Flowers in St. Pete
Dress || Similar Sandals || Earrings || Bracelet
It’s the middle of spring and that means all of Florida, St. Pete included, is in full bloom. Since I’ve been spending so much time at home, like we all should be, I’ve able to a take full advantage of my neighborhood. Everyday it seems like a new flower is starting to blossom. The colors in my little historic neighborhood are incredible! Recently, one of my favorite bloggers, Kristin from Color By K, posted a Charleston Flower Guide. Color me inspired! The Holy City has about three hundred years on St. Pete, and has had so much more time to establish beautiful florals. Still, the Sunshine City has a lot to show for it. Here’s a quick peak into some of my favorite flowers, and where to find them.
Confederate Jasmine
Also known as star jasmine, this fragrant flower has been blooming in droves over the past few weeks. The window for catching the flowers is pretty narrow, especially when compared to others in Florida. The month of April is the best chance you’ll have to see them for yourself. Although their time with us is short, it makes it so much more special. You’ll find jasmine in the historic neighborhoods around St. Pete, usually growing on the fencing. There’s one house in Grenada Terrace that has jasmine as a ground cover which I think is an amazing idea! You’ll smell the flowers long before you even see them.
Plumerias
Another fragrant flower calls Florida home, along with Central America and the Caribbean. It’s often times associated with Hawaiian leis and were used as a status symbol for the nobility in the Aztec Empire. The plumeria comes in a rainbow of colors, but I simply love the white and yellow flowers that are all over St. Pete. The trees, which can grow up to 25 feet tall, bloom in the spring and will keeping flowering until the middle of the summer. You catch a few glimpses of them in Old Northeast, but I saw so many trees in the Old Southeast neighborhood while biking over the weekend.
Hibiscus
It may be the state flower of Hawaii, but did you know that this hardy flower grows almost anywhere? It’s true! David’s mom even has them in her garden in Vermont. My backyard, growing up, was absolutely full of them in all colors. Hibiscus bouquets at the dinner table were a pretty common occurrence. Although I’ve seen them planted throughout the Old Northeast neighborhood, I’ve noticed it’s usually with the newer homes. My guess behind the reason is that they do grow so quickly and almost year round. From my quick observation, pink and coral are the most popular colors, but all are possible.
Bougainvilleas
It’s hard to pick a favorite flower, but nothing makes quite a statement as bougainvilleas. They are some of the brightest pops of color you can find in Florida. I especially love the contrast against a light colored house. They are technically vines and do their best work climbing up fences and trellises. One of the most memorable displays in town is right at North Straub Park, across from the Vinoy, where a large trellis has become a very popular spot for engagement and wedding pictures. Some of the most manicured homes on the Bay and Gulf, boast these flowers too.
Palm and Trees
Even though they don’t neatly fit in the flower category, I always love to admire our local collection of trees and palms. The palms, which have become a very frequent backdrop for my own pictures, gives St. Pete an eternal green color. In March, the famous Trumpet Flower Tree on Coffee Pot Bayou blooms in such force that it almost looks like its snowing pink petals. Right now, the magnolias trees are starting to bloom and makes me thinking of my childhood where I would climb up to get the prettiest flowers.
St. Pete is becoming a city of constant change and growth, but the one thing that will always remain the same is our gorgeous plant life. The next time you’re visiting the Sunshine City, be sure to take the time to appreciate what Mother Nature has already done for us. Stop and smell the roses.
Love from Florida,
Katie
As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.