What to plant in Orlando, Florida

12 × 6 ft · Zone 10a · 6+ hours of sun · Low-water

• Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'

  × 3

  Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 4–6 ft tall · Jan–Apr

  Can't find it? Use Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana' or Firebush.

• Adam's needle yucca 'Color Guard'

  × 3

  Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'

  Grass · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 2–5 ft tall · Jun–Jul

  Can't find it? Use Pink muhly grass or Mat rush 'Breeze'.

• Mexican bush sage

  × 3

  Salvia leucantha

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 3 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · Aug–Nov

  Can't find it? Use Lily of the Nile or Turk's cap.

• African iris

  × 3

  Dietes iridioides

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Mar–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Lily of the Nile or Bulbine.

• Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun'

  × 3

  Gaillardia × grandiflora 'Arizona Sun'

  Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.5–1 ft tall · Jun–Oct

Gravel or decomposed granite: 0.44 cu yd at 2 in deep (6 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 89% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 10a · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic

• Dwarf pittosporum 'Wheeler's Dwarf'

  × 1

  Pittosporum tobira 'Wheeler's Dwarf'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Apr–May

  Can't find it? Use Gardenia 'Frostproof' or Walter's viburnum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight'.

• Lilyturf 'Big Blue'

  × 14

  Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'

  Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep

  Listed as invasive in North Carolina in our table. Don't plant it there.

  Can't find it? Use Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).

• African iris

  × 5

  Dietes iridioides

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Mar–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Southern shield fern.

• Cast iron plant

  × 5

  Aspidistra elatior

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Southern shield fern.

• Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'

  × 16

  Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 4-inch pot · 0.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 in tall · Foliage plant

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 81% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 10a · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic

• Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'

  × 2

  Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Foliage plant

• Lilyturf 'Big Blue'

  × 14

  Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'

  Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep

  Listed as invasive in North Carolina in our table. Don't plant it there.

  Can't find it? Use Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).

• Cast iron plant

  × 5

  Aspidistra elatior

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Bush lily or Southern shield fern.

• Holly fern

  × 5

  Cyrtomium falcatum

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Listed as invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas in our table. Don't plant it there.

  Can't find it? Use Bush lily or Southern shield fern.

• Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'

  × 17

  Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 4-inch pot · 0.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 in tall · Foliage plant

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 90% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.