The Shrubbery Thread

[Merlyn]

I did notice a big difference locally between some smaller variegated shrubs.  All of the Schefflera Arboricola "Trinette" variegated around here are completely burnt to a crisp.  I'm sure many will grow back in a few weeks like nothing happened.  But the other variegated small shrub looks pristine.  I'm not sure what it is.  Physically the leaves look a bit like Peperomia obtusifolia, slightly cupped and with yellow-white variegation.  But I think the "baby rubber plant" is a zone 10+ plant.

@Silas_Sancona any ideas on what the other shrub could be?  I am thinking maybe a variegated boxwood?  Or possibly a Hebe x andersonii ‘Variegata’?  

My Fatsia Japonica "False Aralia" didn't even notice the cold...

[Matthew92]

55 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I did notice a big difference locally between some smaller variegated shrubs.  All of the Schefflera Arboricola "Trinette" variegated around here are completely burnt to a crisp.  I'm sure many will grow back in a few weeks like nothing happened.  But the other variegated small shrub looks pristine.  I'm not sure what it is.  Physically the leaves look a bit like Peperomia obtusifolia, slightly cupped and with yellow-white variegation.  But I think the "baby rubber plant" is a zone 10+ plant.

@Silas_Sancona any ideas on what the other shrub could be?  I am thinking maybe a variegated boxwood?  Or possibly a Hebe x andersonii ‘Variegata’?  

My Fatsia Japonica "False Aralia" didn't even notice the cold...

Ligustrum "Jack frost"?

[Silas_Sancona]

40 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I did notice a big difference locally between some smaller variegated shrubs.  All of the Schefflera Arboricola "Trinette" variegated around here are completely burnt to a crisp.  I'm sure many will grow back in a few weeks like nothing happened.  But the other variegated small shrub looks pristine.  I'm not sure what it is.  Physically the leaves look a bit like Peperomia obtusifolia, slightly cupped and with yellow-white variegation.  But I think the "baby rubber plant" is a zone 10+ plant.

@Silas_Sancona any ideas on what the other shrub could be?  I am thinking maybe a variegated boxwood?  Or possibly a Hebe x andersonii ‘Variegata’?  

My Fatsia Japonica "False Aralia" didn't even notice the cold...

Picture(s) of the plant?   If it is a "Baby Rubber " ( A common name applied to Peperomia obtusifolia ) i'd think it would be more of a ground cover than shrub - esque..  

Regardless,  that species is supposedly hardy to -roughly- the mid teens ( various info i could find ) so it would make sense that it handled the cold well.  Believe it is also a FL native. 

Other than it,  are any of the Euonymus sold / trouble - free there?  ..some, like E. japonicus,   have forms that produce that " yellow or white edged green  leaf "  variegation pattern to them and are quite hardy.  

Cold be wrong but i thought Hebe was quite susceptible to nematodes ..as well as not being a fan of the summers there.

Matthew's suggestion is another possibility. 

[Silas_Sancona]

18 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Picture(s) of the plant?   If it is a "Baby Rubber " ( A common name applied to Peperomia obtusifolia ) i'd think it would be more of a ground cover than shrub - esque..  

Regardless,  that species is supposedly hardy to -roughly- the mid teens ( various info i could find ) so it would make sense that it handled the cold well.  Believe it is also a FL native. 

 

**  Correction **   since the  ☝️ mentioned info  didn't feel right,  i checked again and..    While  FL. - sourced plants are listed as hardy to zone 9B, ( this source: https://www.fnps.org/plant/peperomia-obtusifolia#gsc.tab=0   ) instead of the zone 8 suggestion i'd seen ..or, more likely,  mis-read.   ....most specimens sold are much less cold tolerant ( ...the zone 10 -12 you'd mentioned / mentioned in a most other descriptions ) because they were sourced from warmer areas of the Caribbean, Southern Mexico,  and / or Cen. America.  
 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, RainforestCafe said:

Thanks for the info, I have some freshly planted and then one that I planted a couple years ago that didn't sustain any damage that I can see yet, and they took somewhere in the 20s this winter. I hit ~25⁰ in the open, so these probably saw upper 20s under canopy.

Depending on where you're located in Bradenton,  Marlberry can be found growing in numerous spots nearby. 

Can't speak for intact habitat areas east of town,  or near the river ( Manatee ) but,  very common sight i'd see in woods-y areas at Emerson Point, Desoto,  near some of the beaches on Longboat / Anna Maria,  and down by Selby Botanical.   Jamaican Caper and Myrsine / Colicwood are also quite common in the same areas i'd mentioned. 

