Herbaceous Layer for Florida Zone 9


This page focuses on the herbaceous layer—non-woody perennials, self-seeding annuals, and clumping herbs that fill in around your trees and shrubs in Florida’s USDA Planting Zone 9. These plants often provide flowers for pollinators, culinary and medicinal harvests, and seasonal color in the food forest.

All of the plants listed here are commonly recommended for Central and North Florida conditions by regional university extensions, native plant societies, and Florida-focused nurseries. Not every plant has been tested yet at the Ocala Food Forest, but each appears consistently on reputable sources as a good fit for Zone 9 when sited appropriately.

Use this page alongside our other resources when planning the herbaceous “fill layer” around canopy, understory, and shrub plantings, or when designing pollinator zones and kitchen herb beds that can handle Florida’s heat, humidity, and storms.


Garden Vegetables Food Forest Plants Monthly Guild Challenge

Zone and suitability information on this page is drawn from regional sources such as UF/IFAS Extension, Florida Native Plant Society, and Florida-tuned nursery databases that specialize in herbaceous perennials and annuals for USDA Zone 9.

Herbaceous Layer – Florida Zone 9

Florida Native Herbaceous Plants

Native herbaceous flowers, grasses, and forbs that evolved in Florida’s soils and climate and support local pollinators and wildlife.

Florida Friendly Herbaceous Plants

Non-native but Florida-tough herbaceous perennials, annuals, and culinary herbs that perform well in Zone 9 without becoming invasive when managed appropriately.