Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

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Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

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Monday - February 28, 2011

From: Panama City Beach, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources
Title: Need resource to learn about plants to grow in Panama City, FL.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

Please provide me with a resource to go to and learn what I can plant and will thrive in Panama City Beach area (sand). I enjoy color and flowering plants as well as a variety of greenery. I am moving to the area. Thanks.

ANSWER:

Let me introduce you to our Recommended Species Page. Click on the link to get to the page, and then click on North Florida on the map. This will bring up a list of 250 commercially available native species suitable for planned landscapes in North Florida. Clicking on the name of each plant will bring up its Native Plant Database page that has a description of the plant's characteristics, distribution, and growing conditions.

By utilizing the "Narrow Your Search" box, you can specify the appearance of the plants you want (herb, shrub, or trees), whether it is an annual or perennial, its light and soil moisture requirements, etc. This will give you a shorter list in most cases. By making different choices in each of the boxes, you can generate several lists of plants to consider.

This link to the Florida Native Plant Society provides lists of plants by county. Other resources for growing natives in Florida includes the Florida Wildflower Foundation website. Using these sites in conjunction with our Native Plant Database should make you a plant expert in no time.