castorp thanks for the article. Ladybird Johnson did so much to raise the level of wildflower awareness. If they can do it in Texas surely Florida can too. "we need to redefine the aesthetic" I heartily agree. Perhaps some good can come from decreased government spending. The increased use of native plants in medians and in shopping centers is great. The interstates are the next obvious place to go native. olya LOVE that phlox. you are so much braver than I who spotted some great gaillardia when I lived in Naples and couldn't figure out how to rescue it. And your butterfly! Lovely. Denise

There are lots of white flowering things, but color - lasting color - is harder to come by. I'd look into Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) and Mouse eared coreopsis (Coreopsis 'Nana) first. By the way, my Home Depot north of Atlanta is stocking both of these as pint sized perennials right now. There is also Iris cristata (tiny iris, so cute!), Monkshood (Aconitum species), Phlox divaricata (cultivars often available), Campanula divaricata (bellflower), Bellworts (Uvularia), solomon seals (true and false). Hope that gets you started.

A word of caution. Read ingredients. Many companies sell "wildflower" seeds that include many alien species like queen anne's lace and ox-eye daisies. Many companies also offer "native wildflowers" that are native to the US, but probably not any specific region. I've seen "native wildflower mixes" here in PA that include california poppies and other things that aren't native anywhere within hundreds of miles. Many places sell good quality seeds, but I suggest doing some homework and and creating your own mix. It's all a matter of your preferences and what you are trying to achieve, but I'm a bit skeptical of vendor provided information, which is often manipulated a bit to improve sales. Ziggy

Leaves look right for r. nudiflora. Wise to be cautious. Bill Welch warns they're "nothing more than troublesome and persistent weeds." ... which seems a bit harsh. They will add a lot of weeding work within a typical flower bed or any neighboring lawn space, but have some nice attributes for the right locations. We keep some as host and nectar plants for several butterflies in an alley border where most of the seeds get washed down the storm drain. As ocgf mentioned, flowers don't last long, but foliage can pass as a very heat and drought tolerant ground cover. Responds well to mowing or trimming to reduce the weedy look. The photo shows a small patch we have in heavy shade at the base of an American beautyberry bush; it flowers only a bit less here than in full sun, so spreading volunteers still pose a challenge. This post was edited by bostedo on Mon, Jun 16, 14 at 1:09