Bloomipedia
Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides)
Photo: Jay Horn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Florida rosemary

Ceratiola ericoides

Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides) is a shrub in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to Florida

Florida rosemary is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

5states where USDA records it
4,137FL sightings*
4,735U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Florida

Quick look

Ceratiola is a genus of flowering plants with a single species, Ceratiola ericoides, a shrub endemic to the Southeastern United States.

  • It belongs to the Ericaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 5 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Florida. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 4,137 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #61 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Florida (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (28 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (S2), SC (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Florida rosemary in 5 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Taylor, Volusia, Walton.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 56 counties across 5 states; the most are in Florida (41), South Carolina (6), Georgia (5).

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap.

More Florida flowers

Fetterbush lyonia (Lyonia lucida)

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Shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites)

Shiny blueberry

Vaccinium myrsinites

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Coastal plain staggerbush (Lyonia fruticosa)

Coastal plain staggerbush

Lyonia fruticosa

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🌼 Blooms in FL: January–June

Sources