Florida Wildflowers (Florida Panhandle)
Alligator Weed; Alternanthera philoxeroides*
Amaranthaceae (Amaranth Family) Theodore, AL March 23, 2006 I found this plant blooming on the shore of Mirror Lake at Bellingrath Gardens just south of Mobile, AL.
Blackroot; Pterocaulon pycnostachyum
Aster Family Liberty Co., FL Hwy. 65 May 18, 2010 This is an unusual-looking plant. I found it growing at the edges of the pine woods.
Small's Bog Buttons; Lachnocaulon minus
Liberty Co., FL Hwy. 65 May 18, 2010 These are interesting little flowers made up of tiny individual florets in flowerheads.
Black Rail
Tiny Bluets; Houstonia pusilla
Madder Family Milton, FL March 16, 2008 These "bluets" are more purple than blue. As the common name implies, they are very small. These were growing along the roadside in my parents' neighborhood.
Cat's Ear; Hypochoeris radicata*
Aster Family Milton, FL March 16, 2008 This little dandelion-like flower grew along the roadside in my parents' neighborhood.
This "Debutante" variety of Camillia reminds me of my mother's square dance dress petticoat! These line my parents' driveway, a beautiful sight in December.
Barbara's Buttons ; Marshallia tenuifolia
Aster Family Milton, FL August 6, 2006 This is a close-up of a partially opened flower. I like the common name!
flowers
Lance-leaf Blanketflower; Gaillardia aestivalis
Aster Family Munson, FL August 5, 2006 This flower has fewer rayflowers (petals) than its more colorful relative, Blanketflower. The dark, central disk flowers are very fuzzy. I found this one growing along the trail at Krul Recreation Area in Munson.
Comfortroot; Hibiscus aculeatus
Mallow Family Munson, FL August 5, 2006 These flowers bloom early in the day and close by afternoon. The leaves are very scratchy, almost like sandpaper. It looks a lot like Flower-of-an-Hour (Hibiscus trionum) that grows in Tennessee.
Floating Hearts; Nymphoides aquatica
Menyanthaceae Munson, FL August 5, 2006 These delicate little white flowers dotted the surface of Krul Lake. Floating Hearts are aquatic plants, the leaves have long stems that are rooted in the sandy lake bottom.
Beach Morning-glory; Ipomoea stolonifera
Morning Glory Family St. George Is., FL May 16, 2010 I had to get out early to see these pretty flowers in bloom, they close when the sun gets too strong.
Annual Blue-eyed Grass ; Sisyrinchium rosulatum*
Iris Family Milton, FL March 24, 2006 These little plants grow in yards, they are much smaller than the blue Blue-eyed Grass. I found these blooming in my parents' yard.
Yellow Colicroot; Aletris lutea
Liberty Co., FL Hwy. 65 May 18, 2010 I was excited when I saw these flowers along the highway as I was driving to my son's wedding. The tiny individual flowers are very grainy (see next photo).
Blazing Star close-up
Bog Batchelors button
Gray Conradina; Conradina canescens
Mint Family Milton, FL March 24, 2006 I was lucky to find these plants, they only grow in a small area of the western panhandle of Florida and southeastern Alabama. The flowers have pretty purple flowers with spotted nectar guides.
Devil's Grandmother; Elephantopus carolinianus
Aster Family Munson, FL August 5, 2006Elephantopus means "elephant foot", how this plant got this scientific name or its weird common name is a mystery to me! The flowers are very different than most other members of the aster family.
berries turn a spectacular purple in late summer and fall. They really are beautiful berries!
Wild Potato Vine; Ipomoea pandurata
Morning Glory Family Milton, FL August 5, 2006 These pretty flowers decorate the ground and the trees in Florida (and much of the southeast). It has an edible root, giving the plant its common name. They often grow in pretty clusters like this.
Bog Bachelor Button; Candyweed; Polygala lutea
Milkwort Family Milton, FL July 2, 2005 I like to find these pretty little clusters of flowers. Unfortunately, one group that I used to enjoy seeing in my parents' neighborhood have now been bulldozed in a clearcut for a couple of new homes.
Rustweed; Juniperleaf; Polypremum procumbens
Buddlejaceae Milton, FL August 5, 2006 The tiny white flowers of this plant grow in most parts of Florida, it is a common yard weed.
close-up
Beggar's Lice; Desmodium lineatum
Pea Family St. George Is., FL May 16, 2010 These flowers will turn into the sticky little triangle-shaped seeds that stick to clothing.
Small's Bog Buttons; Lachnocaulon minus
Liberty Co., FL Hwy. 65 May 18, 2010
Lily Family Liberty Co., FL Hwy. 65 May 18, 2010
A Blazing Star
Munson, FL March 16, 2008 This is an interesting plant because it is carnivorous. The basal leaves are greasy and sticky, they trap insects and digest them to provide the plant with needed nutrients. I wasn't surprised to see tiny red Sundew plants growing nearby too.
variety is my father's favorite. Camillias bloom in the winter in northern Florida and southern Alabama. It is the state flower of Alabama. This photo was taken on New Year's Eve 2005.
