Carolina cranesbill flowers

Carolina cranesbill

Carolina cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum) is an annual native wildflower that occurs in lawns, urban gardens and disturbed areas throughout Florida. It is often considered a weed, but its winter- and spring-blooming flowers attract bees and other small pollinators. Birds eat the seeds and white-tailed deer may forage on the leaves. Humans can eat the leaves, too, but they can be very bitter and astringent. The root has been used historically to treat sore throats and diarrhea. Carolina cranesbill is Florida’s only native Geranium species.

Yellow rabbitbells flower

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.

Zebra longwing, Heliconius charithonia

Zebra longwing

Zebra longwing butterflies ( Heliconius charitonia) are found throughout the state, but this common Florida butterfly is anything but ordinary! Their elongated wings make them easy to distinguish from other Florida natives, but their unique attributes don’t stop there.

Delaware skipper on thistle

Delaware skipper

Originally named for the Delaware tribes of Native Americans near where this butterfly was discovered, the Delaware skipper is now found throughout the eastern United States.

Wildflower Surveys, 2010 and 2011: Corkscrew Swamp Vicinity Interim Report

The goal of these surveys is to document routes that motorists, cyclists and hikers can view showy stands of native wildflowers. Surveys of Corkscrew Swamp vicinity are part of an ongoing effort to expand the number of routes for viewing Florida native wildflowers. This report represents the cumulative results of our site evaluations based on…

Native Roadside Wildflowers in Rural Areas:

Developing Best Management Practices for Establishment of Plantings by Seed and Enhancement of Naturally-Occurring Population This report is one of several guiding documents for the Florida Wildflower Program, including its purposes and procedures.

Our first 25 years

Our First 25 Years Florida’s first Coreopsis State Wildflower specialty license plate, WFL 001, was pre-purchased by Gary Henry of Tallahassee in May 2000. Other prominent native wildflower enthusiasts, including Elizabeth Pate, Marion Hilliard, Carolyn Schaag, Laura Mock, Anne MacKay, Frank Walper, Willson McBurney and Jeff Norcini, followed Gary’s lead and pre-purchased their own WFL…

Seeds of Knowledge

Seeds of Knowledge

Seeds of Knowledge Library Demonstration Garden Grant Program Florida libraries: Be part of something wildly new!   We are thrilled to introduce the pilot phase of our Seeds of Knowledge Library Demonstration Garden Grant program! Libraries, this is your library’s chance to bring the beauty and importance of Florida’s native plants to life. Create a…