Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Killer wildflowers?! Don't even think such a thing. In fact, there is no such thing. Wildflowers are wonderful in their own environment, among other plants similarly adapted to that environment. Your present lawn grass is very likely a non-native like St. Augustine or bermudagrass, both of which (especially the bermudagrass) are aggressive and invasive.

First, the grass. Some sources suggest using a herbicide, which we recommend neither for nor against. Unfortunately, herbicides can go astray with careless distribution or even a sudden breeze, and you'll find you've killed or damaged a valuable plant. Also, the herbicide will then have contaminated the soil where you want to begin planting the wildflowers. Look at this e-ssortment website Lawn care tips: removing sod grass.   You might find taking all the grass out at once a little daunting, and perhaps want to start by clearing sod out of flower bed areas, and slowly expanding them, year by year. No matter how you eliminate the grass, you will have to be vigilant thereafter to spot and remove any sprouting remnants of your lawn. Grasses spread by both rhizomes (underground storage stems) and by runners, and they are very persistent. 

Now for the fun part-the native wildflowers for your yard. Read our How-To Article Meadow Gardening  for ideas on how to plan and plant your yard. You can go to our Native Plant Database, click on "Combination Search," and, from the drop-down menus, select your state, Light Requirements: sun (more than 6 hours of sun daily), part shade (2 to 6 hous of sun) and shade (less than 2 hours of sun). Under Habit, first do a search on "herbs" (herbaceous blooming plants) and then on "grasses or grass-like plants." Follow the plant links to the individual plant page in our database and learn bloom time, moisture needed, soil, size, etc. Since these plants will all be native to Florida, you should not have to worry about climate changes or temperatures-natives are already adapted to that sort of thing. We have made a trial search for you, selecting "Part Shade" and "Shade" for Light Requirements. 

Herbaceous Blooming Plants for Florida

Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) - perennial, blooms orange, yellow May to September,  medium water use, sun or part shade

Coreopsis grandiflora (largeflower tickseed) - perennial, blooms yellow May and June, part shade

Ipomopsis rubra (standing-cypress) - biennial, blooms red, orange, yellow May to July, medium water use, sun or part shade

Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine) - perennial, blooms purple May and June, sun or part shade

Grasses for Florida

Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama) - perennial, medium water use, sun or part shade

Chasmanthium latifolium (Inland sea oats) - perennial, medium water use, part shade or shade

Elymus virginicus (Virginia wildrye) - perennial, medium water use, part shade

Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) - perennial, low water use, sun or part shade

Asclepias tuberosa

Coreopsis grandiflora

Ipomopsis rubra

Lupinus perennis

Bouteloua curtipendula

Chasmanthium latifolium

Elymus virginicus

Schizachyrium scoparium