There are countless beautiful flowering bushes you can grow in Florida. In this article, I’ll focus on the best flowering bush plants to grow in Florida.
To be honest, my selection might not be the same as other gardeners’. Some of you might prioritize fragrance, some might value color over fragrance, and others might prefer low-maintenance flowering plants.
I’ve considered all those major factors and created this list. I hope you’ll find the perfect flowering bush for your Florida garden among these.
All the pictures in this article were taken by me in my own garden. At the end of this article, I have added some more flowering bushes that you can grow easily here in Florida.
List of Best Flowering Bushes to Grow in Florida
I’ve added this chart that shows whether each plant can be grown in North, Central, or South Florida, along with other essential information presented in an organized way.
Note: I am considering only perennial flowering plants in this context. If you are interested in growing some annual flowering plants along with perennials, check: Best flowers to grow in Florida
| Flowering Bush Name | Suitable Region | Max Height | Blooming Time | Best Planting Time | Fragrance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf Ixora | Central & South Florida | 2–3 ft | Year-round (Peak: Summer–Fall) | Spring or Early Summer | Light |
| Miniature Rose | North, Central & South Florida | 1–2 ft | Spring to Fall | Late Winter to Early Spring | Moderate |
| Hibiscus | Central & South Florida | 4–8 ft | Year-round (Peak: Summer) | Spring | Light |
| Bleeding Heart | Central & South Florida | 6–10 ft (vine) | Spring to Fall | Spring | None |
| Bougainvillea | Central & South Florida | 6–20 ft (vine/shrub) | Year-round (Peak: Winter–Spring) | Late Winter or Spring | None |
| Golden Dewdrops (Duranta erecta) | Central & South Florida | 6–10 ft | Spring to Fall | Spring | Light |
| Night-blooming Jasmine | Central & South Florida | 8–10 ft | Summer to Fall (Night) | Spring | Strong |
| Crape Myrtle | North, Central & South Florida | 6–25 ft (variety dependent) | Summer to Early Fall | Late Winter or Early Spring | Light |
| Crape Jasmine (Tabernaemontana divaricata) | Central & South Florida | 4–8 ft | Spring to Fall | Spring | Moderate |
| Orange Jasmine (Murraya paniculata) | Central & South Florida | 6–10 ft | Intermittent Year-round | Spring | Strong |
| Lantana | North, Central & South Florida | 2–4 ft | Year-round (Peak: Summer–Fall) | Spring | Light |
| Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) | Central & South Florida | 6–10 ft | Summer to Fall | Spring | None |
| Allamanda | Central & South Florida | 6–10 ft (vine/shrub) | Spring to Fall | Spring | Light |
I have not mentioned North Florida as a suitable region for most of the flowering bush plants in my chart. That does not mean you can't grow them in North Florida. With some extra care, you can grow them in North Florida, too.
In the fragrance column, some flowers are listed as having a “light fragrance.” But this description is commonly found online, the scent is actually so faint that it’s hardly noticeable from a distance. (To be honest, you might only notice the scent when you bring the flower close to your nose)
The regions I mentioned are the best regions for those plants. If you still want to grow them in the Northern regions of Florida, check these two charts:
I love to suggest native plants to my readers. If you want more bees and butterflies in your garden, grow some Florida native flowering plants. I have created a separate list for that. You may check that from here: Easy to grow Florida native plants.
Dwarf Ixora
Dwarf Ixora is one of the easiest to grow flowering bush plants. I have created a long hedge with this plant, and I do nothing except pruning (in late winter to early spring)
The picture is taken in early fall, and it's still blooming. No need to worry much about pests and diseases.
I never tried to propagate them from seeds. It's best to go for stem cuttings propagation.
I usually see only harmless ants on my dwarf ixora plant.
If you are from South Florida, and you want a flowering hedge, dwarf ixora would be your best choice. If you want something other than this, read this: best privacy hedges for South Florida.
Miniature Rose
I am in love with the colors of the miniature roses I am growing in my garden right now. You may see fewer blooms in the picture, as this is early fall.
In the fall, you will witness the whole bush covered with mini roses.
I published a complete growing guide for this plant last year. You may check that from here: How to grow miniature roses in Florida.
Do not forget to trim the stems to make it bushier.
Hibiscus
There are a lot of Hibiscus varieties that you can grow in Florida. I would not recommend the large and tall hibiscus varieties as a flowering bush plant.
