Plant Size: Floating leaves spread about 5 ft on water surface
Habitat: Aquatic. Marshes, swamps in openings, still water
Medicinal Uses: North Carolina listed the plant as a remedy against bronchial problems, sore throats, and dermatological ailments.
Contraindications: Alkaloids, and many tannins (dermatological interests) are present.
Florida Native Plant Society database entry for Nymphaea odorata Aiton
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Nymphaea odorata Aiton
Plant Size: 3-10 ft long stems, sprawling and scrambling over other vegetation
Habitat: Disturbed, brushy areas or disturbed upland hardwood forest, sandhill and scrub
Medicinal Uses: The Cherokee used a compound infusion of the root to treat boils. They also gave an infusion of root to babies to aid in weaning, and a warm infusion of beaten root dropped into the ear for earache. The Cherokee used parboiled leaves and the fruit as a food source.
Contraindications: possible presence of cyanogenic glycosides in Passiflora
Florida Native Plant Society database entry for Passiflora incarnata
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Passiflora incarnata
Discussed in: 20 Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Southeastern U.S.
Plant Size: Up to 80 ft tall x 30 ft wide
Habitat: Mesic woodlands, wet swamps, and will grow in standing water
Medicinal Uses: Used as a stimulant, antiseptic, and expectorant
Florida Native Plant Society database entry for Liquidambar Styraciflua
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Liquidambar Styraciflua
Plant Size: 10-15 ft tall x 10-15 ft wide
Habitat: Moist woods, thickets, bottomlands
Medicinal Uses: Has been used in medicines, eye-washes, after shave lotions and salves for soothing insect bites, burns and poison ivy rashes.
Florida Native Plant Society database entry for Hamamelis Virginiana
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Hamamelis Virginiana
Discussed in: Making Herbal Teas, Tinctures, and Salves with Bevin Cohen
Found in the following counties: Alachua, Bay, Calhoun, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Hamilton, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lake, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Okaloosa, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
Habitat: Stagnant water, swiftly flowing waters of swamps pools, backwaters, blackwater streams, sometimes forming floating mats
Medicinal Uses: Used by many U.S. native American tribes for respiratory ailments
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Hydrocotyle Ranunculoides
Found in the following counties: Alachua, Bay, Brevard, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Hernando, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lake, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla
Plant Size: 8-25 ft tall x 5-8 ft wide, clonal
Habitat: Coastal and inland scrub, dunes, floodplains and hammocks
Medicinal Uses: Supports immune system, provides digestive relief, used as a stimulant, and lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease
Contraindications: Known to have large thorns
Florida Native Plant Society database entry for Ilex vomitoria
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Ilex vomitoria
Discussed in: Homegrown Teas 20 Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Southeastern U.S. Yaupon Holly Tea
Found in the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Brevard, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
Plant Size: 10-20 ft tall x 10-20 ft wide
Medicinal Uses: Seminoles used the bark in a body wash to reduce deer sickness (painful limbs) and a mouthwash from the roots to treat sore gums.
Florida Native Plant Society database entry for Ximenia Americana
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Ximenia Americana
Found in the following counties: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe Keys, Monroe Mainland, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Volusia
Plant Size: 30-60 ft tall x 25-40 ft wide, forms clones
Medicinal Uses: used by Native Americans to treat chest and digestive pain, digestive troubles, and a cold and cough mouthwash.
Medicinal Preparation: The roots can boiled into a tea.
Contraindications: Lab rats fed sassafras developed tumors
Florida Native Plant Society database entry for Sassafras albidum
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Sassafras albidum
Found in the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsdem, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Santa Rosa, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
Plant Size: 10-15 ft, at least as wide as it is tall, sometimes wider
Habitat: Disturbed wetland edges, wet roadsides, swamps, wet woodlands, riverbanks, ditches
Medicinal Uses: used to treat chest and digestive pain, to prevent and relieve cold and flu symptons. Has also been used to treat constipation, joint and muscle pain, respiratory infections, headaches, kidney problems, epilepsy, minor skin conditions, stress, and HIV and AIDS
Medicinal Preparation: Berries can be prepared into a syrup. It can also be prepared as gummies. Dried elderberries can also be boiled into a tea.
Contraindications: Children may become ill from playing with elderberry whistles or blowguns; plant contains cyanogenic glycosides
Florida Native Plant Society database entry for Sambucus Nigra subsp. canadensis
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Sambucus Nigra subsp. canadensis
Discussed in: 20 Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Southeastern U.S. Making Herbal Teas, Tinctures, and Salves with Bevin Cohen American Black Elderberry Sambucus canadensis great for natural habitat, refreshing beverage & more
Habitat: Vary by species. Mostly sandhills, bogs, roadsides, ruderal
Medicinal Uses: Support immune system, antibacterial effects against the germ that causes tuberculosis, used by Native Americans as a cold remedy and to treat worms. Also used by Native Americans for external washes to treat snakebites, swelling, and sores; root juice also used to treat earaches.
Medicinal Preparation: Root can be boiled into a tea, leaves and flowers can be crushed into a poultice, roots can be made into a tincture. Leaves and flowers can also be boiled into a tea.
Contraindications: Some people may experience skin irrations when they come into contact with plant or related species
Florida Native Plant Society database entry for Rudbeckia Hirta
Atlas of Florida Plants database entry for Rudbeckia Hirta