Wildflower Gardens

Everyone loves wildflowers, but not everyone loves the look of a true "meadow." We understand the importance of keeping wildflower gardens neat, especially for your neighbors. The following is a list of just some of the wildflowers and ornamental bunch grasses we offer for landscapes in East Central Florida, along with a few tips for keeping them presentable.  Also, we now offer wildflower seed, liners, and plugs, 4" pots, 1 gallon online shipping only. Click here for more information or visit http://floridanativewildflowers.com

Asclepias perennis White Milkweed This plant is a great host for the monarchs and queen butterflies and is placed in a garden for that reason. The white blooms and character of the plant is particularly attractive. It will survive in most soil conditions.

Coreopsis leavenworthii Tickseed One of our endemic wildflowers to central and south Florida and an excellent plant with bright yellow color to attract butterflies. Although an annual, the spent (gone to seed) flowers may be cut off and the plant will come back. This plant prefers damp soils but will do well with irrigation and mulched properly.

Gaillardia pulchella Blanket flower This flowering annual, will germinate under and around the original plants. The original plant may get unsightly and need to be taken out or cut back completely. Let the plant go to seed and get numerous new plants.

Helianthus debilis Dune Sunflower An east coast ground cover that will work well in a dry yard that may have a difficult area. This wildflower grows rapidly and spreads, covering a large open area. Suggestions would be to place this one by itself around trees. When planted with other wildflowers it seems to take over. An excellent plant that withstands salt and wind.

Chamaecrista fasciculata Partridge Pea  Sulphur butterfly host plant.  Yellow blooms,  dry soils,  salt tolerant.  3\'  height

Giant Ironweed/ Vernonia gigantea Ironweed 6\' tall Dark purple blooms. Great for butterflies.

Asclepias incarnata Pink Milkweed Monarch butterfly host, moist soils 3-4\' height.

Liatris tenufolia Blazing Star This perennial has a flower spike in the fall. After blooming the spike may be cut off and the basal (base) leaves will remain. They will not usually bloom again until the next fall. We carry many different liatris species for all soil types.

Mimosa strigillosa Sunshine Mimosa This wonderful ground hugging ground cover will creep wherever you want it to. It may be cut back and contained or let grow into the grass. Wonderful for open areas with no irrigation. The pink blooms last all year during warm weather.

Monarda punctata Dotted Horsemint This perennial will come back from the original plant if trimmed after the flowers are spent. Horsemint will bloom starting in late August through the end of November. The spent flowers may be trimmed after the first bloom and it will bloom again. This plant will germinate easily and you may want to cut it back before this happens if you do not want numerous plants the next year. The plant itself will stay evergreen when cutback.

Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed Susan This perennial blooms all year and seeds drop around original plant and produce new plants. The yellow blooms with dark centers are tall and add a good background to wildflower areas. They also do well as borders. They attract butterflies and are a good source of nectar.

Ruellia caroliniensis Wild Petunia An excellent perennial for shaded areas. Can also take full sun and generates blooms everyday that only last for a few hours. The flower is purple and the plant is considered a host plant for the white peacock butterfly. Blooms all year until the colder month when it will go dormant. The seeds spread by popping and sending new plants all over which can be dug and placed where desired in spring.

Salvia coccinea Red Sage This wildflower is considered an annual. I have had success in the nursery with this plant living 2 years or more. Great nectar source for butterflies and Hummingbirds. The plant may be trimmed back after the red flowers are spent. Seedlings will germinate all over the garden and may be moved easily.

Stokesia aster Stokes Aster A north Florida perennial but adapts well to Brevard County butterfly gardens. Excellent nectar source with large purple flowers. These plants have basal leaves that stay evergreen.

Verbena maritima Coastal verbena This perennial may be trimmed like the lantana and last a long time in the landscape with new growth and blooms. An endemic to Central and South Florida coastal areas makes it an important addition as well as an excellent nectar source.

Verbena tampensis Tampa Verbena This wildflower is upright and will last for more than a couple years if trimmed after flowers are spent. The seed portion of the plant after being trimmed can be left on sight and the seeds will germinate. The plant may root at leaf nodes (sections) if plants get large and drop to the ground.

Native Grasses

Mulhenbergia cappilaris Pink Muhly Grass A clump grass to 2 to 3 ft, this thin-bladed grass puts out a pink-purple plume in the late summer and blooms through October. An excellent texture to add to landscape borders or intermingled with wildflowers. The clump can be entirely cut back if it needs to be after each season or every two to three years. This will help maintain the grass to a more formal or ornamental look. A great addition to your pine flatwoods where it can be used as the dominant ground cover. This grass is also very salt and wind tolerant.

Spartina bakeri Sand Cordgrass A larger clump grass to 4 ft. This plant naturally grows along the shoreline of fresh and salt marsh lakes and rivers. It has proven itself to add a flowing texture around palm trees that give a true Florida look. It also may be cut back. The plant has been used on mounds and slopes to hold erosion and is fast becoming popular because of its ability to adapt to dry condition as well as wet.

Tripsacum dactyloides Eastern Gamma Grass Here also is a large clump grass to 4ft with wider blades and a bloom that\'s flowing. The Green color is bright and adds texture again around palms and bordering natural areas. I have used this plant to cover large areas, since it will shade out weed problems.

Tripsacum floridanum Dwarf Fakahatchee A smaller clump grass to 2ft. Excellent for borders in the landscape. Grasses are good areas for butterflies to roost for the night and rabbits to hide under. This plant is evergreen and endemic to South Florida.

Eragrostis elliottii Elliotts Lovegrass  A low clump grass with blue foliage. Dry to moist soils,  Full sun to partial shade.