Start a Project The Sage living reference
Reliable, practical guidance for selecting plants that belong in Florida's Gulf Coast landscapes. Search by the characteristics that matter to your property—not simply by appearance.
Build a planting palette
Start with the role a plant must fill. Select a category to open every matching profile, then refine the palette by exposure, moisture and site conditions.
Design intent
Theme filters translate horticultural performance into practical design language. Combine a theme with plant type, sun, moisture, salt tolerance or origin to create a coordinated shortlist.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Magnificent’
Broad, irregular leaves display green, cream, pink, red and burgundy mottling; especially effective as a richly patterned specimen or mixed tropical mass.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Mammy’
Narrow, twisting leaves display green, yellow, orange, red and deep burgundy; especially effective as kinetic texture in low masses, entries and containers.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Oakleaf’
Distinctively lobed, oaklike leaves display green, yellow, orange and red veining; especially effective as a bold mid-layer with recognizable foliage architecture.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Dreadlocks’
Long, narrow, curled and cascading leaves display green, yellow, orange and red speckling; especially effective as a sculptural specimen where its pendulous texture can be read.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Mrs. Iceton’
Broad, pointed leaves display yellow and green maturing through salmon, pink, red and near-black; especially effective as layered color in protected beds, pool gardens and containers.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Petra’
Broad oval leaves with prominent veins display green traced with yellow, orange and red; especially effective as a dependable formal mass or high-contrast foundation layer.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Gold Dust’
Compact oval leaves display deep green densely flecked with yellow-gold; especially effective as brightening filtered-light beds and shaded tropical compositions.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Red Spot’
Medium-width pointed leaves display dark burgundy and green marked with red, orange and gold; especially effective as dark contrast and warm color repetition in mixed borders.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Sloppy Painter’
Long, narrow, lightly irregular leaves display green splashed and speckled with yellow; especially effective as an informal painterly accent beneath high canopy or bright filtered light.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Stoplight’
Long, straplike leaves display green, yellow, orange, red and dark burgundy; especially effective as a tall, dramatic backdrop or upright tropical screen.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Yellow Mammy’
Narrow, twisting leaves display yellow and lime green with warm orange-red accents; especially effective as a luminous low mass or energetic foreground accent.
Codiaeum variegatum ‘Zanzibar’
Very narrow, grasslike leaves display green, yellow, orange, red and burgundy; especially effective as fine texture, movement and a fountainlike transition between broad-leaf plants.
Quercus virginiana
One of Florida’s most valuable long-term shade trees, combining a monumental canopy, wildlife value and excellent wind resistance when given adequate soil volume and structural care.
Sabal palmetto
Florida’s state tree combines authentic regional character with exceptional tolerance of wind, salt air, heat, cold and drought after establishment.
Livistona chinensis
A dense, rounded fan palm recognized by gracefully drooping leaflet tips. More compact and visually heavier than Ribbon Fan Palm, but still too broad for a narrow bed.
Livistona decora (formerly L. decipiens)
A tall Australian fan palm with deeply divided leaves whose long, narrow segments hang like ribbons. Its crown is airier and more kinetic than Chinese Fan Palm.
Cordia sebestena
A small tropical tree with bold orange-red flower clusters, coarse evergreen foliage and excellent salt-air tolerance. Best in the warmest coastal locations.
Cordia boissieri
Also called Texas Olive or Anacahuita, this distinct Cordia species bears white trumpet flowers with yellow throats and tolerates colder, drier sites than Orange Geiger.
Bismarckia nobilis ‘Silver’
A monumental silver-blue specimen palm from Madagascar. Its mature crown demands generous clearance from buildings, drives, screens and utilities.
Chrysobalanus icaco (inland green form; often sold as ‘Green Tip’)
The vigorous inland green form of Cocoplum. Excellent for substantial hedges and screens, but too large for narrow beds unless long-term pruning is accepted.
Chrysobalanus icaco ‘Red Tip’
Burgundy-red new foliage distinguishes this vigorous inland Cocoplum. Best where its mature size can be accommodated as a hedge, screen or trained small tree.
Chrysobalanus icaco ‘Horizontal’
The sprawling coastal cultivar of Cocoplum. It can be maintained at 18–24 inches, but it is broad—not miniature—and needs meaningful horizontal space.
Coccothrinax argentata
A compact Florida-native fan palm with blue-green leaves that flash silver in the wind. Best in Zones 10b–11, with protected microclimate use in Zone 10a.
Coccoloba diversifolia
A refined Florida native with evergreen foliage, reddish new growth and mottled bark. Allow canopy room and avoid placing fruiting specimens directly over pools or pale paving.
Roystonea regia
Florida’s iconic skyline palm. Reserve for large properties with generous overhead and root space; mature fronds and leaf bases are substantial.
Phoenix dactylifera ‘Medjool’
A formal, high-impact palm with a massive textured trunk. Best where its mature scale, canopy clearance and falling fruit can be properly accommodated.
Ficus microcarpa ‘Green Island’
Dense, glossy foliage and a naturally compact habit make this a reliable massing shrub. Keep away from structures where roots would have inadequate space.
Crinum augustum ‘Queen Emma’
Bold burgundy foliage and fragrant flowers create a strong tropical focal point. Give the arching leaves room and protect from severe cold.
Strelitzia nicolai
A dramatic architectural plant that develops a large clumping form. Use where torn leaves after wind events and its eventual width can be accepted.
Agave tequilana
A sculptural blue-gray accent for dry, sharply drained sites. Keep terminal spines well away from walks, play areas and routine maintenance paths.
Clusia guttifera
A dense, durable hedge for warm coastal landscapes. Regular selective pruning produces a healthier screen than repeated hard shearing.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
A vigorous tropical shrub with large flowers in many colors. Its natural 8–12-foot scale makes it a poor choice beneath low windows or in narrow foundation beds.
Ixora coccinea ‘Nora Grant’
A compact, glossy-leaved ixora with abundant rosy-pink flower clusters. Its easily maintained 36–42-inch scale is well suited beneath low residential windows.
Alpinia zerumbet ‘Variegata’
A bold tropical perennial whose green-and-yellow foliage brightens protected partial-shade gardens. Mature stems can produce fragrant, shell-shaped flowers.
Built from 33 years of experience
This directory is an evolving horticultural resource informed by regional experience and authoritative references. Site conditions vary; final selections should account for microclimate, soil, drainage, irrigation, utilities and mature scale.