Phoebanthus grandiflorus
Florida False Sunflower
Phoebanthus
Florida native
Endemic to Florida
A frequent perennial wildflower of sandhills found only in the Florida peninsula from Clay County south to Lake Ockeechobee.
The showy yellow flowers are usually solitary and terminal on the stem, appearing from May to October. Phoebanthus grows up to 1 m (~3 ft.) tall, typically unbranched with mostly alternate leaves that are narrow, 3-5 mm (1/8 - 1/4 in.) wide, linear to lanceolate, entire and rough. Fruit is an achene.
There are two North American species in this genus. The other species - Phoebanthus tenuifolius - is a rare plant of sandhills and flatwoods in parts of the panhandle and Alabama and is listed as threatened in Florida. Similar to P. grandiflorus, except having narrower leaves, 1-2 mm (less than 1/8 in.) wide. The ranges of the two species do not overlap and are widely separated.
Phoebanthus grandiflorus is a member of the Asteraceae - Aster family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Mar 22, 2020