Native Floridian Wildflowers to Look Out for this Spring

One of the joys of this time of year is noticing the changes that seem to take place in our yards almost every time we step outside the door. Shoots, leaves and new little blossoms are coming out all over the place.

But it's not only the things we've planted ourselves that we can enjoy.

Spring is a great time of year to look out for wild flowers, which can grow almost anywhere. A wide variety of native plants find themselves a home by our roadsides and on tiny patches of grass or wasteland.

You might even spot some of these spring bloomers hiding in a forgotten corner of your own backyard!

As well as bringing a smile to your face, wildflowers are a great source of inspiration for landscaping. If a plant can grow through the sidewalk cracks outside your house, chances are it will thrive in your yard as well!

Wildflowers that bloom in spring

Purple Thistle

Purple thistle, with its bold, recognizable, spiky flowerhead, is a native wildflower that grows and self-seeds all over Florida. Depending on the region, the beautiful bloom may be white, pink, purple or even yellow.

The thorny foliage is just as interesting as the large flower, so even though it tends to bloom during summer and fall, purple thistle is still a beautiful wildflower plant all year round.

Tickseed

You will see the sunny yellow flowers of coreopsis, or tickseed, growing in wildflower gardens, fields and roadsides across the state. In the 1990s, coreopsis was chosen as the official wildflower of Florida (not to be confused with the state flower, orange blossom).

According to the Florida Wildflower Foundation, there are twelve native species of coreopsis in Florida. Most have a ring of bright yellow petals, which surround the seeds that give this plant its name.

These abundant flowers bloom from spring through summer across the state of Florida.

Iris

Blue flag iris is a native species whose showy flowers emerge from a wealth of green, spiky foliage. These bold yellow and purple flowers grow wild in marshy areas throughout Florida.

Blue flag iris can also grow in dry soil in yards and gardens, as long as it is watered frequently. Although it only has a short bloom period, usually in late spring or early summer, the attractive foliage makes it a beautiful plant year-round.

Butterweed

The small yellow flowers of butterweed can be one of the first signs of spring in Florida as they pop up along roadsides and field edges. Butterweed spreads efficiently and the bright flowers can quickly cover large spaces.

Despite its attractive flowers, butterweed is not always something gardeners want to see, as it is mildly toxic to humans if ingested. Enjoy these bright-colored flowers from afar; they benefit pollinators but you'll want to keep any children and pets away from them.

Toadflax

Blue toadflax, or linaria canadensis, can be found growing individually or in small clumps of plants in meadows, alongside roads, and in fields. Another attractor for pollinators, the delicate flowers are easy to identify with their white and purple colors and distinctive shape.

The name toadflax may come from the shape of the flowers, which look a little bit like tiny toads! The small, beautiful flowers are useful for bees and butterflies, so toadflax is a great choice for pollinator gardens.

Whitemouth dayflower

Whitemouth dayflower can be spotted in summer and fall across Florida and may even bloom during winter in the south of the state. Its distinctive flowers have two large, blue-purple petals and one tiny white one below them.

You can see whitemouth dayflower in scrubby woods, hammocks, dunes and disturbed areas. Get out early in the day, though: this perennial plant's flower opens early in the morning and is closed by mid afternoon.

We hope you enjoy spotting these and other beautiful wildflowers throughout the spring season this year. Don't forget to get in touch with your landscaper if you're inspired to add some of these beautiful blooms to your own backyard!

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