gallardia, mimosa, coreopsis, milkweed to name a few!
Sounds like a great place for a butterfly garden.
Kat

Here is a link that might be useful: Florida wildflower info

Lots of the native perennials are best started in the cooler months, especially if you're starting from seed. (I usually start them in Nov. Dec.) You could plant hot weather annuals and tender tropicals for a wildflowery look now, enjoy them over the summer, and replant with more true wildflowers in the cool season.

some good summer wild flower-like plants include:

pentas
zinnias
yellow/orange cosmos
gomphrena
periwinkles
and many more

Bill

Fantastic IDEA!!!!

Red, pink salvia, coreopsis, lyreleaf sage, verbena, skullcaps, native porterweed, blueeyed grass.

marcia has some great black eyed susan's (rudebekia-sp) that are native...maybe she will chime in here.

Check out Biosphere Nursery in orlando (they have a website) for plants or seed packs that do good in Florida. They do loads of native plants.

As for myself I found that the white gaura, black-eyed susans, Veronia/Tall Ironweed, Sunflower - Dune/Beach, Partridge pea, Mistflower/Ageratum, Blue- eyed grass, pink purslane, yellowed-eyed grass, galliarda reseed nicely. These last 6 came up on their own. I basically stopped mowing certain areas & just weeded around them. You might want to put some native grasses in too.

I'm always looking for good reseeders. can't wait to try some of those ones suggested here.

Sounds like a good idea to me, too. I like what everyone is suggesting. You could start with some clumps of nice native grass that would be okay to plant now...pink muhly grass is gorgeous! Stick some salvia coccineas here and there (they will reseed and multiply), add some other natives or summery annuals, like the gaillardias, etc. And then when the weather cools down, you could sow seeds between them. (A Florida wildflower mix).

Yes, I agree to check out Biosphere for seed mixtures that do well here, or even go visit them, and pick out some plants to jump start the area.

The native black-eyed Susan Laura mentioned is rudbeckia triloba, and it is a CHAMP. I would also highly recommend seaside goldenrod. Great foliage when not in bloom, and spectacular yellow bloom spikes in the fall. Both of these will multiply, but not at an invasive rate.

Good luck with what you are doing, and keep us posted on how it is turning out.

Marcia

Thanks a bunch for your valuable input. Will try it and see how it goes...

Anyone know a source for seeds of whatever the pink wildflowers that grow all over the sides of roads in the spring? I would love to spread a bunch of them all over my less than well manicured back lawn, but I want to make sure I am buying the right seed. They seem to be a mix of several different flowers, but the pink seems most prevalent. The government spreads those seeds right?

The pink flowers you are seeing are probably phlox . Check out this link and I think you will find the info you are seeking .

From the link : " In Zones 9 and 10 usually phlox is planted in the fall. "

Here is a link that might be useful: Phlox drummondii

The link I included above has a site where you may purchase seeds for the phlox for $3/pk
Kat

Those phlox are so cheerful and beautiful. I look forward to them blooming every year...sometimes entire pastures are washed with lilac and pink.

They aren't native to Florida, but have been established here so long they may as well be. I remember them from my childhood, and they were here well before that. They are hardy, come back each year, and are drought tolerant. But after they finish blooming, they sort of die back, or at best, turn into very non-interesting little plants. Still worth it, if you have a good spot for them.

Marcia (who just saw what must be the last ones of the season blooming around the harness racing track on SR46A)