NSIS: Florida Butterfly Gardening with Native Plants

Click on a family name for more information about the Florida native plants within the family
and which butterflies, birds, and other wildlife the plants attract.

A

here and in the plant family listings is a link to photographs of plants in that family.

Family	Botanical Name	Common Name	Region	Type

Bay Cedar	Surianaceae
	Suriana maritima	Bay cedar	CS	s/t
Bellflower	Campanulaceae
	Lobelia cardinalis	Cardinal flower	NC	p
	Lobelia glandulosa	Glades lobelia	NCS	p
	Lobelia paludosa	White swamp lobelia	NCS	p
	Lobelia puberula	Downy lobelia	NC	p
Borage	Boraginaceae
	Cardia sebestena	Geiger tree	S	t
Buckeye	Hippocastanaceae
	Aesculus pavia	Red buckeye	NC	s/t
Buckthorn	Rhamnaceae
	Ceanothus americanus	New Jersey tea	NC	s
Buckwheat	Polygonaceae
	Coccoloba uvifera	Sea grape	CS	s/t
Cactus	Cactaceae
	Opuntia humifusa	Prickly pear	NCS	p
	Opuntia stricta	Coastal prickly pear	NCS	p
Citrus	Rutaceae
	Zanthoxylum clava-herculis	Hercules club	NCS	s/t
Daisy	Compositae
	Aster caroliniensis	Climbing aster	NCS	p
	Aster walteri	Walter's aster	NCS	p
	Bidens pilosa	Spanish needles	NCS	a
	Borrichia frutescens	Sea oxeye daisy	NCS	p
	Carphephorus corymbosus	Florida Paintbrush	NCS	p
	Cirsium	Thistle	NCS	b
	Coreopsis	Tick-seed	NCS	p
	Echinacea purpurea	Purple coneflower	NCS	p
	Eupatorium coelestinum	Mistflower	NCS	p
	Gaillardia pulchella	Gaillardia	NC	a
	Garberia fruticosa	Garberia	NC	s
	Helianthus angustifolius	Narrow-leaved sunflower	NCS	p
	Helianthus debilis	Beach sunflower	NCS	a
	Liatris	Blazing star	NCS	p
	Pityopsis graminifolia	Silkgrass	NCS	p
	Rudbeckia hirta	Black-eyed Susan	NCS	b
	Solidago fistulosa	Goldenrod	NCS	p
	Stokesia laevis	Stoke's aster	NC	p
Dogbane	Apocynceae
	Amsonia ciliata	Bluestar	NC	p
	Nerium oleander	Oleander	NCS	s
Elm	Ulmaceae
	Celtis laevigata	Hackberry	NCS	t
Heath	Ericaceae
	Befaria racemosa	Tarflower	NC	s
	Lyonia lucida	Fetterbush	NCS	s
	Rhododendron	Azalea	NC	s
	Vaccinium arboreum	Sparkleberry	NC	t
	Vaccinium darrowii	Darrow's blueberry	NC	s
	Vaccinium fuscatum	Highbush blueberry	NC	s
	Vaccinium myrsinites	Shiny blueberry	NCS	s
Honeysuckle	Caprifoliaceae
	Lonicera sempervirens	Coral honeysuckle	NCS	p, v
	Viburnum nudum	Possum haw	NC	s/t
	Viburnum obovatum	Walter's viburnum	NCS	s/t
	Viburnum rufidulum	Rusty black haw	NC	s/st
Legume	Fabaceae
	Aeschynomene viscidula	Shy leaf	NCS	a
	Amorpha fruticosa	Leadplant	NCS	s
	Caesalpinia crista	Gray nicker	CS	s
	Cassia chamaecrista	Partridge pea	NCS	a
	Cassia chapmanii	Bahama cassia	S	s
	Cassia nictitans	Sensitive plant	NCS	a
	Cassia occidentalis	Coffee senna	NCS	a
	Cercis canadensis	Eastern redbud	N	t
	Crotalaria pallida	Rattlebox	NCS	a
	Dalea carnea	Dalea	NCS	p
	Dalea feayi	Globe headed prairie clover	NC	p
	Dalea pinnata	Summer farewell	NCS	p
	Dalea pinnata var. adenopoda	White prairie clover	NCS	p
	Desmodium lineatum	Beggar's tick	NC	p
	Erythrina herbacea	Coral bean	NCS	p, s/t
	Galactia floridana	Florida milk pea	NCS	p
	Galactia elliottii	White milk pea	NCS	p, v
	Lupinus diffusus	Sky-blue lupine	NCS	p
	Lupinus perennis	Sundial lupine	N	p
	Lupinus villosus	Lady lupine	NCS	p
	Lysiloma bahamense	Wild tamarind	S	t
	Melilotus alba	White sweet clover	NCS	b
	Melilotus indica	Sour sweet clover	NCS	a
