I was led astray again. When I first moved to Florida I had a local nursery draw up a landscaping plan for my yard. Trying to be ecologically responsible, I asked for the plan to include only Florida native plants. I followed the plan, purchased and planted per its directions, and found out later that most of the plants were non-natives. I felt betrayed.
But, I took pride in some of my plants. One that especially endeared itself to me was the firebush. In full sun, it grew 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide and was covered with red-orange blossoms most of the year. Best of all, it attracted a revolving door of butterflies and hummingbirds. And, I loved that it was a Florida native.
Or, so I thought. I joined the Florida Native Plant Society and my education in native horticulture is progressing slowly. Recently I learned that the firebush in my yard (Hamelia patens var. glabra) comes from Mexico, Central and South America. Its give-away was its yellowish red-orange flowers and its smooth, shiny leaves (see photo below).
Photo by Rich Freeman
The true Florida native firebush (Hamelia patens) has flowers that tend toward the redder end of the reddish-orange color scale and it sports dull, hairy leaves (see photo below).
Photo by Jack Scheper from Floridata
Neither plant is invasive. Both are pretty and attract wildlife. Neither is particularly cold hardy. A frost will kill back the crown, but when trimmed severely, they re-sprout from the woody branches. So, I guess I shouldn't care that my bush isn't a Florida native.
It's just the principle of the thing. I found that as a transplant to Florida myself, it has been extremely difficult and frustrating in trying to adhere to a discipline of planting Florida natives in my yard. I get easily led astray by people who are supposed to be knowledgeable in these things. But, I won't give up. As I said, it's the principle of the thing.
Reference:
Know the Difference: Native & Non-Native Firebush. AFNN Wholesale Native Plant & Service Directory 2004-2005. http://www.afnn.org/docs/knowfirebush.pdf