Kate, Dune Sunflower (Helianthus debilis) and Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella) can both be found at native plant nurseries. I'm not sure how close they would be to you but I googled and found these over your way:
http://www.floridanativeplants...
http://mariposanursery.com/
http://www.floridanativeplants...
http://sweetbaynursery.com/

Kate, the Indian Blanket are impossible to screw up growing them from seed they're THAT easy. I just sowed all mine or I would send you some seed.

Thanks everyone!!! I tried all of those nurseries EXCEPT the Florida Native nursery...how did I miss that!?

Just have to add that www.mailordernatives.com are awesome folks and I have bought many, many butterfly host plants from them. And Blanket Flower seeds are so easy although I bought some plants this year because I wanted instant gratification. I really like the 'Goblin' cultivar, but all of them are fine. And never underestimate digging up plants on the side of the road! I have a beautiful number of Spiderworts blooming now that I dug up on the road next to me. They were right near the power line pole so I figured the electric company would probably end up destroying them sooner or later. I've also seen Blanket Flowers on the side of I-275. But always be aware if you're on private property. I think the whole nation is aware of our "Stand Your Ground" law at this point.

Melanie, thank you so much for the link to mailordernatives, I signed up for their newsletter and I'm going to browse their site right now!

@mellielong Thank you for the link to mailordernatives. Just checked and it's a great site.

You're most welcome! Being a butterfly gardener, I'm often looking for very specific plants and they've been a really good source over the years. And you know, they have other plants, too.

Beach Sunflower is a staple in my front gardens and has been year after year. I adore it.

I love the beach sunflower too, they seem to grow and spread to cover areas very quickly. Recently I read somewhere that a single plant will cover a 5 foot area in no time at all ... so true! Those plants don't require a lot of care and yet they are happy little sunflowers as they trail about and grace us with their sunny blooms!

Well, I went back to Duncheon's Nursery in Land O' Lakes today to get those awesome Sweetbay Magnolias for only $20! They're about 7-8 feet tall and all leafed out which is more than I can say for the one planted in my yard! I bought another one for myself, so now I have three. And then I bought two to donate to MOSI, where I volunteer (see my signature). We don't have any and it's a host plant for the beautiful Tiger Swallowtail so I told my boss I would happily buy them for the gardens. Dad and I braved the pouring rain to purchase them and then deliver them to the museum. My feet are still a little damp, but Dad made me tea so that's pretty nice.

And my boss forewarned me the lab would be a little cluttered because they ordered carnivorous plants. Apparently, we're going to add those to the garden exhibit. We have an indoor pond area that demonstrates how water is filtered in nature and I think they're going to set them up near that. I was just excited to see they ordered Hooded Pitcher Plants because I adore those things. Planted in groups, they look like little people and they're so darn cute!

I sure wish I could get some of those Sweet Bay Mags at that price!

Ann, they've had them for $60 for years. That's how much I paid a few years ago for the one I have. And back in November when I went there to buy pansies with Mom that's how much they were. I didn't buy one then because I thought it was too late in the year to be planting a tree. Now, I'm really glad I waited until spring! What's strange is they have the ones from the fall still in one row and they've lost their leaves, but are starting to bud out like mine here at the house. But the ones I bought had all their leaves and were in a different row which makes me think they ordered more at some point. I did tell the employees I was taking two of them to MOSI and why and they seemed excited that their plants were going to the museum. I just want some Tiger Swallowtails! I've only ever found one caterpillar on my tree and he died. I had one lay eggs on my Black Cherry one year but those caterpillars died, too.

Melanie, what a great buy for that size tree! I see that http://www.mailordernatives.co... has little 16 inch trees for $8 but then you have to add postage too. I will have to keep an eye out around here because I'd like to get one for my sister and brother in law as a housewarming gift!

