A Florida Paddle Notes Field Guide – Florida Paddle Notes

The Flora along Florida’s Waterways

Florida’s waterways have unique characteristics among them being the diverse flora. So often we paddle the waterways and see this diversity of beauty throughout the year without recognizing the species we are admiring. Florida Paddle Notes introduces this online guide to help identify the numerous flowers, plants, and trees we so often enjoy on Florida’s waterways.

This guide is prepared to be a simple, quick reference to identify the diverse flora we encounter on our paddles. Some are familiar sights on many waterways, others are unique to one or two particular areas. The guide is not meant to be an exhaustive identification reference but a quick visual guide of the trees and plants I enjoyed while paddling the waterways…James

Flowering Plants, Vines, and Trees

White, Cream ~ Yellow ~ Orange, Pink, Red ~ Violet, Purple, Blue

Air Plants ~ Additional Aquatic Plants ~ Ferns – Trees ~ Resources

White Flowering Plants, Vines, and Trees

Alligator Lily ~ Spider Lily ~ Swamp Lily ~ Fragrant Water Lily ~ American Rattan ~ Climbing Hemp Vine, Hedge Bindweed ~ Hairy Bittercress ~ Late Boneset ~ Lizard’s Tail ~ Sandswamp White Top Sedge ~ American Elderberry ~ Broadleaf Arrowroot ~ Mock Bishop’s Weed ~ Water Hemlock ~ White Swamp Milkweed ~ Wild Rice ~ Buttonbush ~ Halberd leaf Rose Mallow ~ Sea Myrtle ~ Swamp Azalea ~ False Willow ~ False Willow ~ Virginia Willow ~ Swamp Dogwood ~ Walter’s Viburnum ~ Wax Myrtle ~ Hawthorne ~ Loblolly Bay ~ Pipewort ~ Mangrove ~ Ogeechee Tupelo ~ Swamp Bay

Alligator Liliy - Silver River — Alligator Lily – Hymenocallis palmeri

Swamp Lily - Crinum americanum — Swamp Lily – Crinum americanum

Spider Lily - Hymenocallis latifolia — Spider Lily – Hymenocallis latifolia

Fragrant Water Lily - Nymphaea odorata — Fragrant Water Lily – Nymphaea odorata

Rain Lily - Zephyranthes spp — Rain Lily – Zephyranthes spp

American Rattan - Berchemia scandens — American Rattan – Berchemia scandens

Climbing Hemp Vine - Mikania scandens — Climbing Hemp Vine

Hedge Bindweed - Calystegia sepium — Hedge Bindweed – Calystegia sepium

Hairy Bittercress - Cardamine hirsuta — Hairy Bittercress – Cardamine hirsuta

Late Boneset - Eupatorium serotinum — Late Boneset – Eupatorium serotinum

Lizards-Tail-Saururus-cernuus — Lizards Tail – Saururus cernuus

Sandswamp Whitetop Sedge - Rhynchospora latifolia — Sandswamp Whitetop Sedge – Rhynchospora latifolia

Elderberry - Sambucus canadensis — American Elderberry – Sambucus canadensis

Broadleaf-Arrowroot-Sagittaria-latifolia

Mock-bishopsweed-Ptilimnium-capillaceum — Mock Bishop’s Weed – Ptilimnium-capillaceum

White Swamp Milkweed - Asclepias perennis — White Swamp Milkweed – Asclepias perennis

Wild Rice - Haw Creek — Wild Rice – Zizania aquatica

Buttonbush - Salt Springs — Buttonbush – Salt Springs

Halberd-leaf Rose Mallow – Hibiscus laevis

Sea Myrtle- Baccharis halimifolia — Sea Myrtle – Baccharis halimifolia

Swamp Azalea - Rhododendron viscosum — Swamp Azalea 0 Rhododendron viscosum

False Willow - baccharis angustifolia — False Willow – baccharis angustifolia

Virginia Willow Sweetspire - Itea virginica — Virginia Willow Sweetspire – Itea virginica

Swamp Dogwood - Cornus foemina — Swamp Dogwood – Cornus foemina

Walter's Viburnum - Viburnum obovatum — Walter’s Viburnum – Viburnum obovatum

Wax Myrtle - Myrica cerifera — Wax Myrtle – Myrica cerifera

Crataegus spp. - Haw — Hawthorne – Crataegus spp.

