What you plant in your yard matters—that’s the big idea behind Florida Wildlife Appreciation Day at Tallahassee Nurseries. Florida wildlife depends on native plants to provide the food and habitat they need to survive, forming a delicate and complex web of interdependent plants, animals, and landscapes. By including native plants in your home landscape, you help strengthen that beautiful web of life right in your own backyard.
To help you explore this connection further, we’ve curated a list of trusted resources on Florida’s native plants and wildlife. These organizations and experts provide in-depth information on how to support native species in your own backyard. Whether you’re looking for the best native plants for pollinators, ways to create habitat for birds, or just want to learn more about Florida’s incredible biodiversity, these links are a great place to start.
National Wildlife Federation
An exciting resource that shows you which plants are native to specific zip codes. Native plants are able to live up to their full ecological potential only when they are present in their natural range, so this tool is of great use for creating the most effective backyard wildlife sanctuary. This site also tells you which caterpillars, and how many different species of caterpillar, use each plant species for food. This information is particularly important as caterpillars are a critical food source for birds rearing their young.
Ask Ifas
The source for information about plants and gardening from the University of Florida. Search for almost any plant that grows in Florida for details about the plant’s characteristics and uses.
NC State Extension Database
An extensive database of plants from North Carolina State. North Florida and parts of North Carolina share the same Coastal Plain ecosystem so their database includes countless plants that grow in our area. This resource contains extensive information about each species.
NWF Wildlife Guide
Take a deep dive into research about the wild animals that call North America their home. This resource has an easy to navigate system to explore different categories of animals with detailed information about a wide range of species.
Atlas of Florida Plants
A unique resource that shows which Florida counties possess wild populations of countless plant species. Useful to research which Florida native plants are naturally found in your precise neck of the woods. Native plants are able to live up to their full ecological potential only when they are present in their natural range, so this tool is of great use for creating the most effective backyard wildlife sanctuary.
USDA Fire Effects Information System
An incredibly detailed database from the USDA with information about many Southeastern native trees and shrubs. Intended to inform the forestry industry, this resource includes in depth information about each plant’s growth, natural environments, response to fire in the landscape, wildlife interactions, and more. A great place to get nitty gritty data to help recreate wild ecosystems as closely as possible.
FNPS Plant Search
The best database for searching Florida native plants. Each plant has an entry with pertinent information about natural range, preferred growing conditions, wildlife benefits, and more. Use the search function to find plants that meet the needs of your site or garden interests.
Coastal Plains Wiki
Think Wikipedia for plants of the Coast Plain! Coastal Plain Plants provides current knowledge about the ecology and life history characteristics of plant species in the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain with an emphasis on the Greater Red Hills Region of northern Florida and southern Georgia. Content includes published sources and unpublished information provided by expert contributors in the region.
FANN Organization
The best database for searching Florida native plants. Each plant has an entry with pertinent information about natural range, preferred growing conditions, wildlife benefits, and more. Use the search function to find plants that meet the needs of your site or garden interests.
Native Plant Vegetaion Map
While this map can be found by searching the FANN website, we thought it valuable enough to include a dedicated link. This map shows where each natural Florida plant community was historically found. Choosing native plants that were historically found in your exact part of Florida is of the greatest value to wildlife. Consider referencing this map and exploring which plants apply to your area. The Florida Atlas of Plants and the National Wildlife Federation zip code search tool offer similar guidance for plant selection.
Keystone Native Plants
This resource shows you which plant species provide food for the most insects in our region, these plants are called keystone species. Keystone plants are native plants critical to the food web and necessary for many wildlife species to complete their life cycle. Without keystone plants in the landscape, butterflies, native bees, and birds will not thrive. 96% of our terrestrial birds rely on insects supported by keystone plants.
FWC
You can find a wide range of information about Florida wildlife and habitats from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. For some, hunting and fishing can be hard to reconcile with a love for nature, but hunters and anglers represent a powerful force for wildlife conservation.
Tall Timbers Org.
Tall Timbers Research Station is located just north of Tallahassee. This long-standing organization has been at the forefront of research into the importance of prescribed fire for many of our region’s habitats. Take a deep dive into the connection between fire, native plants, and native wildlife.
*This article was written by Jonathan Burns (Tallahassee Nurseries Outdoor Manager, FNGLA Florida Certified Horticulture Professional)