Urban backyards reflect the culture and the quality of life of local populations as resilient spaces that foster human interactions with nature. The city of Feira de Santana, in the Brazilian semiarid region, possesses many green areas in the form of public squares, parks, and central flowerbeds, as well as a strong local tradition of cultivating backyard plants. Many aspects of this local flora have not been extensively examined, however, and this study sought to characterize the species found in epi-urban backyards and to evaluate their different purposes. We hypothesized that the floristic compositions and cultivation patterns found would vary according to the characteristics of each epi-urban neighborhood. Twelve neighborhoods were randomly selected and five backyards were sampled in each, totaling 60 backyards. Monthly surveys undertaken between October/2023 and June/2024 identified 166 plant species belonging to 60 angiosperm families. All of the species observed were introduced by the residents, with 53 of them being native to Brazil and 113 exotic. The majority of the species were terrestrial and herbaceous (94 spp.); Lamiaceae was the richest family (19 %) and Plectranthus the most common genus. Cultivation patterns varied by neighborhood, with backyards closer to the urban center showing greater anthropic influences. The herbaceous plants were mainly medicinal, while shrubs and trees had ornamental and food functions; palms and succulents were frequently cultivated as ornamentals. These findings highlight the ecological, cultural, and socioeconomic importance of urban backyards as secondary pathways for ex situ conservation, for treating diseases and illnesses, and for food consumption.