Southwest Florida Plants

Counties: Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee

Highlighting the counties in the Southwest region. Specifically, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee.

Click through the photographs below to see suitable plants for each marsh elevation in southwest Florida.

Disclaimer: This webpage is a general guide to marsh plants that may work in your area. Local conditions such as water levels, soil salt, terrain, and sunlight can affect which plants will grow best. Before planting, check with a local expert, your county extension office, or a contractor who knows your site conditions. Choosing the right plants is key for long-term success and for making your living shoreline most beneficial to the environment.

Waterhyssop: Bacopa monnieri (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Waterhyssop (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Saltwort: Batis maritima (Florida Native Plant Society) — Saltwort (Florida Native Plant Society)

Red mangrove: Rhizophora mangle (Animals and Earth) — Red mangrove (Animals and Earth)

Perennial glasswort: Salicornia ambigua (Flora of Southeastern US) — Perennial glasswort (Flora of Southeastern US)

Gulf cordgrass: Spartina spartinae (iNaturalist) — Gulf cordgrass (iNaturalist)

Smooth cordgrass: Sporobolus alterniflorus (Maryland Biodiversity Project) — Smooth cordgrass (Maryland Biodiversity Project)

Details

Common Name	Scientific Name	Counties
Waterhyssop	Bacopa monnieri	All
Saltwort	Batis maritima	All
Red mangrove	Rhizophora mangle	All
Perennial glasswort	Salicornia ambigua	All
Gulf cordgrass	Spartina spartinae	All
Smooth cordgrass	Sporobolus alterniflorus	All

Black mangrove: Avicennia germinans (Adobe Stock) — Black mangrove (Adobe Stock)

Groundsel bush: Baccharis halmifolia (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Groundsel bush (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Sea ox-eye daisy: Borrichia frutescens (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Sea ox-eye (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Seagrape: Coccoloba uvifera (Delray Beach Historical Society) — Seagrape (Delray Beach Historical Society)

Green/silver buttonwood: Conocarpus erectus (Jungle Dragon) — Buttonwood (Jungle Dragon)

Saltgrass: Distichlis spicata (Plant Lust) — Saltgrass (Plant Lust)

Gulf coast spikerush: Eleocharis cellulosa (Aquatic Weed Control) — Gulf coast spikerush (Aquatic Weed Control)

Indian blanket: Gaillardia pulchella (Florida Native Plant Society) — Indian blanket (Florida Native Plant Society)

West coast dune sunflower: Helianthus debilis subsp. vestitus (Flickr)

Dollarweed: Hydrocotyle umbellata (The Spruce) — Dollarweed (The Spruce)

Railroad vine: Ipomoea pes-caprae (iNaturalist) — Railroad vine (iNaturalist)

Big-leaf marsh elder: Iva frutescens (Native Plant Trust) — Big-leaf marsh elder (Native Plant Trust)

Black needlerush: Juncus roemerianus (Florida Native Plant Society) — Black needlerush (Florida Native Plant Society)

White mangrove: Laguncularia racemosa (Florida Native Plant Society) — White mangrove (Florida Native Plant Society)

Buttonsage: Lantana involucrata (MOSI Outside)

Wax myrtle: Myrica cerifera (Williamsburg Master Gardener Association) — Southern wax myrtle (Williamsburg Master Gardener Association)

Muhly grass: Muhlenbergia capillaris (Mid Valley Trees) — Muhly grass (Mid Valley Trees)

Seashore paspalum: Paspalum vaginatum (George D. Gann) — Seashore paspalum (George D. Gann)

Red bay: Persea borbonia (NC State University) — Red bay (NC State University)

Black-eyed susan: Rudbeckia spp. (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Black-eyed susan (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Cabbage palm: Sabal palmetto (Florida Native Plant Society) — Cabbage palm (Florida Native Plant Society)

Sea purslane: Sesuvium portulacastrum (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Sea purslane (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Sand cordgrass: Sporobolus bakeri (Florida Native Plant Society) — Sand cordgrass (Florida Native Plant Society)

Saltmeadow cordgrass: Sporobolus pumilus (Native Plant Trust) — Saltmeadow cordgrass (Native Plant Trust)

Seashore dropseed: Sporobolus virginicus (Forest and Kim Starr) — Seashore dropseed (Forest and Kim Starr)

Perennial saltmarsh aster: Symphyotrichum tenuilfolium (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Perennial saltmarsh aster (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Sweet acacia: Vachellia farnesiana (Wikipedia) — Sweet acacia (Wikipedia)