	Pithecellobium keyense	Blackbead	S	s/t
	Pithecellobium unguis-cati	Cat claw	S	s/t
	Sophora tomentosa	Necklace pod	S	p
	Stylosanthes hamata	Southern pencil flower	NCS	p
	Trifolium incarnatum	Crimson clover	NC	a
	Trifolium repens	White clover	NCS	p
	Vicia acutifolia	Vetch	NCS	p, v
	Vicia floridana	Florida vetch	NCS	p
	Vicia ocalensis	Ocala vetch	C	p
	Vicia sativa	Sand vetch	N	a
Madder	Rubiaceae
	Hamelia patens	Firebush	CS	s/t
Mallow	Malvaceae
	Hibiscus aculeatus	Crimson-eyed rose mallow	N	p
	Hibiscus coccineus	Scarlet rose mallow	NCS	s
	Hibiscus grandiflorus	Swamp hibiscus	NCS	p
	Hibiscus virginica	Seashore mallow	NCS	p
Milkweed	Asclepiadaceae
	Asclepias curassavica	Scarlet milkweed	NCS	a
	Asclepias humistrata	Purple milkweed	NC	p
	Asclepias incarnata	Swamp milkweed	NCS	p
	Asclepias longiflora	Florida milkweed	NCS	p
	Asclepias pedicellata	Pedicellate milkweed	NCS	p
	Asclepias perennis	White milkweed	NC	p
	Asclepias tuberosa	Butterfly weed	NCS	p
	Asclepias variegata	Variegated milkweed	N	p
Mint	Labiatae
	Conradina canescens	Wild rosemary	NC	p
	Piloblephis rigida	Pennyroyal	NCS	p
	Salvia azurea	Blue sage	NC	p
	Salvia coccinea	Tropical sage	NCS	p
	Salvia lyrata	Lyre-leaf sage	NCS	a
	Salvia riparia	Southern sage	NCS	a
Mistletoe	Loranthaceae
	Phoradedron serotinum	Mistletoe	NCS	p
Mustard	Brassicaceae
	Brassica kaber	Wild mustard	NCS	a
	Brassica rapa	Field mustard	NC	a
	Cakile edentula	Northern sea rocket	NC	a
	Cakile lanceolata	Southern sea rocket	CS	a
	Capsella bursa-pastoris	Shepherd's purse	N	a
	Lepidium virginicum	Pepper grass	NCS	a
Oak	Fagaceae
	Fagus grandifolia	American beech	N	t
	Quercus alba	White oak	N	t
	Quercus laevis	Turkey oak	NC	t
	Quercus laurifolia	Laurel oak	NCS	t
	Quercus michauzii	Basket oak	NC	t
	Quercus myrtifolia	Myrtle oak	NCS	t
	Quercus nigra	Water oak	NCS	t
	Quercus shumardii	Shumard oak	NC	t
	Quercus virginiana	Live oak	NCS	t
Palm	Arecaceae
	Sabal etonia	Scrub palmetto	NCS	s
	Sabal minor	Dwarf palmetto	NCS	s
	Sabal repens	Saw palmetto	NCS	s
Phlox	Polemoniaceae
	Phlox divaricata	Blue phlox	N	p
	Phlox floridana	Florida phlox	NC	p
	Phlox nivalis	Trailing phlox	NC	p
	Phlox subulata	Creeping phlox	C	p
Rose	Rosaceae
	Prunus americana	Wild plum	NC	t
	Prunus serotina	Wild cherry	NC	t
Saltwort	Bataceae
	Batis maritima	Saltwort	NCS	s
Spurge	Euphorbiaceae
	Croton linearis	Pineland croton	CS	s
	Poinsettia cyathophora	Painted leaf	NCS	s
	Poinsettia heterophylla	Wild poinsettia	NCS	p
	Poinsettia pulcherrima	Poinsettia	CS	s
Sweet- Pepperbush	Clethraceae
	Clethra alnifolia	Sweet pepperbush	N	s
Verbena	Verbenaceae
	Avicennia germinans	Black mangrove	NCS	s/t
	Callicarpa americana	Beautyberry	NCS	s
	Duranta repens	Golden dewdrop	CS	s/t
	Lantana depressa	Pineland lantana	NCS	p
	Lantana involucrata	White lantana	NCS	s
	Phyla lanceolata	Tall matchhead	N	p
	Phyla nodiflora	Matchhead	NCS	p
	Stachytarpheta jamaicensis	Blue porterweed	CS	p
	Verbena bonariensis	Purple top	NCS	p
	Verbena tampensis	Tampa vervain	NCS	p

N=north C=central S=south a=annual b=biennial p=perennial s=shrub t=tree v=vine
	Butterfly nectar plant Butterfly host plant	Food resource for birds (non-nectar) Nectar plant for hummingbirds
	Good source of food and/or shelter for wildlife

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