Download Add a little frostiness to your Florida landscape

Friday’s Feature
By
Theresa Friday
December 10, 2011
Add a little frostiness to your Florida landscape
In Northwest Florida, the temperatures have been a bit warmer than some would like during a holiday
season. If you have dreams of Jack Frost nipping at your nose or seeing your good friend Frosty the
Snowman, take heart. Today’s article will bring visions of winter wonderlands to your Florida garden.
Diamond Frost® - Euphorbia graminea
Diamond Frost Euphorbia is a jewel of a plant and one of the shining stars in the horticulture industry. Home
gardeners will love the non-stop color, versatility and ease of maintenance this plant offers.
From spring until fall frost, Diamond Frost Euphorbia produces clouds of dainty white bracts (colored
leaves). It grows 6 to 12 inches tall and 20-plus inches wide. Its sprawling growth habit cascades over the
sides of containers or fills in spaces within landscape beds. It also gives a dramatic solo performance in
hanging baskets, engulfing them with spherical mounds of color that look like snowballs in the summer
landscape.
The leaves of Diamond Frost Euphorbia are tiny, gray-green and masked by the colorful bracts and tend to
fade into the background.
Diamond Frost Euphorbia prefers morning sun, afternoon shade and moist, well-drained soil. It is selfgrooming in that the old flowering bracts will wither and drop off, so they don’t have to be removed by hand
to maintain a neat appearance. Diamond Frost is moderately salt tolerant - it can withstand the amount of
salt encountered when planted 30 feet or more from the source of the salt.
This plant is a member of the poinsettia family and produces a sticky latex-like sap when cut. Most people
will have little or no reaction due to sap exposure. However, people with sensitive skin or latex allergies
should be cautious when handling euphorbias. If you have ever experienced a skin irritation due to contact
with poinsettias you should be cautious with all euphorbia.
Although Diamond Frost Euphorbia is a summer annual, containerized plants can be over-wintered indoors
in a bright, sunny location and then taken outside again after the last spring frost.
Iceberg Rose
Looking for that wholesome white rose to add to your landscape? This pure white floribunda rose was
introduced in 1958 and remains in the nursery trade.
Its long pointed bud opens into a medium sized, ruffled flower with about 25 petals. Flowers form in large
clusters typical of floribunda roses and are scented with a honey-like fragrance.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information, and
other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.
This vigorous upright grower has light green leaves and grows to about three to five feet tall and wide.
Iceberg rose
Snow White Tomato
True tomato lovers enjoy trying new varieties although growing them can be challenging in our Northwest
Florida environment.
If you crave a different-looking small tomato that delivers a big punch of sweetness, try the Snow White
tomato. It is a cherry tomato but turns from white to pale yellow as it matures. They are just the perfect size
for snacking or salads.
Florida Blizzard Caladium
Caladiums are ornamental plants that display a wide diversity of leaf shapes, colors, and vein patterns that
are rarely found in other cultivated plant species. Their colorful leaves rival many flowers, and the plants
grow well in summer heat and shady conditions.
Developed by the University of Florida caladium breeding program, Florida Blizzard is an attractive addition
to the white fancy-leaved cultivar group with its unique foliar color pattern. Released in 2001, it has white
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information, and
other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.
veins, large white blotches, and dark-green margins.
These are just a few of the “coolest” plants around. So if Santa drops a gift card in your Christmas stocking
this year, put a little frostiness in your Florida landscape.
Florida Blizzard Caladium
Photo credit: UF/IFAS
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County. The use of trade
names, if used in this article, is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. It is not a guarantee,
warranty, or endorsement of the product name(s) and does not signify that they are approved to the
exclusion of others.
For additional information about all of the county extension services and other articles of interest go to:
http://santarosa.ifas.ufl.edu.
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The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information, and
other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.