Wild Florida Plants

Swamp Lily, Seven Sisters, String Lily - Crinum americanum

Family - Liliaceae

Habitat - Streams, creeks and marshes.

Description -  Native perennial, herbaceous emersed plant with spreading, leathery, linear leaves to 4 feet long, frequently with a purple or reddish tint.

Flower - Clusters of 6 petal, tubular, white or white/pink fragrant flowers are produced on a separate cylindrical succulent stalk throughout the year.

Alligator lily - Hymenocallis palmeri

Family - Amaryllidaceae

Habitat - Swamps, Marshes, Wet Pine Flatwoods, Wet Prairies

Description -  Native Florida lily, Alligator lily is a herbaceous perennial 2 feet or less in height which is also endemic to Florida. Alligator lily blooms in the summertime, producing its distinctive white flowers on stalks which more often exceed the height of the succulent, strap-like leaves.

Musky mint, Clustered bushmint - Hyptis alata

Family - Lamiacaea

Habitat - Wet pinelands, wet prairie.

Description - Native perennial, Forb 3 to 4 feet high.

Flower - White, arranged in dense clustered heads 1 1/4 inches across.

Spanish Needles - Bidens alba

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Very common to pinelands, scrub, dry prairie, costal strand, road sides.

Description - Native. Annual, Perennial, Forb, Herb. 1 to 3 feet in height, sometimes taller.

Flower - White, 1 inch in diameter, yellow central disk.

Blackroot - Pterocaulon pycnostachyum

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Dry open Pinelands, Sandhill

Description - Native, perennial forb, herb, 1-2 feet in height, often solitary or in scattered, small populations. Silvery pubescent stem, slender, linear green leaf with white mid-vein. 

Flower - White, showy compact spike of rayless flower heads, often tinged pinkish-purple at tip.

Alligator weed - Alternanthera philoxeroides

Family - Amaranthaceae

Habitat - Usually grows as an immersed plant along edges of freshwater creeks, ponds and wetlands where it may form dense mats. Occasionally found on dry land.

Description - Introduced perennial herb to about 3 feet tall with a rank habit of growth, erect, trailing or spreading form.

Flower - White with a papery appearance, produced on stalks.

Moonflower, Tropical White Morning-glory - Ipomoea alba

Family - Convolvulaceae

Habitat - Mesic Hammocks, margins of Mangrove Swamps, fresh and salt marshes.

Description - Native, fast growing annual herbaceous vine. Climbs by twining, milky sap. Leaves are ovate to nearly circular in shape with a cordate base. Grows best in moist soils with full sun.

Flower - Fragrant, white funnel shaped to 5-6 inches in diameter, evening bloom lasts until the following morning.

Bog White Violet, Lance-leaf violet - Viola lanceolata

Family - Violaceae

Habitat - Swamps, Bogs, Wet Pinelands

Description - Florida native perennial herb, 3-6 inches tall. Leaf form is variable, generally lanceolate leaves to 4 inches long, margins entire, smooth with the flower stalks rising above the basal leaves. Found growing in bogs, marshes and other wet sandy soils.

Flower - White, about 1/2 inch across, width varies, with brownish purple veins or striations on the lower petals.

White Galleries - 1 2 3