American Bluehearts; Buchnera; Buchnera americana
Snapdragon Family Milton, FL August 6, 2006 I always enjoy seeing this pretty little flower. I found this one growing along a ditch bank by a backroad.
Beautyberry; Callicarpa americana
Verbena Family Milton, FL July 3, 2005 These pretty pink flowers will become lovely purple berries in the fall. Beautyberry is also found in Tennessee. I transplanted some from my parents' yard to my garden and at my school since it is also native to Tennessee.
Aster Family Milton, FL August 6, 2006 This plant is very unpalatable to livestock. As Ken and I were driving out of Florida into Alabama we passed a field that had nothing in it but this plant.
Mayacaceae Munson, FL August 5, 2006 Ken and I last visited Krul Recreation Area in August 1995, the day before Hurricane Erin hit (it was supposed to keep going west and hit New Orleans, but it changed direction over night and hit Pensacola the next day). I had seen several Water Spider Orchids along the shoreline of Krul Lake, so I hoped to find the plants again. Unfortunately, the mowers had been there the day before and very little was spared. This pretty little flower grew low enough to the ground that it didn't get chopped off!
Cut-leaf Prairie Dock; Silphium pinnatifidum
Aster Family August 5, 2006 I saw this flower blooming as soon as we left the boardwalk and entered the pine forest. This type of Prairie Dock doesn't get as tall as the Broadleaf variety.
Fringed Meadow Beauty; Rhexia petiolata
Melastomataceae Munson, FL August 5, 2006 I was a bit confused by this flower, it didn't look like the other Meadow Beauties, but the distinctive seed pod was indicative of the species. I saw these growing in the pine woods along the Sweetwater Trail.
Black Ti-Ti; Cliftonia monophylla
Cyrillaceae Milton, FL March 22, 2006 Black Ti-Ti (pronunced "tie-tie") is a very common shrub in bogs and acidic swamps.
Bog buttons ; Lachnocaulon anceps
Eriocaulaceae Milton, FL March 22, 2006 These tiny flowers are very easy to overlook (and step on!) since they are only about 2 inches tall! They are related to the much taller Hat Pins.
Bachelor-button; Polygala nana
Milkwort Family Munson, FL March 16, 2008 I found this plant growing in a pine forest on the Bear Lake trail at Krul Lake Recreation Area. The forest had been burned recently in a controlled burn. Strangely, fire is an important part of the pine forest ecosystem, it clears out much of the underbrush that would shade out and eventually kill many of the wildflowers. Note the 2 tiny red Sundew plants in this photo.
Another Blazing Star
Carolina Frostweed; Helianthemum carolinianum
Cistaceae Milton, FL March 24, 2006
Pink Perfection Camillias look like pale pink icing flowers! They really live up to their name!
Barbara's Buttons; Marshallia tenuifolia
Aster Family Milton, FL August 6, 2006 I "paid" for this photo with pain! As I was focusing the camera I felt a sharp pain on my toe and ankle, I glanced down and saw a couple of ants chomping down on my skin. Fire ants!!! I knew if I took photos in Florida long enough, it would finally happen! I was a lot more careful of where I stepped after that! The pain was worth it though, it had been years since I had seen this plant and I was delighted to find it again!
Bigleaf Sumpweed; Marsh Alder; Iva frutescens
Aster Family Fundy Bay, Santa Rosa Co., FL August 6, 2006 This plant looks like a woody version of Ragweed. It grew between the beach and the saltmarsh at Grassy Point.
Horned Bladderwort; Utricularia cornuta
Lentibulariaceae Milton, FL July 2, 2005 These carnivorous bladderworts were photographed in a swamp near a river in Milton. The whole time I was standing at the edge of the road my father was nearby watching. I jokingly asked if he was watching for alligators and he answered, "Yes!" It is hard to get used to having to think about something eating me while I'm photographing flowers! I also have to remember to watch out for fire ant nests.
Carolina Coral-beads; Carolina Snailseed; Cocculus carolinus
Menispermaceae Fundy Bay, FL August 6, 2006 This was the first plant I saw blooming at the Grassy Point nature preserve. It is a dioecious vine. In the fall there will be red berries where these flowers are if they are female.
Milkwort Family Milton, FL July 2, 2005 This was another wildflower growing next to the swamp. It is made up of a cluster of small flowers. I have also seen this flower blooming in Cades Cove in the Smokies.
Evening Primrose Family Milton, FL August 6, 2006 You have to get out early if you want to see these pretty flowers in bloom, they are wilted by afternoon.