Lyre-Leaved Sage
Salvia lyrata

The fiddle shaped leaves are in a low rosette with a flower stalk up to two feet tall. The bluish purple flowers attract butterflies while the developing seed is eaten by painted buntings.

This is found naturally in Central and North Florida and parts of South Florida although it is not found from Palm Beach County south along the coast.

Will tolerate some shade and moist to dry soils. Although not the prettiest plant, it mixes well with other wildflowers and can be used as a border mass or scattered under pines to provide food for seed eating birds like painted buntings.

It may spread across the yard, yet can be easily removed where unwanted. It flowers mainly in the early spring.

Try mixing with black eyed susan, blazing star, pineland petunia, coreopsis, powderpuff, basket grass, silkgrass and other less agressive groundcovers.