While I do not have specific tips, I can give you my 'course of action' after acquiring new plants (or shortly before). I do a search for the plant in google (scientific names are better than common names) and I include 'Florida' in the search... so.. just for example, I might google, 'Hamelia patens Florida'. Doing this usually results in a link to Floridata and/or UF/IFAS articles on the plant. This is where I get most of my general information regarding caring for my plants. I prefer UF/IFAS articles over Floridata ones as UF/IFAS tends to break down all the little details more than Floridata does.

Best of luck on your new acquisitions!

And my normal method of attack fails in regards to your Variegated Tapioca. I had to scroll way down to find a Floridata article. And I can't find anything on your Esperanza. Do you have a scientific name to go with it?

Here is the Tapioca article: Manihot esculenta

This post was edited by Leekle2ManE on Tue, Jan 29, 13 at 20:22

Thanks for the link for the Tapioca! I'll be reading that as soon as I post this message.
The Esperanza... I dug and dug and found the scientific name: Tecoma stans. The tag says just "Esperanza," which apparently isn't even a common name, so I don't know what that was about.
Floridata says common names are: Yellow Elder, Trumpetbush, Yellowbells, and Tronadora.
Here's the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Floridata Tecoma stans

Heh. From the article on the Tecoma stans, it sounds like you could have saved a few bucks by looking in empty lots while driving for 'wild' ones that have escaped cultivation. But it sounds like it is more prone to escaping and spreading in Southern Florida rather than Central Florida.

Again, best of luck on your new acquisitions, keep us updated on how things go. Please.

I keep gear in my car for just such excursions. This I have never seen around here. I'm encouraged, though... because Lowe's has one growing it the middle of the parking lot. It's already about 10' tall, so maybe there's hope. I will keep you posted!

Is the Esperanza Tecoma stans, a woody vining plant with yellow trumpet-like flowers related to Cape Honeysuckle?

Floridata link here:
www.floridata.com/ref/t/teco_sta.cfm

Mine's stopped flowering for the time being, but is still bushy and green... Tho who's to say if this is normal for the plant with this crazy weather!

The flowers look the same (to my untrained eye), but the one I bought is a small tree. Lowes had one in their parking lot (also a tree) and it's covered with flowers right now. (Same zone) So I'm not sure if it's the same or not?