1. Alternative plants to ficus Henry Mayer Miami-Dade Cooperative ExtensionNovember 14, 2007 http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu

2. Whitefly damage

3. Whitefly damage

4. Factors • What is the objective of the hedge? • Height and width • Full sun or partial shade • Flowers and color or evergreen • Budget for installation and maintenance • Soil characteristics: pH, moisture, OM • One plant or a hedge design • Others

7. Hedge height

8. Shade

9. Color

10. Why do you want a ficus hedge? • Fast growing • Cheap ($2.00/3g) • Low maintenance ? • Easy to find (400 NSY) • Popular

12. Right plant in the right place! • Check your soil • Visit Fairchild or other • Ask the Extension Service • Look in books, website, etc.

17. Plumbago • Blue and white flowers • 3g / $4.00 • Full sun or part shade • Common pruned height: 4’-6’ • Tolerates moderate drought • Moderate salt tolerance • Attract wildlife

18. Areca Palm • 3g/$6.00 • Low maintenance? • Partial shade • Drought tolerant • Salt tolerant: none • K deficiency

19. Silver buttonwood • 3g/$4.00 • Native • Full sun • Common pruned height: 4’-7’ or taller • High salt and drought tolerant • Tolerates poor drainage • Sooty mold could be present

20. Schefflera arboricola ‘Gold Capella’ • 3g/ $4.00 • Full sun to partial shade • Moderate draught tolerance • Compact hedge • Salt tolerance?

21. Schefflera arboricola ‘Trinette’ • 3g / $4.00 • Smaller than the first one • Drought tolerant • Full sun or partial shade

22. Schefflera arboricola • Tolerate more shade • Mature size: 8’ – 15’ • Tolerate poor drainage • Full sun or partial shade • Drought tolerant

23. Oleander • 3g / $5.00 • Plant is poisonous • Flowers: pink, white, red, salmon, etc • Salt and drought tolerant • Full sun and partial shade • Caterpillars, witches' broom

24. Jatropha • 3g/$4.00 • Salt tolerance: moderate • Drought tolerance: moderate • Mature size: 10’-15’ • Attract wildlife

25. Dracaena • 3g/ $4.00 • Drought tolerance: high • Salt tolerance: medium • Full sun and partial shade

26. Croton • Many cultivars like ‘Petra’, ‘Mammey’, ‘Norma’, ‘Gold Dust’, etc. • Foliage with colors • Full sun or partial shade • Drought tolerant • Salt tolerant: moderate • Attract wildlife • Mature size: 3-8 feet

27. Surinam cherry • 3g/ $4.00 • Full sun or partial shade • Salt and water tolerance: moderate • Mature size: 8-20 feet • Formal hedge

28. Bamboo • 1,600 varieties • 7g/$50.00 • Full sun to full shade • Resists cold • Needs water • Rapid establishment

29. Firebush • 3g / $4.00 • Full sun to full shade • Tolerates poor drainage • Attracts wildlife • Native • Drought tolerance: moderate • Salt tolerance: none

30. Shrimp plant • 3g / $4.00 • Full sun to full shade • Attracts wildlife • Salt tolerance: none • Drought tolerance: moderate • Red color flowers

31. Acalypha Many cultivars with colors Mature size 8-12 feet Tolerates poor drainage Full sun or partial shade Salt tolerance: medium 3g / $5.00

32. Pruning

33. Chenille plant • 3g / $5.00 • Full sun or partial shade • Salt and drought tolerance: medium • Mature size: 6 – 10 feet

34. Podocarpus • 3g / $6.00 • Drought and salt tolerance: high • Full sun or partial shade • Mature size:30-40 feet • Formal hedge

35. Ligustrum • 3g / $5.00 • Salt tolerance: high • Full sun or partial shade • Mature size: 8- 12 feet • Drought tolerance: medium

36. Cocoplum • 3g / $4.00 • Drought and salt tolerance: high • Native • Full sun or partial shade • Mature size: 10-*20 feet

37. Viburnum • 3g/$4.00 • Drought tolerance: high • Full sun or partial shade • Mature size: 20-30 feet • Salt tolerance: low

40. Questions??