Our Wildflower Family
Getting to know plant families is a great way to expand your botanical knowledge and improve identification skills. Here we are featuring Florida native wildflower families, exploring their ecological role and relationships to pollinators.
For an in-depth review of plant families, watch our webinar Botany in Context: Getting Familiar with Plant Families by Dr. Jim Folsom.
Family Profile: Poaceae
Poaceae is a large and diverse plant family comprising more than 11,000 species of grasses worldwide. There are around 500 species found in Florida, nearly half of which are non-native.
Family Profile: Convolvulaceae
The Morning glory family (Convolvulaceae) consists of more than 1,600 species worldwide, primarily composed of herbaceous vines. The family name is from the Latin convolvere, meaning “to wind.”
Family Profile: Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae is a family comprising over 7,100 species worldwide. It features many versatile wildflowers that make excellent additions to home and urban landscapes in Florida, including American beautyberry, Spotted beebalm, and Tropical sage.
Family Profile: Orchidaceae
With over 25,000 species worldwide, orchids are one of the most universally recognized types of wildflowers. They fascinate us and have been woven into the fabric of human cultures and mythologies for centuries.
Family Profile: Fabaceae
Fabaceae is the third-largest flowering plant family, with around 20,000 recognized species. The most consistent characteristics of this family are found in the leaves and fruits and it is perhaps most famous for its nitrogen-fixing abilities.
Family Profile: Asteraceae
Asteraceae is the largest family of flowering plants with over 30,000 recognized species worldwide. Some of its most recognizable members include tickseeds (Coreopsis), our state wildflower, sunflowers (Helianthus) and asters (Symphyotrichum).
Together, we’re growing a statewide wildflower movement – join the family and help us grow!