Top 5 Florida Native Plants

Floridians are often full of pride for their native homeland. They love their champion sports teams and enjoy the gratification from supporting their Tampa Bay Area through each sport’s season. Floridians love their beaches, and spending their year-long-summer soaking up some rays while maintaining their perfect tan that could put any northerner to shame. They also love representing their area by visiting their favorite local spot to have dinner with their family.

However, representing Florida nativism can be done without even leaving the home. Florida is home to thousands of native plants that can accentuate even the most beautifully landscaped yard. If you don’t know your St. Augustine grass from a hole in the ground, here are the Top 5 Florida Native Plants that can have you repping the Sunshine State in no time.

1. Scrub Palmetto

Hot, dry, sandy. Sound like your back yard at all? This Florida Native Plant loves these conditions. The Sabal etonia, also known as the Scrub Palmetto, is a slow growing, fan palm that is native to central Florida.

It is a hardy plant that does not need much water, but can tolerate rainy seasons. Which it will need to do, because this palm can live for nearly 100 years making it a true testament to Florida’s robust environment.

2. Cabbage Palm

Great, it’s raining again. No surprise; time for the yard to flood, drowning the plants, and ruining all hard work put into making it beautiful. None of these worries will become realities with Florida’s state tree, the Sabal palmetto.

With high wind resistance for those tough storms and adaptation to most landscapes, the Cabbage Palm makes for a beautifully resilient plant that is worth associating your pride with.

3. Beach Sunflower

What Floridian doesn’t love the beach? While there are definitely some out there, this bright flower makes up for that with its love of sun and salt. The Helianthus debilis, or Beach Sunflower for a simpler name, is highly drought tolerant and also does extremely well in high-salt environments.

Growing yellow or purple flowers all year round they make excellent beach or dune cover bringing brightness to the already exciting atmosphere that makes up the land natives love so much.

4. Cross Vine

With all the rain Floridians see, it is also important to take pride in a wooden backyard fence that may have seen better days. The best way to cover a possibly dilapidated enclosure is to cover it with a flowering vine. The Cross Vine, often called the Bignonia capreolata and Trumpet Flower is a Florida native plant that in spring blooms orange flowers off of its green vine coverage.

This vine grows in sunny or shady areas needing low to moderate amounts of water, but is also highly drought tolerable – what could be easier than that?

5. Florida Gama Grass

Perfect for rocky landscapes, stabilizing a hill or slope in your yard, or just adding a new texture to your landscape, Tripsacum floridana, Florida Gama Grass is optimal. This drought tolerant grass will make your Florida home represent your sophisticated, yet beachy feng shui year round.

To show support and a little pride in your homeland of Florida (whether a native or not) contact the experienced staff at Plantz for the highest quality and easiest landscape plans for your home, yard, office, or event.