November 10, 2021 By Katie Roundtree

Many people come to Florida to enjoy its mild fall and winter but miss the changing seasons and seasonal plant changes that the Northern regions offer. Here in Florida, we have our own kinds of plants that bloom during the fall and winter that give our area a feeling of the cooler seasons up North.  During October and November, muhly grass blooms with beautiful pink, red or purple blooms, creating vistas of color in our landscaped areas, dry detention areas and road medians.  During the drier winter months, pusley (also known as “Florida Snow”) blooms with white or light purple flowers that blanket lawns and sides of roads creating the look of “snow.”

Muhly grass is a native landscape plant that has found favor with landscapers for its ease of growth and large clusters of tall, grass-like appearance. Known scientifically as Muhlenbergia capillaris, this easy-to-grow ornamental grass produces clumps that can reach two to three feet tall and up to three feet wide when mature. During the fall, particularly in the month of October, it produces fluffy pink and purple flower stalks that can reach up to 5 feet tall and give the plant a distinctive and attractive appearance. A large amount of them can be seen in the dry detention areas within Abacoa.  When in bloom, a carpet of pink unfolds and greets residents and visitors with beautiful colors. Muhly grass looks good in the garden even after the flower stalks fade, thanks to its slender, dark green foliage. (Source: University of Florida IFAS)

Florida pusley (Richardia scabra), on the other hand, is a native plant that is beloved by some and hated by others.  With funnel-shaped flowers of white, pink or light purple, pusley, nicknamed “Florida snow”, can be a burden or beauty depending on perspective. It’s drought tolerant and attracts butterflies, but turf purists may rebuke the invading ground cover as a weed.  Some people embrace it and use it to accent their holiday decorations, even adding light up snowmen on top to create a winter wonderland scene.  However, others striving for the perfect lawn, struggle to remove this plant. It has very small seeds and is drought tolerant, allowing for proliferation during Florida’s typically drier winter months.  This weed is aggressive and will take over turf areas which are thin from irrigation, bug or fungus problems. Proper mowing and irrigation will help to control its spread.

So, enjoy the changing seasons here in Florida, with our beautiful plants that love this weather just as much as we do. There are so many reasons to live in Florida, including enjoyment of our native plants.  Happy Holidays to all of you!