The common name refers to the pliable twigs. Use as a border plant, foundation plant, or understory shrub in a shady, moist setting. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Considertions, Can cause serious skin irritation and is somewhat toxic to ingest. A rare shrub, so may not adapt well into home landscapes. , Habitat, Mesic slope forests, ravines and bluffs. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage Insects visit the flowers, but likely the plant does not rely upon them.  Visits apparently opportunistic.  (Williams, 2004).

This species can be distinguished from related non-natives by its trailing stems and lance-shaped leaves. Stachytarpheta urticifolia, commonly sold by , 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  hummingbirds. , Habitat, Coastal strand, open areas in dry mesic hardwood forests, sometimes nestled under trees along sandy roadsides. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Larval host for tropical buckeye (Junonia genoveva) butterfly.  Nectar plant for many butterflies and moths including: Bahamian swallow

Specimen plant, typically forms clumps of stems,the young fan-shaped fronds hide the principal stems. The lower fronds can be removed so that the trun , Tolerance, Tolerant of inundation with brackish water Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon ( , Considertions, Leaf stalks bear spines. , Wildlife, Fruits spread by birds. , Habitat, Moist hammocks, swamps, but can adapt to drier sites. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Thorns, Hurricane wind resistance Attracts bees.

Some literature sources suggest that this species may have some salt tolerance as it apparently grows along the upper edges of some salt marshes, but , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray , Habitat, Moist-wet sites. Wet flatwoods, roadside ditches in former flatwoods. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers This plant is an insect magnet! It attracts insects including long-tongued bees, green metallic bees, bee flies, butterflies, and skipp

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

Wildflower garden. , 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, Sandhills, flatwoods, ruderal. , Did You Know?, Showy flowers Attracts bees and butterflies.

If grown in a freshwater environment, S. patens will grow much bigger. Use as a shoreling stabilization plant on edges of sand beaches and saltmarsh. , 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 , Wildlife, Birds and other animals eat the seeds. , Habitat, Salt and brackish water of shores, farmlands, marshes, dunes. , Did You Know?, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance

Shade tree. Forest tree. , Tolerance, Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray. , Wildlife, Birds, squirrel and other wildlife consume the acorns. , Habitat, Xeric to dry-mesic pine-oak-hickory woods, sometimes on bluff microsites. , Did You Know?, Fall color, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance Larval host for the white-M hairstreak.