Perennials

Flowering perennials serve the home garden by providing year after year of blossoms. The plant's long lifespan makes it an ideal financial investment for the garden. Consider planting the herbaceous perennial bear's breeches (Acanthus mollis) in partial shade in the Florida garden. It forms a clumping mass and each leaf can measure up to 3 feet in length. The plant grows to a height of approximately 5 feet. In the summer months, long spears of flowers appear in shades of white, pink or purple. Florida mountain mint (Pycnanthemum floridanum) grows well in full sun or partial shade. It produces nonstop clusters of lavender flowers that measure up to 1 inch across. The plant grows to a height of 4 feet.

Annuals or Tender Perennials

Tender perennials generally grow as annuals in central and north Florida because of the cold temperatures in the winter months. The wax begonia (Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum) plant grows well in full or partial shade, but new cultivars offer superior shade tolerance. Flowers appear in shades of white, pink and red, depending on the cultivar. The tender perennial or annual, Nemesia strumosa grows up to 2 feet tall. It produces white, blue or lavender flower racemes. In the heat of Florida's summer, it can benefits from growing in dappled shady conditions.

Flowering Ground Covers

Flowering ground cover plants fill the barren spots beneath trees or beside buildings where other plants often have a hard time surviving. Liriope muscari grows to a height of 18 inches. It produces grasslike stems. During the summer months, flower spikes in shades of purple, white or lavender emerge. Liriope tolerates shade or sun. Purple rockcress (Aubrieta deltoidea) grows well in partial shade, producing a thick green mat of foliage. In the spring months, the plant displays a lavish profusion of pink or lavender-blue flowers. It grows to a height of approximately 8 inches and can thrive with hardly any soil, which makes it ideal for cascading over the edge of rock gardens.

Flowering Shrubs

Ligustrum shrubs occur throughout the state of Florida. The wax privet (Ligustrum japonicum) grows to a height of 18 feet but withstands pruning and shaping well. The shrub's leaves measure 4 inches in length and appear shiny. In the late spring and early summer, it produces small, white flowers. The shrub is available in variegated leaf forms. The summersweet shrub (Clethra alnifolia) grows up to 6 feet tall. It produces colonies and spreads up to 5 feet wide. The shrub grows in full sun or full shade. It produces flower spikes in shades of white and pink during the late summer.