Ornamentals Growing on the Lower East Coast 
of Florida 
J. B. Donnelly, Palm Beach 
The subject of my paper is Ornamen¬ 
tals growing on the lower East Coast of 
Florida. As I live at Palm Beach a de¬ 
scription of the plants growing here will 
probably do for the territory between 
Fort Pierce, and Cape Sable. 
To mention all the ornamentals grow¬ 
ing in that stretch of coast would make 
my paper rather lengthy so I will confine 
myself to such plants, vines, and trees as 
are growing in my immediate vicinity, 
and which can be. grown, and probably 
are growing in several places along the 
coast. 
Catesbia Spinosa, a very handsome ev¬ 
ergreen shrub, with small, dark green 
shiny leaves, flowers pale yellow, droop¬ 
ing, lily shaped, branches full of small 
spines. The plant is very ornamental when 
in bloom and I think equally so, when 
covered with the seed berries which are 
pale yellow and resemble the fruit of the 
Kumquat. Grown from seed or cuttings. 
Common name, Thorn Lily. 
Thimbergia erecta is a very satisfac¬ 
tory shrub, almost continuous bloomer, 
flowers tubular, dark blue with a rich or¬ 
ange and yellow throat, does best with 
me in partial shade;; easily propagated 
from cuttings. There is a white flower¬ 
ing variety of this, T. erecta alba. 
Eranthemum pule helium, this is a soft 
wooded plant, particularly useful because 
it is a winter bloomer, from November to 
May. The flowers are a rich bright blue, 
very freely produced, easy of propagating 
from cuttings of young wood. 
Plumbago Capensis, a splendid shrub, 
suitable for planting singly, making 
hedges, or for training on a trellis. The 
flowers which are borne in great profu¬ 
sion are of a pale blue color, propagated 
by off shoots from the base of the plant. 
There is a white flowering variety, but 
I find it a weak grower. 
Murray a exotica, is a fine clean shrub 
suitable for hedges as it stands close 
shearing, it has small glossy green leaves 
and white, sweet scented flowers in clus¬ 
ters, followed by red berries which hang 
on for a long time. Planted out as a 
specimen it can be pruned into any de¬ 
sired shape. There is another variety, 
M. paniculata differing only in its fewer 
flowers and larger growth. These shrubs 
are now named Chalcas. 
Hibiscus, of which we have about a 
dozen varieties are too well known to re¬ 
quire any description. They are useful 
for planting as single specimens or for 
hedges, windbreaks, etc. They have to be 
cut back well every year to be. kept in 
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