Best Native Plants
| Palms | ||||||||
| Common Name (Sci. Name) |
Water Wise Page # | FYN Plant Guide Page # | WILDLIFE ♥ | DROUGHT * |
WIND ≈ | Height | Description | Fact Sheet |
| Buccaneer palm - n (Pseudophoenix sargentii) |
34 | 78 | * |
≈ | 10' | Rare | Buccaneer palm | |
| Dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor) |
61 | ♥ | |
4'-6' | Sabal minor | |||
| Paurotis -Everglades Palm (Acoelorrhaphe wrightii) | 34 | 76 | ♥ | 20'-30' | Clumping makes great habitat | Paurotis Palm | ||
| Royal Palm, Florida - n (Roystonea elata) | 34 | 79 | ≈ | 100' | Moist soils | Royal Palm | ||
| Sabal-Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto) | 34 | 79 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 50'-60' | Housing, food for wildlife, State tree | Sabal Palm |
| Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) | 34 | 79 | ♥ | * | 6'-12' | Habitat | Saw Palmetto | |
| Scrub Palmetto (Sabal etonia) | 34 | 66 | ♥ | * | 4'-6' | Rare, habitat | Sabal etonia | |
| Silver palm - n (Coccothrinax argentata) | 34 | 77 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 10' | Fruit attracts wildlife | Coccothrinax argentata |
| Thatch Palm, Florida - n (Thrinax radiata) | 34 | 79 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 20' | No disease/pest problems | Thatch Palm |
| Large Trees | ||||||||
| Common Name (Sci. Name) | Water Wise Page # |
FYN Plant Guide Page # | WILDLIFE ♥ | DROUGHT * |
WIND ≈ | Height | Description | Fact Sheet |
| Black Olive (Bucida buceras) |
32 | ♥ | 50' - 60' | Nesting for birds | Black Olive | |||
| Blolly (Guapira discolor) |
18 | ♥ | * | 30' x 40' | Red fruit attracts birds | Blolly | ||
| Buttonwood, Green (Conocarpus erectus ) | 18 | 32 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 40' - 50' | Food and overstory | Green Buttonwood |
| Cedar, Southern Red (Junipera virginiana) | 18 | 40 | ♥ | * | 20' - 60' | Nesting, seeds, songbirds | Southern Red Cedar | |
| Gumbo Limbo (Bursera simaruba) |
20 | 38 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 20' - 60' | Creates overstory and shade | Gumbo Limbo |
| Holly, Dahoon (Ilex cassine) |
20 | 40 | ♥ | 20' - 40 | Berries for birds | Dahoon Holly | ||
| Jamaican Dogwood (Piscidia piscipula) |
20 | 35 | ♥ | * | 45' x 25' | Flowering tree, larval food for hammock Skipper butterfly | Jamaican Dogwood | |
| Mastic (Sideroxylon foetidissimum) |
22 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 45' x 30' | Fruit attracts wildlife, pest free | Mastic | |
| Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) |
22 | 36 | ♥ | * | 60' - 70' | Overstory | Mahogany | |
| Mulberry, Red (Morus rubra) |
♥ | 40' - 70' | Fruit for all birds & wildlife | Mulberry | ||||
| Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) |
♥ | 60' - 70' | Laurel Oak | |||||
| Oak, Live - u (Quercus virginiana) |
22 | 36 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 50' - 60' | Food, housing, & shade | Live Oak |
| Oak, Sand Live - u (Quercus geminata) | 22 | 48 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 40' | Small version of Live Oak, acorns are a wildlife food source | Sand Live Oak |
| Paradise Tree (Simarouba glauca) |
22 | 36 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 30' - 50' | Fruit attracts wildlife | Paradise Tree |
| Pigeon Plum (Coccoloba diversiflolia) |
24 | 39 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 25' x 20' | Purple fruit attracts wildlife | Pigeon Plum |
| Pine, Sand - u (Pinus clausa) | 24 | 34 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 30' | Excellent wildlife food source | Sand Pine |
| Pine, Slash - u (Pinus elliottii) | 24 | 34 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 60' - 100' | Habitat & food for many species | Slash Pine |
