Monday, November 5, 2012

Florida yellowtops (Flaveria floridana)


Florida yellowtops (Flaveria floridana) is endemic to the west-central and southwestern coast of the peninsula and is distinguished from the more common narrowleaf yellowtops (F. linearis) by its slightly wider leaves and the arrangement of the flower heads.  I have posted both in this blog for your comparison and much the same can be said about this species as the other.
Florida yellowtops is an attractive species, but is not currently being propagated by any of the nurseries affiliated with FANN - the Florida Association of Native Nurseries. 
Look for it near the coast in a wide variety of wetland and uplant (not too xeric) habitats.  It is most noticeable in fall when it begins flowering.  The extremely bright yellow flowers can be seen for a great distance.
Sometimes, when viewed from far away, patches of yellowtops can be mistaken for another widely distributed yellow-flowered aster - flat-topped goldenrod (Euthamia spp.). On closer inspection, the great differences in foliage and the much larger heads of flowers in yellowtops make distinguishing them quite easy.
 


1 comment:

  1. I've used your site quite a bit, and especially this past weekend while researching possible plants to buy at the Gainesville butterfly festival. Yes - it is a really helpful resource, wherever one may garden in Florida, so thank you.

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