Florida's Wildflowers
Yellow

On this page - Partridge Pea, Maryland Goldenaster, Wireweed, East Coast Dune Sunflower, Prickly-pear Cactus, Blackeyed-susan, Pitted Stripeseed, Yelloweyed Grass, Yellow Colicroot, Narrowleaf Silkgrass, Coastal Plain Hawkweed, Sleepy Morning

Partridge Pea - Chamaecrista fasciculata

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Pinelands, Open Woodlands, Disturbed sites

Description - Native annual herbaceous wildflower to 3 feet in height.

Flower - 1 1/2 inches, 5 unequal petals yellow with red spots at base, stems erect to arching, leaves pinnately compound with bristle tipped leaflets. Fruit is a flattened pod

Maryland Goldenaster - Chrysopsis mariana

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Sandhill, open sandy areas of flatwoods

Description - Perennial, Forb/Herb to 3 feet high, basal leaves are oblanceolate, stem leaves lanceolate, young growth is silky or pubescent.

Flower - Golden yellow numerous rays surround a yellow to brownish yellow central disk.

Wireweed - Sida acuta

Family - Malvaceae

Habitat - Sandy well drained soils of flatwoods, prairie

Description - Shrubby, tough stemmed perennial, ranging from 11 to 36 inches high, leaves alternate, slender, lanceolate, acute, toothed margins, 1- 3.9 inches long.

Flower - Pale yellow, yellow or orange with 5 petals, just under1 inch, joined at base.

East Coast Dune Sunflower - Helianthus debilis ssp. debilis

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Coastal Strand, open areas on the east coast of Florida.

Description - Native Florida herbaceous annual or perennial wildflower, to about 18 inches tall.

Prickly-pear Cactus - Opuntia humifusa

Family - Cactaceae

Habitat - Dry, sandy, open woodlands, Coastal strand behind dune line.

Description - Attains heights of 8 feet or more, armed with long sharp spines and smaller hair-like, barbed spines called glochids, dark green dull or shiny pads up to about 8 inches long.

Flower - Yellow to 3 inches across, blooming in spring and summer, followed by green oblong fruit tuning reddish or reddish purple at maturity.

Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia hirta

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Pinelands

Description - Native Florida herbaceous wildflower. May grow as an annual, biennial or perennial, up to 3 feet tall. Basal rosette leaves are rough, diamond shaped. Branched, prickly flower stem bears hairy, lanceolate leaves 2 -3 inches long.

Flower - To 3 inches across, 10 -20 yellow to golden rays surround a conical, purplish-brown central disk.

Piriqueta, Pitted Stripeseed - Piriqueta cistoides ssp. caroliniana

Family - Turneraceae

Habitat - Open sunny areas of Pinelands, borders of marshes and moist locations.

Description - Native perennial herb to 15 inches high.

Leaf elliptic, variable margin & texture.

Yellow flower has 5 petals, to about 1 1/2 inches across, Piriqueta blooms from spring through fall.

Yellow-eyed Grass - Xyris Sp.

Family - Xyridaceae

Yellow-eyed grass is a perennial wildflower with flower spikes that may be 2 feet (+/-) tall. The Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants lists 25 species in Florida.

Xyris species have been vouchered in every county of Florida and are found growing in moist pinelands, margins of bogs, swamps and marshes, lake and pond edges.

Small yellow flowers are produced throughout summer and fall seasons.

Yellow Colicroot - Aletris lutea

Family - Nartheciaceae

Habitat - Wet Pinelands, Wet Prairie. Moist to wet sandy soils.

Description - Native perennial herb, with yellowish-green lanceolate basil leaves in a rosette to 6 inches high, flowering spike to near 3 feet in the spring & summer.

Flower - Yellow, on tall stalks with a mealy/grainy appearance to 1 cm. long.

Narrowleaf Silkgrass - Pityopsis graminifolia

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Sandhill, Scrub, Dry Pine Flatwoods, Dry Prairie, Ruderal. Sandy, well drained soils.

Description - Native Perennial, Herb to 3 feet tall. Lanceolate, grass-like leaves, silky, silvery pubescent. Form is variable.

Flower - Yellow, 1 1/4 inch with 8-13 rays, spring through fall.

Coastal Plain Hawkweed - Hieracium megacephalon

Family - Asteraceae

A perennial herbaceous wildflower growing to about 16 -18 inches tall, its showy bright yellow flowers may be seen year-round in frost free portions of its range. One stalk can produce as many as 50 flower heads up to 1 inch across. Flowers have 20–50 yellow ray florets and no disc flowers.

Leaves are elliptical, 2-3 inches long and covered with coarse hairs, as are the stems. Range includes Florida and Georgia

Sleepy Morning - Waltheria indica

Family - Malvaceae

A small shrub 2 to 6 feet tall, with small fragrant yellow flowers growing in dense clusters from the leaf axils. Fine hairs cover all of the plant.

The oblong to oval leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, up to 6 inches long with serrate margins and conspicuous veins.

Sleepy morning is commonly found growing in dry areas and disturbed sites.