| Short Leaf Fig (Ficus citrifolia) | 24 | 39 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 50' | Fruit attracts birds | Short Leaf Fig |
| Soap berry (Sapindus saponaria) | ♥ | * | ≈ | 40' | Soap berry | |||
| Wild Tamarind (Lysiloma latisiliquum) | 26 | 34 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 25' - 60' | Shade & habitat, fragrant flowers | Wild Tamarind |
| Small trees, Large Shrubs | ||||||||
| Common Name (Sci. Name) | Water Wise Page # | FYN Plant Guide Page # | WILDLIFE ♥ | DROUGHT * | WIND ≈ | Height | Description | Fact Sheet |
| Acacia, Sweet (Acacia farnesiana) |
18 | 42 | ♥ | * | 8' - 20' | Butterflies, nesting for birds, thorns | Sweet Acacia | |
| Bahama Strongbark (Bourreria ovata) |
♥ | * | 20' | Butterflies & birds | Bahama Strongbark | |||
| Caper, Jamaican (Capparis cynophallophora) |
42 | 43 | ♥ | * | 15' - 18' | Butterflies | Jamaican Caper | |
| Cinnecord (Acacia choriophylla) |
♥ | * | 15' - 20' | Midstory | Cinnecord | |||
| Coffee Columbrina (Colubrina arborescens) |
20' | Coffee Columbrina | ||||||
| East Palatka Holly (Ilex X attenuata) |
18 | ♥ | * | 15' - 25' | Fruit for wildlife | E. Palatka Holly | ||
| Fiddlewood (Citharexylum spinosum) |
18 | 44 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 15' - 20' | Birds, butterflies, cover | Fiddlewood |
| Geiger Tree - n, c (Cordia sebestena) | 20 | 39 | ♥ | ≈ | 20' | Birds, butterflies | Geiger Tree | |
| Holly, Yaupon - n (Ilex vomitoria) | 20 | 46 | ♥ | * | 8' - 25' | Berries attract birds & butterflies | Yaupon Holly | |
| Ironwood, Black (Krugiodendron ferreum) |
20 | ♥ | * | 15' - 25' | Fruit for wildlife | Black Ironwood | ||
| Joewood (Jacquinia keyensis) |
20 | ♥ | * | 15' | Butterflies, canopy, slow growing | Joewood | ||
| Myrsine (Rapanea punctata) |
44 | ♥ | * | 8' - 20' | Fruit attracts wildlife | Myrsine | ||
| Oak, Myrtle - u (Quercus myrtifolia) |
♥ | 6' - 30' | Acorns for wildlife | Myrtle Oak | ||||
| Red Tip Coccoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) |
46 | 53 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 12' - 15' | Fruit for wildlife | Cocoplum |
| Satinleaf (Chrysophyllum oliviforme) |
38 | 15' - 20' | Satinleaf | |||||
| Seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera) |
24 | 44 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 30' | Shade, fruit attracts wildlife | Seagrape |
| Silver Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) |
46 | 54 | ♥ | ≈ | 20' - 35' | Food, midstory | Silver Buttonwood | |
| Soldierwood (Colubrina elliptica) |
20' | Soldierwood | ||||||
| Spicewood (Calyptranthes pallens) |
46 | ♥ | * | 15' - 20' | Attracts wildlife | Spicewood | ||
| Stopper, Simpson (Myrcianthes fragrans) |
46 | 47 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 5' - 20' | Fruit attracts birds & wildlife | Simpson Stopper |
| Stopper, Spanish (Eugenia foetida) |
26 | 55 | ♥ | * | 15' | Fragrant flowers, fruit attracts birds in fall | Spanish Stopper | |
| Stopper, Red - n (Eugenia rhombea) |
24 | 55 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 5' - 20' | Berries attract birds | Red Stopper |
| Stopper, Redberry (Eugenia confusa) |
24 | 55 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 20' | Small red fruits attract birds in fall | Redberry Stopper |
| Red Bay (Persea borbonia) |
24 | 40 | ♥ | * | 6' - 40' | Shade, food for wildlife, & cooking | Red Bay | |
| Varnishleaf (Dodonaea viscosa) |
48 | * | 6' | Hardy plant, fruit | Varnishleaf | |||
| Walter's Viburnum (Viburnum obovatum ) |
48 | 49 | ♥ | * | 20' | Butterflies, midstory, berries attract wildlife | Walter's Viburnum | |
| Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) |
48 | 47 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 15' - 20 | Great for migratory birds | Wax Myrtle |
| Wild Lime (Zanthoxylum fagara) |
26 | ♥ | * | 25' | Larval for giant swallowtail | Wild Lime | ||