I found a variety at a local nursery that produces small pink flowers and is bushier than other varieties (you can see in the above picture).
Before planting this bush, make sure you know how to treat mealybugs. You may check this guide for that: Get rid of mealybugs on Hibiscus
If you are from North Florida, go for hardy type hibiscus.
Here is the complete hibiscus caring guide for Florida
Bleeding Heart
You may plant Bleeding Heart in the ground in Central and South Florida. But if you are planning to grow this flowering bush in North Florida, try to grow it in a container so that you can bring it inside when it's extremely cold outside.
It’s a great choice for gardeners looking to make use of their partially shaded areas.
They love indirect bright sunlight but can be grown in partial shade as well.
Bougainvillea
Without proper pruning, I will never consider this plant a bush plant. Bougainvillea is a woody, thorny vine that can be trained to climb trellises, walls, or fences.
With proper pruning, you can make it a nice flowering bush plant.
Pinch growing tips regularly. This will help the plant to become bushier.
Use 10-10-10 balanced fertilizer once a month.
Believe me, you will fall in love with your Bougainvillea plant. Florida's climate is really good for this plant.
Here is the complete guide for this plant: How to grow Bougainvillea in Florida
Golden Dewdrop
I personally use Golden Dewdrop as a flowering bush hedge plant in Florida.
Yes, they bloom, but I love the leaves more than their blooms. If you want nice green leaves with beautiful, small flowers, nothing can beat Golden Dewdrop.
You don't have to worry about caring and maintenance. Florida's climate is again good for Golden Dewdrop.
The plant can be trained into a neat hedge or small tree/bush.
Night-blooming Jasmine
I have grown almost all types of fragrant flowering plants in Florida. Night-blooming Jasmine is the winner.
If you grow even a single night-blooming jasmine plant, its fragrance can fill your entire garden when it’s in bloom.
It's easy to grow in Florida's climate.
The picture was taken by me during the day, and the flower blooms at night.
You can easily make it bushier by just trimming.
Crape Myrtle
Crape myrtle will bring colors to your home garden when there is a smaller number of annual flowering plants.
Note: Crape Myrtle and Giant Crape Myrtle are not the same. Make sure you are growing Crape Myrtle or Dwarf Crape Myrtle (to own a bush flowering plant).
I have the red one in my garden, but you may also try to find the purple one, which is more attractive.
Crape Myrtle can tolerate hard pruning.
Crape Jasmine
If you love white flowers, crape jasmine might be a good choice for you. You can prune it to give this bush a round shape.
This flower is also known as the Pinwheel Flower.
Not recommended at all for North Florida due to the cold in winter. If you are not lazy and wanna grow it in a pot, you are welcome to do so. Just make sure you bring it inside when it's too cold.
Orange Jasmine
Orange Jasmine is known for its fragrance. Like most other white fragrant flowers, it spreads scents at night. I consider this the second runner-up in the fragrant flowering category in Florida.
Note: In my chart, I have mentioned it can grow up to 10 feet, but some varieties can actually grow 20 feet tall without pruning.
A lot of people use Orange Jasmine in South Florida landscaping.
Lantana
Lantana is a Florida native flowering bush.
Note: Some species of Lantana are native to Florida, but not all of them.
Look at the picture below:
This lantana is a non-native one. But I love the color combination.
Lantana can be grown without any maintenance. Just plant it and forget. It can tolerate heat and humidity very well.
Pride of Barbados
I have checked a lot of lists of the best flowering bush plants that we can grow in Florida, but none of them have added Pride of Barbados to their lists.
Just look at the picture. What do you think? I fell in love with the flower when I first saw it in a local nursery.
I have grown this in my garden and created a complete guide for this plant: How to Grow Pride of Barbados from Seed
It is one of the best ornamental flowering bush-type plants.
In North Florida, it may die back in winter.
Allamanda
"yellow allamanda" or "golden trumpet" is famous for landscaping in Florida.
Note: There are two major varieties of Allamanda. One produces large, yellow flowers, and the other produces smaller yellow flowers. If you want to make a bushier plant, go for the smaller variant.
Some Allamanda species (notably A. cathartica) are declared as highly invasive by the University of Florida.
This is the end of my list. I have grown so many beautiful flowers that I feel sorry for the plants that I decided not to include in my list.
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