Gulf Islands National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Florida District

Barrier Island Wildflowers

Where they live Color Unnoticeable

Gulf Islands National Seashore’s barrier islands are home to a large variety of

plants. The most noticeable are the wildflowers. Wildflowers are found in different

plant and animal communities. Each community has a particular combination of

environmental factors (soil type, light intensity, wind exposure and moisture) that

determines where certain plants live. Plants help hold sand in place and provide

food and shelter for animals. These plant and animal communities are critical to the

survival of the barrier islands. For this guide, the following communities are used:

Dune - Sand dunes up to 30 feet in height that are parallel to the Gulf of

 Mexico and often continuous in appearance. Dunes are dry and

 sandy. Includes areas adjacent to dunes. Primary dunes (P) are

 closest to the Gulf, secondary dunes (S) are behind primary dunes.

Swale - Low, wetland areas with moist soil; may be flooded with rain water.

Forest - Taller pines and oaks, shrubs and other plants grow in dry, sandy soil.

Marsh - Contains standing freshwater (f), saltwater (s) or a mixture of both.

Disturbed - Areas altered by people, usually near roads and/or structures.

Green Brown Blue/Purple

Plant type

W - Woody, tree or shrub

V - Vine

H - Herbaceous,

 green-stemmed plants

Key Occurance by Habitat

C = Common

U = Uncommon

R = Rare

Flowering Season

Sp - Spring, Mar. - May

S - Summer, June - Aug.

F - Fall, Sept. - Nov.

W - Winter, Dec - Feb.

Main season(s) underlined

T e ype C e ommon Nam Scientific Nam Flowering

season D e une S t wal F h ores M d ars Disturbe

W Florida Rosemary Ceratiola ericoides S F C (S) U

W Beach Elder Iva imbricata S C

H Square Flower Paronychia erecta S S p C (S) U C C

W Sand Live Oak Q a uercus geminat Sp U (S) U

H Hastate Leaf Dock Rumex hastatulus Sp U U

H Sandspur Cenchrus sp. S S p F ) RR C (S

H Seaside Pennywort Hydrocotyle bonariensis S S p FUU C

H Black Needle Rush Juncus roemerianus S S p F ) C (S

H Saw Palmetto Serenoa repens Sp S ) U U (S

V Catbriar, Greenbriar Smilax spp. Sp S ) U UU C (S

H Cordgrass Spartina patens S UU ) (S) C (S

V Muscadine Grape Vitis rotundifolia Sp S ) RC C (S

H Sawgrass Cladium jamaicense S C (F) U (S)

H Cattail Typha domingensis Sp S C (F)

H Sea Oats Uniola paniculata S C

H Scrub Mint Conradina canescens Sp U C (S)

V Maypops Passiflora incarnata S RR R (S)

H Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium sp. Sp U U

H Spiderwort Tradescantia sp. Sp S ) R UU C (S
Yellow Pink/Lavender Red White

T e ype C e ommon Nam Scientific Nam

Flowering

season

D e une S t wal F h ores M d ars Disturbe

H Standing Cypress Ipomopsis rubra S U

H Balduina, Yellow Buttons Balduina angustifolia F CRU (S)

V Trumpet Creeper Campsis radicans S C U

W Woody Goldenrod Chrysoma pauciflosculosa F C U (S)

H Golden Aster Chrysopsis sp. F C U (S)

H Coreopsis, Tickseed Coreopsis spp. Sp U

H Rockrose Helianthemum arenicola Sp S C U (S)

H Camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris S F p S W ) C UC (S

W Atlantic St. John's Wort Hypericum reductum Sp S ) U U (S

H Seaside Evening Primrose Oenothera humifusa Sp S F C

H Prickly Pear Cactus

Opuntia humifusa

Opuntia pusilla

Sp S R UU (S)

H Narrow Leaf Ground Cherry Physalis angustifolia S S p U UR (S)

H Candywort Polygala lutea S S p FU ) U (F

H Yellow Milkwort Polygala nana S S p FU ) U (F

H Bladderwort Utricularia subulata S U C

H Yellow-eyed Grass Xyris sp. S S p C

H False-foxglove, Gerardia Agalinis sp. F U (S) U U U

H Sandhill Milkweed Asclepias humistrata S U (S) R

H Sea Rocket Cakile constricta S S p C (P)

V Butterfly Pea

Centrosema virginianum

Clitoria mariana

S U U

H Dwarf Sundew Drosera brevifolia Sp C C

H Beach Pea Galactia sp. S U (S)

V Arrowleaf Morning Glory Ipomoea sagittata S C R U (S)

H Salt Marsh Mallow Kosteletzkya virginica S U (F & S)

W Lantana (non-native) Lantana camara S S p F C

W Oleander (non-native) Nerium oleander S S p F U

H Phlox (non-native) Phlox drummondii Sp S C

H Rose Pogonia Pogonia ophioglossoides Sp R

H Milkwort Polygala brevifolia S F U U

H Meadow Beauty Rhexia mariana S S p C U

H Sea Pink Sabatia spp. S F C R R

H Sea Purslane Sesuvium portulacastrum S S p F U (S) U

H Rain Lily Zephyranthes sp. Sp S F U

H Wild Onion Allium canadense Sp C

W Groundsel Tree Baccharis halimifolia S F R UUU (S)

H Spanish Needles Bidens sp. F U

V Dodder Vine Cuscuta pentangona S ) p S F UU UU (S

H White-topped Sedge Dichromena latifolia S C U

W Yaupon Holly Ilex vomitoria Sp C C (S)

V Beach Morning Glory Ipomoea stolonifera S U (P)

H Redroot Lachnanthes caroliniana S C U

H Bog Buttons Lachnocaulon minus S C C

H Jointweed Polygonella gracilis F C U (S)

H Rustweed Polypremum procumbens S S p F C UC

V Dewberry Rubus trivialis Sp S ) U UUU U (S

H Arrowhead, Duck Potato Sagittaria lancifolia S F ) C (F

H Lizard's Tail Saururus cernuus Sp C (F)

H Yucca, Spanish Bayonet Yucca sp. S R U