Lee County Extension
Florida Yards and Neighborhoods
Best Plants for Coastal Communities


The following list represents the best plants for coastal areas in South Florida. These plants were selected based upon their salt tolerance, habitat range, and the fact that they are native to Florida. The list is divided into several categories, and some plants may appear in more than one. However, this is only a list of plants. Before choosing one for a specific location, it is important to find out the mature size of the plant, and its light and water requirements.

Trees

  • All mangroves
  • Mastic
  • Wild Tamarind
  • Wild Lime
  • Live Oak
  • Sand Live Oak
  • Myrtle Oak
  • Chapman Oak
  • Spanish Stopper
  • Redberry Stopper
  • Red Stopper
  • Silver Buttonwood
  • Red Bay
  • Swamp Bay
  • Sea Grape
  • Gumbo Limbo
  • Jamaica Dogwood
  • Joewood
  • Sand Pine
  • Slash Pine
  • Satin Leaf
  • Sweet Acacia
  • Dahoon Holly
  • Blolly
  • Bald Cypress
  • Pond Cypress
  • Hercules Club
  • Spiny Black Olive
  • Mahogany
  • Red Mulberry
  • Pigeon Plum
  • Pitch Apple
Top

Palms

  • Saw Palmetto
  • Silver Palm
  • Sabal Palm
  • Dwarf Sabal Palm
  • Royal Palm
  • Thatch Key Palm
  • Buccaneer Palm
  • Paurotis Palm
Top

Shrubs

  • Varnish Leaf
  • White Indigoberry
  • Adam's Needle
  • Bay Cedar
  • Inkberry (Scaevola Plumieri only)
  • Jamaica Caper
  • Necklace Pod
  • Simpson Stopper
  • Snowberry
  • Torchwood
  • Myrsine Saw
  • Palmetto
  • Silver Buttonwood
  • Coontie
  • Marlberry
  • Wax Myrtle
  • Yaupon Holly
  • Evergreen Cocoplum
  • Carol Bean
  • Wild Coffee
  • Firebush
  • Bahama Cassia
Top

Ground Covers

  • Seaside Paspalum
  • Beach Sunflower
  • Sea Oats
  • Railroad Vine
  • Beach Bean
  • Blue Porterweed
  • Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)
  • Gopher Apple
  • Sand Cordgrass
  • Muhly Grass
Top

Vines

  • Beach Morning Glory
  • Coral Honeysuckle
  • Corky Stemmed Passion Vine
  • Virginia Creeper
Top

Flowers

  • Stokes Aster
  • Atamasco Lily
  • Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)
  • Blue Curls
  • Blue Porterweed
  • Painted Leaf (Native Pointsetta)
  • Dotted Horsemint
  • Purple Coneflower
  • Rain Lily
  • Tropical Red Sage
  • Scorpion Tail
  • Sea Oxeye Daisy
  • Seaside Goldenrod
  • Spider Lily
  • Beach Sunflower
  • Beach Vergena
  • Tampa Verbena
  • Yellowtop
Top

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