“Color Our Canopy”

2017 – 2019 FFGC president, Claudia Bates, has challenged every FFGC member to “Color Our Canopy” during her term by planting blooming trees. Specifically, which trees fit that criteria here on the First Coast of Florida? Horticulturist Aimee Underwood from Liberty Landscape Supply provided those answers during our January meeting. With Florida Arbor Day on the horizon, this presentation was most timely. Aimee categorized the possibilities by mature height, suggesting landscape blooming trees which fit from small to medium to large in size. She didn’t mention our club tree, the Loblolly Bay, but surely that is one specimen we could all incorporate into our landscapes. William Bartram wrote about it in his journals when he explored the St. Johns River surroundings in 1774! Gordonia lasianthus is native to the Southern Coastal plain and the blooms are very fragrant. Think about adding color to your yard by planting the following trees: Vitex, ‘Majestice Beauty’ Hawthorne, Japanese Magnolia, Red Buckeye, Taiwan Cherry, ‘St. Luke’s Purple Leaf Plum, Sweet Bay Magnolia, and our favorite – Loblolly Bay!