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Native plants · Florida

Native plants of Hardee County

245 plant species are recorded as native to Florida in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Hardee County by USDA PLANTS. 112 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Hardee County, Florida

Native species
245 Typical Florida county: 385 (median of 67 counties)
Garden-ready natives
112 Typical Florida county: 170
Share by type (all 245 native species)
Percent of the 245 native species in each growth type
Tree 13% (33)
Shrub 7% (16)
Wildflower (forb) 48% (118)
Grass or grass-like 24% (59)
Vine 6% (14)
Fern 2% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (24%).

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 zone 9b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 112

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

Garden-ready native plants of Hardee County, Florida
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy 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 elm Ulmus americana Tree 120 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana Wildflower (forb) 7.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American snowbell Styrax americanus Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 5b
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
bald cypress Taxodium distichum Tree 130 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
bighead rush Juncus megacephalus Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
broadleaf carpetgrass Axonopus compressus Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun High Zone 7a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
brownseed paspalum Paspalum plicatulum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus Grass or grass-like 6.3 ft Sun High Zone 5a
butterweed Packera glabella Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 10b
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Carolina ash Fraxinus caroliniana Tree 39 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7b
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 blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana Tree 55 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
common rush Juncus effusus Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
dahoon Ilex cassine Tree 26 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana Vine 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
dwarf huckleberry Gaylussacia dumosa Shrub 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
dwarf palmetto Sabal minor Tree 9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
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
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
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
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
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
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
gulfhairawn muhly Muhlenbergia filipes Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun High Zone 8a
hairy chaffhead Carphephorus paniculatus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 8a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun Low Zone 3b
haspan flatsedge Cyperus haspan Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
horsetail paspalum Paspalum fluitans Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
inkberry Ilex glabra Shrub 8 ft Sun High Zone 6a
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
lesser creeping rush Juncus repens Grass or grass-like 6.8 ft Sun High Zone 8b
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
live oak Quercus virginiana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8a
loblolly bay Gordonia lasianthus Tree 65 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
longleaf pine Pinus palustris Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
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
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
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
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
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
pignut hickory Carya glabra Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
pine barren goldenrod Solidago fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
possumhaw Viburnum nudum Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
possumhaw Ilex decidua Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia Shrub 5 ft Sun High Zone 5b
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
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
sand blackberry Rubus cuneifolius Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
sand cordgrass Spartina bakeri Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 9a
sand pine Pinus clausa Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7b
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox Vine 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
saw palmetto Serenoa repens Tree 7 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
slash pine Pinus elliottii Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
small-leaf arrowwood Viburnum obovatum Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 7b
smallfruit beggarticks Bidens mitis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides Vine — Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 9b
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina Tree 16 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
swamp azalea Rhododendron viscosum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius Wildflower (forb) 5.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
sweetbay Magnolia virginiana Tree 60 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 9a
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
sweetscent Pluchea odorata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
tenangle pipewort Eriocaulon decangulare Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 6b
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
water hickory Carya aquatica Tree 85 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
water oak Quercus nigra Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 5a
wax myrtle Morella cerifera Tree 10 ft Sun High Zone 7a
white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
winged sumac Rhus copallinum Tree 8 ft Sun Low Zone 4b

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
  • anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
  • aquatic milkweed Asclepias perennis
  • arrowfeather threeawn Aristida purpurascens
  • axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
  • beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
  • bluestem pricklypoppy Argemone albiflora
  • brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
  • bulltongue arrowhead Sagittaria lancifolia
  • bunched beaksedge Rhynchospora cephalantha
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
  • Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina ponysfoot Dichondra carolinensis
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • clustered mille graines Oldenlandia uniflora
  • coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • denseflower knotweed Polygonum glabrum
  • dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
  • dwarf umbrella-sedge Fuirena pumila
  • eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
  • eastern milkpea Galactia regularis
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • Elliott's goldenrod Solidago latissimifolia
  • Elliott's rush Juncus elliottii
  • erect centella Centella erecta
  • false hop sedge Carex lupuliformis
  • fewflower beaksedge Rhynchospora rariflora
  • field lovegrass Eragrostis elliottii
  • fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
  • flattened pipewort Eriocaulon compressum
  • Florida mudmidget Wolffiella gladiata
  • Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
  • forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
  • fragrant spikesedge Kyllinga odorata
  • fringed yelloweyed grass Xyris fimbriata
  • gaping grass Steinchisma hians
  • giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
  • globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
  • grassleaf lettuce Lactuca graminifolia
  • grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
  • greenvein lady's tresses Spiranthes praecox
  • hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
  • heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
  • hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
  • helmet flower Scutellaria integrifolia
  • hemlock rosette grass Dichanthelium sabulorum
  • herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
  • horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
  • humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
  • hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
  • juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
  • kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
  • lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
  • little lady's tresses Spiranthes tuberosa
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • Long's sedge Carex longii
  • low nutrush Scleria verticillata
  • low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
  • lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
  • maidencane Panicum hemitomon
  • manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
  • narrowfruit horned beaksedge Rhynchospora inundata
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • netted nutrush Scleria reticularis
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
  • Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
  • pillpod sandmat Chamaesyce hirta
  • pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
  • pineywoods dropseed Sporobolus junceus
  • pink sundew Drosera capillaris
  • plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
  • poorjoe Diodia teres
  • prickly fanpetals Sida spinosa
  • procession flower Polygala incarnata
  • purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
  • queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
  • rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
  • Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
  • romerillo Bidens alba
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
  • sandpaper vervain Verbena scabra
  • sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
  • shaggy hedgehyssop Gratiola pilosa
  • shortbeak beaksedge Rhynchospora nitens
  • slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
  • slender goldentop Euthamia caroliniana
  • slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
  • Small's yelloweyed grass Xyris smalliana
  • smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
  • southern bog clubmoss Lycopodiella appressa
  • southern cattail Typha domingensis
  • spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
  • spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • stinking camphorweed Pluchea foetida
  • swollen bladderwort Utricularia inflata
  • tenlobe false foxglove Agalinis obtusifolia
  • thicket bean Phaseolus polystachios
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • three-lobe violet Viola triloba
  • tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
  • Viola ×primulifolia Viola ×primulifolia
  • Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
  • Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
  • Virginia marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum virginicum
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • warty panicgrass Panicum verrucosum
  • water lettuce Pistia stratiotes
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
  • white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
  • whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
  • whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • yellow spikerush Eleocharis flavescens
  • yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
  • zigzag bladderwort Utricularia subulata
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

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.

  • 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, Hardee County and Florida
MeasureHardee CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 245 385 1,282
Garden-ready natives 112 170 493
Tree 33 — 166
Shrub 16 — 59
Wildflower (forb) 118 — 648
Grass or grass-like 59 — 315
Vine 14 — 65
Fern 5 — 29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Hardee County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

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
Hardee County (county FIPS 12049), Florida. 245 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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