Loblolly Bay - Gordonia lasianthus — Loblolly Bay – Gordonia lasianthus

Pipewort - Eriocaulon decangulare — Pipewort – Eriocaulon decangulare

Ogeeche Tupelo - Nyssa-ogeche — Ogeeche Tupelo – Nyssa-ogeche

Swamp Bay - Persea palustris — Swamp Bay Blossom – Persea palustris

Yellow Flowering Plants, Vines, and Trees

Bald Cypress ~ Bearded Beggaticks ~ Burr Marigold ~ Butterweed ~ Carolina Yellow Jasmine ~ Coastal Plain Willow ~ Golden Club ~ Golden Ragwort ~ Hairy Cowpea ~ Love Vine ~ Marsh Beggartick ~ Primrose Willow ~ Sandweed ~ Scrub St. Johns Wort ~ Sea Oxeye Daisy ~ Spadderdock ~ Swamp TiTi ~ Tickseed Sunflower ~ Mexican Primrose Willow ~ Woodland Sunflower

Bald Cypress Pollen Cones:Catkins - Bear Creek — Bald Cypress – Taxodium distichum

Bearded Beggarticks - Bidens aristosa — Bearded Beggarticks – Bidens aristosa

Burr Marigold - Bidens laevis — Burr Marigold – Bidens laevis

Butterweed - Packera glabella — Butterweed – Packera glabella

Yellow Jasamine - Gelsimium sempervirens — Carolina Yellow Jasmine – Gelsimium sempervirens

Coastal Plain Willow - Salix caroliniana — Coastal Plain Willow – Salix caroliniana

Golden-Club-Neverwet-Orontium-aquaticum — Golden Club – Orontium aquaticum

Golden ragwort - Packera aurea — Golden ragwort – Packera aurea

Hairy Cowpea - Vigna luteola — Hairy Cowpea – Vigna luteola

Love Vine - Cassytha filiformis — Love Vine – Cassytha filiformis

Marsh Beggartick - Bidens mitis — Marsh Beggartick – Bidens mitis

Primrose Willow - Ludwigia peruviana — Primrose Willow – Ludwigia peruviana

Sandweed - Hypericum fasciculatum — Sandweed – Hypericum fasciculatum

Scrub St. John's Wort - Hypericum tenuifolium — Scrub St. John’s Wort – Hypericum tenuifolium

Sea Oxeye Daisy - Borrichia frutescens — Sea Oxeye Daisy – Borrichia frutescens

Spadderdock - Nuphar advena — Spadderdock – Nuphar advena

Swamp TiTi - Cyrilla racemiflora — Swamp TiTi – Cyrilla racemiflora

Mexican Primrose Willow - Ludwigia octovalvis — Mexican Primrose Willow – Ludwigia octovalvis

Woodland Sunflower - Helianthus strumosus — Woodland Sunflower – Helianthus strumosus

Pink, Red & Orange Flowering Plants, Vines, and Trees

Cardinal Flower ~ Crimson Eyed Rose Mallow ~ Obedient Plant ~ Purple Sesban ~ Red Maple ~ Salt Marsh Fleabane ~ Salt Marsh Mallow ~ Sensitive Brier ~ Shinning Fetterbush ~ Small American Aster ~ Smartweed ~ Sundew ~ Swamp Marsh Pink ~ Swamp Rose ~ Swamp Rose Mallow ~ Trumpet Creeper

Cardinal Flower - Lobelia cardinalis — Cardinal Flower – Lobelia cardinalis

Crimson-Eyed Rose-Mallow – Hibiscus moscheutos — Crimson Eyed Rose Mallow – Hibiscus moscheutos

Obedient-Plant-False-Dragonhead-Physostegia-virginiana — Obedient Plant – Physostegia-virginiana

Purple Sesban - Sesbania punicea — Purple Sesban – Sesbania punicea

Winged Sumaras - Red Maple — Winged Sumaras – Red Maple – Acer rubrum

Redbud Tree - Cercis canadensis — Redbud – Cercis canadensis

Salt Marsh Fleabane - Pulchea odorata Tomoka River — Salt Marsh Fleabane – Pulchea odorata

Saltmarsh Mallow - Kosteletzkya pentacarpos, Tomoka River — Salt Marsh Mallow – Kosteletzkya pentacarpos

Salt Marsh Morning Glory - Ipomoea sagittata, — Salt Marsh Morning Glory – Ipomoea sagittata,

Scarlet Rose Mallow - Ocklawaha River — Scarlet Rose Mallow – Hibiscus coccineus

Sensitive Brier - Mimosa nuttallii — Sensitive Brier – Mimosa nuttallii

Shinning Fetterbush - Lyonia lucida — Shinning Fetterbush – Lyonia lucida

Small White American Aster - Symphyotrichum racemosum — Small American Aster – Symphyotrichum racemosum

Smartweed - Polygonum punctatum — Smartweed – Polygonum punctatum

Sundew - Drosera Rotundifolia — Sundew – Drosera Rotundifolia

Swamp Marsh-pink - Sabatia calycina — Swamp Marsh Pink – Sabatia calycina

Swamp Rose - Rosa palustris — Swamp Rose – Rosa palustris

Swamp Rose Mallow - Hibiscus grandiflorus — Swamp Rose Mallow – Hibiscus grandiflorus

Trumpet Creeper - Campsis radicans — Trumpet Creeper – Campsis radicans

Violet, Purple & Blue Flowering Plants, Vines, and Trees

Blue-Eyed Grass ~ Blue Flag Iris ~ Climbing Aster ~ Elliot’s Aster ~ False Indigo ~ Giant Ironweed ~ Pickerel Weed ~ Violet Wood Sorrel ~ Water Hyacynth

Blue-eyed Grass - Sisyrinchium albidum — Blue-eyed Grass – Sisyrinchium albidum

Blue Flag Iris - Little Manatee River — Blue Flag Iris – Iris viginica

Climbing Aster - Ampelaster carolinianus — Climbing Aster – Ampelaster carolinianus

Elliott's Aster - Symphyotrichum elliottii — Elliott’s Aster – Symphyotrichum elliottii

False-Indigo-Bush-Amorpha-fruticosa — False Indigo Bush – Amorpha fruticosa

Ironweed - Vernonia fasciculata — Giant Ironweed – Vernonia fasciculata

Pickerel Weed - Pontederia cordata — Pickerel Weed – Pontederia cordata

Water Hyacinth - Eichhornia crassipes — Water Hyacinth – Eichhornia crassipes

Air Plants

Bartram's Airplant - Tillandsia bartramii — Bartram’s Airplant – Tillandsia bartramii

Tillandsia spp - Little Manatee River — Tillandsia spp

Bartram's Airplant - Gum Slough — Bartram’s Airplant

Additional Aquatic Flora

Broadleaf Arrowroot ~ Cattail ~ Dollarweed ~ Duckweed ~ Harsetail ~ Hydrilla ~ Lake Sedge ~ Maiden Cane ~ Needle Rush ~ Pickerel Weed ~ Sawgrass ~ Smartweed ~ Spadderdock ~ Water Hyacinth ~Water Lettuce ~ Wild Rice

Broadleaf Arrowhead - Sagittaria latifolia — Broadleaf Arrowhead – Sagittaria latifolia

Cattail - Typha latifolia — Cattail – Typha latifolia

Dollarweed - Hydrocotyle umbellata — Dollarweed – Hydrocotyle umbellata

Duckweed - Lemnoideae spp. — Duckweed – Lemnoideae spp.

