Fabaceae

Grantly E. Ricketts andChris Marble

Shaun M. Sharpe and Nathan S. Boyd

Debbie Miller, Mack Thetford, Christina Verlinde, Christina Verlinde, andGabriel Campbell

Robert J. MacKay, Ed Jennings, Brent Sellers, Jason Ferrell, andAmanda House

Edward F. Gilman, Keighly Graves, Wendy Wilber, Tom Wichman, Claire Lewis, Gail Hansen, andRyan Klein

Beach bean is an evergreen groundcover native to Florida’s coastal ecosystems. It produces year-round pink-purple flowers and large, woody seedpods. It is well-suited for coastal landscaping or as a dense groundcover in sandy areas.

Michael G. Andreu, Melissa H. Friedman, and Robert J. Northrop

Water locust’s wide, spreading root system and affinity for hydric conditions makes it a useful specimen for erosion control on wet banks of freshwater systems. While not widely available, planting this tree in residential yards or other public locations may be less than ideal, since the long and sharply pointed thorns on the main trunk and branches can be hazardous. This deciduous tree is native to Florida.

Edward F. Gilman, Keighly Graves, Wendy Wilber, Tom Wichman, Claire Lewis, Gail Hansen, andRyan Klein

Chapman’s sensitive plant is a Florida native shrub which produces showy yellow flowers year round and has evergreen foliage. This plant is highly attractive to pollinators, and is well suited for shrub or border plantings, use as a specimen plant, used in parking lot islands, or planted in mass.

Edward F. Gilman, Keighly Graves, Wendy Wilber, Tom Wichman, Claire Lewis, Gail Hansen, andRyan Klein

Red bauhinia is a semi-climbing shrub with deeply cleft foliage and orchid-like red flowers. It is an ornamentally interesting plant that is well suited as a specimen, espalier, border, or groundcover.

Edward F. Gilman, Keighly Graves, Wendy Wilber, Tom Wichman, Claire Lewis, Gail Hansen, andRyan Klein

This document provides an overview of the trumpet vine (Campsis radicans), a fast-growing, deciduous vine native to Florida. It details the plant’s characteristics, including its brilliant orange flowers, high drought tolerance, and invasive potential. The trumpet vine thrives in full sun and various soil types but requires regular pruning to manage its growth. It is suitable for arbors, trellises, and containers, attracting hummingbirds and occasionally hosting ants. The document also mentions several cultivars and common issues like leaf spot and powdery mildew. Original publication date October 1999. 

Edward F. Gilman, Ryan W. Klein, and Gail Hansen

This document provides an overview of Indigofera cylindrica, commonly known as indigo. It describes the plant’s physical characteristics, including its pinnately compound leaves, pink flowers, and rounded vase-shaped canopy. The document details the plant’s growth habits, soil and light requirements, and its moderate drought tolerance. It also highlights the plant’s uses in landscaping, such as specimen planting, border planting, and container gardening. Additionally, it notes that indigo is not native to North America and is not known to be invasive. The document concludes with practical advice on planting and maintaining indigo for optimal growth and aesthetic appeal. Original publication date October 1999.