You love local food, music, business, and art — so while you’re planning your garden, why not choose local plants, too?

Native plants are naturally adapted to the local climate, provide sustenance to native wildlife, and save water by thriving on normal rainfall. Plus, they’re more visually diverse than, say, lawn grass.

Once temperatures start to cool down, consider planting some Florida flora in the fall. We’ll get you started.

Atamasco Lily

Zephyranthes atamasca

Water needs: Wet, moist
Light needs: Shade, part-shade
Bloom time: January-June

Growing tips: Also called “rain lilies,” these flowers tolerate seasonal flooding and grow best in the shade of taller plants.

Attracts: Hummingbirds, bees

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

Water needs: Moist, Dry
Light needs: Sun
Bloom time: March-November

Growing tips: Black-eyed susan can become aggressive without competition, so consider planting it alongside other plants on this list.

Attracts: Birds, butterflies (Bordered Patch + Gorgone Checkerspot)

Butterfly Milkweed

Asclepias tuberosa

Water needs: Moist, dry
Light needs: Sun, shade, part-shade
Bloom time: May-September

Growing tips: Butterfly weed attracts aphids, which you can deal with by spraying with soapy water, blasting with high-pressure streams, or by leaving the aphids for ladybugs.

Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies (Monarch + Grey Hairstreak)

Yellow jessamine is the state flower of South Carolina. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Carolina Jessamine

Gelsemium sempervirens

Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun, part-shade
Bloom time: March-May; may bloom again in early fall and December

Growing tips: Make sure your soil is never completely dry. Use elastic stretch ties and prune Jessamine early in its blooming season to train and maintain your desired shape.

Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies (Spicebush Swallowtail)

Trumpet Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun, part-shade
Bloom time: March-June

Growing tips: Rich soil and structural assistance will help this vine climb to its full potential — up to 20 feet.

Attracts: Quail, purple finch, goldfinch, hermit thrush, and American robin