Natives of Corkscrew Nursery

06/19/2026

🌿 Native or not?

While visiting Isles of Collier Preserve, we came across a flowering hedge that looked a lot like firebush, but something seemed different.

That simple question led to a much bigger conversation about native plants, lookalikes, and why choosing plants suited to Southwest Florida matters.

Plants that truly belong here are better equipped for our climate, soils, rainfall patterns, and wildlife. The wrong plant may survive, but it can require more irrigation, fertilizer, pest control, and ongoing maintenance to keep it looking healthy.

Watch as Chris explains what homeowners should consider before assuming a familiar-looking plant is actually native.

▶️ Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpSLpjrGajE

In this video, Chris from Natives of Corkscrew explains why choosin...

06/18/2026

The right plant is not just about appearance. It also needs to fit the space.

A shrub that naturally stays below a window will usually need less shearing, remain healthier, and look better over time. An oversized plant forced into a small area may require constant trimming and can eventually become thin, stressed, or difficult to maintain.

Before choosing a plant, consider:

☀️ Light conditions
💧 Soil moisture
🌿 Mature height and width
🏠 Distance from windows, walls, and walkways

“Right Plant, Right Place” is one of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles recognized in Florida Statute §373.185.

Bring a photo of your yard and a few rough measurements to Natives of Corkscrew, and we’ll help you choose a plant that fits the site from the beginning.

06/17/2026

Looking for a native hedge that provides privacy without looking wild or out of place in an HOA community? 🌿

South Florida has several excellent native options that can be maintained as clean, dense, attractive hedges while also supporting local birds, pollinators, and wildlife.

Our latest article covers some of the best choices for:

• Privacy and screening
• Formal, neatly trimmed hedges
• Sun or partial-shade locations
• Drought and salt tolerance
• HOA-friendly curb appeal

The right plant depends on the site, available space, and the height and density you need—so choosing carefully now can mean less pruning, watering, and frustration later.

👇 Read the full article using the link in the first comment.

06/16/2026

Florida-Friendly Landscaping is about much more than choosing drought-tolerant plants.

Florida Statute §373.185 recognizes a complete set of principles designed to create landscapes that work better for Florida:

🌿 Right Plant, Right Place
💧 Efficient watering
🌱 Appropriate fertilization
🍂 Mulching
🦋 Wildlife attraction
🐞 Responsible pest management
♻️ Recycling yard waste
🌧️ Reducing stormwater runoff
🌊 Protecting waterfront areas

A Florida-friendly yard can still be polished, colorful, and beautifully maintained. The difference is that it also supports local wildlife, conserves water, reduces runoff, and works with Florida’s climate instead of against it.

At Natives of Corkscrew, we can help you choose plants that fit your property, your goals, and the conditions of your site.

06/01/2026

Got a wet area in the yard? Yellow Canna might be the answer.

This Florida native aquatic perennial brings bright yellow blooms to pond edges, swales, rain gardens, and marshy areas. It loves moist to wet soils and adds a cheerful, natural look to areas where many traditional landscape plants struggle.

Bonus: it is pollinator friendly, too.

The Right Plant. The Right Place.

Do you have a low, wet area in your yard that could use something beautiful?

05/29/2026

A couple of months in, and Sugden Park is already showing what happens when the right plants are put in the right place.

The native plantings are filling in beautifully, the flowers are blooming, and the landscape is already starting to look alive with color, texture, and habitat value. This is the kind of progress we love to see: plants adapting, roots settling in, and a Florida-friendly landscape becoming stronger with time.

Native landscapes don’t always need years to prove themselves. With thoughtful plant selection, proper placement, and a little patience during establishment, they can begin thriving quickly while supporting pollinators, wildlife, water quality, and a healthier local environment.

Great things are happening at Sugden Park, and this is only the beginning.

The Right Plant. The Right Place.

05/26/2026

Water Hyssop is a small native plant with a big job in wet areas.

This Florida native aquatic perennial stays low, usually around 6–12 inches, and works beautifully along pond edges, in rain gardens, wet containers, marshy sites, and shallow standing water. Its delicate flowers add a soft touch to places where many landscape plants struggle.

The Right Plant. The Right Place.

Do you have a wet spot that could use a native groundcover?

05/25/2026

Happy Memorial Day from Natives of Corkscrew.

Today, we remember and honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

In recognition of the day, we’re featuring Scarlet Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus), a striking Florida native known for its vivid red blooms and unmistakable star-shaped flowers.

05/23/2026

Summer rains change everything in Florida.

That’s why many Southwest Florida communities have summer fertilizer rules: when heavy rain hits, nitrogen and phosphorus can wash off lawns, sidewalks, and driveways and move straight into storm drains, ponds, canals, rivers, and coastal waters.

Those nutrients may sound harmless, but too much of them can feed algae blooms, reduce water clarity, and harm the waterways that make this region so special.

The goal isn’t to make landscapes less beautiful.

It’s to help yards work better with Florida’s rainy season.

One of the best ways to do that? Plant more Florida natives.

Native plants are adapted to local conditions, need less fertilizer once established, and help slow, absorb, and filter stormwater before it leaves your yard.

🌱 Less fertilizer
🌱 Less runoff
🌱 Healthier soil
🌱 Cleaner water
🌱 Better habitat

Florida’s rainy season is a good reminder: the right plant in the right place matters.

05/22/2026

HOA landscaping doesn’t have to mean constant replacements, heavy irrigation, and shrubs forced into shapes they were never meant to hold.

For Southwest Florida common areas, the key is choosing the right native plant for the right condition:

☀️ Sunny, dry entrances and medians?
Try Muhly Grass, Coontie, Dune Sunflower, Silver Buttonwood, or Firebush as an accent.

🌿 Need privacy or structure?
Use dense native screens like Simpson’s Stopper, Walter’s Viburnum, Wax Myrtle, or Florida Privet.

💧 Retention pond edges and swales?
Pickerelweed, Duck Potato, Fakahatchee Grass, and Bald Cypress can help stabilize soil, absorb nutrients, and soften the waterline.

🌳 Shady common areas?
Wild Coffee, Beautyberry, and Marlberry can replace struggling turf under trees with something more practical and attractive.

Native landscaping is not about letting common areas go “wild.” It’s about creating planned, beautiful, lower-input landscapes that work with Southwest Florida instead of constantly fighting it.

The right plant. The right place.