The state of Florida is celebrated for its biodiversity, ranking sixth in the United States in total number of vascular plant species. Most of its rare plants are protected from human impact by federal law, specifically the 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA), which currently protects 566 native plant species in Florida.
A species is declared “endangered” when it faces likely or imminent extinction. It is listed as “threatened” when extinction is likely if negative changes predicted to affect a large part of its range are not prevented. Of the 566 plant species currently listed for Florida, 448 are endangered and 118 are threatened. Fifty-four of these species are on the federal list of endangered plant species and 14 are on the federal list of threatened species. Florida also ranks among the top five states in endemic species, which are plants only found in our state and nowhere else in the world.
Conservation of these species’ hinges upon public education and awareness. Substantial efforts by federal, state, and local agencies have made Florida’s citizens better aware of the potential presence of these species, their rarity, and the need for their protection.
Endangered Wildflower Species
Monarch butterflies depend on wildflowers like Brickellia to fuel them during breeding and on their long migration. Photo by Elizabeth Georges.
Flyr’s Nemesis (Brickellia cordifolia)
Brickellia is well known for growing in full sun and sandy soil, however, I have started a patch in rich, moist woodland soil in a shady garden under a live oak, and it is flourishing. Late summer to early fall is when Brickellia blooms. This perennial wildflower can reach heights of three to four feet and produces disc flowers, not the typical ray flowers of other asters. At the end of each stem, it generates a large number of blooms in compact clusters. Each flower head has a wispy, spidery appearance due to its extraordinarily long styles. They are incredibly alluring to butterflies and range in color from nearly white to bright pink.
Although Brickellia is easy to grow and propagate, there is very little of it in the wild. There are some small, surviving populations in Wakulla, Jefferson, and Alachua counties and a few in Alabama and Georgia. It is on the state endangered list here in Florida and listed globally as a G2/G3 species (imperiled globally because of rarity or vulnerable to extinction throughout its range).
Columbine, with its nectar-filled red spurs, blooms just at the time that hummingbirds are returning from their winter sojourns in Central America and Mexico. Photo by Elizabeth Georges.
Marianna Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis var australis)
Columbine, with its nectar-filled red spurs, blooms just at the time that hummingbirds are returning from their winter sojourns in Central America and Mexico. Photo by Elizabeth Georges.
The only columbine endemic to Florida, this easily grown perennial wildflower is also an endangered subspecies. Although uncommon throughout the majority of the state, Marianna columbine is abundant in the Marianna region and can be seen at Florida Caverns State Park growing with trillium, bloodroot, and other spring ephemerals on limestone outcrops. It blooms in early spring, just in time for ravenous hummingbirds and butterflies that have just finished their migration.
Plant this rare wildflower in part sun to shade in rich, average to moist soils that have a high pH. To make the soil more alkaline and your columbines happy, you can add dolomite lime or place a limestone rock close to your plants. Foundations and certain walkways will also leech lime into the soil to increase pH.
Purple coneflowers are among the best native wildflowers to attract butterflies, native bees, and birds to our gardens. Photo by Donna Legare.
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
While the purple coneflower is quite rare in Florida, it is widespread in the eastern half of North America. It is recognized as a state endangered species in Florida because it is only found in a small number of limestone glades in Gadsden County.
It is a robust, drought-tolerant perennial that can grow in both full and partial sun. It is resilient and simple to grow – not at all picky – but it does prefer well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil. Therefore, adding a little dolomite lime to our acidic Tallahassee soil is a good idea, unless you’re planting it in garden soil that has been improved over time with mushroom compost.
This magnificent wildflower will bloom continuously from summer till frost, providing you (and the pollinators) with months of enjoyment. As a member of the Asteraceae family, what appears to be a single flower is actually a flower head made up of numerous smaller flowers. The head of purple coneflower is orange and shaped like a cone, encircled by pinkish-purple petals that stand on erect stalks reaching two to five feet tall.
In the butterfly garden, pipevine is the sole food for the pipevine swallowtail caterpillars. Photo by Elizabeth Georges.
Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa)
This native woody vine is a host plant for the pipevine swallowtail butterflies. It thrives in part shade to full sun and grows vigorously, reaching 20 to 30 feet.
Pipevine has large heart-shaped leaves and grows wonderfully on a trellis, arbor, or fence. It prefers medium moisture, well-drained soil, and does not like to dry out. Overall, it’s a tough perennial and will reseed readily in your butterfly garden.
Chipola coreopsis is a great groundcover for partial shade that pollinators love. Photo by Elizabeth Georges.
Chipola Coreopsis (Coreopsis integrifolia)
This coreopsis is quite rare in Florida, listed as a state endangered species and vouchered only in five counties, all along the Georgia border. It can be found in floodplain wetlands along blackwater streams, where it receives lots of moisture and dappled shade.
Florida is home to 15 species of coreopsis, and they can sometimes be a bit tricky to differentiate. Chipola coreopsis is an evergreen perennial that forms basal rosettes in spring that can spread in all directions by underground rhizomes. By late summer into fall, the stems eventually reach a mature height of two feet with multiple bright yellow bloom stalks. It is an attractive wildflower that also functions as a mat-like groundcover that can form stunning masses of color and contrast.
We invite you to learn more about endangered wildflowers by growing some of them in your own yard. Preserving these plants, whether in their natural setting or a more monitored environment, is very important and can be rewarding as you are taking part in real conservation at home. For some of these species, it could very well be their greatest chance for a future in our state.