Small specimen tree. Can also work as an understory tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Birds and small mammals consume the fruit. , Habitat, Slope forest, upland hardwood forest. Bluffs, creek forests. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for cecropia silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia) and spring azure butterfly (Celastrina ladon).

Multistemmed shrub that can form small thickets. Plant as a screen, hedge, or background plant. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Can become aggressive in some habitats. , Habitat, Moist hammocks, dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Larval host for southern dogface (Zerene cesonia), gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), and silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreu

Specimen shrub. Fine foliage. Does well adjacent to structures or woods. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Requires acid soil. , Wildlife, Attracts many pollinators--is important to native bees. Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit. , Habitat, Dry sites. Upland mixed forests, sandhill, flatwoods, scrub. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers

The genus name honors the English botanist William Vernon, who did fieldwork in North America. Back of a moist wildflower garden. Can also use on the , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Exposed sand and gravel bars of streams during low water, stream banks, hydric to wet mesic pine flatwoods. Rich soils. Ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar attracts butterflies and native beens.  Larval host for spring azure butterfly.

Fruits are edible. Hedge or screen. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Some say that it has a skunky odor, others cannot smell it. , Wildlife, Provides cover for wildlife (https://www.regionalconservation.org/). , Habitat, Coastal hammocks. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts pollinators, especially bees and moths. Larval host for tant

Has larger flowers than most lyonias. Can be used as a specimen shrub or in a screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Slow growing. , Habitat, Edges of flatwoods marshes, cypress-hardwood pond margins, bogs, shrub-tree swamps, hydric and low mesic flatwoods, occasionally in well-drained mixed , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers Attracts bees.

Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Difficult to establish because of long tap root. , Wildlife, Small mammals and birds harvest the fruit. , Habitat, Flatwoods, ruderal (pastures), scrubby flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) and pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus). Pollinated by flies and beetles.

Low growing groundcover. Can be used as a turf substitute in low traffic areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Dry-moist-wet sites. Disturbed wet prairies, ruderal areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host  for common buckeye (Junonia coenia), phaon crescent (Phyciodes phaon) and white peacock (Anartia jatr

This is an endangered species. Please acquire only from reputable nurseries. Endemic to the central ridges, esp. the Lake Wales Ridge. Specimen plant , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Slow growing. , Wildlife, Birds eat the fruit and are the primary dispersers. , Habitat, Scrub, scrubby high pine. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Pollinated by bees.

Interesting silky-looking foliage. Tallish groundcover in mesic (moist) areas. Can be planted in groupings in shady areas. Despite the name, the leav , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray wo , Wildlife, Dispersed by birds. , Habitat, Dry mesic to mesic and hydric hammock, second bottom, shell mounds, floodplains. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts bees and butterflies.

Specimen plant or natural background screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Cover for birds and mammals. Deer browse the foliage. , Habitat, Moist sites. Acid soils. Upland hardwood forest, slope forest , banks of seep streams, bluffs. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Pollinated by bees.  Stamens will suddenly "snap" out of pockets in the petals and hit the insect with its load of

Natural landscapes including meadows and butterfly gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Purple thistle is a thorny plant - be very careful when handling. , Wildlife, The seeds are rich in oil, an important food source for seed-eating birds. , Habitat, Coastal plain, edges of salt marshes, pinewoods, prairies and disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Larval host to little metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis) and painted lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies. N

The range includes all of peninsular Florida and the southern parts of Georgia, and Alabama. Best used as a wildflower as it has a relatively short l , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit. , Habitat, Scrub, scrubby flatwoods, flatwoods, high pine, cutthroat seep. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts pollinators.  Documented bee species include Augochlorella aurata, A. gratiosa, Augochloropsi

Range includes areas usually relatively near the coast in Southeastern United States west to Texas, north to North Carolina, and south to the Monroe C , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Tends to be weedy in behavior and appearance. , Wildlife, Likely used as forage by species such as deer.  Good cover. , Habitat, Coastal areas, flatwoods, disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for cassius blue (Leptotes cassius), dorantes longtail (Urbanus dorantes), gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), and long-tail

Primarily useful for coastal restoration projects. , Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation) High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and , Wildlife, Attracts birds.  Nesting and resting habitat. , Habitat, Salt marshes, dunes. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

All bellworts that occur in Florida are rare. Please do not transplant from the wild unless there is imminent danger of site destruction (permits may , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Slope forest, bluffs, river swamps. Rare. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

Endemic to western peninsular Florida from Tampa south to Charlotte County. Wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sometimes the flower stalks are too tall and heavy to stand. Can be cut back mid-summer to reduce height. In a large garden, the twisted fallen stalks , Habitat, Flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees.

Often grows with ink berry and palmettos. Beautiful early spring-blooming shrub. Grow at edge of wooded areas or as a specimen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Various birds eat the berries including titmice, nuthatches, warblers, chickadees, cardinals, grosbeaks, and orioles. , Habitat, Wet sites. Seep slopes, wet flatwoods, edges of swamps. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Fall color, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Flowers attract bees and butterflies.  Pollinated by bees.

There are two varieties in Florida which are essentially equivalent for landscape purposes:  Mimosa quadrivalvis var. angustata and M. quadrivalvis va , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Recurved prickles, take care when handling. , Habitat, Sandhill, scrub and flatwoods , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Attracts small insects pollinators.  Bees documented on this species include Agapostemon splendens, Augoch

Wildflower garden. This is a small but pretty little plant. Grow it in a moist wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, It may be necessary to re-seed to keep this in the garden. Seed is not generally commercially available. This is the most toxic of the milkweeds and i , Habitat, Flatwoods , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Attracts various pollinators.

Both male and female plants required for pollination and seed set. Specimen tree.  Screen. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Sharp spines (teeth) on leaves. , Wildlife, Fruits are eaten by birds. , Habitat, Upland woods, second bottom but will not tolerate long flooding. Often an understory plant. Documented in Lee County in a site likely to be natural. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Bees pollinate flowers.