Pitted stripeseed
Pitted stripeseed (Piriqueta cistoides) is a cheerful perennial wildflower that emerges in early spring and typically blooms in late summer. It attracts small bees and butterflies.
Prairie coneflower
While Prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) is most common in the prairies and limestone glades of the midwestern US, its southernmost range dips into Florida’s Panhandle.
Prairie iris
Prairie iris (Iris savannarum) is an emergent aquatic with showy flowers that bloom in spring. It has one of America’s largest native iris flowers.
Pricklypear cactus
Pricklypear cactus (Opuntia mesacantha) flowers in late spring, attracting a wide range of pollinators, especially native bees. The fleshy fruits and seeds are eaten by birds, small mammals and gopher tortoises.
Privet senna
Privet senna (Senna ligustrina ) occurs naturally in hammocks and disturbed areas. Its flowers are mainly bee-pollinated, but the plant is a larval host for the Cloudless sulphur and Sleepy orange butterflies.
Purple coneflower
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) has striking blooms that attract a variety of butterflies, bees and even hummingbirds. Its seeds are eaten by birds and other wildlife.
Purple passionflower
Purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) has extraordinarily intricate purple-and-white-fringed flowers. The plant is the larval host plant of several butterflies including the Gulf fritillary and Zebra longwing.
Purple thistle
Purple thistle (Cirsium horridulum) is a larval host for the Little metalmark and Painted lady butterflies. The seeds are an important food source for seed-eating birds.
Purpledisk honeycombhead
State-endangered Purpledisk honeycombhead (Balduina atropurpurea) occurs in wet pine flatwoods, savannas, bogs and wet ditches and is pollinated by a variety of insects including bumblebees and butterflies.
Pygmy pipes
Winter brings interesting blooms to North Central Florida’s hardwood hammocks, including the cryptic Pygmy pipes (Monotropsis reynoldsiae). With only around 10 populations currently known, this narrow range endemic species is listed as state-endangered.
Rabbitbells
Rabbitbells (Crotalaria rotundifolia) is a low-growing wildflower found in pinelands, sandhills and disturbed sandy areas throughout Florida. Its small yellow flowers bloom throughout the year, attracting mostly bees. The unassuming plant often goes unnoticed as its flowers do not open until the afternoon and remain open only for one day. Of the 15 species of Crotalaria that occur in Florida, only four are native. Rabbitbells is the most common and widespread of the native species.
Railroad vine
Railroad vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae) is a fast-growing, evergreen vine found on beach dunes. Its large showy flowers attract bees, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps and ants.
Rain lily
Rain lily (Zephyranthes atamasca) is a short-lived perennial wildflower that blooms late winter through early summer. Its showy, solitary flowers are white,sometimes tinged with pink).
Rayless sunflower
Rayless sunflower (Helianthus radula) is a unique member of the Helianthus genus—its ray florets are almost entirely absent. It blooms late spring through fall and attracts a variety of pollinators.
Red buckeye
Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is a deciduous understory shrub or small tree with showy clusters of red, tubular flowers that appear in late winter through spring.
Red chokeberry
Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) is a deciduous shrub found in moist to wet pine flatwoods and along wetland and swamp margins. In late winter and spring, the plant is covered in a profusion of showy, sweet-scented blooms that attract a variety of pollinators, especially bees. In summer, flowers give way to a bounty of berries that persist well into fall. Although birds don’t care much for them, they may be eaten by deer, rabbits and other small mammals. Humans can eat them, too, but their taste is bitter and acidic. They are best made into jam, jelly, pie or wine. The fruits are high are in antioxidants.
Rice button aster
Rice button aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum) is a profuse bloomer with small flowers that attract a plethora of pollinators including butterflies and native bees.
Rose-rush
Rose-rush (Lygodesmia aphylla) is a striking perennial wildflower that occurs naturally in sandy flatwoods, scrub, sandhills and pine barrens throughout most of Florida.
Rubbervine
Rubbervine (Rhabdadenia biflora) is an evergreen flowering vine with white to pinkish-white flowers that bloom spring through fall, but may bloom year-round if temperatures remain warm.
Rue anemone
Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) is a state-listed endangered species. Its dainty white flowers bloom in early spring and are gone by mid-summer.
Rusty lyonia
Rusty lyonia ( Lyonia ferruginea) is a long-lived evergreen flowering shrub, so named for the many rust-colored hairs that cover the plant’s leaves, stems and trunk.
Sabal palm
As one of our most ubiquitous native plants, it is easy to see why Sabal palm (Sabal palmetto) is Florida’s state tree. Also known as Cabbage palm, this evergreen fan palm occurs nearly throughout Florida.
Saltbush
Also known as Groundsel tree and Sea myrtle, Saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia) is a long-lived perennial shrub that typically blooms in fall. It occurs naturally in coastal uplands and dunes, along pond margins, and in ditches and disturbed areas. It is an evergreen in the southern part of the state, but can be deciduous in northern Florida.
Saltmarsh morning glory
Saltmarsh morning glory (Ipomoea sagittata) is a trailing perennial vine with showy pink blooms. The large nectaries and flowers attract many insects, but it is most visited by bees.