Native plants · Florida

Native plants of Broward County

261 plant species are recorded as native to Florida in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Broward County by USDA PLANTS. 128 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Broward County, Florida

Native species: 261 Typical Florida county: 385 (median of 67 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 128 Typical Florida county: 170
Share by type (all 261 native species): Percent of the 261 native species in each growth type

Tree 12% (32)
Shrub 5% (13)
Wildflower (forb) 48% (125)
Grass or grass-like 26% (69)
Vine 6% (16)
Fern 2% (6)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (26%).

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

ZIP codes mainly in this county fall in USDA hardiness zones 10b to 11a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 128

Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.

Garden-ready native plants of Broward County, Florida
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American beautyberry Callicarpa americana	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6b
American cupscale Sacciolepis striata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
bald cypress Taxodium distichum	Tree	130 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
bayhops Ipomoea pes-caprae	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 9a
bighead rush Juncus megacephalus	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
bitter panicgrass Panicum amarum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
black mangrove Avicennia germinans	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
broadleaf carpetgrass Axonopus compressus	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus	Grass or grass-like	6.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
bushy seaside tansy Borrichia frutescens	Shrub	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
butterweed Packera glabella	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
cabbage palmetto Sabal palmetto	Tree	90 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 9a
Canada germander Teucrium canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
Carolina fanwort Cabomba caroliniana	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
Carolina redroot Lachnanthes caroliana	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8b
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
coast cockspur grass Echinochloa walteri	Grass or grass-like	6.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana	Tree	33 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana	Tree	55 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
cucumberleaf sunflower Helianthus debilis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 9b
dahoon Ilex cassine	Tree	26 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
eastern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum subulatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7a
eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 10b
fetterbush lyonia Lyonia lucida	Shrub	6.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7b
Florida bully Sideroxylon reclinatum	Shrub	2 ft	—	—	Zone 7a
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
giant cutgrass Zizaniopsis miliacea	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea	Vine	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
green arrow arum Peltandra virginica	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
groundnut Apios americana	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
Gulf Coast spikerush Eleocharis cellulosa	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
gulfhairawn muhly Muhlenbergia filipes	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
gumbo limbo Bursera simaruba	Tree	40 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 11a
hairawn muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
haspan flatsedge Cyperus haspan	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
hilograss Paspalum conjugatum	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 8b
inkberry Ilex glabra	Shrub	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6a
knotgrass Paspalum distichum	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 6a
lancewood Nectandra coriacea	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 9b
laurel greenbrier Smilax laurifolia	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6b
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
live oak Quercus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 8a
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
muscadine Vitis rotundifolia	Vine	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 7b
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
orangegrass Hypericum gentianoides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 12a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
peelbark St. Johnswort Hypericum fasciculatum	Shrub	5 ft	Sun	—	Zone 7b
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
peppervine Nekemias arborea	Vine	1 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
pine barren goldenrod Solidago fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
pond apple Annona glabra	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 9a
pond cypress Taxodium ascendens	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 8a
poorland flatsedge Cyperus compressus	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
red maple Acer rubrum	Tree	68 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
red mulberry Morus rubra	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
redbay Persea borbonia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
roundpod St. Johnswort Hypericum cistifolium	Shrub	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
running oak Quercus pumila	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
sand blackberry Rubus cuneifolius	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6a
sand pine Pinus clausa	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7b
saw palmetto Serenoa repens	Tree	7 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus	Shrub	8.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
sea torchwood Amyris elemifera	Tree	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 8b
seagrape Coccoloba uvifera	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 9a
seashore dropseed Sporobolus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 9a
shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
slash pine Pinus elliottii	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
small-leaf arrowwood Viburnum obovatum	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 7b
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides	Vine	—	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 9b
splitbeard bluestem Andropogon ternarius	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
St. Augustine grass Stenotaphrum secundatum	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7b
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
sugarcane plumegrass Saccharum giganteum	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
swamp sawgrass Cladium mariscus	Grass or grass-like	8.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
sweetbay Magnolia virginiana	Tree	60 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 9a
sweetscent Pluchea odorata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
tenangle pipewort Eriocaulon decangulare	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
tietongue Coccoloba diversifolia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 11a
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
West Indian mahogany Swietenia mahagoni	Tree	60 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 11a
white mangrove Laguncularia racemosa	Tree	50 ft	Sun	High	Zone 11a
wild banyantree Ficus citrifolia	Tree	60 ft	—	—	Zone 11a
winged sumac Rhus copallinum	Tree	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
wingleaf soapberry Sapindus saponaria	Tree	20 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
wrinkled jointtail grass Coelorachis rugosa	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
yellow flatsedge Cyperus flavescens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
yellow waterlily Nymphaea mexicana	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 7a

Other native species recorded here 133

PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.

