Understory shrub. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Difficult to transplant because of long taproot. , Wildlife, Small mammals and birds harvest the fruit. , Habitat, Dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests, sandhill, clayhill, scrub , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) and pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus). Pollinated by flies and

Wild cotton is a rare plant; it needs protection against missuses and protection against removal from natural populations. Use as a short-lived "shru , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, It is not legal to plant this plant, but the reasons are very dated. A Florida law was passed in the early 1900s banning the growing of wild cottons, , Habitat, Dry sites. Tropical hammock, coastal berm, shell mound. Disturbed area. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits Larval host plant for gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) butterflies. Flowers attract bees, flies, thrips, grass hoppers,

While native in Florida, this species is invasive in other areas, especially the Pacific Northwest. Aquatic species with floating leaves and flowers. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Could overrun small ponds or water features. , Habitat, Aquatic. Marshes, swamps in openings, still water. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Flies, bees, and beetles have been recorded.

The range extends from Texas to North Carolina mostly in the coastal plan and adjacent areas of sandy hills.  In Florida, the range is continuous down , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, This plant can be too prolific as the many seedlings that come up both around the plant and under bird perching sites can become problematic. Also spr , Wildlife, Seed is spread by birds. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Upland hardwood forests, upland mixed forest, secondary woods, riverine swamps, disturbed areas. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Attracts bees.

Wildflower garden especially in sunny moist areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Said to spread easily from seed to the extent that it can become hard to control. , Wildlife, Birds and other wildlife consume fruit. , Habitat, Moist flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many pollinators, especially important for native bees.

In the opinion of this author, this species has a weedy look.  Occurs throughout Florida but is more frequent in flatwoods pond settings and small flo , 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 , Considertions, An aggressive grower. Plant where that characteristic is appropriate. , Habitat, Riverine forests, flatwoods, beaches, fresh and brackish marshes, disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Larval host for tawny edged skipper.

Wildflower garden especially in sunny moist areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Tall, can appear weedy especially when not in flower. , Wildlife, Attracts many pollinators, especially important for native bees. Birds and other wildlife consume fruit. Larval host plant for clymene moth (Haploa cl , Habitat, Moist to wet places often in partial shade, edges of streams and rivers. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

Can be used as an accent plant or grown in the mid-rear of the garden. Also suitable in wildflower gardens. Its broad tolerance of soil and moisture c , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, The coarse foliage and prickly balls of flowers are not popular as a source of food with mammalian herbivores, although they may nibble off the ends o , Habitat, Moist-moist-wet sites. Cutthroat seeps, savannas, wet flatwoods, wet prairie, coastal flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Attracts many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butte

Groundcover in coastal sandy areas. Useful for dune stabilization. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Habitat, Coastal dunes. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Use as a specimen tree.  May be large.  May produce aerial roots, but less frequently than F. aurea. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Many birds and other wildlife consume the fruit and find cover in this plant. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Tropical hammocks. , Did You Know?, Interesting bark, Interesting foliage Larval host for ruddy daggerwing (Marpesia petreus) butterflies, Edwards' wasp (Lymire edwardsii) and fig sphin

Flowers open white and rapidly turn pink. Use as a specimen plant. Can also be used as a hedge. , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure t , Wildlife, Attracts birds , Habitat, Dry sites. Coastal hammocks. Disturbed sites. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts various pollinators. Larval host for Florida white (Appias drusilla) butterfli

Forming a thicket for wildlife protection. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without i , Considertions, It has thorns, but they are rather small. The seeds of Cherokee bean are poisonous and purportedly used for rat poison in Mexico. , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. Due to its dense foliage and thorny stems, coral bean serves as a refuge for small birds and animals. , Habitat, Dry sites. Upland mixed forest, thickets, tropical hammocks, coastal dunes, sandhill, flatwoods, tropical hammock, pine rocklands. This species can b , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Thorns Attracts long-tongued pollinators.

This is one of the world's most widespread species. Multiple subspecies exist  within Florida with two being widespread. Because of its tolerance of a , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, In rich soils, may be overly aggressive. , Habitat, Dry sites. Oak-pine-hickory woodslands. Tolerant of disturbance. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Although drought-tolerant, this shrub/small tree may benefit from a few deep, thorough soakings during extremely dry periods. When young, it tends to , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt , Considertions, Thorns on trunks and branches. Place where flowers and fragrance can be enjoyed, but away from walkways. Can suffer from root rot if too wet. , Wildlife, The thorny branches make good cover for birds and other wildlife. Fruits are not generally valued. Attracts pollinators. There are 2 subspecies, V. fa , Habitat, Coastal uplands, ruderal, shell middens , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Thorns Attracts pollinators and uses ants both for protection against unwanted insects.

Multiple species are native to Florida.  Most are attractive and many are easy to grow.  This is a catch-all for species not listed individually.  Ple , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Small seed-eating birds pick out the seeds from the mature flower heads. , Habitat, Vary by species. Mostly sandhills, bogs, roadsides, ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attract butterflies, bees and wasps.

Informal wildflower gardens. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Seeds eaten by birds. , Habitat, Pine-oak-hickory woods, longleaf pinelands, bluffs. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts butterflies and bees but the list of insects is diverse and includes hoverflies and soldier beetles.  The ground nesting bee,

Based on the BONAP range map, this species is a "near endemic" -- it occurs only in the panhandle and a 3 counties in southern Alabama. At this time, , Tolerance, Unknown Unknown , Wildlife, Small birds eat the seed. , Habitat, Wet flatwoods, bogs, savannahs, prairies , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Nectar plant for many butterfly species but also visited by other native insect pollinators.

Moist wildflower garden. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Floodplains, floodplain marshes, marshes. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Pollinated by bumblebees and long-horned bees.  Butterflies visit for nector but are not effective pollinators.

This species is broadly planted. It is one of the few native trees that is widely available. Noted for its twisty form, tolerance of root damage, and , Tolerance, Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges. Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure t , Considertions, Massive low hanging branches often droop to touch the ground--make sure you allow plenty of room for this tree. Can be somewhat messy especially if lo , Wildlife, Acorns provide a good food source for many types of birds and mammals. Good nesting habitat for birds and squirrels.  The acorns are low in tannins. H , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock, pine rockland in fire-suppressed areas and near tropical rockland hammock, upper edges of floodplains, margins of ponds and , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)

Often in water. Use in water gardens or along the shallow edges of ponds. , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Fruit is eaten by birds and other wildlife. , Habitat, Wet prairie, cypress swamps. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts various pollinators.

Bahama ladder brake hybridizes with the non-native and invasive China brake (P. vittata) forming Delchamps' ladder brake (P. x delchampsii). Bahama la , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Needs periodic removal of old fronds -- cut the clumps back in winter or early spring. , Habitat, Pine rockland, sinkhole (edges). On limestone. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage