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Native Plant List for Gardens

Florida Native Plants are a distinct advantage in the home landscape. They tend to stay where you plant them and not spread rapidly. They grow well in South Florida and most importantly, once established, they do not need irrigation.

Below is a list of native plants and their characterisitics that are good alternatives to exotic plants in your landscape. Links for each plant provide additional information for your consideration.  The main sites used for this purpose are: Plant Atlas: Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants, IFAS: Environmental Horticulture and EDIS, Floridata, and IRC: Institute for Regional Conservation's Natives for Your Neighborhood, with a few others mixed in when warranted.

It is important to realize that while native plant gardening can be an important source for preserving our local flora, it can also be a source for contaminating our local flora if we are not careful.  When determining what plants you would like to put in your garden, do your homework.  Find out what the natural ranges are of different species and whether a species that is out of its natural range is prolific (seeds get away easily by wind or critter) or is easily contained in the garden.  Plants native to one part of the state may end up being invasive and destructive to natural habitats in another.  Find out if there are local endemic varieties or subspecies whose gene pool might get contaminated if outside sources of the species are used.  We have provided tools on this site to help you make educated decisions on your native plant garden.  We hope you use them to their fullest extent.

 


Trees

  • American Elm

    American Elm, Ulmus americana, is a fast growing, large deciduous tree that grows up to 70 feet, but can be taller.  Dutch Elm disease is not prevalent in Florida, thus elms grow well here.  American elms prefer moist, rich soil, but will grow in dryer sites and are drought tolerant. Keep 15 feet from power lines. Will grow in partial shade to full sun.

  • Bald Cypress

    Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum, is a deciduous conifer that grows to 50 ft in height in cultivation, but can grow taller.  Prefers moist to wet sites, but will grow in dryer upland locations.  If grown in a wet site, remember to factor in the knees when determining maintenance around the trees. Hardy, wind resistant, and adapts to many soil types. Low maintenance. Keep 20 feet from power lines. Grows in full sun.

  • Buttonwood

    Buttonwood, Conocarpus erectus, is a small tree or shrub which is available in two forms. The first is a small tree with green leaves, some of which will turn red in winter. The second is a shrub or small tree which has blue-green or silver leaves (var. sericeus). Both varieties are long lived and enhanced by their brown bail or button-like clusters of seeds. The plant is extremely salt tolerant and does well in full sun or partial shade and is drought tolerant on all but extremely dry locations. The silver-leaved variety makes an excellent hedge.

  • Live Oak

    Live Oak, Quercus virginiana, is a long-lived, large shade tree that can grow upwards of 80 feet and can have a crown that spreads 100 ft wide. It can be grown in both moist and dry sites. When well watered, young trees grow rapidly into large shade trees within 10-15 years. Keep 30 feet from power lines or homes. Grows in full sun to part shade.

  • Longleaf Pine

    Longleaf Pine, Pinus palustris, is our other native pine besides the Southern Slash Pine.  It also exhibits fire adaptation with a seedling grass stage and long, dense needles which hold moisture.  Longleaf pine has longer needles and much larger pinecones than the Southern Slash Pine.  It is drought tolerant and grows to 75 ft.   It is low maintenance and grows in full sun.

  • Mangrove

    Red Mangrove, Rhizophera mangle, and Black Mangrove, Avicennia germinans, are both important coastal species that help protect the coastline from erosion and provide buffering from hurricanes.  They grow in brackish to saline wet soils, often inundated.  Black Mangrove is especially salt tolerant, but growth will be stunted in highly saline water.  They grow to 30-40 ft in height, but can get larger.  Red Mangroves tend to be as wide if not wider than tall.  Black Mangroves are usually taller than wide, except when in the stunted form.  For coastal properties these are perfect for right on the water line to provide a privacy screen and control erosion and run-off.  Wonderful honey source.  Grow in full sun.

  • Red Cedar

    Southern red cedar, Juniperus virginiana var. silcicola, is an upright evergreen which can reach 60 feet. The needles are flat and scale-like and green to blue green in color. The fruit are borne in powdery bluish, round, berry-like cones. The tree can be planted as a specimen tree or in groups as a windbreak or screen. The tree requires full sun and tolerates drought and a variety of soil types, but prefers well drained soil.

  • Sabal or Cabbage Palm

    Sabal or Cabbage Palm, Sabal palmetto, is our state tree and can grow in a variety of environments. It is hardy in both dry and wet sites and is cold hardy. It is low maintenance. Keep 15 feet from power lines. Grows well in full sun or part shade.

     

  • Southern Magnolia

    Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora, grows to 65 ft in height with a slightly conical crown.  It prefers rich, moist sites, but will adapt to the typical yard.  It has large white flowers and evergreen leaves that are dark green on top and a coppery color underneath.  This is a low maintenance tree once established. Keep 30 feet from power lines. Seeds attractive to birds, squirrels, etc.  Grows in part shade to full sun.

  • Southern Slash Pine

    Southern Slash Pine, Pinus elliottii var densa, is a fast growing, self-pruning pine that can reach upwards of 50 ft, and taller in some locations.  This is an important species of the pine flatwoods.   It is found only in southern and south-central Florida.  Its northern cousin, Pinus elliottii var elliottii, is found in north-central Florida up through the southeast and into Texas.  Southern Slash Pine is especially adapted to the typical fire ecology found in South Florida, with its seedlings going through a grass stage which helps protect the growing tip at the earliest stages of growth, and also has denser wood, which does not burn so readily.  Southern Slash Pine is much more drought tolerant than its northern cousin and grows in part-shade to full sun.