Yeah, I order from Mail Order Natives all the time. Which reminds me, I need to place an order! But I was really trying to find a larger tree so I could get caterpillars right away (hopefully). I would have bought the small ones if that was all I could find. I've shopped the USF Botanical Gardens plant sales for years and I'd never seen one for sale until after I bought that first one a few years ago. The Native Plant Society had one for sale at their booth but it was still only 4-5 feet tall. I was glad to see them have it for sale, though. So many of us want to "go native" whether it's for environmental reasons, aesthetic reasons, or wildlife reasons. But it can be so hard to find the plants! And I don't want to get busted for poaching plants from the preserves or parks! It can be tempting, though. Of course, that's how a lot of things ended up becoming endangered in the first place - our native orchids being over-collected is a perfect example. Plus, I hear prison isn't very nice.

I definitely let my local nurseries know that I am a butterfly gardener and that I want native plants and I want pesticide-free plants. I went to business school so I completely understand the economics they face, but that just means we have to support natives with our dollars, and convert the unconverted! That's another reason I love volunteering at MOSI. I get to talk about butterflies, but I sell people on native plants, too! We have so many people that move down here from up north and I tell them that they have to change their way of gardening. Natives are so much easier to deal with, too! You still have to do some work, but not nearly the amount you can spend on some of the plants you see in the catalogs. I learned that lesson real quick when I started gardening! The grass may look greener in the other zones, but then I remind myself I can grow bromeliads outdoors and have butterflies year-round and then I can forget all those plants in the fancy catalogs.

I have native black cherry trees here so that must be why I see Tiger Swallowtails. I would like to see more of them though. More, more, we always want more and we're never satisfied! Bwahahahahahaha!

Melaine, didn't you say they like the Carolina Cherry Laurels too? I have loads of those!

Technically, BAMONA says they use host plants in the Prunus family. But I've never seen them on Cherry Laurel. I have tons of them, too. Not in my yard, but in the neighborhood. In fact, we even have one in the flight cage although my boss has a sign in the pot that says "Black Cherry". But I can totally tell the two apart and what we have is a Cherry Laurel. We've captured Tiger Swallowtails in the garden before and put them in the flight cage and they've never laid eggs on it. My field guide says that south of Ocala they exclusively use Sweetbay Magnolia. That doesn't explain why one laid eggs on my Black Cherry, but it did. Granted, the caterpillars didn't survive but the point is the butterfly chose the Black Cherry (I didn't have a Sweetbay back then). I say unless you see it with your own eyes, or those of people you trust, don't believe it. I've read many books on butterflies that say one thing and then I see the opposite thing happen. I can't believe I'm the exception to the rule that many times. I also think the Red-Spotted Purples have a monopoly on the Black Cherry trees in this area. The Tigers probably fly over and see that the tree is already occupied.

Hummmm..... I'm north of Ocala so that may be a factor. But I don't go looking for eggs either so wouldn't know and frankly I wouldn't know *what* egg was on anything.

We flit, we fly, alvederzein good nighight........!

Have a beautiful tomorrow. May the Butterflies lay where they may and show us their beauties.

"Just lay off anything that I like as much or more then they do, and especially any of my veggies. Its a fact!"

I don't know, David. We just have to plant enough so there's a little bit for the caterpillars, and some for us too. I've got parsley, dill and fennel going in my garden right now, and when Melanie mentioned that they are host plants, I thought "oh, good" that I'll have butterflies, not "oh darn" that they'll eat some of my delicious herbs. I have lots!

I grow the Native Passion vines for the Butterflies, and a few others that they won't use for me. Milkweed comes up from seed here and there around the property. I've been known to mow around patches of Queen Ann's Lace that comes up in the middle of the yard so the Eastern Black Swallowtails can have it. I'll hid parsley on the screened porch for people. Sweet Bay magnolia's are all over the farm, and I keep a Lemon Tree that doesn't produce particularly good lemon's for the Giant Swallowtails. It's just what you do as far as I'm concerned. A little for us, a little for them...........
And I get REALLY ticked off at folks who get all upset when they grow plants that are host plants and then kill the caterpillars. If you don't like them, grow something else.