Florida yellowtops facts for kids

Florida yellowtops (scientific name: Flaveria floridana) is a special plant found in North America. It belongs to the sunflower family, just like sunflowers you might know! This plant is quite rare. You can only find it along the Gulf Coast of Florida. It grows in areas between Clearwater and Marco Island. Most of these plants are found near the Tampa Bay area.

What is Florida Yellowtops?

The Florida yellowtops plant is a type of herb. This means it has soft stems, not woody ones like a tree. It is also a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It can grow quite tall, reaching up to 120 centimeters (about 4 feet) high.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of the Florida yellowtops are long and narrow. They can grow up to 14 centimeters (about 5.5 inches) long. When the plant blooms, it can produce many flowers. One plant might have as many as 100 flower heads! These flower heads are grouped together very closely.

Each flower head usually has 9 to 14 small yellow disc flowers. Sometimes, you might also see a single yellow ray flower on a head. Ray flowers are the petal-like parts you see on a sunflower. Disc flowers are the tiny flowers in the center.