Wildflowers in SW Florida – Wet, Mesic Group

Here are images of flowers made from observations during the last three months. This is one of a series on native wildflowers of SWFL. These images represent some of the flowers which were seen in three distinct environments: uplands, pine and saw palmetto flats and costal flats. There is some crossover of plants which may be seen in multiple environments. For organizational simplicity the images have been separated into two groups: those that grow better in moist soil areas are in the mesic group. Those that grow better in dryer soils are listed in the xeric group.

The featured image is a Dixi Iris and a visiting Monarch butterfly

The images which are used here for illustration show the beauty and diversity of the native plants. As a supplement to these images is a spread sheet in the Pages post on this site titled findings/Wildflowers in SWFL. which lists the plant growing requirements. If you wish, this information may be used to assist in selection of plants which you could use in your own SWFL community or home garden. The images are associated with a Fig #. That number is the data key number listed in the first (left) column of the spread sheet. Use that number to correlate the image to the data.

Fig1. Water Pimpernel; Limewater Brookweed (*Samolus ebracteatus)*

Fig 8. Winged loosestrife (*Lythrum alatum*)

Fig 9. String Lily (*Crinum americanum)*

Figure 10. Scarlet hibiscus (*Hibiscus coccineus*)

Fig 11. Pickelelweed (*Pontederia cordata*)

Fig 12. Lizard’s tail (*Saururus cernuus*)

Figure 13. Mexican primrose willow, (*Ludwigia octovalvis*) INVASIVE!

Fig 14. Dancing Lady Ginger, (*Globba winitii*)

Fig 17. Spanish needles (*Bidens alba, Asteraceae*)

Figure 21. Tickseed (*Coreopsis floridana) State of Florida Flower*

Figure 23. Big yellow milkwort (*Polygala rugelii)*

Fig 27. Water Hyssop or Herb-of-Grace (*Bacopa monnieri*)

Fig 28. Salt marsh morning glory (Ipomoea sagittate)

Figure 30. Grassy Arrowhead (*Sagittaria graminia*)

Figure 31. Fragrant Flatsedge (Cyperus odoratus)

Fig 32. Saw Grass (*Cladium jamaicense*)

Fig 33. Coastalplain St.John’s-Wort (*Hypericum Brachyphyllum)*

Fig 34. Princess flower (*Tibouchina grandiflora*) (Not native, escaped house plant)

Fig 35. Brazilian Plume (*Justicia carnea)* (Not native, escaped house plant)

Fig 36. Orange Milkwort – Polygala lutea

FIG 38. Rusty Lyonia (*Lyonia ferruginea*)

Fig 39. Meadowsweet (*Spiraea cantoniensis*)

There are definitely more flowering plants in the music group than the xeric. These flowers are flamboyant in color, shape and size. The dominant chromas are in the ends of the visible light spectrum, the hues are in the more saturated range, the values are in all zones and they may be multi-chromatic. Their growth as single plants tend to one bloom. As groups of plants they tend to be distributed in patches of the landscape. This may be related to their propagation frequently by rhizomes.

For the gardeners be sure to check out the excellent PAGES Excel spread sheet for the Wildflowers of SWFL data on these beautiful images.

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