New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
About as hard to kill as a native gets — royal purple flowers and reaching 3–5 ft, and forgives neglect — it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Florida · Zones 8–11
Easy Native Plants in Florida
Forgiving, hard-to-kill natives for first-time gardeners and anyone who wants a beautiful yard without the upkeep. For Florida, the right natives are shaped by Florida flatwoods, scrub & subtropical south and a subtropical to tropical, wet summers climate. Every species below, from New England Aster and Arrowwood Viburnum to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Florida and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–11. The easiest natives are the ones already adapted to your local soil and rainfall, so they need no fertilizer, no irrigation after year one, and no winter coddling. Start with these, plant them where their light and moisture needs are genuinely met, mulch the first year, and the maintenance shrinks to a single late-winter cleanup. Right plant, right place does ninety percent of the work.
The plants
29 native species for Florida
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–11 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Thrives on neglect once placed right: good through zone 8 and for clay and loam ground; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — hardy in zones 3–8 and spreading 1.5–2 ft, and forgives neglect; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
About as hard to kill as a native gets — happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil and white (wild form) flowers, and forgives neglect; it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Plant it and forget it: reaching 4–7 ft and spreading 4–7 ft, no fuss — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 12–18 in wide and golden yellow flowers, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
A beginner's native — 1.5–2.5 ft tall and chartreuse-gold flowers, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
A beginner's native — white domes flowers and spreading 3–5 ft, content with whatever you give it — it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A beginner's native — 20–30 ft tall and for clay, rocky, and loam ground, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for clay and loam ground and reaching 8–15 ft; it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Thrives on neglect once placed right: sky blue flowers and 2–3 ft wide — it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for clay and loam ground and 3–4 ft tall, and forgives neglect — it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
A beginner's native — good through zone 8 and 12–18 in wide, content with whatever you give it — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 1.5–2 ft and reaching 2–4 ft — it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — cold-hardy to zone 3 and 15–25 ft tall, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A beginner's native — 2–4 ft tall and pink flowers, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Plant it and forget it: happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil and good through zone 9, no fuss — it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A beginner's native — good through zone 8 and spreading 1–2 ft, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A beginner's native — for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and 5–10 ft wide, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
About as hard to kill as a native gets — good through zone 9 and reaching 3–5 ft, and forgives neglect; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Thrives on neglect once placed right: good through zone 9 and flat gold heads flowers, and it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
A beginner's native — spreading 2–3 ft and foamy white flowers, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: creamy umbels flowers and reaching 6–12 ft — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
A beginner's native — hardy in zones 3–9 and for clay, rocky, and loam ground, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
5 more also qualify: Blue Vervain, Inkberry Holly, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Christmas Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Florida
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.