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Florida 4-H Forest Ecology

Florida 4-H Forest Ecology

Plants of Florida

boy with clipboard, identifying a potted plant in the contest hall

At the Plant Identification station, each participant will be given a list of plants (in alphabetical order by common names), and be asked to match those names with plant specimens presented indoors, on tables. Juniors will be asked to identify 10 plants; Intermediates will be asked to identify 15 plants; and Seniors will be asked to identify 20 plants.

To prepare for this station, participants should study the plants in the chart below, marked with an "X" under their age group showing an "X" under their age group. Students must be able to identify those plants by leaf, flower, or fruit. Select the common name of the each tree to learn more. 

NotePlants in bold and a light pink background,  are considered invasive in Florida.

Common NameScientific NameJuniors
(ID 10 of 21)
Intermediates
(ID 15 of 31)
Seniors
(ID 20 of 37)
Air potato Dioscorea bulbifera X X X
Beautyberry Callicarpa spp. X X X
Blackberry Rubus spp. X X X
Bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum   X X
Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis   X X
Cabbage palm  Sabal palmetto X X X
Cogongrass Imperata cylindrica X X X
Coontie Zamia pumila X X X
Coral Ardisia Ardisia crenata     X
Coralbean Erythrina herbacea X X X
Fetterbush Lyonia lucida   X X
  Ceratiola ericoides   X X
Gallberry Ilex glabra X X X
Greenbriar Smilax spp. X X X
Ground blueberry Vaccinium myrsinites   X X
Japanese climbing fern Lygodium japonicum   X X
Japanese honeysuckle Lonicera japonica   X X
Kudzu Pueraria montana var. lobata X X X
Lizard’s tail Saururus cernuus X X X
Muscadine grape Vitis rotundifolia X X X
Poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans X X X
Poison-oak Toxicodendron pubescens X X X
Pricklypear Opuntia humifusa X X X
Primrose willow Ludwigia peruviana     X
Resurrection fern Pleopeltis polypodioides var. michauxiana X X X
Saltbush Baccharis spp.     X
Saw palmetto Serenoa repens X X X
Saw-grass Cladium jamaicense     X
Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides X X X
Switchcane Arundinaria gigantea     X
Tread softly Cnidoscolus stimulosus X X X
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia   X X
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes X X X
Wild azalea Rhododendron canescens     X
Winged sumac Rhus copallinum   X X
Wiregrass Aristida stricta X X X
Yellow jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens   X X