A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants

Abundantly illustrated in full color, this guide provides detailed descriptions and methods of cultivation for 350 of Florida's most attractive and easily grown native plants, including ferns, wildflowers, shrubs, trees, vines, aquatics, and epiphytes (air plants). Written for both the beginner and the experienced gardener, it includes basic garden concepts as they apply to native plants--selection, site preparation, pruning, propagation, weeding, and pest control.

"This wide-ranging guide offers plant lovers and gardeners alike an excellent resource for cultivating Florida’s native plants. It will prove a worthwhile addition to every gardener’s library."-- Gil Nelson, director, Florida Native Plant Society

"A valuable resource for those interested in growing native plants and also for those simply wishing to increase the diversity of plants in their gardens. . . . A wealth of information gleaned from the author’s personal experience in growing native plants."--Richard Wunderlin, author of Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida and Flora of Florida, Volume I

Abundantly illustrated in full color, this guide provides detailed descriptions and methods of cultivation for 350 of Florida’s most attractive and easily grown native plants, including ferns, wildflowers, shrubs, trees, vines, aquatics, and epiphytes (air plants).
Written for both the beginner and the experienced gardener, it includes basic garden concepts as they apply to native plants--selection, site preparation, pruning, propagation, weeding, and pest control. Rufino Osorio also demonstrates how native plants enhance any landscape or home garden layout and provides 14 photos of horticultural and landscape techniques using native plants.

The 359 exceptional color photographs, all taken by the author, present some of the most arresting images of Florida native plants ever to appear in print. A visual delight, the book reveals the beauty and horticultural potential of native plants to the general gardening public. Osorio offers a detailed discussion of where to view these plants in the wild and in cultivation as well as a chapter on Florida native plants on the Internet.

As a guide for the responsible gardener and as an attractive introductory identification manual for naturalists, hikers, campers, teachers, and bird watchers, A Gardener’s Guide to Florida’s Native Plants is the authoritative sourcebook on native plants of the Sunshine State.

Rufino Osorio, a freelance writer and photographer, is the author of many guides and articles. He has been responsible for introducing a wide variety of unusual and ornamental Florida native plants into horticulture and maintains 500 Florida native plants in cultivation. His collection of 8,000 color slides includes the largest number of photographs of Florida native plants in existence. He lives in Lake Worth, Florida.