The Neighborhood Gardener
May 2025
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Short and Sweet: Stevia
How do you take your coffee or tea? If you prefer to use a sweetener, you have probably heard of stevia. Also called sweetleaf, the leaves of this plant are widely used as a sugar replacement. Naturally sweet with zero calories and zero impact on blood glucose levels, stevia can be a healthy option. Luckily, it can be grown in the Florida landscape. This tender perennial thrives in zones 10 and 11, prefers full sun and does best in sandy, well-drained soil. Learn more about Stevia rebaudiana on Gardening Solutions.
Weedy Grasses
When maintaining your lawn, certain weedy grasses might pop up that don’t belong or even interfere with your other plants. Most weeds are just “plants in the wrong place,” but there are also invasive grasses that are harmful to Florida’s ecology and should be managed accordingly. While Southern sandbur, known for its spiky seedheads, is a native nuisance, weeds like cogongrass and torpedograss are incredibly invasive. These plants can overtake pastures and fields, crowding out desirable and native species. Learn more about these and other weedy grasses at Gardening Solutions.
“Green” Podcasts from UF/IFAS
Looking to learn more about plants, gardening, and the natural world but don’t have time to read? Well, these podcasts from UF/IFAS provide the perfect opportunity to listen on the go. From “Naturally Florida,” about our state’s natural areas and the wild things that live here, to “F.R.E. Lunch,” where experts discuss complex issues facing agriculture, like food waste, and natural resource industries like craft beer, there’s probably a podcast to cultivate your curiosity. Stick your earbuds in and dig through a host of information and stories that enlighten and inspire.
Wendy’s Wanderings
While adding new plants to my pollinator garden recently, I had a thought — this plant will be perfect for the upcoming Great Southeast Pollinator Census. Scheduled for August 22nd and 23rd, 2025, the census invites gardeners across the Southeast to spend 15 minutes observing a single flowering plant and recording insect visitors. My garden already attracts a variety of bees and butterflies, but in true “A+ student” fashion, I’m taking extra steps to optimize it ahead of this year’s census.
Plant of the Month: Florida Peperomia
Florida peperomia (Peperomia obtusifolia), also called baby rubber plant, is perfect for filling shaded areas as a groundcover or atop a shelf as a houseplant. This native plant is perfectly suited for our humid, warm climate. Outdoors, it grows best in Central and South Florida, thriving in both partial and deep shade. Florida peperomia also does well in containers or raised beds and makes a great indoor plant. Its charming tendency to cascade over hanging baskets would be an attractive addition to a porch or patio.
May in Your Garden
In Florida, summer truly starts in May. Plant heat-loving annuals like salvias, celosia, portulaca and vinca. Ornamental peppers would be a colorful option as well. For the vegetable garden, tropical choices like Malabar spinach, pigeon pea and boniato can be planted throughout Florida. This is also a good time to prepare your landscape for hurricane season, especially your trees. Large, older trees should be evaluated by a certified arborist for defects not visible from the ground.
For more month-by-month gardening tips, check out the Florida Gardening Calendar. Three different editions of the calendar provide specific tips for each of Florida’s gardening regions—North, Central, and South.
What’s Going On?
If your Master Gardener Volunteer program or Extension office is having an event, be sure to share it with us.