From the Extension: Tropical bulbs perform beautifully in Lake
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PostedNovember 18, 2019
Did you know there are lots of irises that will grow in central Florida? Try Louisiana iris, African iris, pictured, and blue flag iris to add magic to your landscape. [ PHILIPPE TEUWEN / FLICKR via CC license ] Hide caption Flowering bulbs are not often thought of as an option for a traditional Florida landscape. Many newly planted Floridians assume that bulbs are best left to areas of the country where cool weather prevails in the winter months. I thought I kissed bulb gardening goodbye once I left the hills of Tennessee and settled into a subtropical environment. Boy was I wrong as there are a myriad of subtropical and even temperate and tropical bulbs that perform beautifully in central Florida. While tulips, hyacinths and bearded iris are best left to our northern friends, we can plant caladiums, amaryllis, Louisiana iris and more with abandon. The fleeting beauty of the flower along with a dormant resting stage is perhaps the most captivating feature of bulb gardening. It seems like magic that an intricate and sometimes delicate flower can sprout from a nondescript, brown bulb of compressed stem tissue. The ephemeral beauty and seasonality of flowering bulbs creates an extra special gardening experience. The term bulb is used loosely when referencing bulb gardening as the plants discussed below, are not true bulbs, but rhizomes instead. Rhizomes, corms, tubers, tunicate bulbs, and non-tunicate bulbs are all referred to as bulbs or bulb-like plants. The right plant in the right place applies to bulbs as it does with all plants. Many Florida bulbs prefer well drained, organic soil in dappled shade with minimum inputs of water. But it all depends on the bulb. For instance, Louisiana iris and blue flag iris need considerable moisture and can even tolerate and grow in standing water. Most bulbs do not prefer wet conditions and need a well-drained, full-sun site, like the African iris. Irises recommended for Florida offer as much variety in their blooms as they do their preferred growing conditions. Blue flag iris will reward the grower with vibrant blue flowers on bright […]
