Florida's Wildflowers
Blues and Purples

On this page - Rose-rush, Pineland waterwillow, Giant ironweed, Flax-leaf false-foxglove, Forked blue-curls, Rice button aster, Pine hyacinth, Canadian toadflax, Wild pennyroyal, Stokes aster

Rose-Rush - Lygodesmia aphylla

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Dry sandy locations, Flatwoods, Sandhill, Scrub

Description - Florida native wildflower. Perennial Herb, linear basil leaves, flowering stalk is leafless and 18-36 inches in height.

Flower - Solitary, pale rose-lavender, pink or occasionally white flower, rays having toothed tips.

Pineland Waterwillow - Justicia angusta

Family - Acanthaceae

Habitat - Wet Pine Flatwoods, Wet Prairie, Marshes, margins and floodplains of lakes, ponds and rivers.

Description - Native, Endemic to Florida. Perennial herb, 6-12 inches in height. Leaves opposite, narrowly lanceolate.

Flower - Purple, zygomorphic (2 lipped) on a spike arising from leaf axil.

Giant Ironweed - Vernonia gigantea

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Rich moist to wet soils, Ruderal, Pine Flatwoods, Hammocks

Description - Native herbaceous wildflower to 6 feet or more in height, leaves are alternate, variable elliptic, lanceolate to slightly obovate with serrate margins. Leaves may be pubescent or glabrous. Stems are pubescent, un-branched except at top near the inflorescence.

Flower - Panicles of 10 - 30 magenta or purplish disk florets, spring through fall in S. Florida.

Flax-leaf False-foxglove - Agalinis linifolia

Family - Scrophulariaceae

Habitat - Cypress Domes, Marshes, Sloughs, Wet Pine Flatwoods, Cutthroat Seep often found in standing water.

Description - One of 16 Florida native Agalinis species, grows to nearly 5 feet tall, it is semi-parasitic (hemi-parasitic) on roots of other plants/trees. Leaves are alternate, 1 1/4 to 2 inches long, linear with entire margins.

Flower - Pinkish to lavender flowers, 1 1/4 inch long in the summer and fall in South Florida.

Forked Blue Curls - Trichostema dichotomum

Family - Lamiaceae

Habitat - Sandhill, scrub, xeric hammocks, pine flatwoods

Description - Annual. Forb/Herb. Plant is sticky to the touch.

Height - 30 inches

Flower - Blue, 1/2 - 3/4 inch, 4 lobed upper lip, 1 lobe lower lip recurved. Flower has 4 distinct curled stamens.

Rice Button Aster - Symphyotrichum dumosum

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Open sandy areas of hammocks and flatwoods.

Description - Perennial, Forb/herb, sub-shrub 1 to 3 feet high.

Flower - Pale blue to lavender, 2 inches in diameter.

Pine Hyacinth - Clematis baldwinii

Native, Endemic.

Family - Ranunculaceae

Habitat - Sandy Pine Flatwoods

Description - Subshrub, Forb/Herb to 24 inches in height.

Flower - Pendulous and bell shaped, 2 inches in length, lavender to pinkish with 4 fleshy, curled, petal like sepals. Leaves variable from lanceolate to elliptical, unlobed to deeply lobed.

Canadian Toadflax, Blue Toadflax - Linaria canadensis

Family - Scrophulariaceae

Habitat - Open ruderal on moist or dry sandy soils

Description - Native annual, biennial. Herbaceous wildflower to 24 inches in height. Linear leaves

Flower - Blue 1/2 inch 2 lipped, upper lip 2 lobed, lower lip 3 lobed.

Wild Pennyroyal, Florida Pennyroyal - Piloblephis rigida

Family - Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Habitat - Sandhill, Scrub, Flatwoods.

Description - Native perennial shrub, 18 - 24 inches tall.

Flower - Light purple, 1/2 inch in height.

Stokes' Aster - Stokesia laevis

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Wet Pine Flatwoods, Savannahs, disturbed areas of Northern Florida.

Description - Native herbaceous perennial with 6-10 inch elliptic basal leaves. 2 1/2 inch, blue to lavender flowers in spring are produced on straight stalks up to 2 feet tall with opposite, sessile leaves.