You love local food, music, business, and art — so while you’re planning your garden, why not choose local plants, too?
Native plants are naturally adapted to the local climate, provide sustenance to native wildlife, and save water by thriving on normal rainfall. Plus, they’re more visually diverse than, say, lawn grass.
Once temperatures start to cool down, consider planting some Florida flora in the fall. We’ll get you started.
Atamasco Lily
Zephyranthes atamasca
Water needs: Wet, moist
Light needs: Shade, part-shade
Bloom time: January-June
Growing tips: Also called “rain lilies,” these flowers tolerate seasonal flooding and grow best in the shade of taller plants.
Attracts: Hummingbirds, bees
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Water needs: Moist, Dry
Light needs: Sun
Bloom time: March-November
Growing tips: Black-eyed susan can become aggressive without competition, so consider planting it alongside other plants on this list.
Attracts: Birds, butterflies (Bordered Patch + Gorgone Checkerspot)
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Water needs: Moist, dry
Light needs: Sun, shade, part-shade
Bloom time: May-September
Growing tips: Butterfly weed attracts aphids, which you can deal with by spraying with soapy water, blasting with high-pressure streams, or by leaving the aphids for ladybugs.
Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies (Monarch + Grey Hairstreak)
Yellow jessamine is the state flower of South Carolina. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Carolina Jessamine
Gelsemium sempervirens
Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun, part-shade
Bloom time: March-May; may bloom again in early fall and December
Growing tips: Make sure your soil is never completely dry. Use elastic stretch ties and prune Jessamine early in its blooming season to train and maintain your desired shape.
Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies (Spicebush Swallowtail)
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun, part-shade
Bloom time: March-June
Growing tips: Rich soil and structural assistance will help this vine climb to its full potential — up to 20 feet.
Attracts: Quail, purple finch, goldfinch, hermit thrush, and American robin
