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

Listed as Threatened in Florida. Please acquire from reputable sources. Screen plant. Informal hedge. Specimen. , Tolerance, Tolerant of frequent or regular inundation (usually areas with tidal inundation) High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and , Wildlife, Fruits attract birds. , Habitat, Pine rockland, rockland hammock. , Did You Know?, Showy fruits

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

There are two subspecies in Florida with somewhat different but overlapping distributions. Culture and uses in the landscape are similar. It is best t , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, River floodplains. Low roadsides. Low pastures. Usually seen in late winter/spring after rains. Can show up at other times with the right pattern , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators.

In nature, this grows in habitats with frequent fire.  In the garden, it will grow best if you remove built-up thatch (or burn it once every few years , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Flatwoods, sandhills. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage

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.

Flowers are dark maroon, not showy. Small specimen tree. Also works well as a component of floodplain forests. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Small mammals and birds harvest the fruit. , Habitat, River floodplains, predominantly to the north of Florida. In most of Florida, Asimina parviflora would be more appropriate yet very similar in appear , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Pollinated by flies and beetles

The showy part of this plant is the bracts which are pink to lavender. Flowers are actually small, whitish to yellowish, with purple spots. Wildflowe , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Can get rangy and fall over, but trimming in early summer will keep it bushier. , Wildlife, Attracts hummingbirds. , Habitat, Dry disturbed areas, old fields, and upper sand dunes. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy flowers Attracts many bees, butterflies, and moths.

Moist wildflower garden, especially acidic gardens oriented toward sphagnum, pitcher plants, and similar bog species. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Attracts pollinators. , Habitat, Flatwoods, wet prairie, savanna. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers

This  little plant produces two flowers with ovaries that fuse into a single fruit. Typically grown as a curiosity. This is a very small plant that a , 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 berries which mature in the fall and are retained through the winter and spring. , Habitat, Hammocks, upland hardwood forests, upland mixed forest, seep slopes, second bottom and levees in floodplains. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Bumblebees pollinate the flowers. Cross-pollination, required for seed set, is controlled by factors

Listed as Endangered in Florida.  Also found in Central and South America and parts of the Caribbean. This species has only recently begun to be culti , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Likely dispersed by birds or mammals (https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/154505794.pdf). , Habitat, Limestone influenced hammocks including Indian mounds. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage

Highly tolerant of fire once established. Shade tree. Woodland tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Huge pine cones litter the ground, so not a good tree for a lawn. , Wildlife, Known for its use by squirrels, especially fox squirrels. Birds also eat the nuts. Old trees in well managed (properly burned) natural sandhill and fl , Habitat, Sandhill, mesic to dry flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Hurricane wind resistance

Slower growing and generally smaller than live oak. Extremely drought tolerant. In environments where there is fire, this is often a small clonal shru , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Valued by the Florida scrub-jay for its acorns which are relatively low in tanins and often used as a nesting tree. Acorns used by woodpeckers and wil , Habitat, Scrub, sandhill, scrubby flatwoods, flatwoods, coastal hammocks. Increases in flatwoods under winter burn management. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host plant for oak hairstreak (Fixsenia favonius), Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-b

Adaptable to the casual or wildflower garden. Can be used as groundcover or border plant. Naturalizes. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can spread overly quickly. , Habitat, Open sites, deciduous woods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts pollinators, especially bees.

Allow to climb on trellis, trees, or building masonry. The tendrils of Virginia creeper are tipped with adhesive-like disks that gives the vine the ab , 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, It should not be allowed to climb painted surfaces because this same adhesive-like material will bond to the surface and likely damage the paint . Thi , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by a variety of birds and small mammals. Also used for shelter. , Habitat, Dry-moist sites. Hammocks, riverine forests, coastal sites, flatwoods, thickets, disturbed woods. , Did You Know?, Fall color Pollinated by bees and other pollinators.  Bees documented visiting this species include Colletes nudus, Augochloropsis metallica, Megachi

Wildflower garden or butterfly garden. A number of cultivars exist, but none are grown widely in Florida. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Self-seeds, so it can become weedy. , Habitat, Dry sites. Ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts many butterflies and  pollinators.

Small specimen tree or large shrub. Background edge and screen plantings. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Habitat, Tropical rockland hammock. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Attracts abundant insects including bees, wasps, butterflies, and diurnal moths. The species is considered a honey plant, furnish

Spicy smell to crushed foliage. Florida is at the southern end of the range for this species, and the range is likely disjoint with the species occurr , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Like it's relative redbay(Persea borbonia), it's susceptible to attacks by the redbay ambrosia beetle, which spreads a deadly fungus called Laural Wil , Wildlife, Birds and mammals eat the fruits. , Habitat, Bluffs, floodplains, calcareous hammocks. Rare. , Did You Know?, Aroma, fragrance, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage Larval host for the spice bush swallowtail and other butterflies.  Attracts bees and flies.

Small tree appropriate to moist areas. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Wildlife, Small mammals and birds harvest the fruit. , Habitat, Floodplains. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Interesting foliage Larval host for zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) and pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus). Pollinated by flies and

Information on salt tolerance comes from northern nurseries and likely relates to tolerance of salt used for de-icing or roadways.  The extent to whic , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Considertions, Thorny (well, you would expect that for a rose!) , Wildlife, Fruits eaten by birds and small mammals. , Habitat, Dry deciduous forests. Also cultivated. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers, Thorns Attracts a variety of insects, especially important for native bees.

Specimen tree where its sweeping branches and scarlet fall color can be appreciated. Shade tree. , 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, Low branches are set at 90 degrees to the trunk and spread widely, so does not make a good street or lawn tree. , Wildlife, Seeds are eaten by birds and small-to-medium-sized mammals. , Habitat, Wooded areas, usually sandy, moist to dry. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Hurricane wind resistance Bee pollinated.