American black nightshade Solanum americanum
American bluehearts Buchnera americana
American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
arrowfeather threeawn Aristida purpurascens
axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
azure blue sage Salvia azurea
Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
basketgrass Oplismenus hirtellus
beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
bluestem pricklypoppy Argemone albiflora
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
bulltongue arrowhead Sagittaria lancifolia
button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
Carolina fimbry Fimbristylis caroliniana
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
Carolina leaf-flower Phyllanthus caroliniensis
Carolina mosquitofern Azolla caroliniana
Carolina ponysfoot Dichondra carolinensis
Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
clustered mille graines Oldenlandia uniflora
coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
Columbian watermeal Wolffia columbiana
creeping primrose-willow Ludwigia repens
crested saltbush Atriplex cristata
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
denseflower knotweed Polygonum glabrum
dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
drumheads Polygala cruciata
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern milkpea Galactia regularis
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
eastern purple bladderwort Utricularia purpurea
erect centella Centella erecta
erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
fewflower milkweed Asclepias lanceolata
field lovegrass Eragrostis elliottii
fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
flattened pipewort Eriocaulon compressum
Florida yellow flax Linum floridanum
forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
gaping grass Steinchisma hians
giant bristlegrass Setaria magna
grassleaf lettuce Lactuca graminifolia
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
greenvein lady's tresses Spiranthes praecox
Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
hemlock rosette grass Dichanthelium sabulorum
herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
husk tomato Physalis pubescens
hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
lavender bladderwort Utricularia resupinata
lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
Long's sedge Carex longii
low nutrush Scleria verticillata
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
maidencane Panicum hemitomon
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
marsh fimbry Fimbristylis castanea
marsh lady's tresses Spiranthes odorata
marsh mermaidweed Proserpinaca palustris
netted nutrush Scleria reticularis
openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
pillpod sandmat Chamaesyce hirta
pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
pink sundew Drosera capillaris
plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
procession flower Polygala incarnata
purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
racemed milkwort Polygala polygama
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
romerillo Bidens alba
rose of Plymouth Sabatia stellaris
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
rough Mexican clover Richardia scabra
sandpaper vervain Verbena scabra
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
shortbeak beaksedge Rhynchospora nitens
shortleaf spikesedge Kyllinga brevifolia
slender crabgrass Digitaria filiformis
slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
slender goldentop Euthamia caroliniana
slim amaranth Amaranthus hybridus
smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
southern bog clubmoss Lycopodiella appressa
southern cattail Typha domingensis
southern cutgrass Leersia hexandra
southern sandbur Cenchrus echinatus
Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
Virginia saltmarsh mallow Kosteletzkya virginica
water lettuce Pistia stratiotes
whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
whisk fern Psilotum nudum
white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
zigzag bladderwort Utricularia subulata

Also listed as native and introduced here 4

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
cayenne pepperCapsicum annuum
common reedPhragmites australis
Mexican teaDysphania ambrosioides

Compared with Florida

The typical county is the median of the 67 Florida counties with PLANTS county records; the statewide figure counts every species native anywhere in the state. More species is not better or worse: counties differ in size, habitat and how thoroughly they have been surveyed.

Native species counts, Broward County and Florida
Measure	Broward County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	261	385	1,282
Garden-ready natives	128	170	493
Tree	32	—	166
Shrub	13	—	59
Wildflower (forb)	125	—	648
Grass or grass-like	69	—	315
Vine	16	—	65
Fern	6	—	29

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
Scope: Broward County (county FIPS 12011), Florida. 261 native species from PLANTS county distribution records; garden-ready = species with a PLANTS characteristics record.
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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