Wax Myrtle

Why it works here

Note: dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are on separate plants, so only females carry the waxy blue berries

This is one of the most forgiving natives you can plant on the Treasure Coast. It grows in our poor sandy soils because it fixes its own nitrogen at the roots the way a bean plant does, so it feeds itself. It shrugs off both a soggy corner and a dry one, which makes it a great fast screen, hedge, or informal buffer. Birds work the berries all winter, and it hosts the red-banded and banded hairstreak butterflies.

Care

Water a new plant a couple times a week for the first month or two, then it pretty much takes over its own care. It doesn't need feeding in decent ground, but a ring of compost and mulch in spring keeps it happy and holds moisture. You can leave it loose and natural or shear it into a formal hedge, your call. If you want a small multi-trunk tree look, thin out the lower stems and let it lift up.

Common problems

Honestly close to trouble-free. Its one real caveat: the foliage is resinous and flammable, so I don't plant it tight against a house in a fire-prone spot. It also suckers and can spread wider than you planned, so give it room or plan to prune the runners back by hand. Chlorosis, which is yellowing leaves from a nutrient the plant can't pull from the soil, is rare here but a little compost fixes it.