| Willow Bustic (Sideroxylon salicifolium ) |
26 | ♥ | * | 25' - 30 | Midstory, berries attract wildlife | Willow Bustic |
| Small Shrubs | ||||||||
| Common Name (Sci. Name) |
Water Wise Page # | FYN Plant Guide Page # | WILDLIFE ♥ | DROUGHT * |
WIND ≈ | Height | Description | Fact Sheet |
| Apple, SevenYear (Genipa clusiifolia) |
42 | ♥ | * | 8'-10' | Food for wildlife | SevenYear Apple | ||
| Bahama Cassia (Cassia Chapmanii) |
42 | ♥ | * | 6'-8' | Larval & nectar plant for sulfur butterflies | Bahama Cassia | ||
| Bay Cedar (Suriana maritima) |
42 | ♥ | * | 10' | Larval food for Martial Scrub Hairsteak butterfly | Bay Cedar | ||
| Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana) |
42 | 52 | ♥ | * | 4'-8' | Berries attract butterflies and birds | Beauty Berry | |
| Bitterbush (Picramnia pentandra) |
10'-15' | Bitterbush | ||||||
| Black torch (Erithalis fruticosa) |
♥ | * | 6'-12' | Black torch | ||||
| Bloodberry, Butterfly Sage (Cordia globosa) | ♥ | * | 6'-8' | Birds and butterflies attracted to nectar | Bloodberry | |||
| Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis) |
60 | 93 | ♥ | * | 3'-4' | Butterflies | Blue Porterweed | |
| Buckthorn, Tough (Sideroxylon tenax) |
♥ | * | 3'-20' | Habitat & food for birds | Buckthorn | |||
| Coontie (Zamia pumila) |
73 | ♥ | * | 2'-3' | Larval food for endangered atala butterfly | Coontie | ||
| Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea) |
42 | 55 | ♥ | * | 3'-20' | Attracts hummingbirds | Coral Bean | |
| Firebush (Hamelia patens) |
44 | 56 | ♥ | * | 3'-10' | Attracts hummingbirds & butterflies | Firebush | |
| Florida Privet (Forestiera segregata) |
44 | 55 | ♥ | * | 4'-15' | Berries attract birds | Florida Privet | |
| Golden Creeper (Ernodea littoralis) |
71 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 2'-6' | Golden creeper | ||
| Golden Dewdrop (Duranta repens) |
55 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 10'-15' | Golden Dewdrop | ||
| Gopher Apple (Licania michauxii) |
62 | ♥ | * | 1' | Attracts wildlife & tortoises | Gopher Apple | ||
| Marlberry (Ardisia escallonioides) |
44 | 51 | 10'-20' | Fragrant flower & black fruit attracts wildlife | Marlberry | |||
| Pisonia (Pisonia aculeata) |
10'-15' | Pisonia | ||||||
| Prickly-pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa) |
♥ | * | ≈ | 3' | Prickly-pear cactus | |||
| Privet Cassia (Senna ligustrina) |
♥ | * | ≈ | 6'-8' | butterfly plant | Privet Cassia | ||
| Rouge Plant (Rivina humilis) |
♥ | * | 3'-5' | Berries and flowers, prefers shady areas | Rouge Plant | |||
| Shrub Verbena (Lantana involucrata) |
64 | 90 | ♥ | * | 4'-5' | Berries & flowers attract butterflies | Shrub Verbena | |
| Snowberry (Chiococca alba) |
♥ | 10' | Snowberry | |||||
| White Indigo Berry (Randia aculeata) |
48 | * | 8' | Small fragrant flowers, showy berries | White Indigo Berry | |||
| Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) |
48 | 60 | ♥ | 5'-10' | Berries & flowers attract wildlife, prefers shady areas | Wild Coffee | ||
| Bahama Coffee (Psychotria ligustrifolia) |
♥ | Bahama coffee | ||||||
| Softleaf Coffee (Psychotria sulzneri) |
♥ | Softleaf coffee | ||||||
| Yellow Necklace Pod (Sophora tomentosa var. truncata) |
48 | 48 | ♥ | * | 6'-8' | Yellow flowers attract butterflies and humming birds | Necklace Pod |
| Wildflowers | ||||||||
| Common Name (Sci. Name) |
Water Wise Page # |
FYN Plant Guide Page # | WILDLIFE ♥ | DROUGHT * |
WIND ≈ | Height | Description | Fact Sheet |
| Beach Sunflower (Helianthus debilis) |
60 | 88 | * | 1'-2' | Excellent ground cover, showy flowers | Beach Sunflower | ||
| Beach verbena (Verbena maritima) |
♥ | * | ≈ | 1' | Beach verbena | |||
| Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella) |
60 | 87 | ♥ | * | 1.5' | Gopher tortoises, colorful | Blanket Flower | |
