Landscape Plants of the South

Dogwood Trees

• Flowering trees are a colorful part of your landscaping plan, and a favorite of many southern gardeners is the dogwood. Flowering dogwood and Japanese dogwood trees can grow over 20 feet tall and can be planted as specimens or in masses.

  Dogwoods are a little deceptive because the blossoms that appear in spring are actually bracts, colorful protective leaves surrounding the small yellow flower bud in their center. These attractive ornamental trees like partial shade and need an acidic, well-drained soil. North Carolina State University recommends soil containing a lot of organic matter and pH of 5.5.

Phlox

• An important element in landscape design is ground cover plants. Ground cover will provide color and foliage along fence lines, steep banks, and around specimen trees. Colorful cover plants spread quickly and form dense beds to help prevent erosion and provide attractive accents to your garden.

  Phlox subulata grows well in southern landscape settings. This native perennial, also called creeping phlox and moss pink, spreads quickly and flowers in late winter into early spring. There are cultivars of phlox that produce blue, red, pink and white flowers.

  According to the University of Florida Extension Service, phlox does well in full or partial sun and in a variety of soils. This ground cover species is often planted with flowering bulbs like daffodils to get layers of foliage and flower colors.

Holly

• A growing trend in southern landscaping is low maintenance landscaping. In the southwest where rainfall is scarce, gardeners use many drought-resistant plant types in landscaping and the practice is gaining in popularity in the southeastern states.

  Plants such as red dwarf holly and yucca are attractive and eye-catching landscape elements that need little maintenance. Dwarf holly can be mass planted to grow as a low hedge or planted in containers for the patio and alongside walkways and stairs.

  Clemson University Extension Service recommends planting dwarf holly varieties in well-drained, slightly acidic soils and mulching around the plants to deter weed growth and retain soil moisture. Hollies like full sun for the best berry production.

Yucca

• An important element in landscaping is visual impact. Plants like the Adam's Needle yucca can add a striking visual element to your landscape when planted along a walkway or patio edge or as a centerpiece surrounded by smaller succulent plants.

  Several species of yucca are native to the southern states and can be incorporated into the landscape as border plantings or as specimen plants. Adam's Needle yucca is native to the southeastern coastal region.

  This yucca variety has long thread-like filaments on the edges of its sharp spiky leaves. In summer the plant produces a showy flower spike several feet high with large white flowers. The oval fruit has a hard brown covering and is edible by humans.

  The University of Florida Extension Service recommends the plant be given partial shade and that the plants be spaced 36 to 60 inches apart. The plant will grow well in most soils and is evergreen. Yucca is very drought tolerant and requires little maintenance.