Gulf Islands

Gulf Islands National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Gulf Islands National Seashore Florida District Barrier Island Wildflowers Where they live 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 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. Plant type Blue/Purple Brown Green Unnoticeable Color Key W - Woody, tree or shrub V - Vine H - Herbaceous, green-stemmed plants Type Common Name Scientific Name Flowering Season Occurance by Habitat Sp - Spring, Mar. - May S - Summer, June - Aug. F - Fall, Sept. - Nov. W - Winter, Dec - Feb. Main season(s) underlined C = Common U = Uncommon R = Rare Flowering Dune Swale Forest season Marsh W Florida Rosemary Ceratiola ericoides S F C (S) W Beach Elder Iva imbricata S C H Square Flower Paronychia erecta Sp S C (S) W Sand Live Oak Quercus geminata Sp U (S) H Hastate Leaf Dock Rumex hastatulus Sp H Sandspur Cenchrus sp. Sp S F R (S) H Seaside Pennywort Hydrocotyle bonariensis Sp S F U H Black Needle Rush Juncus roemerianus Sp S F H Saw Palmetto Serenoa repens Sp S U (S) V Catbriar, Greenbriar Smilax spp. Sp S U (S) U H Cordgrass Spartina patens S U (S) U V Muscadine Grape Vitis rotundifolia Sp S R (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 (S) C V Maypops Passiflora incarnata S R (S) R H Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium sp. Sp H Spiderwort Tradescantia sp. Sp S Disturbed U U C C U U U R C U C C (S) R (S) U U C C (S) C U U U U C R C Red Color Yellow Pink/Lavender White Type Common Name Scientific Name Flowering season H Standing Cypress Ipomopsis rubra S H Balduina, Yellow Buttons Balduina angustifolia F V Trumpet Creeper Campsis radicans S W Woody Goldenrod Chrysoma pauciflosculosa F C (S) U H Golden Aster Chrysopsis sp. F C (S) U H Coreopsis, Tickseed Coreopsis spp. Sp H Rockrose Helianthemum arenicola Sp S C (S) U H Camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris Sp S F W C (S) U C W Atlantic St. John's Wort Hypericum reductum Sp S U (S) H Seaside Evening Primrose Oenothera humifusa Sp S F C H Prickly Pear Cactus Opuntia humifusa Opuntia pusilla Sp S R (S) U U H Narrow Leaf Ground Cherry Physalis angustifolia Sp S U (S) H Candywort Polygala lutea Sp S F U U (F) H Yellow Milkwort Polygala nana Sp S F U U (F) H Bladderwort Utricularia subulata S U C H Yellow-eyed Grass Xyris sp. Sp S C H False-foxglove, Gerardia Agalinis sp. F U (S) H Sandhill Milkweed Asclepias humistrata S U (S) H Sea Rocket Cakile constricta Sp S C (P) V Butterfly Pea Centrosema virginianum Clitoria mariana S U H Dwarf Sundew Drosera brevifolia Sp H Beach Pea Galactia sp. S V Arrowleaf Morning Glory Ipomoea sagittata S H Salt Marsh Mallow Kosteletzkya virginica S W Lantana (non-native) Lantana camara Sp S F C W Oleander (non-native) Nerium oleander Sp S 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 Sp S C U H Sea Pink Sabatia spp. S F C H Sea Purslane Sesuvium portulacastrum Sp S F H Rain Lily Zephyranthes sp. Sp S F U H Wild Onion Allium canadense Sp C W Groundsel Tree Baccharis halimifolia S F H Spanish Needles Bidens sp. F V Dodder Vine Cuscuta pentangona Sp S F H White-topped Sedge Dichromena latifolia S W Yaupon Holly Ilex vomitoria Sp 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 H Rustweed Polypremum procumbens Sp S F V Dewberry Rubus trivialis Sp 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 Dune Swale Forest Marsh Disturbed U C (S) R U C U U U U U R U U R U C C U (S) C R U (S) U (F & S) R U (S) R (S) R U U U U U U (S) U U C U C C (S) U C U (S) U U U R U C U U U 2011