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Shrubs

  • American Beautyberry

    American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, is a small to medium semi-deciduous shrub which grows to 8 ft.  It is drought tolerant and has beautiful deep pink berries which are popular with the birds.  Prune judiciously.  Grows in part shade to full sun.

  • Firebush

    Firebush, Hamelia patens, is a medium to large shrub with orange tube flowers that are popular with the hummingbirds.  It has attractive foliage that is tinged red when young.  When in full bloom with the young foliage, it is obvious how this native got its name.  It has attractive berries that start out dark orange-red and turn deep purple.  It is hardy and can be grown just about anywhere.  There is a dwarf form for the smaller yard.  It prefers part shade to full sun.

  • Florida Privet

    Florida Privet, Forestiera segregata, is a large shrub that can grow to 20 ft, but is easily pruned to desired size.  It has gray bark that contrasts nicely with the small evergreen leaves.  The plant is dioecious, so it is preferable to have a male and a female plant in close vicinity.  The depp purple berries of the female plant are popular with the birds, especially mocking birds.  The Florida Privet is also a good nectar plant.  Grows in full sun.

  • Saw Palmetto

    Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, is a slow growing, bush-like palm that is found all over Florida and is an important food source for birds and wild animals.  It can grow up to 10 feet tall, but usually the stems lay flat on the ground and the leaves give the plant a height of around 5-6 ft.   It is resistant to drought, fire, and freezing. Grows in part shade to full sun.

     

  • Sea Grape

    Sea grape, Coccoloba uvifera, is one of a very few large leafed native plants. This plant can be pruned into a shrub, large bush or 30 foot tree. The leaves are often streaked with in red in the winter. The fruit are grape-like with a large seed inside. The fruit may be eaten raw or used to make jelly. This plant grows well in full sun to partial shade. It is extremely salt tolerant and drought resistant.

  • Shiny-leafed Wild Coffee

    Wild coffee, Psychotria nervosa, is a small shrub, which may reach 6 feet in height. The glossy, strongly veined leaves make this a desirable shrub. The clusters of small white flowers, followed by bright red drupes make this an exceptional plant. This plant will grow in sun or shade. It is somewhat salt and drought tolerant.

  • Tarflower

    Tarflower, Bejaria racemosa, is a medium to large shrub which grows to 15 ft.  It is drought tolerant and has relatively large, sticky white flowers which bloom in early summer that provide a nice touch to the native garden.  Prune judiciously.  Grows in light shade to full sun.

  • Walter's Viburnum

    Walter's viburnum, Viburnum obovatum, can reach 20 feet but usually only reaches about 10 feet. The small, oval leaves are glossy, dark green above and pale green below. This evergreen shrub has small white flowers in the early spring and red or black berries in the summer. The slow growing shrub grows in sun or shade but needs moist soil. A locally available cultivar, Mrs. Schiller's Delight is lower growing and has an extended flowering period.

  • Wax Myrtle

    Wax Myrtle, Myrica cerifera, is a very adaptalbe medium to large shrub that grows to 25ft.  It is pruned easily to any shape or size needed and makes an excellent hedge or screen. It is a dioecious plant, with the female producing small blue berries that are desired highly by birds and other wildlife.  Having both a male and a female plant in your landscape is recommended. Grows in part shade to full sun.

  • Wild Sage

    Wild Sage, Lantana involucrata, is a shrub that can grow up to 16 ft, but is usually smaller.  It is drought tolerant and somewhat salt tolerant. The shrub has long flowering periods and is attractive to butterflies. Wild Sage can become leggy as it grows older, but can be readily pruned back into shape. Tolerates and prefers full sun.

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Vines

  • Caroline Jasmine or Jessamine

    Carolina jasmine or jessamine, Gelsemium sempervires, is a climbing or trailing vine which blossoms from December to April. The dark green leaves and small, fragrant, yellow, trumpet-like flowers make this a desirable vine for trellises and arbors. This plant will tolerate most soils and full sun to partial shade. It flowers best in full sun. Parts of this plant are poisonous when eaten.

  • Coral Honeysuckle

    Coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, is a vine which requires an arbor or strong trellis. This vine has dark green leaves and clusters of red to orange-red flowers. The individual stems of this vine may grow to 6 feet. In late summer or fall a scarlet berry is borne. Full sun is preferred along with dry soil but it will tolerate partial shade and occasionally wet soil.

  • Wild Allamanda

    Wild Allamanda, Pentalinon luteum, is one of our showiest native vines with large yellow trumpet flowers and glossy green leaves.  It is a twining vine whose stems can reach to 10 ft in length.  Prefers dry sites.  Grows in full sun.

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Flowers and groundcovers

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Grasses

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Contributors and References

Contributors:

Many thanks to the following people for contributing content for this section:  Al Squires, Linda Wilson, Kathi Rader-Gibson and Karen Griffin.

References:

Besides the websites used for reference material already listed, the following books were also used for this section:

Haehle, R. C. and J. Brookwell, 1999, Florida Native Plants, Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company.
Nelson, G., 2003, Florida's Best Native Landscape Plants. Gainesville, FL University Press of Florida.
Nelson, G., 1994, The Trees of Florida. Sarasota, FL Pineapple Press, Inc.
Osorio, R., 2001, A Gardener's Guide to Florida Native Plants. Gainesville, FL University Press of Florida.
Taylor, W., 1998, Florida Wildflowers in Their Natural Communities, Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.

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