Winter in Florida is already on its way out. I’m seeing small pink flower buds on the redbud trees and while I was hiking today I saw my first butterfly for the year. Even though winter here tends to just be brown, there are some plants that do stay green. The pines and many of the oaks either stay green or shed their old leaves in the spring as the new leaves begin to come in. Another plant, one much closer to the ground, that stays green all winter is the purple thistle (Cirsium horridulum). I’ve always liked the way these plants looked anyhow, but they do add a nice pop of color in the brown grasses. In the spring they will produce some gorgeous, and interesting looking pink to purple flowers. These guys aren’t fun to step on in bare feet or even flip flops, but otherwise they’re pretty cool!