in the southernmost part of Florida.
Oleander grows to be 4 to 8 feet (1.2 to 2.4 meters) tall and has a rounded growth habit. When grown in full sun, it produces the greatest blooms; nevertheless, some shade will be tolerated. In addition, since it is drought tolerant, salt air tolerant, and pollution tolerant, the plant is appropriate for landscaping in Florida.
USDA zones 9 through 11 are ideal for oleander plants. It’s worth noting, however, that in the cooler zones of zone 9, the plant may be damaged. By regularly removing the suckers from the suckering shrub, you can also train it to grow as an ornamental flowering tree. It’s critical to keep in mind that oleander leaves and roots are poisonous. As a result, if pets or children play in the yard, it’s best to avoid them in the landscape.
Flowers that Grow Most of the Year in Florida
Despite Florida’s harsh environment, many other types of full-sun flowers have lengthy flowering periods. Although certain plants do not bloom throughout the whole year in Florida, there are lovely plants that bloom for much of the year. Read on to learn about some of Florida’s best landscape plants.
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Florida gardens benefit from the lovely blanket flower, which has a long blooming season and adds a nice focus to the garden. A ray of orange and yellow finger-like petals surrounds a dark center characterizing blanket flowers. The tips of long stems with these stunning colorful blooms.
Since they are suited for USDA zones 2 through 11, blanket flowers are a popular choice for Florida gardens. For the best effect, place the flowers in well-drained, full-sun soils. Moreover, blanket blooms are ideal for coastal areas along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic coast because they are salt-tolerant.
A flowering plant native to Florida, the cultivar Gaillardia aestivalis. The yellow rays that surround the dark brown center are sparse, and they fade away. Moreover, the lanceolate gray-green leaves of this native Florida plant. perennial border fronts, foundation plantings, and mixed beds are all great uses for the yellow blooms in Florida gardens.
Blue Daze (Plumbago)
Plumbago is a low-maintenance blue-lilac or white-flowering herbaceous plant that blooms throughout most of the year in sunny Florida landscapes. It comes in hues of blue, purple, and white. The attractive five-petaled blossoms with spoon-shaped or oval petals distinguish plumbago plants. The light green obovate leaves contrast nicely with these flowers. It’s also a landscaping plant because of its mounding development with trailing stems.
In temperate areas, blue daze blooms all season long from spring to summer. The spreading shrub, on the other hand, blooms practically throughout the year in Central and South Florida. Up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall and broad, this large blooming shrub grows.
You may grow blue daze, also known as cape leadwort, in a hot, humid environment and it’s ideal for sun-tolerant ground cover with purple-blue blooms. The gorgeous plant may also be grown on a trellis, arbor, pergola, or cascading down a wall. Its blue blooms and vivid green leaves have a stunning visual appeal.
Lantana
Lantana blooms most of the year in the tropical region of south Florida, and it thrives in the heat of summer and mild winters. In full sun, the little plant thrives with its bouquet of colorful blooms. You can see the bright colors of this plant for most of the year in Central and South Florida. These low-growing blooming bushes thrive in full sun and prefer sandy, loamy soil. Lantanas are salt- and heat-tolerant, which makes them ideal for Florida’s coastal areas.
Lantana grows in Florida in a variety of forms. Little cup-shaped flowers make up the rounded flower clusters, and many blooms are multi-colored. Pink and yellow, red and yellow, yellow and orange, and pure pink are some of the flower color combinations available. In Florida zones 8 through 10, lantana blooms can be grown all year.
Bulbine (Bulbine frutescens)
Bulbine is a non-native perennial plant that grows well in heat and poor soils and blooms throughout the warm months of Florida. Bulbine is distinguished by its slender yellow-orange blooms that bloom during the summer months and have a long flowering stalk.
Grass-like foliage also produces attractive mounds for tiny to medium-sized yards, in addition to creating cheerful mounds. The lovely heat-loving plant grows to be about 1 to 1.5 feet (0.3 to 0.45 m) tall and is also known as orange bulbine. Its flowering stalks grow up to 2 feet (60 cm) and are covered with little six-petaled light orange or yellow flowers. Its branching, sturdy stems grow up to 1 foot (30 cm) tall.
Bulbine can be used to brighten mixed border fronts, line pathways, or landscape rock gardens and is best planted as a ground cover in a sunny Florida yard. It’s also a great xeriscaping plant because to its heat and drought tolerance.