Florida's Nature

Photographs & Descriptions of Florida Native Trees, Shrubs, Vines, Wildflowers, Habitats and Exotic Plants

Florida is second only to Hawaii in the United States for the number of its native trees with nearly 300 species, approximately half of all the tree species found in the contiguous United States as well as the overall number of native plants - over 3,100 species.

A Native plant is defined herein as one that existed here prior to the first European contact, occurring naturally. Introduced exotic plants account for an additional 1,300 +/- species found in Florida's forests.

Classifications for non-native plants found in the wild include -

Naturalized Exotic - an exotic plant that has been introduced from outside of Florida and has established itself in the wild, reproducing apart from cultivation without displacing native plants or causing damage to natural Florida ecosystems.

Invasive Exotic - introduced plants that displace native species, causing damage to habitats and disrupting the natural ecological balance of infested areas.

Among these imported plants there are 67 species that are considered "Category One Invasive Exotics", having displaced native plants & causing significant ecological damage.

Florida Habitats

Seven major ecosystems have been identified within Florida, these are further divisible into the habitats that as many as 82 native plant and animal communities populate. Main factors which determine the type of habitat found in a particular area are the frequency of fire, elevation, water & proximity to the coastline. Florida scrub & sandhill habitats are some of the most unique in the world, as is the Everglades marsh.

Water is a prominent natural feature of Florida, with almost 8,000 lakes and 1,700 rivers and streams. In fact, Florida has more remaining wetland acreage than any other state in the continental U.S., with 11 million acres.

Although this is only about half the amount that existed prior to human intervention, Florida's wetlands are very important rest stops, winter homes and/or breeding areas for migratory waterfowl & song birds as well as its year-round resident avian species.

Landscaping with Native Plants

When selecting a plant, whether tree, shrub or wildflower for your landscape, consider using native plants wherever possible.

Once established native plants require very little watering and the need for supplemental fertilizer and pesticides can be practically eliminated, reducing pollution from storm water & irrigation runoff.

Whether it's a low maintenance flower garden, specimen tree or shrubbery it's tough to beat the Florida natives, not only are they well adapted to growing conditions they can also attract and provide food sources for indigenous animals. Go to Landscaping with the Natives.

Finding a plant...

To find a plant you can either browse the List of Plants for all plants on the site, Wildflower Galleries for pictures of plants sorted by flower colors, Native Tree & Shrub Galleries, the Vines Gallery or the Wild Exotics Galleries for many non-native plants found in Florida woodlands.

Variations in plants growth form do occur naturally, some plants are notable for variable habit of growth and/or leaf forms. Over the years many species have also acquired multiple synonyms, various references may indicate a different name or even family for the same plant.

These variables combined with the similar appearances of many of Florida's native plants it's wise to cross reference multiple sources to ensure a positive identification.

Edible Wild Plants

Eating any part of any wild plant, even supposedly "edible" plants is not recommended. Certain plants or parts of plants are extremely poisonous and can be harmful or fatal even in small amounts, some are so deadly that consuming one seed can be potentially fatal.

Plants may also concentrate pollutants or toxins from the environment into their roots, stems, leaves and fruit.

Simply because a plant or the fruit of a plant is said to be edible does not mean that it is always safe to consume, safely eating plants found in the wild requires detailed identification, proper collection & in some cases a specific method of preparation.

This type of knowledge is best passed on personally from an experienced person while in the field. For these reasons this website does not promote any wild plant or fruit as "edible".

Back to Top

© Ed Weislo / Privacy Policy / Site Map / Contact