Horsetail - Equisetum hyemale — Horsetail – Equisetum hyemale

Hydrilla - Hydrilla verticillata — Hydrilla – Hydrilla verticillata

Lake Sedge - Carex lacustris — Lake Sedge – Carex lacustris

Maiden Cane - Panicum hemitomon — Maiden Cane – Panicum hemitomon

Needle Rush - Juncus roemerianus — Needle Rush – Juncus roemerianus

Sawgrass - Cladium jamaicense — Sawgrass – Cladium jamaicense

Water Lettuce - Pistia stratiotes — Water Lettuce – Pistia stratiotes

Wild Rice - Zizania aquatica — Wild Rice – Zizania aquatica

Ferns

Giant Leather Fern ~ Resurrection Fern ~ Sword Fern ~ Royal Fern ~ Southern Shield Fern ~ Cabbage Palm Fern

Giant Leather Fern - Tomoka River — Giant Leather Fern – Acrostichum danaeifolium

Resurection Fern - Pleopeltis polypodioides — Resurrection Fern – Pleopeltis polypodioides

Sword Fern - Nephrolepis exaltata — Sword Fern – Nephrolepis exaltata

Royal Fern - Osmunda regalis — Royal Fern – Osmunda regalis

Southern Shield Ferns - Lower Juniper Creek — Southern Shield Ferns – Lower Juniper Creek

Cabbage Palm Fern - Phlebodium aureum — Cabbage Palm Fern – Phlebodium aureum

Trees

American Holly ~ Carolina Ash ~ Bald Cypress ~ Dahoon Holly ~ Florida Elm ~ Live Oak ~ Loblolly Bay ~ Mangrove ~ Pignut Hickory ~ Red Maple ~ Redbud ~ Sabal Palmetto ~ Swamp Bay ~ Swamp Dogwood ~ Swamp Locust ~ Sweet Bay ~ Swamp TiTi ~ Sweet Gum ~ Water Tupelo ~ Black Tupelo ~ Ogeechee Tupelo ~ River Birch ~ Water Hickory

American Holly - Ilex opaca — American Holly – Ilex opaca

Carolina Ash - Fraxinus caroliniana — Carolina Ash – Fraxinus caroliniana

Bald Cypress Seed Pods — Bald Cypress – Taxodium distichum

Dahoon-Holly-Ilex-cassine — Dahoon Holly – Ilex cassine

FLorida Elm - Ulmus americana var. floridana — Florida Elm – Ulmus americana var. floridana

Pignut Hickory - Carya glabra — Pignut Hickory – Carya glabra

Flowering Sabal Palmetto - Tomoka River — Flowering Sabal Palmetto – Tomoka River

Swamp Locust - Gleditsia aquatica — Swamp Locust – Gleditsia aquatica

Sweet Bay - Magnolia virginiana - Juniper Creek — Sweet Bay – Magnolia virginiana – Juniper Creek

Swamp Cyrilla - Titi-Cyrilla racemiflora — Swamp Cyrilla – Titi-Cyrilla racemiflora

Sweet Gum - Liquidambar styraciflua — Sweet Gum

Tupelo river bank — Water Tupelo – Nyssa aquatica

Black Tupelo-Nyssa sylvatica — Black Tupelo – Nyssa sylvatica

River Birch - Betula Nigra - North Fork Black Creek — River Birch – Betula Nigra – North Fork Black Creek

Water Hickory - Carya aquatica — Water Hickory – Carya aquatica

Additional Resources…

Florida Plant Identification Help
Atlas of Florida Plants
Southern Wetland Flora Guide
Native Wetland Plants
Aquatic and Wetland Plants in Florida
Field Identification Guide to Plants Used in the Wetland Assessment Procedure
Florida’s Nature – Flora
Aquaplant

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