Bugambilia

The Bugambilia has been called a climbing bush, a shrub, or a vine.   It is a flowering plant that can bloom all year in sub-tropical warm semi-dry environments.  It has been seen covering fences, walls, and roofs or just standing on its own to be enjoyed.  It produces beautifully vibrant colored flowers of fuchsia, pink, purple, white, red and more that are a vision to behold. 

 The Bugambilia plant is native to Brazil but fares well in the southern half of Florida, the southern tip of Texas, California and Hawaii.  Some gardeners have even had success in South Carolina and Georgia with this easy to grow evergreen.  Winter nights below 20 degrees may cause your Bugambilia to wilt and loose its leaves and flowers. If this happens, cover your plant and do not prune until the last frost.

 The Bugambilia fares best when it is planted in a place with full sun exposure with moist well drained soil.  The less sun exposure, the less this plant will bloom.  The flowers of the Bugambilia are made up of a rich colorful paper-like leaves that protects a small white flower in the center of the leaves. 

 Besides beauty, versatility is another attraction gardeners have to this gorgeous plant.  You can plant your Bugambilia in a container or in the ground.  It can grow as a vine on a trellis; you can shape it in a tree form, or use it as a hedge.  The spines on the Bugambilia are long and sharp, so care is needed when picking a place for your plant as well as pruning, shaping and  doing away with cuttings.

Ficus Hedge

Many homeowners turn to the Ficus as the first option to fulfill their needs for a privacy hedge.  The reasons are simple.  The Ficus is relatively inexpensive and it grows very fast.

 Unfortunately, the same reasons the homeowners like the Ficus are the same reasons they “grow” to dislike this “hedge”.   First of all, the Ficus is a “tree” not a hedge.  This quick growing easy to care for “tree” grows like a tree with roots and a trunk like a tree and tall like a tree.  You may trim it like a hedge, but the root structure is strong and invasive which makes it hard to grow any other plants at its base.  The aggressive root system can also cause damage to foundations, sidewalks, driveways, and pavers.

 Second, the inexpensive aspect of this so called “hedge” will get thrown to the wayside once the homeowner realizes how expensive and time consuming it is to maintain.  It is true that this plant can be shaped and pruned into many different looks but since it is so fast growing, it needs constant upkeep.  If your plant gets out of control, you will pay dearly to have it brought back to size and even more to have it removed.

 Make your investment up front!  Do research on what native hedge plants work in your area.  Put the money into your landscape up front and invest in a plant that grows naturally as a hedge, not as a tree.  This will save your time, energy and money in the long run as well as enhancing the quality of your landscape.