Gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba)
ID: #794601
Description
This native long-lived perennial tree can be found along the western coast of Florida and also growing at the backyard of Little Red Wagon Native Nursery. These are tough and low maintenance trees that are semi-evergreen. It produces clusters of non-showy whitish to greenish flowers in winter and spring that become red berries when ripe. While it is considered a deciduous tree, in Florida as it loses its green leaves, it is growing new leaves at the same time so it typically never looks bare. It can reach 60 feet but typically doesn't reach those heights in landscape plantings topping out at 20 to 30 feet with a trunk 1-3 feet in diameter. Its bark has a somewhat interesting and attractive peeling look with some reddish/copper bark making the tree easy to identify. It is said to also have a common name "the tourist tree" because the red bark is peeling it is like the skin of sunburned Florida tourists. According to US Department of Agriculture, Florida is the only state in the US where it grows. In Florida it can be seen in coastal hammocks growing in full sun to partial shade and is very adaptable for many plantings spaces including urban areas (parking lot islands, highway medians, etc). It needs some room for roots to avoid having them rise up above ground. It does well in poor, sandy soil and also does fine in richer soils. The Dingy purplewing butterfly uses these trees as one of its host plants. /AC
Price
$45.00
Last Updated
10 August 2026, 10:32 UTC
Store Information
physical store
Location
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Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)
$6.00
There is but a single species native, or presumably native, to Florida, and that is Blue porterweed, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis. The typical height of only 0.5 to 1 feet with a sprawling habit to about 3 feet. It is best used as ground cover in a garden with extremely well drained soil as its typicaly habitat includes coastal dunes and disturbed areas - not a plant you want to overwater! Butterflies and other pollinators love it. It does best in full sun to part shade. Blue porterweed is not frost tolerant and can potentially die if exposed to temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Pruning it back typically provides for new growth if it gets burned by a freeze. The blooms are edible and have a taste similar to mushrooms and look cute on salads. The flower spikes can be used similarly to how a bay leaf is used in cooking. This plant gets its name "porter"weed as there is a natural foam that will build up from dried leaves if made into a tea or brewed into a beer. There is /AC
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$2.00
Raffle tickets are $2.00 for 1 and $5 for 3 tickets. Tickets may be purchased online or in person at our gift shop. You do not need to be present to win.
Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa)
$11.00
Wild coffee - Psychotria nervosa , also known as Seminole balsamo, is a shade-tolerant medium-sized evergreen shrub, with glossy leaves, which grows to 4' and native to Florida. It will typically only reach 4' in full sun and will grow much taller in shade. So while it grows in sun or shade, it will do best in partial to full shade. Its small white blooms in spring are a great nectar source for bees and other pollinators. It produces a small, red fruit that resembles "the true coffee bean" in shape and attract birds. Though the "beans" contain no caffeine, they can be roasted and consumed as a coffee-like beverage. The seeds turn black in late winter. It is moderately salt-tolerant. It is also the host plant for the Coffee-loving pyrausta - Pyrausta laticlavia moth.
Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepias perennis)
$1.25
Aquatic milkweed ( Asclepias perennis ) a great evergreen Florida native perennial milkweed, but quite a different species from Swamp Milkweed ( A. incarnata) . It can survive lower amounts of direct sunlight than our other native species, while also handling full sun. It can become lankier during the season but a terrific native as it is available all year to our beloved Monarchs. Aquatic milkweed can tolerate 2-3 months of drought in our Florida sandy soils but also does very well in extremely wet and nearly underwater conditions during the Florida rainy seasons. A mature height in the late spring can reach about 2 - 3' feet. Each is densely covered by lance-shaped deep green leaves approximately 3-5 inches in length. I have witnessed during a few years of milkweed research studies in Central Florida this plant flowers and pushes seed pods in Florida winter months. The flowers are bright white with an occasional hue of pale pink before opening. This wildflower is commonly propagated for home gardeners and is quite hardy. It is also a good specimen for container growing. I plant it in shady areas around my yard that get a mix of filtered sun and shade as well as some areas that are full sun - the plants do well in pretty much any condition Florida seems to throw at it. If you have sprinklers hitting it regularly, it will receive enough water from my experience of having it side by side with 7 other milkweed species. This one is my favorite since it grows year round in Florida!