Counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, and Jefferson
Click through the photographs below to see suitable plants for each marsh elevation in northwest Florida.
Disclaimer: This webpage is a general guide to marsh plants that may work in your area. Local conditions such as water levels, soil salt, terrain, and sunlight can affect which plants will grow best. Before planting, check with a local expert, your county extension office, or a contractor who knows your site conditions. Choosing the right plants is key for long-term success and for making your living shoreline most beneficial to the environment.
Low Marsh
Details
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Saltwort | Batis maritima | Bay, Gulf, Franklin, and Wakulla only |
| Perennial glasswort | Salicornia ambigua | Santa Rosa, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, and Wakulla only |
| Smooth cordgrass | Sporobolus alterniflorus | All |
| Gulf cordgrass | Sporobolus spartinae | All |
Mid Marsh
Details
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Groundsel bush | Baccharis halimifolia | All |
| Waterhyssop | Bacopa monnieri | All |
| Sea ox-eye | Borrichia frutescens | All |
| Saltgrass | Distichlis spicata | All |
| Gulf coast spikerush | Eleocharis cellulosa | All |
| Indian blanket | Gaillardia pulchella | All |
| Dollarweed | Hydrocotyle umbellata | All |
| Railroad vine | Ipomoea pes-caprae | All |
| Big-leaf marsh elder | Iva frutescens | All |
| Black needlerush | Juncus roemerianus | All |
| Southern wax myrtle | Morella cerifera | All |
| Muhly grass | Muhlenbergia capillaris | All |
| Common evening-primrose | Oenothera biennis | All |
| Red bay | Persea borbonia | All |
| Black-eyed susan | Rudbeckia spp. | All |
| Cabbage palm | Sabal palmetto | All |
| Saltmeadow cordgrass | Sporobolus pumilus | All |
| Seashore dropseed | Sporobolus virginicus | All |
| Perennial saltmarsh aster | Symphyotrichum tenuifolium | All |
High Marsh
Details
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| False indigo bush | Amorpha fruticosa | All |
| Milkweed | Asclepias spp. | Varies with species |
| American beautyberry | Callicarpa americana | All |
| Coastal sandbur | Cenchrus spinifex | All |
| Swamp rose mallow | Hibiscus moscheutos | All |
| Inkberry | Ilex glabra | All |
| Yaupon holly | Ilex vomitoria | All |
| Seacoast marshelder | Iva imbricata | All |
| Eastern red cedar | Juniperus virginiana | All |
| Christmasberry | Lycium carolinianum | Bay, Gulf, Franklin, and Wakulla only |
| Sweetbay magnolia | Magnolia virginiana | All |
| Black medick | Medicago lupulina | All |
| Sunshine mimosa | Mimosa strigillosa | All |
| Virginia plantain | Plantago virginica | All |
| Sand live oak | Quercus geminata | All |
| Water oak | Quercus nigra | All |
| Live oak | Quercus virginiana | All |
| Saw palmetto | Serenoa repens | All |
| Starry rosinweed | Silphium asteriscus | All |
| Seaside goldenrod | Solidago sempervirens | All |
| White clover | Trifolium repens | All |
| Fakahatchee grass | Tripsacum dactyloides | All |