Northwest Florida Plants

Counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, and Jefferson

A map of northwest Florida showing the coastal counties

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

Perennial glasswort plant — Perennial glasswort (Ignacio Fernández Villar)

Gulf cordgrass plant — Gulf cordgrass (iNaturalist)

Smooth cordgrass plant — Smooth cordgrass (Maryland Biodiversity Project)

Details

Common Name	Scientific Name	Counties
Saltwort	Batis maritima	Bay, Gulf, Franklin, and Wakulla only
Perennial glasswort	Salicornia ambigua	Santa Rosa, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, and Wakulla only
Smooth cordgrass	Sporobolus alterniflorus	All
Gulf cordgrass	Sporobolus spartinae	All

Groundsel bush plant — Groundsel bush (Dakota Parish)

Waterhyssop plant — Waterhyssop (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Sea ox-eye daisy plant — Sea ox-eye (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Saltgrass plant — Saltgrass (Plant Lust)

Gulf coast spikerush plant — Gulf coast spikerush (Lake Restoration)

Indian blanket plant — Indian blanket (Edisto Island Open Land Trust)

Dollarweed plant — Dollarweed (The Spruce)

Railroad vine plant — Railroad vine (iNaturalist)

Big-leaf marsh elder plant — Big-leaf marsh elder (Jason Sharp)

Black needlerush plant — Black needlerush (Evan Grimes)

Southern wax myrtle plant — Southern wax myrtle (Georgia Native Plant Society)

Muhly grass plant — Muhly grass (Sylvan Gardens)

Common evening-primrose plant — Common evening-primrose (Western Carolina Botanical Club)

Red bay plant — Red bay (Carlos Velazco-Macias)

Black-eyed susan plant — Black-eyed susan (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Cabbage palm plant — Cabbage palm (Florida Native Plant Society)

Saltmeadow cordgrass plant — Saltmeadow cordgrass (Native Plant Trust)

Seashore dropseed plant — Seashore dropseed (Kew)

Perennial saltmarsh aster plant — Perennial saltmarsh aster (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Details

Common Name	Scientific Name	Counties
Groundsel bush	Baccharis halimifolia	All
Waterhyssop	Bacopa monnieri	All
Sea ox-eye	Borrichia frutescens	All
Saltgrass	Distichlis spicata	All
Gulf coast spikerush	Eleocharis cellulosa	All
Indian blanket	Gaillardia pulchella	All
Dollarweed	Hydrocotyle umbellata	All
Railroad vine	Ipomoea pes-caprae	All
Big-leaf marsh elder	Iva frutescens	All
Black needlerush	Juncus roemerianus	All
Southern wax myrtle	Morella cerifera	All
Muhly grass	Muhlenbergia capillaris	All
Common evening-primrose	Oenothera biennis	All
Red bay	Persea borbonia	All
Black-eyed susan	Rudbeckia spp.	All
Cabbage palm	Sabal palmetto	All
Saltmeadow cordgrass	Sporobolus pumilus	All
Seashore dropseed	Sporobolus virginicus	All
Perennial saltmarsh aster	Symphyotrichum tenuifolium	All

False indigo bush plant — False indigo bush (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Milkweed plant — Milkweed (Sustainable Ag Research and Education)

American beautyberry plant — American beautyberry (Ancient Roots Native Nursery)

Coastal sandbur plant — Coastal sandbur (Plants of the World Online)

Swamp rose mallow plant — Swamp rose mallow (Native Plant Trust)

Inkberry plant — Inkberry (Mt. Cuba Center)

Yaupon holly plant — Yaupon holly (Jacquelyn Boyt)

Seacoast marshelder plant — Seacoast marshelder (Florida of the Southeastern US)

Eastern red cedar plant — Eastern red cedar (The Spruce)

Christmasberry plant — Christmasberry (Florida Native Plants Nursery & Landscaping)

Sweetbay magnolia plant — Sweetbay magnolia (Arboretum Foundation)

Black medick plant — Black medick (Francois Lebas)

Sunshine mimosa plant — Sunshine mimosa (Florida Wildflower Foundation)

Virginia plantain plant — Virginia plantain (Douglas Goldman)

Sand live oak plant — Sand live oak (Florida Native Plant Society)

Water oak plant — Water oak (iNaturalist)

Saw palmetto plant — Saw palmetto (Florida Native Plant Society)

Starry rosinweed plant — Starry rosinweed (Flora of the Southeastern US)

Seaside goldenrod plant — Seaside goldenrod (USFWS)

White clover plant — White clover (Florida Museum of Natural History)

Fakahatchee grass plant — Fakahatchee grass (Eco Blossom Nursery)

Details

Common Name	Scientific Name	Counties
False indigo bush	Amorpha fruticosa	All
Milkweed	Asclepias spp.	Varies with species
American beautyberry	Callicarpa americana	All
Coastal sandbur	Cenchrus spinifex	All
Swamp rose mallow	Hibiscus moscheutos	All
Inkberry	Ilex glabra	All
Yaupon holly	Ilex vomitoria	All
Seacoast marshelder	Iva imbricata	All
Eastern red cedar	Juniperus virginiana	All
Christmasberry	Lycium carolinianum	Bay, Gulf, Franklin, and Wakulla only
Sweetbay magnolia	Magnolia virginiana	All
Black medick	Medicago lupulina	All
Sunshine mimosa	Mimosa strigillosa	All
Virginia plantain	Plantago virginica	All
Sand live oak	Quercus geminata	All
Water oak	Quercus nigra	All
Live oak	Quercus virginiana	All
Saw palmetto	Serenoa repens	All
Starry rosinweed	Silphium asteriscus	All
Seaside goldenrod	Solidago sempervirens	All
White clover	Trifolium repens	All
Fakahatchee grass	Tripsacum dactyloides	All