Enjoying the Wildflowers of Collier County

Many Northerners anxiously wait for Spring rains to bring flowers. Unlike other parts of the country, South Florida can experience a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors of wildflower blossoms throughout the year. I am in awe when I see them all over Collier County. I take pictures to capture each beautiful masterpiece of nature, whether it is an endangered plant or what some consider a weed. They are everywhere; I see them in my work as a naturalist researching endangered plants in the Everglades. They are on the beach edge every morning when I walk with my husband. Blossoms dot the roadside ditches and disturbed sites, including vacant lots, pastures and lawns. The Publix parking lot even has them on the grass nearby popping up.

I was speaking to famed botanist Roger Hammer about the flowers from our area. “One thing about Collier County, and Crew Marsh in particular, there are plants that are unique as they do not appear any further South or East in Florida due to habitat,” Hammer said.

Dr. Hammer’s book, Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers, details the importance of the wildflowers we so enjoy. He writes that they help support entire ecosystems by offering food for wildlife in the form of nectar and pollen, as well as nectar-seeking and insect-eating birds. They provide important forage for wildlife. Pollinated flowers produce fruits and seeds that are eaten by many birds and animals.

Many flower species bloom for a few short months in northern Florida but for over nine months in South Florida, per the Florida Wildflower Foundation.

There are some special places in Collier County where you can find rare blooms. These include Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, CREW Land and Water Trust, the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Collier-Seminole State Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. Here, you can find many species of epiphytic and terrestrial orchids. Some of these plants are only found in these locations and nowhere else in the United States. 

One example of a state-threatened orchid is the Pine Pink Orchid. It can be found in Southern Florida in pine rocklands, swamps, marshes and pinelands. I have personally seen it on the side of two different dirt roads. The blooms, as their name suggests, are commonly pink, but there are some unusual white or Alba versions. Their flowers attract pollinators but do not contain nectar as they are self-pollinating.

Other more common flower blooms abound in our area. Native Black-Eyed Susan is a common South Florida species type that tends to be perennial, per the Florida Wildflower Foundation. They can be found in disturbed areas, sandhills and flatwoods. The plants can grow up to two feet tall. Interestingly, each brown disk blossom with yellow petals is made up of both disk and ray flowers. They bloom primarily from spring through fall but have scattered blooms through the winter in South Florida.

The Florida state wildflower, the yellow Coreopsis, has large bouquets of blooms. Known as Tickseed, there are eleven native species throughout the state. It is an annual but is a short-lived perennial in South Florida. It grows up to three feet tall on thin stems with many branches.

The over twenty native species of Asters attract many pollinators. Their blossoms range from white to a purplish color. They draw butterflies looking for nectar, including Hairstreaks, Swallowtails and Sulphurs. One of the few flowers that bloom from fall through winter, both climbing and Elliott asters can be found on hammocks, flatwoods and the edges of wetlands, according to the Florida Wildflower Foundation. 

Hummingbirds are drawn to the sweet nectar within the beautiful red tubular flowers of the Coral Bean. Its foliage is heart-shaped and dark green. I have seen many adorning the path of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in Immokalee. These showy flowers turn into long pods with bright red seeds inside them.

Although there are five species of wild petunias (Ruella humilis) in Florida, there is one that is endemic or only found in South Florida. It is the Thickleaf wild petunia. The showy flowers only last a day. Continuous blooms come from successional blooms from spring to fall. In South Florida, where it is warmer in winter, smaller blossoms continue to show.

Not all flowers are blowing in the wind but are ground-hugging such as the low-growing ground cover Sunshine Mimosa. It is commonly called what it looks like – Powderpuff Mimosa. It blooms from spring through fall with pink ball-shaped blossoms, according to the University of Florida website. 

If you want to see a rich, purple-colored saturated flower, the Florida Ironweed is for you. Many can be found on marl prairies blooming year-round. I was just treated to seeing some in full blooming color while working at the Fakahatchee Strand Park Preserve State Park this past week.

When you walk along the beach, you may come across one of the seven species of native sunflowers - beautiful cheerful Beach Sunflowers dot berms.

Not only on land but in water, many flowers can flourish, such as the Eastern purple bladderwort. Small showy purple flowers bloom year-round on this carnivorous plant. It feeds on insects and small organisms that are caught in a bladder-like trap. Enzymes are released that digest their victims.

Per the University of Florida, many of the plants you see along the road are great for your garden. They state, “From bright pink phlox to yellow coreopsis, you're bound to find a wildflower that you love.” You can have some of the beautiful native flowers right at your home. There is an increased interest by many in planting natives in your gardens and urban areas. By planting native, you can support wildlife, including pollinators, and enjoy the beautiful array of colors that the plants bring. There are other benefits of planting native plants, as many can take Florida heat, thrive in humidity, and need less maintenance than nonnatives. 

The Florida Wildflower Foundation provides a lot of information on what to plant to enhance your Florida yard. Black-eyed Susans are long-season wildflowers and have beautiful blossoms that can thrive in tougher landscapes and are drought tolerant. Cheery Beach or Dune sunflowers can be planted inland. Native Prairie Milkweeds can help migrating Florida Monarch Butterflies with their orange and yellow flowers. Wild Petunia works well in a bed of mixed wildflowers with other plants and grasses. It is important that you do not plant the readily available non-native species of this type as they are invasive. The bright Coral Bean is another easy flower to grow and does not require a lot of attention once it is established.

Commercially available native wildflowers can sometimes be difficult to find but there are more options than there were before. Some options are online seed savers and neighbors.

To learn more about Florida Wildflowers and how to bring them into your garden, check out these resources:

Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers by Roger Hammer (2018), www.rogerlhammer.com.

Florida Wildflower Foundation, www.flawildflowers.org.

Florida Wildflower Cooperative, www.floridawildflowers.com.

Plant Real Florida, www.plantrealflorida.org.