6 PICKS ; THE "PLANTS OF THE YEAR,"CHOSEN BY THE FLORIDA NURSERYMEN & GROWERS ASSOCIATION, ARE A MOSTLY CAREFREE BUNCH, INCLUDING A FLORIDA NATIVE.

South Florida Sun - Sentinel; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Mar 7, 2003; Thomas C. Hewitt Special Correspondent;

Some folks say good plants never go out of style. But, let's face it, planting the same things year after year can get really boring - - for the gardener as well as the landscape.

Looking for some different plants for the garden when the impatiens get too leggy to be presentable? Try some of these suggestions from the Florida Nurserymen & Growers Association.

Every year the association announces its "Plants of the Year" to encourage gardeners to plant what the experts consider underutilized species. A committee of growers, horticulturists, retailers, landscape professionals and University of Florida faculty meet to select the plants based on good pest resistance, ease of care and dependable performance.

This year, six of the seven plants on the list are well-suited for South Florida gardens. They range in size from Evergreen paspalum, a beautiful bunch grass, to Little Gem magnolias, a smaller version of our Southern classic. There's even a Florida native on the list, which pleases native plant lovers like Bryan Tozzie, of Alexander Landscaping & Plant Farm in Davie.

"It just makes sense to use beautiful native plants wherever we can," he says.

Here are the six picks:

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) This deciduous Florida native, which is often semi-deciduous in South Florida, can be found growing throughout the state. It thrives in partial shade, but it flowers and fruits more abundantly in the sun. Small, pinkish-white flowers appear along gracefully arching stems, followed by purple berries, which are a favorite food of mockingbirds. Beautyberry looks best when allowed to have its natural, leggy form, but can be trimmed back hard once a year in late February, before it puts out new growth. This will encourage branching and give it a more compact form. Carl Terwilliger of Meadow Beauty Nursery in Lake Worth likes to see it used in native landscapes. "It looks particularly good in back of saw palmetto," he says, "and growing in the dappled shade of slash pines."

Evergreen paspalum (Paspalum quadrifarium) This attractive bunch grass maintains a dark green color all year and is moderately salt tolerant. It will grow to 3 to 4 feet high and wide and makes a great accent in the landscape. Tozzie of Alexander Landscaping & Plant Farm likes to see it mixed with native plants. "Bunch grasses, like paspalum, look especially good in masses, with plants such as tickseed or gaillardias used as companion plants for color." But, he cautions ornamental grasses are not maintenance-free. "Most of them have to be cut back two to three times a year to rejuvenate them," he says. Even so, they require little fertilization and watering once they are established.

Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow (Brunfelsia grandiflora) This plant is impossible to ignore when in bloom. Blooming sporadically throughout the year, its large, flat flowers open purplish-blue and fade to light blue, then white. All three colors are noticeable on the plant as flowers age, the source of the plant's common name. One of the best places to see large numbers of this plant is the Morikami Gardens in Delray Beach (call first to see if they're in bloom). Brunfelsia grandiflora can attain heights of 8 feet or more and likes full sun. It can also be trained as a standard.

Purple Wreath Vine (Petrea volubilis) Also called Queen's Wreath or simply Petrea, the sprays of amethyst flowers of this woody climber resembles wisteria. It also comes in a sometimes hard-to-find white form. The coarse leaves give it another common name -- Sandpaper Vine. The trunks of Petrea become huge with time and need good support. They bloom sporadically throughout the year, usually putting on their showiest display in late winter or early spring.

Little Gem Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora `Little Gem') This smaller version of an old favorite is perfect for today's landscapes. Although the flowers are slightly smaller that those of standard varieties, the tree is more compact and has a more upright, narrow form. The dark green leaves with rusty-bronze coloring on the undersides are smaller than those of a standard magnolia. `Little Gem' also blooms on and off throughout the year. It is particularly attractive when planted en masse. This fully evergreen magnolia is drought and wind resistant once established. They can attain heights of 15 to 20 feet and need full sun.

Schefflera `Luseane' (Schefflera arboricola `Luseane') Anyone who thinks of schefflera as an uncontrollable monster hasn't been introduced to this petite member of the family. Schefflera `Luseane' has a mature height and width of only 2 to 3 feet. Requiring medium light, it is usually used as a houseplant or bonsai. But it also makes a good container subject for South Florida patios. Don't look for this plant in the shrub department. It is usually found with other interior foliage plants in large outlets such as Home Depot.

The seventh plant is somewhat finicky because it is a North Florida native, but it can be grown here if you take special care of it. Stokes' Aster (Stokesia laevis) Many cultivars of this perennial are now available, extending its color range from traditional blues and lavenders into pinks, whites, and even yellows. Cornflower-like flowers are produced on 1- to 2- foot stalks in spring and early summer. Melodye Abell, of Abell's Nursery in Lake Worth, recommends growing them only where they get morning or late afternoon sun. "Stokes' asters need shade this far south," she says, "and you must amend the soil with peat moss or compost to retain moisture."

Take the advice of the Florida Nurserymen & Growers Association and give these special plants a try. Except for those finicky asters, everything on the list this year makes an easy-care addition to South Florida gardens.

Thomas C. Hewitt is a freelance writer and gardener who lives in West Palm Beach.