 

[Merlyn]

@Matthew92 and @Silas_Sancona I think the Ligustrum is a good bet.  I had just spotted it while out biking yesterday afternoon.  There was a whole row of burnt Schefflera as a hedge, and then at the corner of the building the hedge switched to a different plant.  If I remember I'll take a photo.

[RainforestCafe]

7 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Depending on where you're located in Bradenton,  Marlberry can be found growing in numerous spots nearby. 

Can't speak for intact habitat areas east of town,  or near the river ( Manatee ) but,  very common sight i'd see in woods-y areas at Emerson Point, Desoto,  near some of the beaches on Longboat / Anna Maria,  and down by Selby Botanical.   Jamaican Caper and Myrsine / Colicwood are also quite common in the same areas i'd mentioned. 

 

That's interesting because I've been to all of those places, and I've never seen Marlberry, guess I need to look closer 😆

I do see yaupon holly, dahoon holly, stoppers, sea grapes, buttonwoods, stuff like that all over.

With the myrsine.. that's another one I've been trying to figure out the cold hardiness of. Some sources say 9A, others say 10A. Just don't want to put it somewhere where it gets smoked by a freeze at some point. Do you have any idea where that one sits in terms of cold hardiness?

[Silas_Sancona]

12 minutes ago, RainforestCafe said:

That's interesting because I've been to all of those places, and I've never seen Marlberry, guess I need to look closer 😆

I do see yaupon holly, dahoon holly, stoppers, sea grapes, buttonwoods, stuff like that all over.

With the myrsine.. that's another one I've been trying to figure out the cold hardiness of. Some sources say 9A, others say 10A. Just don't want to put it somewhere where it gets smoked by a freeze at some point. Do you have any idea where that one sits in terms of cold hardiness?

Looking at observations from iNat,  Myrsine grows as far north as the Crystal River area on the west coast, so, it's gotta have some deg. of hardiness to withstand the cooler winters up there.. 



If you've already been there, then you could always inquire w/ the owner of Sweet Bay Nursery  about hardiness next time you visit.. 

If you haven't checked out that place? ..highly recommend stopping in.  What " Florida native " stuff i brought with me when i moved here came from them..  



As far as finding  Marlberry,  Myrsine,  and Jamaican Caper at the places i'd mentioned,  here's a couple rough maps i put together of where i encountered them  ..and some other stuff seen at those spots when i lived in Bradenton.. 

Keep in mind, this was back in 2015 and early '16..  ..so,  many years later, lol..  some things have probably changed. 

At Emerson:  ** i explored the area where the Obvs. Tower is located,  a few trails nearby,  and the beach area at the far west end of the point during a couple visits. ..really should have explored that place more while i'd lived there.   Didn't get to explore the other shell mound south of the one the tower is located on though. 




** Dots on the map represent:

Gumbo Limbo

Ficus aurea  ..or citrifolia..   Yellow bark, so i'm pretty sure they're aurea..

Myrsine

Marlberry

Jamaican Caper.  I'd actually germinated some seed i managed to collect off a larger specimen that was growing near the tower at that time. 

..Encountered some native Snowberry, and Sideroxylon celestrinum  growing along a trail out there too..  LOTS of Myrsine in some spots along a trail just east of the parking lot.  Collected seed off one to trial after the move here but think i let them dry out too long after sowing.. Wish i had access to more. 


At the beach on the far west end,  there was a lot of Ipomoea pes - capre and Sea / Beach Bean ( Canavalia rosea )  growing among other stuff just west of the parking lot there..  Explored some of the wooded areas in that section of the preserve but can't remember if i'd found anything interesting there, or just wandered among the Mangroves looking for crabs.



At Desoto, ..heading down the trail from the parking lot that takes you to the Memorial cross..



Myrsine

Marlberry 

Jamaican Caper..

" E. t. " and circled area  represents specimens of Encyclia tampensis i stumbled upon while looking over trees in that particular area out there..  A lot of Sideroxylon c. in that area as well.  

[RainforestCafe]

@Silas_Sancona wow, thanks for all that info.. very detailed! I'll definitely be checking those spots.

