Horticulture Professional & Garden Writer
About Keri Byrum
Keri Byrum is a horticulture professional and Plant Addicts garden writer with formal training in public horticulture and professional experience in gardens, Extension, and plant-focused organizations.
She earned her master's degree from the University of Delaware, where she completed the Longwood Graduate Program in Public Horticulture.
Keri's professional experience includes SeaWorld Orlando, University of Florida Extension, and Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. She now gardens in Iowa, where she continues to grow both hardy Midwestern plants and tropical favorites.
Her Approach to Horticulture
Keri's horticultural background combines formal education with experience in public gardens, Extension, and professional plant settings. Her gardening interests include container design, annual plantings, tropical landscapes, houseplants, and adapting warm-climate plants to colder gardens.
Gardening in USDA Zone 5 gives Keri the opportunity to apply her tropical-plant experience in a very different climate, using containers, houseplants, and seasonal plantings to bring tropical color and texture into a Midwestern garden.
Education and Horticultural Training
Master of Science
University of Delaware
Public Horticulture
Longwood Graduate Program in Public Horticulture
Bachelor's Degree
University of Northern Iowa
Professional Certification
Florida Certified Horticulture Professional
Professional Horticultural Experience
Keri's professional background includes experience with SeaWorld Orlando, University of Florida Extension, and Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando.
Her graduate training in public horticulture complements that professional experience and gives her a background in working with plants in educational and public-garden settings.
Today, Keri gardens in Iowa and applies her horticultural experience to container gardening, annual planting design, tropical plants, succulents, and houseplants.
Areas of Expertise
Keri's horticultural interests and experience include container design, annual plantings, tropical plants, and adapting plants to different climates.
Favorite Plants
Although Keri now gardens in Zone 5, she continues to bring her love of tropical plants into her Iowa garden through a large collection of succulents and houseplants.
Bromeliads, caladiums, and elephant ears are particular favorites and help create a tropical feel during the warmer months, even in a Midwestern climate.
Featured Gardening Articles
Keri has contributed Plant Addicts guides covering planting, pruning, fertilizing, and ongoing shrub care.
Shrub Planting
Planting Loropetalum
Practical guidance for planting and establishing loropetalum shrubs.
Shrub Pruning
Pruning Loropetalum
Pruning guidance for maintaining loropetalum size, shape, and healthy growth.
Shrub Fertilizing
Fertilizing Loropetalum
Fertilizing considerations for supporting healthy loropetalum growth and performance.