Thryallis

Why it works here

Sprays of bright yellow flowers at the tips of every branch, summer and fall, and nearly all year in a warm winter. The new stems come in red and the foliage bronzes in cool weather, so it is a good looking shrub even between flushes. It is loose and airy and mounding, not a tight ball, and it is fast. UF/IFAS assessed it for the whole state and says it is not a problem species and may be recommended, and it is not on any invasive list. Bees work it. It is nearly pest free. Now the honest part, which is two things. It has zero salt tolerance, so this is not a beachfront plant and not a plant for a windy Intracoastal corner. And the wood is brittle. Branches break in wind and when kids and dogs push through. Put it somewhere sheltered where nothing bumps it and it is one of the easiest yellow flowering shrubs I know. One more thing: the nursery tag will say Galphimia glauca. The plant in the Florida trade is almost always Galphimia gracilis, a close cousin. Same look, same care, same nickname of gold shower.

Care

Full sun, any well drained soil, water to establish and then in dry spells. Compost in spring. The pruning rule matters here: do not shear it. Sheared thryallis goes thin and bare at the base and you cut off the flowers. Instead, take out individual long stems back to a side branch a couple of times a year, and keep the bottom wider than the top so light reaches the lower leaves. If a freeze burns it, cut back in spring and it returns from the base.

Common problems

Brittle branches. Wind, foot traffic, ball games, and dogs. Site it out of the way.

Salt. Any salt exposure browns it. Inland only.

Legginess in shade. More sun.

Shearing damage. See above. This plant is one of the reasons I argue against monthly shearing on the hedge page.

Very few pests or diseases documented, and I have not seen any worth naming.