I ended up going to Mckeithen Native nursery around the corner from my house, and was able to drive around their whole area and survey all the freeze damage.. super valuable insight so I'll go ahead and leave this here for future:

Temps: under 40 degrees F for about a week straight, something around these temps (nearby weather station and mine were both similar to these temps, and the nursery is right in between):
1 Feb - 6 Feb lows: 30, 25, 28, 35, 44, 34

* All plants were out in the open in a field, typical nursery conditions, no overhead cover, but some slight side protection from other plants around. Full sky and frost exposure. All in pots too, so relaistically if these same plants were in-ground and under canopy, they'd be much hardier.

Myrsine Cubana - about 5-30% burn, depending on the specific plant. They'll definitely survive

Marlberry - about 20-60% burn. Depending on the plant, should survive as well.

Simpsons Stopper - unfazed

Walters Viburnum - unfazed

Cherry Laurel - unfazed

Gumbo Limbo - 100% burn

Spanish and White stoppers - 20% burn, looked pretty good

Wild Coffee - 50-60% burn, even under canopy

Japanese Blueberry - unfazed

Fiddlewood - 100% burn

Cocoplum - 100% burn

Clusia - 100% burn

Green Buttonwood - 60-100% burn, depending on specific plant

Sea Grapes - 100% burn

Avocados - Brogdon 10% burn, Hass almost 90% burn

 

[Silas_Sancona]

18 minutes ago, RainforestCafe said:

@Silas_Sancona wow, thanks for all that info.. very detailed! I'll definitely be checking those spots.

I ended up going to Mckeithen Native nursery around the corner from my house, and was able to drive around their whole area and survey all the freeze damage.. super valuable insight so I'll go ahead and leave this here for future:

Temps: under 40 degrees F for about a week straight, something around these temps (nearby weather station and mine were both similar to these temps, and the nursery is right in between):
1 Feb - 6 Feb lows: 30, 25, 28, 35, 44, 34

* All plants were out in the open in a field, typical nursery conditions, no overhead cover, but some slight side protection from other plants around. Full sky and frost exposure. All in pots too, so relaistically if these same plants were in-ground and under canopy, they'd be much hardier.

Myrsine Cubana - about 5-30% burn, depending on the specific plant. They'll definitely survive

Marlberry - about 20-60% burn. Depending on the plant, should survive as well.

Simpsons Stopper - unfazed

Walters Viburnum - unfazed

Cherry Laurel - unfazed

Gumbo Limbo - 100% burn

Spanish and White stoppers - 20% burn, looked pretty good

Wild Coffee - 50-60% burn, even under canopy

Japanese Blueberry - unfazed

Fiddlewood - 100% burn

Cocoplum - 100% burn

Clusia - 100% burn

Green Buttonwood - 60-100% burn, depending on specific plant

Sea Grapes - 100% burn

Avocados - Brogdon 10% burn, Hass almost 90% burn

 

  Excellent information..  Don't remember that nursery but looking at it's location ( ...Actually not too far away from where i worked for a few months when i'd first moved to Bradenton )  seems like it's a great spot for testing hardiness since there'd be no UHI effect i might have benefited from on the S.W. side of Bradenton, close to IMG Academy.. 

Don't recall the huge chunk of land between Lorraine and Bourneside Blvd. being developed at that time either..

Figured stuff like Cocoplum,  Clusia, Sea Grape, Wild Coffee and Gumbo Limbo might experience the worst damage w/ the temps you'd listed..  remember Sea Grapes i helped maintain at a Yacht Club in Clearwater getting stunned ( ...enough to shed 98% of their foliage ) after the worst of  the 2009 -10 cold spell.  All were back to normal within a couple weeks of it warming back up afterwards. 

Be curious to hear how the Cocoplum looks in a few weeks ..Remember repeatedly hearing how -any- cold would completely  kill it but  ..suspect it might be tougher than assumed.  Another one of my favorite FL / Carib. region natives.

Don't recall seeing / hearing of any total kill on Gumbo Limbo or any Mahogany with some deg. of wood in that freeze,  or the one i remember experiencing while in Bradenton..  That one was a nothing-burger  compared to what you guys just saw, or 09- 10 but,  had light frost in my yard,  not far from the bay,  and noted heavier frost in some yards closer to where i worked in Sarasota on the coldest mornings. 

 🤔 Wonder how Kopsick is looking atm.. 




Forgot to add it but,  ..Also found a decent amount of White Stopper out at Emerson,  in the gen. area of the tower.    If it's still there, remembered i'd found a specimen of Jamaican Dogwood / Fish Poison Tree  growing near the tower too.  

 

[Keys6505]

On 3/5/2023 at 3:49 PM, Merlyn said:

Supposedly Palmata "Icebox" from Plant Delights Nursery is hardier, I'm trialing it now.

