Introduction

the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants estimates that there are upwards of 4,200 species of plant growing in alorida. around 3,000 of those documented plants are considered native to the state, and around 300 of those plants grow nowhere else in the world making florida one of the most botanically biodiverse states in the US, only beat out by texas and california. florida owes much of its biodiversity to the unique and varied climate, geology, seasonality, and disturbance such as hurricanes and wildfire. for more information please refer to Priceless Florida.

below is a description and intro to a few broad habitat categories. for more information on florida's specific natural communities, check out the florida natural areas inventory! the rest of the page i plan to showcase some of my favorite plants i've seen and plants i've documented on my inaturalist.

• water purification: many wetlands are downslope of upland areas which allows these weltand to capture and filter water pollutants before the water flows into the aquifer or other water bodies. wetland plants take up these pollutants from the water and deposit them in their tissue. eventually, when these plants die, the pollutants settle into the sediment.
• water retention: wetlands capture rainwater and hold onto it, allowing for it to eventually percolate into the aquifer, helping to replenish groundwater.
• flood abatement:floodplain wetlands allow for water to flow while slowing the flow down and allowing for water to seep into swamps preventing extreme surges. Retaining water in this manner also helps to ease drought as the water is slowly released in the surrounding area.
• carbon capture: the muck that accumulates in the water creates an anaerobic environment where carbon dioxide can be stored for long periods of time, preventing these greenhouse gasses from escaping into the atmosphere.
• nutrients: as wetland plants decompose, the detritus that is left behind feeds many organisms. when water flows through swamps, floodplains, and marshes, the water sweeps up detritus into downstream ecosystems like salt marshes and estuaries which serve as vital nurseries for fish.
• habitat corridors: florida’s wetlands act as links between upland, aquatic, and marine ecosystems.

wetlands are dynamic systems and there are a lot of different types!

• marsh: a wetland that is primarily herbaceous plants, with water saturated soil that stands for the majority of the year
• swamp: a wetland that is dominated by trees. note that the frequency of fire in the landscape determines if a marsh transitions into a bog. the more fire, the less hardwood trees establish.
• seepage wetland: a wetland where water oozes to the surface from the aquifer. these wetlands never flood because their water is always flowing in at the same rate it flows out. most of these wetlands are sandy and nutrient poor.
• depression wetlands: a broad category of wetland that is formed from depressions in the ground. the water level changes as the level of groundwater does, often forming temporary ponds which is vital to amphibian reproduction. depressions that hold water permanently, save for extreme drought with 5 feet of water or less are marshes or swamps while deeper depressions may have open water centers that form lakes or ponds. areas where the underlying limestone layer has disintegrated can also form depressions which over time may deepen.

swamp rosemallow is an amazing plant!!! i love its flowers, they can get up to the size of a dinner plate and bloom in early summer. they're commonly found in depression wetlands and floodplains.

their flower color ranges from light pink, almost white like in the picture i took to a purple-y pink. they're particularly attractive to the rosemallow bee which specializes in hibiscus flowers.

my fondest memory of this plant was getting sent out to a state park by my boss at the time to just take pictures since he was going to be out of town during the bloom. i spent a whole afternoon on a floodplain in these clusters of rosemallow snapping as many pictures as i could of their flowers.

peelbark saint john's wort is an evergreen shrub. in my area (usda plant hardiness zone 9a) i commonly see it on the margins of wetlands, blooming year-round.

h. fasciculatum is an important pollinator plant for florida's native bees in addition to providing cover for small animals. this plant can grow up to 5 feet tall and it loves to grow in the depressions around wetlands.

at my park job i remember spending a lot of time navigating around wetlands in deer trails surrounded by peelbark st. john's wort. at times it was disorienting at times but also kind of cool to just be surrounded by this stuff that was as tall as me.