Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Florida · Zones 8–11
Native Pollinator Plants in Florida
Native plants that turn a yard into a season-long buffet for bees, butterflies, and the insects that keep the food web running. 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 Butterfly Weed and Flowering Dogwood to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Florida and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–11. A garden that feeds pollinators all season needs something in bloom from the first warm days of spring through the last of fall. Aim for at least three species flowering at any given time, plant in generous drifts of one kind rather than singletons so foragers can work efficiently, and leave seed heads and hollow stems standing over winter to shelter the next generation.
The plants
52 native species for Florida
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–11 · see this collection in other states.
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, native bees, and specialist bees while it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, native bees, and songbirds while it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators and native bees right through when it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators and native bees right through when it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators and native bees right through when it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, native bees, and songbirds as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
28 more also qualify: Showy Goldenrod, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Aromatic Aster, Prairie Blazing Star, Wild Bergamot, Swamp Milkweed, Wild Columbine, Purple Coneflower, Virginia Bluebells, Serviceberry, Culver's Root, Obedient Plant, Dense Blazing Star, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Cardinal Flower, Foxglove Beardtongue, Wild Lupine, Creeping Phlox, Rattlesnake Master, Fragrant Sumac, Common Milkweed, Stiff Goldenrod, Spicebush, Common Boneset, American Elderberry, New Jersey Tea, Blue Vervain, Inkberry Holly.
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.