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FYN Publications: Native Landscape Plants for South Florida

Wild Flowers

Note: U indicates plants commonly available in nurseries and/or garden centers in south Florida

Click on underlined scientific names for photos and/or more information.

Common name *Scientific name*	Size (inch)	Light	Salt tolerance	Comments
Butterfly weed U Asclepias tuberosa	18-36	Full sun to partial shade	Low	Perennial wildflower with orange, summertime flowers. Essential component of a butterfly garden. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Prefers sandy soil; will not grow well in alkaline limestone soil.
Seaside oxeye U Borrichia arborescens	2-4	Full sun	High	Upright plant with yellow, daisy-like flowers. Widely used on banks and slopes. Excellent for beach-front plantings in sand. Requires freely draining soil to prevent root rot.
Silver oxeye U Borrichia frutescens	2-4	Full sun	High	Similar to B. arborescens, but with silvery foliage and a less upright stature.
Tickseed Coreopsis leavenworthii	18-36	Full sun	Low	Florida’s state flower. Tall, fast growing stems terminate in yellow flowers with brown/black centers. Forms large patches by self-seeding, but will die back in the winter.
Twinflower U Dyschoriste oblongifolia	8-12	Full sun to partial shade	Low	Small, sprawling perennial that forms a groundcover by underground rhizomes and seeds. Delicate stems bear small purple flowers.
Yellowtop U Flaveria linearis	24-48	Full sun to partial shade	Low	Erect to sprawling perennial with large clusters of tiny yellow flowers throughout summer. Vigorous and easy to grow, but cannot tolerate wind exposure.
Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella	12-24	Full sun	High	Colorful annual or short-lived perennial. As easily grown as it is beautiful. Considerable variation in flower color; typical variety bears red flowers with yellow-tipped petals. Plant in open site with good drainage.
Rain lilies U Habranthus spp.	24-48	Full sun	Moderate	Flowers yellow, pink, red or white, produced spring and summer after rain. Goes dormant in cool season, requiring very little water. Flowers best when crowded.
Beach sunflower U Helianthus debilis	36-48	Full sun	High	Erect or prostrate, spreading plant with sand paper-like leaves and 2.5-3” yellow sunflowers. Suitable for beach-front plantings. Good for attracting butterflies.
Pineland heliotrope Heliotropium polyphyllum	6-12	Full sun to partial shade	High	Sparse, partly erect or prostrate perennial composed of thin stems that arch at the top and bear tiny yellow flowers along the top side. Slowly forms large patches in cultivation.
Pineland lantana Lantana depressa	24-48	Full sun	High	Low, sprawling, woody shrub with small, yellow flowers that attract a variety of butterflies. Beware of the invasive L. camara.
Pennyroyal Piloblephis rigida	6-24	Full sun	Low	Low-growing perennial. Not picky about soil, but likes it dry. Small, shrimp-like flowers emerge from green, scale-like brachts. Attractive to butterflies.
Silkgrass U Pityopsis graminifolia	24-36	Full sun	Low	Perennial, grass-like herbaceous plant with silvery, silky stems, grass-like basal leaves, and small, terminal yellow flowers.
Black-eyed Susan U Rudbeckia hirta	24-36	Full sun to light shade	Low	Typical daisy-like annual or short-lived perennial (depending on variety), with large, yellow-orange to reddish-orange flowers with darker centers. Attracts butterflies. Does not tolerate prolonged, wet weather.
Thickleaf wild petunia Ruellia succulenta	12-18	Full sun to partial shade	Low	Herbaceous, succulent perennial with pink, petunia-like flowers year-round. Ruellia caroliniensis var. succulenta is a synonym.
Blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	12-20	Full sun	Low	Grass-like herbaceous plant with leaves resembling blades of grass and beautiful bluish-purple flowers with yellow centers. Prefers moist soil but is drought tolerant.
Pineland or sweet goldenrod **Solidago odora v. chapmanii**	12-24	Full sun to light shade	Moderate	Erect perennial with a slender stem topped in the fall by brilliant yellow flowers. Best if deadheaded in winter.
Seaside goldenrod Solidago sempervirens	36-48	Full sun	High	Tall, erect perennial similar to S. odora, but prefers dry, coastal, sandy sites in full sun.
Blue porterweed U Stachytarpheta jamaicensis	12-36	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Small, shrubby, perennial groundcover bearing tiny bluish-purple flowers that are highly attractive to butterflies. Commonly mistaken for the imported S. urticifolia.
Pineland pinklet Stenandrium dulce	2-6	Full sun to deep shade	Low	Tiny, dwarf perennial that grows as a basal rosette of leaves, and produces short stalks bearing small pink flowers. Will eventually spread to form groundcover, but cannot tolerate competition from other plants.
Stoke’s aster Stokesia laevis	24	Partial shade	Low	Clumping perennial bearing terminal bluish, lavender, or sometimes white flowers. Cutting it back will encourage clump formation.
Rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum	12-24	Full sun to light shade	Low	Perennial wildflower with a distinctive and unusual growth habit, forming loose, wiry clumps of stems bearing numerous small leaves and small, lavender flowers.Aster dumosus is a synonym.
Spiderwort U Tradescantia ohiensis	18-24	Full sun to light shade	Low	Herbaceous plant with gray-green leaves and purple flowers that open in early morning and close by mid-afternoon. Prefers dry to moderately moist soil.

Native Plant Categories

The 135 native plant species listed in this publication are grouped according to their functions in the landscape. Separate pages are provided for the following categories:

Wildflowers
Shrubs & Small Trees (A-C)
Shrubs & Small Trees (D-O)
Shrubs & Small Trees (P-Z)
Medium & Large Trees
Palms & Cycad
Ornamental Grasses, Ferns & Groundcovers
Vine