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Florida Gardening

What to plant for hedge around pool cage

13 years ago

Hello all. I planted a hedge of red Ixora around my pool cage three years ago hoping they would grow into a nice 4 foot tall hedge. But they have gotten smaller and smaller every year with the freezes. I have a total of about 60 Ixora round the entire cage. I have lost about 10 completely. I am new to plants so I have been researching fertilizing them with iron.

I am considering a few options:

option 1: just replace the dead ixora, fertilize, and hope that the next few winters will be gentle.

option 2: Transplant the remaining ixora to other planters and start new with something like sweet viburnum or firebush.

option 3: stop caring all together and plant some ugly native plants.

I would like something with color. One problem I have is that the pool water, when splashed out, runs into the planter in certain spots. It is a saltwater pool and I don't splash too much. I need something that will weather the cold spells ok without too much work. The last few years the Ixora died off to the ground but only come back about 70 percent of the previous years size. They keep getting smaller and smaller.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Here is what they looked like the first year I planted them, 2008.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/peterpetrika/DSC00074.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/peterpetrika/DSC00064.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/peterpetrika/DSC00072.jpg

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Comments (6)

fawnridge (Ricky)
13 years ago
Cocoplum - Chrysobalanus icaco - is a Florida native that will grow well in your zone, has interesting red new growth, and will tolerate the salt. Ixora is just the opposite, so get it out of there.
chloe92us
13 years ago
I love Cocoplum, but it is very cold sensitive and gets huge.

What about plumbago, hardy hibiscus, orange jessamine, allamanda, wild coffee, or fakahatchee grass.

I'm pulling out all my ixora too.
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ordpete944
Original Author
13 years ago
thank you for the replies. I like the cocoplum, but I am worried it will die back every year. I am leaning towards the fakahatchee grass. I hope I can find it for relatively cheap. I will be getting some orange jessamine for accents along my privacy fence and some sweet viburnum for other areas. I think the fakahatchee grass will give the pool area a nice tropical look.

I am still open to more suggestions so keep them coming. Thank you all!
ordpete944
Original Author
13 years ago
thank you for the replies. I like the cocoplum, but I am worried it will die back every year. I am leaning towards the fakahatchee grass. I hope I can find it for relatively cheap. I will be getting some orange jessamine for accents along my privacy fence and some sweet viburnum for other areas. I think the fakahatchee grass will give the pool area a nice tropical look.

I am still open to more suggestions so keep them coming. Thank you all!
scogebear
13 years ago
The Ixora is an acid loving plant and it's surrounded by cement and gravel which leaks alkalinity into the soil. That's probably the problem. Personally, I think the cocoplum is a nice hedge but would get too big and hide the nice landscaping behind it. I would go with some type of ornamental grass.
User
13 years ago
Here are some ideas for shrubs from Univ. of FL

Here is a link that might be useful: Shrubs for Central Florida

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