Details

Common Name	Scientific Name	Counties
Black mangrove	Avicennia germinans	All
Groundsel bush	Baccharis halimifolia	All
Sea ox-eye	Borrichia frutescens	All
Seagrape	Coccoloba uvifera	All
Buttonwood	Conocarpus erectus	All
Saltgrass	Distichlis spicata	All
Gulf coast spikerush	Eleocharis cellulosa	All
Indian blanket	Gaillardia pulchella	All
West coast dune sunflower	Helianthus debilis subsp. vestitus	All
Dollarweed	Hydrocotyle umbellata	All
Railroad vine	Ipomoea pes-caprae	All
Big-leaf marsh elder	Iva frutescens	All
Black needlerush	Juncus roemerianus	All
White mangrove	Laguncularia racemosa	All
Buttonsage	Lantana involucrata	All
Southern wax myrtle	Morella cerifera	All
Muhly grass	Muhlenbergia capillaris	All
Seashore paspalum	Paspalum vaginatum	All
Red bay	Persea borbonia	All
Black-eyed susan	Rudbeckia spp.	All
Cabbage palm	Sabal palmetto	All
Sea purslane	Sesuvium portulacastrum	All
Sand cordgrass	Sporobolus bakeri	All
Saltmeadow cordgrass	Sporobolus pumilus	All
Seashore dropseed	Sporobolus virginicus	All
Perennial saltmarsh aster	Symphyotrichum tenuifolium	All
Sweet acacia	Vachellia farnesiana	All

False indigo bush: Amorpha fruticosa (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — False indigo bush (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Milkweed: Asclepias spp. (Sustainable Ag Research and Education) — Milkweed (Sustainable Ag Research and Education)

Gumbo limbo: Bursera simaruba (Budburst)

American beautyberry: Callicarpa americana (Ancient Roots Native Nursery) — American beautyberry (Ancient Roots Native Nursery)

Coastal sandbur: Cenchrus spiniflex (Plants of the World Online) — Coastal sandbur (Plants of the World Online)

Snowberry: Chiocca alba (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Snowberry (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Oblongleaf twinflower: Dyschoriste oblongifolia (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Florida privet: Forestiera segregate (iNaturalist) — Florida privet (iNaturalist)

Firebush: Hamelia patens (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Inkberry: Ilex glabra (Pinelands Nursery) — Inkberry (Pinelands Nursery)

Yaupon holly: Ilex vomitoria (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Yaupon holly (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Seacoast marshelder: Iva imbricata (Florida of the Southeastern US) — Seacoast marshelder (Florida of the Southeastern US)

Eastern red cedar: Juniperus virginiana (The Spruce) — Eastern red cedar (The Spruce)

Christmasberry: Lycium carolinianum (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Christmasberry (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Sweetbay magnolia: Magnolia virginiana (Arboretum Foundation) — Sweetbay magnolia (Arboretum Foundation)

Black medick: Medicago lupulina (Francois Lebas) — Black medick (Francois Lebas)

Sunshine mimosa: Mimosa strigillosa (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Sunshine mimosa (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Myrsine: Myrsine cubana (Florida Native Plant Society) — Myrsine (Florida Native Plant Society)

Virginia plantain: Plantago virginica (Maryland Biodiversity Project) — Virginia plantain (Maryland Biodiversity Project)

Sand live oak: Quercus geminata (Florida Native Plant Society) — Sand live oak (Florida Native Plant Society)

Water oak: Quercus nigra (iNaturalist) — Water oak (iNaturalist)

Live oak: Quercus virginiana (Florida Native Plant Society) — Live oak (Florida Native Plant Society)

White indigoberry: Randia aculeata (Gardening South Florida Style)

Saw palmetto: Serenoa repens (Florida Native Plant Society) — Saw palmetto (Florida Native Plant Society)

Starry rosinweed: Silphium asteriscus (US Perennials) — Starry rosinweed (US Perennials)

Seaside goldenrod: Solidago sempervirens (USFWS) — Seaside goldenrod (USFWS)

Yellow necklacepod: Sophora tomentosa var. truncata (Florida Nursery Mart)

Blue porterweed: Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Florida Wildflower Foundation) — Blue porterweed (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

White clover: Trifolium repens (Florida Museum of Natural History) — White clover (Florida Museum of Natural History)

Fakahatchee grass: Tripsacum dactyloides (Eureka Farms) — Fakahatchee grass (Eureka Farms)

Details

Common Name	Scientific Name	Counties
False indigo bush	Amorpha fruticosa	All
Milkweed	Asclepias spp.	Varies with species
Gumbo limbo	Bursera simaruba	All
American beautyberry	Callicarpa americana	All
Coastal sandbur	Cenchrus spinifex	All
Snowberry	Chiococca alba	All
Oblongleaf twinflower	Dyschoriste oblongifolia	All
Florida privet	Forestiera segregata	All
Firebush	Hamelia patens	All
Inkberry	Ilex glabra	All
Yaupon holly	Ilex vomitoria	All
Seacoast marshelder	Iva imbricata	All
Eastern red cedar	Juniperus virginiana	All
Christmasberry	Lycium carolinianum	All
Sweetbay magnolia	Magnolia virginiana	All
Black medick	Medicago lupulina	All
Sunshine mimosa	Mimosa strigillosa	All
Myrsine	Myrsine cubana	All
Virginia plantain	Plantago virginica	All
Sand live oak	Quercus geminata	All
Water oak	Quercus nigra	All
Live oak	Quercus virginiana	All
White indigoberry	Randia aculeata	All
Saw palmetto	Serenoa repens	All
Starry rosinweed	Silphium asteriscus	All
Seaside goldenrod	Solidago sempervirens	All
Yellow necklacepod	Sophora tomentosa var. truncata	All
Blue porterweed	Stachytarpheta jamaicensis	All
White clover	Trifolium repens	All
Fakahatchee grass	Tripsacum dactyloides	All