• Rural pastures may contain grasses and wildflowers.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  A pasture is an open area used for grazing livestock. It may contain numerous plants including native and introduced grasses as well as variety of native plants. In northwest Florida, a spring pasture that is not an intensively managed monoculture of one type of exotic grass, such as Bermudagrass, provides a good place to observe a variety of blooming native plants in the spring.
  
  

Orange Cone Flower

• The orange cone flower (Rudbeckia fulgida), a perennial wildflower found in northwest Florida pastures, has broad fuzzy leaves and reaches a height of 36 inches, including the flower stems. The flowers are up to 3 inches across and are yellow-orange with a darker burnt orange center. The orange cone flower is used as a flowering plant in gardens throughout the southeastern United States.
  
  

Golden Ragwort

• The golden ragwort (Packera aurea), a spring-blooming perennial often seen in pastures and meadows in northwest Florida, has flat, heart-shaped leaves and yellow daisy-like flowers. Eventually, the golden ragwort will reach a height of almost 4 feet. Golden ragwort grows best in moist, acidic soil and will decline in the heat of the summer after reseeding.
  
  

Horsemint

• Horsemint, or spotted beebalm, (Monarda punctata) is a member of the mint family and grows to 3 feet tall in pastures and meadows throughout the eastern United States. It is a native wildflower with aromatic stems and foliage. The flowers, or bracts, are indistinguishable from the leaves except they are located at the end of the stems and turn purple or gray before the seeds appear.
  
  

Lanceleaf Coreopsis

• Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), found in pastures and meadows throughout the South in the springtime, sports yellow daisy-like flowers borne atop 2-foot tall wiry stems and surrounded by bright green foliage with deeply cut, or lance-like leaves. A clumping perennial in northwest Florida, it returns from the roots every spring. The foliage dies to the ground in the hottest part of the summer.
  
  

Lyreleaf Sage

• Lyreleaf sage, or cancer weed (Salvia lyrata), a broad-leaf, low-growing perennial of the mint family, is often seen occupying large areas of meadows and pastures where the soil is well drained. The 18-inch tall flower stems appear in early spring and produce blue or purple tubular flowers along the stem. The foliage lasts into the summer, and it can be mowed without affecting the long-term health of the plant. Lyreleaf sage is often used as a ground cover in residential landscapes.