Any updates on this one?

[Merlyn]

29 minutes ago, Keys6505 said:

Any updates on this one?

Generally it was about as hardy as my other two Ficus Auriculata.  Unfortunately it died sometimes last spring or summer.  I had a leaky irrigation valve that was basically dripping on it 24/7.  I suspect it was leaking over the winter too.  Either way, it got a root rot and died.

[Keys6505]

On 2/8/2026 at 8:29 PM, Merlyn said:

Generally it was about as hardy as my other two Ficus Auriculata.  Unfortunately it died sometimes last spring or summer.  I had a leaky irrigation valve that was basically dripping on it 24/7.  I suspect it was leaking over the winter too.  Either way, it got a root rot and died.

From your experiences do you have any recommendations for full sun with somewhat wet soil?  I have one fenceline in my yard that's low and as long as we aren't in drought conditions stays pretty damp.  I had a Podocarpus "Cielo Green" rot out on me and the Osmanthus I have there is looking questionable.  

[happypalms]

On 2/6/2026 at 2:12 AM, Merlyn said:

@RainforestCafe I didn't try Marlberry yet.  I did try the Laurel Leaf Snailseed, and it's totally fine after 22.6F and 20ish mph winds.  It's just behind and hanging out to the right of the burnt red Dypsis/Chrysalidocarpus Pembana, with one branch hanging out over the driveway.  Oddly enough the one in the ground here is fine, but one in a pot was mostly defoliated.  I suspect the one in the pot was out of range of the nursery sprinklers, so it might have been dry for a while too.

The "Mast Tree" on the left edge is mostly defoliated.  One in the NE corner of my lot was 100% defoliated.  These have grown back from bare sticks before, so hopefully will do so again.

Is that a polyathia longifolia tree?

[Merlyn]

3 hours ago, happypalms said:

Is that a polyathia longifolia tree?

Yessir, I have three of them.  I planted one in the NW, NE and SW areas of my lot.  They have not been thrilled with the regular frosts, but so far have grown back from around 27F ok.  The extended 22.5F may be different.  I will see in a few weeks if they start growing new buds.

I like that they are relatively small diameter and have really interesting leaves.  If they survive this winter I will probably plant more.

[Jdash]

14 hours ago, Keys6505 said:

From your experiences do you have any recommendations for full sun with somewhat wet soil?  I have one fenceline in my yard that's low and as long as we aren't in drought conditions stays pretty damp.  I had a Podocarpus "Cielo Green" rot out on me and the Osmanthus I have there is looking questionable.  

where are planting, texas? and how large of coverage are you looking for? couple recommendations would be sweetbay magnolia, wax myrtle or a native state shrub. 

[happypalms]

10 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Yessir, I have three of them.  I planted one in the NW, NE and SW areas of my lot.  They have not been thrilled with the regular frosts, but so far have grown back from around 27F ok.  The extended 22.5F may be different.  I will see in a few weeks if they start growing new buds.

I like that they are relatively small diameter and have really interesting leaves.  If they survive this winter I will probably plant more.

I did see them in the Punjab in India, and it gets minus 4 in some places. So I was confident they would take the cold. What’s your low winter temperatures? I got a hundred of them, so a few to plant out! 

[Merlyn]

@happypalms generally one or two nights at 27-30F with frost per year.  Some years are only 30-35F and vrost.  And in the last 10 years I've had two cold fronts at 24.4F = -4.2C and a few weeks ago at 22.5F = -5.3C.

[Merlyn]

On 2/9/2026 at 10:05 PM, Keys6505 said:

From your experiences do you have any recommendations for full sun with somewhat wet soil?  I have one fenceline in my yard that's low and as long as we aren't in drought conditions stays pretty damp.  I had a Podocarpus "Cielo Green" rot out on me and the Osmanthus I have there is looking questionable.  

I'm not sure about shrubberies for wet soil.  If it's just damp that may be different than soaking wet mangrove-style.  You could consider one of the smaller bamboos too, like Bambusa Textilis "Ladyfinger" or Multiplex "Rosa".  Those are both easily controllable and 6-10' tall.

[Merlyn]

@Matthew92 and @Silas_Sancona this is the shrubbery I saw on my bike ride.  I'm guessing that's the Ligustrum "Jack Frost."

[Silas_Sancona]

30 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

@Matthew92 and @Silas_Sancona this is the shrubbery I saw on my bike ride.  I'm guessing that's the Ligustrum "Jack Frost."

  Looks like it to my eye..