| Dayflower (Commelina diffusa) |
Dayflower | |||||||
| Dotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata) |
60 | 96 | * | 4' | Purple-spotted yellow flower | Dotted Horsemint | ||
| Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica-not native) |
84 | ♥ | 2'-3' | butterfly plant | Milkweed | |||
| Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) |
62 | 87 | ♥ | * | 2'-3' | Butterflies and birds | Purple Coneflower | |
| Sage, Tropical Red (Salvia coccinea) |
64 | 92 | ♥ | * | 2' | Red flowers attract butterflies & hummingbirds | Tropical Sage | |
| Scorpion tail (Heliotropium angiospermum) |
88 | ♥ | 1'-2' | butterfly plant | Scorpion tail | |||
| Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) |
64 | 93 | * | 6' | Yellow flower, excellent for wildflower garden | Seaside Goldenrod | ||
| Sea Oxeye Daisy (Borrichia frutescens) |
64 | * | 3' | Excellent seaside plant with silvery foliage | Sea Oxeye Daisy | |||
| Tickseed (Coreopsis floridana) |
96 | ♥ | 3' | Tickseed | ||||
| Wild Pennyroyal (Piloblephis rigida |
♥ | 2' | Wild Pennyroyal | |||||
| Wild Petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis) |
♥ | 1'-2' | Wild Petunia |
| Vines | ||||||||
| Common Name (Sci. Name) | Water Wise Page # | FYN Plant Guide Page # | WILDLIFE ♥ | DROUGHT * |
WIND ≈ | Height | Description | Fact Sheet |
| Beach Morning Glory (Ipomoea imperati) |
60 | 68 | * | 0.5' (vine) | Good groundcover, showy flower | Beach Morning Glory | ||
| Blue Jacquemontia (Jacquemontia pentanthos) |
72 | ♥ | * | 6' (vine) | butterflies | Blue Jacquemontia | ||
| Blue Sky vine (Thunbergia grandiflora) |
♥ | ≈ | 20' | Blue Sky vine | ||||
| Climbing aster (Symphyotrichum carolinianum) |
♥ | 10' | prolific bloomer | Climbing aster | ||||
| Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) |
72 | 68 | ♥ | * | 15' | red flowers attract butterflies & hummingbirds | Coral Honeysuckle | |
| Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata) |
64 | ♥ | 2' | Lyreleaf Sage | ||||
| Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia) | 72 | ♥ | * | 40' (vine) | Important food source for wildlife | Muscadine Grape | ||
| Passion Flower - Corky Stem (Passiflora suberosa) |
♥ | several feet | Larval host for butterflies | Passion Flower (Corky Stem) | ||||
| Passion Flower - Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) |
72 | 67 | ♥ | * | 3'-12' (vine) | Larval food plant for butterflies | Passion Flower (Maypop) | |
| Railroad Vine (Ipomoea pes- caprae) |
62 | 71 | * | 0.5' (vine) | Showy pink flowering vine | Railroad Vine | ||
| Wild Allamanda (Pentalinon luteum) |
6'-8' | Wild Allamanda |
| Grasses & Groundcovers | ||||||||
| Common Name (Sci. Name) |
Water Wise Page # |
FYN Plant Guide Page # | WILDLIFE ♥ | DROUGHT * |
WIND ≈ | Height | Description | Fact Sheet |
| Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) |
82 | 3' | Bracken fern | |||||
| Cordgrass (Spartina patens) |
64 | 75 | ♥ | ≈ | 2' - 3' | Cordgrass | ||
| Elliott Love Grass (Eragrostis elliottii) |
74 | ♥ | * | 1' | Tiny seeds are food for doves | Elliott Love Grass | ||
| Fakahatchee Grass (Tripsacum dactyloides) |
75 | ♥ | * | 4' - 6' | Larval host plant for skippers | Fakahatchee Grass | ||
| Florida gamagrass (Tripsacum floridana) |
44 | 75 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 2' | Florida gamagrass | |
| Florida greeneyes (Berlandiera subacaulis) |
♥ | * | 2' | Florida greeneyes | ||||
| Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) |
62 | 75 | ♥ | * | 1' - 3' | Cover for butterflies & wildlife | Muhly Grass | |
| Sea oats (Uniola paniculata) |
♥ | * | ≈ | 3' - 6' | Sea oats | |||
| Sunshine Mimosa - Powderpuff (Mimosa strigillosa) |
62 | 72 | ♥ | * | ≈ | 0.5' | Great groundcover, can be mowed, pink flowers | Sunshine Mimosa |