Quick answer: 7 native Florida plants have a recorded bloom range that includes December.
7 species
- Beach sunflower Helianthus debilis · 1 states
- Carolina jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens · 10 states
- Cocoplum Chrysobalanus icaco · 1 states
- Leavenworth's tickseed Coreopsis leavenworthii · 1 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Longleaf pine Pinus palustris · 10 states
- Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana · 33 states
December in a Florida native garden
December is a quieter month in Florida: 7 of the state's 228 native plants flower in December, compared with 145 at the May peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
7 finish in December, including Beach sunflower, Carolina jessamine and Cocoplum, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
6 of them grow in full or partial sun and 1 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Leavenworth's tickseed to trees such as Carolina jessamine and Cocoplum. For wildlife, 4 support pollinators, 5 provide food or cover for birds and 1 are caterpillar host plants.
5 of the 7 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Beach sunflower: common listings for it are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec
- Carolina jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jan-May, Dec
- Longleaf pine Pinus palustris · Sun · blooms Dec-Jan