posted by Rainbowman18
6/20/2009
Region: Southeast
Zone: 11
My neighbor has a couple of these plants in her side yard. Curiously enough, I found some of them in my side yard and took note of how they grow and multiply. Here in Weston, Florida, right adjacent to the Everglades, I could call them invasive; but what I have been doing is letting them drop seed and thereafter I take the sapling and replant it in other garden locations. In some areas it is used as a specimen plant and in others I have planted small stands of them. They like full sun or partial shade and do well whether wet or dry. You can severely prune them and a couple months later you have a fuller plant again. They do attract butterflies and moths in my garden. All in all, my experience with them has been very positive. They just have to be watched for invasiveness and pruning at your discretion. They do not seem to harbor or are prone to
any pests, and that is a good thing here in sunny and sometimes wet... rainy season... south Florida. If anyone is near Weston, I would be glad to supply some of my saplings to people to add it to their landscape.
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Photo/Illustration: Bob Cook
