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Native plants · Florida

Native plants of Monroe County

239 plant species are recorded as native to Florida in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Monroe County by USDA PLANTS. 120 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Monroe County, Florida

Native species
239 Typical Florida county: 385 (median of 67 counties)
Garden-ready natives
120 Typical Florida county: 170
Share by type (all 239 native species)
Percent of the 239 native species in each growth type
Tree 17% (41)
Shrub 4% (10)
Wildflower (forb) 44% (104)
Grass or grass-like 26% (63)
Vine 7% (17)
Fern 2% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (44%), 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 11a to 11b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 120

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

Garden-ready native plants of Monroe County, Florida
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
aloe yucca Yucca aloifolia Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 7a
American beautyberry Callicarpa americana Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6b
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 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
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 ash Fraxinus caroliniana Tree 39 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7b
Carolina desert-thorn Lycium carolinianum Shrub 9 ft Sun High Zone 9a
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
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
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum Wildflower (forb) — Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
dahoon Ilex cassine Tree 26 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
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
falseteeth Capparis flexuosa Tree 16 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 11a
Florida bully Sideroxylon reclinatum Shrub 2 ft — — Zone 7a
Florida hopbush Dodonaea viscosa Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 9a
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
golden crownbeard Verbesina encelioides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
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
green sprangletop Leptochloa dubia Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
Gulf Coast spikerush Eleocharis cellulosa Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun High Zone 8b
gulf cordgrass Spartina spartinae Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 9a
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
holywood Guaiacum sanctum Tree 30 ft — — Zone 11a
inkberry Ilex glabra Shrub 8 ft Sun High Zone 6a
Jamaican caper Capparis cynophallophora Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 11a
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
lavender thrift Limonium carolinianum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 6b
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
needlegrass rush Juncus roemerianus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 9a
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 7b
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
peppervine Nekemias arborea Vine 1 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
pond apple Annona glabra Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 9a
pond cypress Taxodium ascendens Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8a
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
red stopper Eugenia rhombea Tree 20 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 11a
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
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
saltmeadow cordgrass Spartina patens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 7a
saltwater false willow Baccharis angustifolia Shrub 13 ft Sun High Zone 8b
sand cordgrass Spartina bakeri Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 9a
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
sea torchwood Amyris elemifera Tree 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 8b
seagrape Coccoloba uvifera Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 9a
seaoats Uniola paniculata Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
seashore dropseed Sporobolus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 9a
seashore paspalum Paspalum vaginatum Grass or grass-like 1 in Sun High Zone 8b
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
smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
soldierwood Colubrina elliptica Tree 20 ft — — Zone 11a
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 dogwood Cornus foemina Tree 16 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 8a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
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
tanglehead Heteropogon contortus Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Low Zone 8a
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
turtleweed Batis maritima Shrub 1 in Sun Medium Zone 9a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
wax myrtle Morella cerifera Tree 10 ft Sun High Zone 7a
West Indian mahogany Swietenia mahagoni Tree 60 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 11a
white mangrove Laguncularia racemosa Tree 50 ft Sun High Zone 11a
widgeongrass Ruppia maritima Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 7a
wild banyantree Ficus citrifolia Tree 60 ft — — Zone 11a
wild cinnamon Canella winterana Tree 33 ft — — Zone 11a
wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 9a
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 trumpetbush Tecoma stans Tree 20 ft Sun Low Zone 9a

Other native species recorded here 119

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.

  • Alabama supplejack Berchemia scandens
  • American black nightshade Solanum americanum
  • American bluehearts Buchnera americana
  • American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
  • annual seepweed Suaeda linearis
  • arrowfeather threeawn Aristida purpurascens
  • axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
  • Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
  • basketgrass Oplismenus hirtellus
  • beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
  • bulltongue arrowhead Sagittaria lancifolia
  • Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
  • Carolina fimbry Fimbristylis caroliniana
  • Carolina leaf-flower Phyllanthus caroliniensis
  • Carolina mosquitofern Azolla caroliniana
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
  • coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
  • 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
  • desert horsepurslane Trianthema portulacastrum
  • diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
  • dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
  • dwarf saltwort Salicornia bigelovii
  • eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
  • eastern milkpea Galactia regularis
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • eastern purple bladderwort Utricularia purpurea
  • eastern silver aster Symphyotrichum concolor
  • Elliott's fanpetals Sida elliottii
  • erect centella Centella erecta
  • erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
  • fewflower milkweed Asclepias lanceolata
  • field lovegrass Eragrostis elliottii
  • fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
  • flattened pipewort Eriocaulon compressum
  • forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
  • gaping grass Steinchisma hians
  • giant sedge Carex gigantea
  • grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
  • green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
  • Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
  • hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
  • hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
  • hemlock rosette grass Dichanthelium sabulorum
  • herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
  • horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
  • humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
  • husk tomato Physalis pubescens
  • hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
  • Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
  • juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lavender bladderwort Utricularia resupinata
  • lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • longleaf milkweed Asclepias longifolia
  • low nutrush Scleria verticillata
  • Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
  • maidencane Panicum hemitomon
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • marsh fimbry Fimbristylis castanea
  • marsh mermaidweed Proserpinaca palustris
  • narrowfruit horned beaksedge Rhynchospora inundata
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • pillpod sandmat Chamaesyce hirta
  • pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
  • pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • prickly fanpetals Sida spinosa
  • procession flower Polygala incarnata
  • prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
  • rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
  • Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
  • romerillo Bidens alba
  • rose of Plymouth Sabatia stellaris
  • saltmarsh false foxglove Agalinis maritima
  • sanddune sandbur Cenchrus tribuloides
  • sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
  • shaggy crabgrass Digitaria villosa
  • shortleaf spikesedge Kyllinga brevifolia
  • slender crabgrass Digitaria filiformis
  • slender seapurslane Sesuvium maritimum
  • slim amaranth Amaranthus hybridus
  • smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
  • sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
  • southern cattail Typha domingensis
  • southern cutgrass Leersia hexandra
  • southern sandbur Cenchrus echinatus
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
  • spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • stiff yellow flax Linum medium
  • stinking camphorweed Pluchea foetida
  • swollen bladderwort Utricularia inflata
  • tenlobe false foxglove Agalinis obtusifolia
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
  • tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
  • upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
  • Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • Virginia saltmarsh mallow Kosteletzkya virginica
  • Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
  • water lettuce Pistia stratiotes
  • whisk fern Psilotum nudum
  • white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
  • whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
  • whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
Also listed as native and introduced here 2

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

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, Monroe County and Florida
MeasureMonroe CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 239 385 1,282
Garden-ready natives 120 170 493
Tree 41 — 166
Shrub 10 — 59
Wildflower (forb) 104 — 648
Grass or grass-like 63 — 315
Vine 17 — 65
Fern 4 — 29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Monroe 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
Monroe County (county FIPS 12087), Florida. 239 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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