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Blue Daze

Common Name: Blue Daze

Scientific Name: Evolvulus glomeratus, Evolvulus glomeratus ‘Blue My Mind’

Type of Plant: Groundcover

Description: Blue Daze, or Evolvulus, is one plant that likes it hot! It grows in a low, spreading mound of fuzzy, light grey foliage that is a nice background to the funnel shaped, powder blue, 5-petaled  flowers with white throats that are born individually near the stem tips. Blue Daze blooms profusely and almost continuously throughout the warm season.  The one-inch flowers bloom during the day, closing if rain approaches.  ‘Blue My Mind’ Blue Daze is an improved variety of Blue Daze. It is more compact and has more flowers.

Mature Size: 6-12″ tall x 24-36″ wide.

Blooms: Lovely blue flowers bloom year-round

Fruit:  No

Climate Requirements: Blue Daze does best in full sun, but can tolerate a little shade, especially at midday.  It needs a well drained soil, but also frequent watering. It cannot tolerate wet soils at all, and very rainy periods or overwatering will cause fungus problems and lead to premature death. Blue Daze needs very little water in winter.

Care Requirements: Fertilize 1 or 2 times monthly with water soluble fertilizer. 1 or 2 times a season with slow-release, granular fertilizer.

Spacing: Space plants 12-18″ apart

Water Needs: Average

Maintenance: Low

Special Uses/Attributes: Blue Daze is a standout in beds and borders or as a ground cover. It’s especially attractive grown in masses near yellow or pink flowering plants. Blue daze is spectacular in container gardens and hanging baskets, where it’s branches will cascade over the edges.  It is highly tolerant of salt, and makes a fine ornamental for the coastal garden or in a planter on an oceanside balcony.

Florida Native: No

Ground Covers, Inventory

Bird of Paradise

Common Name: Bird of Paradise

Scientific Name: Strelitzia reginae, Strelitzia nicolai

Type of Plant: Perennial

Description: Screaming out for attention with its extraordinarily pretty flowers, Bird of Paradise brings a sensational tropical accent in the garden or in a sunny interior room. This evergreen perennial forms a clump of large, broad oval, long-stalked, gray-green leaves. They contrast nicely with its ravishing crested flowers. Emerging from a horizontal beak-like spathe, vivid flowers bloom in succession, resembling the crest on a bird’s head.

Mature Size: 4-6′ tall x 2-4′ wide (Orange), 20-30′ tall x 6-10′ wide (White)

Blooms: Fall-Spring

Fruit:  No

Climate Requirements: A full sun to partial shade lover, this plant grows best in organically rich, well-drained soils.

Care Requirements: During growth, water freely and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly. Water sparingly in winter.  Virtually disease free. Watch for scale insects, glasshouse red spider mite and mealybugs.  Cut off old flowers for a neat appearance.

Spacing: Space plants 48″ apart

Water Needs: Once established, Bird of Paradise is quite tolerant of extended periods without irrigation.

Maintenance: Low

Special Uses/Attributes: Bird of Paradise look at their best when massed along walls or hedges, in beds and borders where they will proudly stand out. Spectacular on a patio, the orange variety are well suited to container growing. Great choice for Mediterranean gardens or as cut flowers, the flowers lasting up to 2 weeks in the vase.

Florida Native: No

Inventory, Perennials, Tropicals