FNPS Plant Database

Flaveria linearis

yellowtop
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

yellowtop

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Flaveria linearis

Family:

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

2-3 ft tall by 3-4 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Perennial. Blooms fall and winter.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Wildflower garden or tall-growing groundcover. Forms mounds that are typically wider than tall. Cut back to ground after flowering.

Considerations:

Becomes weedy-looking after flowering.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Easily grown from seed. Seeds are available through the Florida Wildflowers Growers Cooperative.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Short very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Acidic to circum-neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies

Nectar plant for cassius blue ( Leptotes cassius ), Dorantes longtail ( Urbanus dorantes ), eufala skipper ( Lerodea eufala ), field skipper ( Atalopedes campestris ), Florida duskywing ( Ephyriades brunneus ), Florida white ( Appias drusilla ), great southern white ( Ascia monuste ), julia ( Dryas iulia ), large orange sulphur ( Phoebis agarithe ), martial scrub-hairstreak ( Strymon martialis ), monk skipper ( Asbolis capucinus ), obscure skipper ( Panoquina panoquinoides ), Palatka skipper ( Euphyes pilatka ), red-banded hairstreak ( Calycopis cecrops ), sachem ( Atalopedes campestris ), southern broken-dash ( Wallengrenia otho ), three-spotted skipper ( Cymaenes tripunctus ), twin-spot skipper ( Oligorio maculata ), zarucco duskywing ( Erymis zarucco ) and other butterflies. ( IRC )





Attracts bees.

Native Habitats:

Depression and basin marshes, wet prairies, pine rocklands, edges of mangrove swamps, disturbed areas such as berms and dikes near the coast, edges of tidal marshes.

Natural Range in Florida:

Loading Florida counties…

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

This species is almost always coastal occupying only a strip along the coastline and not entire counties.

Citations:

Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+), Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Flavline ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Hammer, Roger. (2015). Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies in Tropical Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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